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By John Floyd

Motorsport columnist


It will be all out action at this weekend’s Rally de Espana

With just three rounds remaining, it will be all out action.


After a six week break the World Rally Championship gets back to work with the Rally de Espana.

With just three rounds remaining, it will be all out action.

Four times champion Sebastien Ogier in the M-Sport Ford Fiesta holds a slender points lead over the works Hyundai i20 of Thierry Neuville, the M-Sport Ford Fiesta of Ott Tanak and the Toyota Gazoo Yaris of Jari-Matti Latvala.

Hyundai Motorsport have added another string to their bow with Andreas Mikkelsen joining the team for the rest of this season and signed for 2018 and 2019.

Formerly of the now defunct VW WRT the Norwegian has put in appearances this season with the Citroen Total Abu Dhabi.

One has to wonder why Citroen did not sign Mikkelsen, but rumours are that we could see the return of Sebastien Loeb to Citroen in 2018.

The chase for the team title sees M-Sport with a comfortable points points over Hyundai Motorsport, but this weekend the very determined four car line up from Hyundai could narrow that gap Total rally distance will be 1 297 km of which 312 km will be the 19 unique special stages.

Unique because the Rally de Espana is the only event on the calendar to feature a combination of gravel and tarred roads.

Based at the holiday resort of Salou on the Costa Daurada, day one features gravel stages.

Tomorrow evening, the cars will change set up ready for the rest of the weekend’s high speed tarred stages.

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