Motorsports: Top drivers compete in 80th Rally Poland

The world's top drivers are battling for honours in the 80th annual Rally Poland in the country's northeastern Mazuria region.

Photo:

PAP/Tomasz Waszczuk

The rally started on Thursday as part of the world championships series, attracting crowds of fans, news outlets reported.

Massive crowds at the opening @orlenrajdpolski 🙌

SS1 live now at https://t.co/bVNpLD93Wo 👀#WRC | #RallyPoland 🇵🇱 pic.twitter.com/3fKBIugQGN

— FIA World Rally Championship (@OfficialWRC) June 27, 2024

The list of competitors includes Polish driver Mikołaj 'Miko' Marczyk, who won the 2022 Rally Poland, and Belgium's Thierry Neuville, the current leader of the World Rally Championship (WRC) series.

Other big-name participants include Ott Tanak of Estonia, the world champion of the 2019 season, and Norwegian driver Andreas Mikkelsen, who was the fastest in Poland in 2016.

Kończymy drugi dzień ORLEN 80. Rajdu Polski 🇵🇱

Patrząc na różnice czasowe w klasyfikacji przejściowej jesteśmy przekonani, że przed nami potężna dawka najlepszych rajdowych emocji 🔥 Świętajno zaczynamy już o 8:30 🔜@GrupaORLEN | @TeamORLEN pic.twitter.com/40uLAlAY1n

— ORLEN Rally Poland (@orlenrajdpolski) June 28, 2024

Also joining the field is Poland's Kajetan Kajetanowicz, a three-time European champion and three-time Rally Poland winner.

Meanwhile, French driver Sébastien Ogier, a two-time Rally Poland winner and an eight-time world champion, had to withdraw from the event after suffering a minor accident during a reconnaissance drive, the organizers said.

In all, 42 crews from 23 countries are taking part in the 80th Rally Poland, including some from as far afield as Bolivia, Argentina and Peru.

The rally opened on Thursday in the northeastern lakeside resort of Mikołajki and runs until Sunday.

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Source: PAP, rajdpolski.pl