2021 Croatia Rally Expert Analysis - WRC Betting

2021 Croatia Rally Expert Analysis – WRC Betting

Written by on April 21, 2021

Unlike other motor sports where races are run every week, the World Rally Championship (WRC) has a season that is a little more spread out. Their first race in 2021 took place at the end of January, and the race in Croatia this weekend is now only the third race of the season. Through the opening two events of the season, we have yet to see any real surprises, with the favorites winning each of those races. Is that a trend that will carry over into this one, or are we going to see another driver rise to the occasion this weekend? Only time will tell, but for now, let’s take a look at some of the favorites for the 2021 WRC Croatia Rally so you can place your bets against their WRC odds.

WRC 2021 Croatia Rally Betting Analysis

Sebastien Ogier

The Croatia rally is going to be a test for all the drivers, as this is the first time that it will appear on the WRC schedule. If anyone is equipped to handle this course, it is almost certainly Ogier, a 7-time winner of the WRC. Ogier saw his season get off to a fantastic start with a win in Monte Carlo, but things went off the rails in the second race of the season. The Arctic Rally was certainly a tough one for all drivers involved, but I think we can all agree that a 20th place finish was not what we expected from a driver of this caliber. Will this prove to be a bounce back race for Ogier?

Ott Tanak

After being forced to retire in the opening rally of the season in Monte Carlo, Tanak needed a big performance at the Arctic Rally in Finland in Race 2. That is exactly what he got, as he won that one going away, which has him now sitting in 3rd in the driver standings. We don’t really like to draw these types of comparisons, but the last time Tanak won the second race of the year, he went on to win the championship, which was back in 2019. Too early to say if history will repeat, as we are reserving judgement for another couple of races.

Thierry Neuville

Any driver hoping to win a championship probably needs to rack up a win or two over the course of the WRC season. Neuville has done a nice job of picking up wins over the past few seasons, but he has still not managed to translate that into a title, with 2nd being where he has ended up in 4 of the last 5 years. It is second where he finds himself after two races this season, although it has been a podium finish in both of those rallies.

Elfyn Evans

The Welshman is coming off a breakthrough season in 2020, where he finished 2nd overall in the driver standings. He is a little off that pace through the opening 2 races of this season, although not by very much. He began the season with a great performance in Monte Carlo, where he took 2nd. That was followed up by a 5th place finish in the very tricky Arctic Rally. If he can match either of those results this weekend, he might well move up from his current 4th place standing.