There are still 5 races to come in the 2021 WRC season, so it is still perhaps a little too early to be crowning a champion. That said, the lead at the top is wide enough that if the chasing pack want to win it all, they need to start making a move now. They will get their first chance to do so this weekend at the Renties Ypres Rally, which will be held in Belgium. The problem that they all have is that they are chasing a driver who has won the championship in 7 of the last 8 years. Expecting him to make a mistake is akin to handing him the trophy right now. Can someone upset the apple cart this weekend, or will we see more of the same? Let’s take a look at the current top 4 so you can get ready to wager against the WRC odds.
2021 Renties Ypres Rally Analysis | WRC Betting
Sebastien Ogier
As mentioned at the top of this piece, Ogier has been about as dominant in this sport as you can get, winning 7 of the last 8 titles. Even the year he missed out on winning it, he still managed to finish 3rd overall. It has been more of the same this season, with Ogier winning 4 of the 7 races to this point, while finishing on the podium one more time besides that. This will be a bit of a challenge for Ogier, though, as this will be the first time that the Ypres Rally has appeared on the WRC schedule, replacing the British Rally, which was cancelled. As good as this driver is, though, it is not something that is likely to faze him that much.
Elfyn Evans
Since switching teams and taking over as a driver for Toyota, Evans has seen his WRC career take a major leap forward. He finished 2nd overall in what was a shortened 2020 season, and he is currently now sitting in 2nd this year. Evans has amassed an impressive 111 points this season, but that still leaves him sitting 37 points out of the lead. That is a gap that can be closed over the final 5 races, but Evans pretty much needs to be perfect to make it happen. He does have 1 win on the season and has 3 other podium appearances, so he does have what it takes to make a strong run to the finish.
Thierry Neuville
Neuville comes into this weekend still looking for his first win of the season, but that is not to suggest that he has been poor. In fact, he has been incredibly consistent and has landed on the podium in 5 of the 7 races this season. It was being forced to retire in one of the other races that hurt his overall standings. In spite of all of that, you have to look at Neuville as a very good pick to win this weekend. That is because he won the Ypres Rally in 2018, albeit not in the WRC.
Kalle Rovanpera
If we are being honest, the chances of anyone other than the top 2 or 3 drivers in the current standing winning the championship are really rather slim. Still, you have to look at Rovanpera as a potential winner this weekend, as he is coming into this race on the heels of a win in Estonia last time out. He has one other podium finish this season, so still has to be a viewed as a bit of a longshot.
