Rally Scotland Gets First Verdict from WRC Stars

Rally Scotland has received its first verdict from the WRC stars. The dress rehearsal for next year's World Rally Championship event took place alongside the Grampian Forest Rally, a round of the British Rally Championship. Next year's WRC event will use special stages in the same area.

Several high-profile WRC names took part. Championship leader Elfyn Evans drove a Toyota Rally2 car through the stages, although his times were not officially recorded. Meanwhile, M-Sport Ford's Jon Armstrong claimed victory ahead of Estonian driver Romet Jurgenson, who competes for M-Sport in the WRC2 category.

The United Kingdom last hosted a WRC round in 2019, when Rally GB was held in Wales. The championship returns next year after a lengthy absence, but Scotland will offer a rather different challenge. Welshman Evans described the Scottish stages as being faster in character.

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"It was important to come because we got the chance to see the stages for the first time. We made a few notes, but obviously we don't know which stages will be used next year. They might even run some of them in reverse, so our notes would be of no use," Evans laughed. "But anyway, it was good to see the stages. There are some really good driving stages and plenty of enthusiasm for the event."

Armstrong, who stepped up to the WRC's top class this season, faced a strong challenge from Jurgenson in the ten-stage gravel rally. The Irishman eventually secured victory by 9.3 seconds. "It's my first win on gravel, so you can imagine it's very special. And to do it on Scottish stages is really cool," Armstrong said.

The Irish driver was left with a very positive impression of the stages near Aberdeen. "The stages here are really nice. When the WRC comes here next year, I think we're all in for a treat because it's going to be a longer event. We can't wait for it," Armstrong said.

With positive verdicts from the stars, Rally Scotland is set to make a fresh impact on the WRC calendar. The combination of fast stages, local enthusiasm, and the return of the UK to the world rally stage fuels the anticipation for this highly-awaited event.