WRC Preview: 2026 Rally Estonia
- Olivia Kairu
- 7 hours ago
- 3 min read
The 2026 World Rally Championship (WRC) heads north for Round 9 of the series, Rally Estonia. Moving on from the bruising, twisty, mountain roads of the EKO Acropolis Rally Greece, crews now face one of the smoother gravel events of the season. Centred in Tartu from July 17-19, the rally begins the series’ Northern European run on fast, sweeping gravel roads.
Estonia offers little opportunity to hesitate, creating an environment that depends on absolute commitment and the ability to maintain momentum through roads that are among the quickest in international rallying.
Toyota looks to extend its strong run
Toyota Gazoo Racing looks ahead to Estonia with confidence after another productive weekend in Greece.
Sébastien Ogier's victory at the Acropolis reinforced the team’s excellent form, while championship leader Elfyn Evans continues to hold a narrow advantage with 162 points. Evans leads his Toyota teammates: Takamoto Katsuta, Ogier, Sami Pajari, and Oliver Solberg, respectively.
Katsuta has developed into a consistent front-runner throughout the season, and Sami Pajari continues to gain experience on surfaces well suited to his background, banking fourth in Greece.
Oliver Solberg returns to the event where he secured a memorable breakthrough Rally1 victory a year ago. His familiarity with Estonia’s roads makes him a contender once again.
Solberg spoke of his eagerness to return to Estonia saying: “I’m really looking forward to going back to Rally Estonia. It’s a very special place to me after we took our first win there last year.
“It’s a really cool rally that I’ve always enjoyed: with the high speeds, massive jumps and excited rally fans, it’s a lot of fun. We haven’t had the easiest run of rallies recently, but now I’m going back to a rally where I have experience with this car, and I just want to try my best and see what we can do.”
Hyundai searches for a response
Hyundai Motorsport arrives determined to reduce Toyota’s advantage as the championship enters an important stretch.
The team demonstrated encouraging pace despite the harsh conditions in Greece and now moves onto roads that seem better suited to the build of the Hyundai i20 N Rally1.
Thierry Neuville remains one of Hyundai’s drivers who continues to challenge Toyota’s efforts each rally weekend, while Adrien Fourmaux continues to build momentum in his second campaign with the team. Esapekka Lappi’s return adds further experience from a driver who has consistently shown his strength on high-speed Nordic gravel.
When asked of his thoughts going into the weekend, Neuville said, “We’re heading into Estonia with confidence after two gravel rallies where we have consistently shown strong pace and fought for victory.
“Taking a win and a second place is encouraging, and our pre-event test also felt very positive. We’ve been competitive in Estonia in recent years, and if the conditions stay dry, they should suit us well,” he continued.
“The key to this rally is finding the right balance between traction, precision and protection over the huge jumps, while having complete trust in the car. Our goal is clear: to fight for victory and score a lot of points to fight back in the championship.”
For Hyundai, Estonia presents an opportunity to convert promising pace into a result capable of tipping the team’s favour.
Looking ahead
Rally Estonia often sets the stage for exceptionally close competition, comprising 18 stages of just over 300 km, cars typically travel at speeds that pass 120 km/h.
With Rally Finland following shortly afterwards, Estonia marks the beginning of a crucial period in the championship. Drivers capable of adapting quickly from Greece’s unforgiving mountain stages to Estonia’s flowing forest roads may gain valuable momentum before the title fight reaches its final phase.
Edited by Liam Ploetner
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