Rally Scotland will deliver fast gravel stages and prove to be quite the challenge for World Rally Championship crews in 2027, according to Elfyn Evans.
The World Rally Championship points leader was among a group of drivers that took part in the British Rally Championship’s Grampian Forest Rally held in Aberdeenshire, last weekend, which also acted as the FIA’s Rally Scotland candidate rally. The event included gravel roads that could feature in Rally Scotland, which is set to join the WRC calendar in 2027 after inking a three-year deal in March to bring the WRC back to Great Britain for the first time since 2019.
The event proved to be a valuable fact-finding mission for drivers to prepare for the rally. It also offered a team from the FIA, which included rally category manager Marina Dunach, sporting delegate Timo Rautiainen, safety delegate Nicolas Klinger and medical delegate Anna Carreras Castanye, an opportunity to oversee the rally and the proposed stages and infrastructure for next year to ensure they meet the criteria required for the WRC.
Evans jumped behind the wheel of Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 for the event, but didn’t run competitively, driving the stages as the zero car. However, from behind the wheel he was impressed by the nature of the stages and the challenge they will provide crews next year.
“Overall, the stages are nice. They’re pretty fast, probably even a bit on the fast side in some stage sections, but fine,” said Evans. “It’s not so dissimilar to Wales in the end. I think the surface is a bit different. Naturally it is a bit faster here, not quite as flowing, and a bit more cambered here.
“It’s going to be quite challenging. It’s very fast. And of course, when you’re not used to this car, those are the bits that I find difficult here. I’m sure that when we come with a car that we know well, it won’t be an issue.
“I think it was good to come and have a look and at least sample some of it and get some notes. We’ve got a flavour, we know a bit of what to expect. The Rally2 car is very much in line with what we’re going to have next year in terms of wear, so we’ve been able to evaluate tyre wear and all that. Of course, it is drier now probably than we’re going to have next year. We’ll learn something from it, I’m sure, even if it doesn’t feel super significant at the moment. Obviously, it’s surprising what getting your eye in can do.”
Jon Armstrong won the Aberdeenshire event
Photo by: Spacesuit Media
The rally was won by M-Sport-Ford’s Rally1 rookie Jon Armstrong, who took the win by 9.3s from M-Sport WRC2 regular Romet Jurgenson with factory Lancia WRC2 driver Nikolay Gryazin in third. The triumph for Armstrong proved to be his first outright gravel rally win in his career.
“To come out and win and get my first win on gravel is great. We have always been put in the tarmac specialist box, so it just goes to show how good the pace in Rally1 in the WRC is that we can take a step back and be right on the pace in a Rally2 car,” said Armstrong.
“It is very important [to be here] and I would say it is very important for next year to secure a drive. It is nice to show we can do it on gravel and overall, it has been a very nice event and I can’t wait to see what they do next year in WRC.
“The stages are going to be really good. They have such a nice character and camber and are very, very fast. I think it is going to be a brilliant event. We have been enjoying the roads, and they are a good mixture of flowing, camber and some nice cuts, which is a bit rare.
“Overall, it has been impressive the type of road we have here and they have way more forests they are looking at for next year.”
The FIA carried out a thorough inspection of the event and was encouraged by the stages on show and those proposed for next year. The world motorsport governing body was particularly impressed by the 48,000sqm P&J Live conference centre, located next to Aberdeen International Airport, which will act as the service park and hub for the rally next year.
Scotland’s return to the WRC was announced earlier this year
Photo by: Red Bull Content Pool
“I can say that there are two different kinds of stages. Having different days of different character, it’s good. Honestly, no major concerns [with the stages] just fine-tuning things and we have that everywhere we go,” said FIA safety delegate Klinger.
“It’s [the P&J Live arena] an incredible venue. You have so many possibilities, so many solutions. When you have a small service park to try to fit everything. It looks complicated and then it looks crowded. Then when it’s too big, if it looks empty, it’s not good either. So, it’s all these things that we try to discuss and see where you place this, that, and how to arrange it. It’s WRC level, very close to the airport, everything close to the town. You have everything here.”
The WRC is yet to announce its 2027 calendar, but it is expected that Rally Scotland will receive an Autumn date, with the event tipped to be held in October.
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– The Autosport.com Team
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