A total of 68 crews from 35 countries have entered for WRC Croatia Rally 2024. Eight drivers will compete in the highest, Rally1 class. The title will be defended by Welshman Elfyn Evans, with eight-time world champion, France's Sebastien Ogier, currently leading in Championship standings, Belgium's Thierry Neuville, young Frenchman Adrien Fourmaux, 2019 World Champion, Estonia's Ott Tanak, Japan's Takamoto Katsuta, Norway's Andreas Mikkelsen and Luxembourger's Gregoire Munster also coming to Croatia.
"The previous three WRC Croatia Rallies have left the most beautiful and best memories for both drivers and crews and spectators. I am convinced that we have all the necessary elements to make this fourth edition spectacular. Our special stages will once again put masters of steering wheels to the test and I am sure there will be no shortage of the excitement. Neuville is currently leading the Championship standings and he hopes that this is the season in which he will take off the tag of the eternal runner-up. Evans will defend the victory in Croatia, and even today the final from 2021 is recounted when Ogier snatched the victory at the last Stage in Kumrovec by only six tenths of a second. One should not forget Tanak, Katsuta, Fourmaux... These are all great riders who will keep the crowd tense from the first to the last turn," said Daniel Šaškin, the president of the Organizing committee, in his announcement of this year's WRC Croatia Rally.
As many as 22 crews arrive in Rally2 competition, which will be led by France's Yohan Rossel, Finland's Sami Pajari and Spain's Pepe Lopez. Croatia Rally is the second event of the Junior WRC, where 18 drivers will fight for points, among whom is currently the best placed in the Championship standings Estonian Romet Jürgenson who currently holds the second position. This year, a significant number of Croatian drivers have entered the event. Seven of them will try their hand against strong competition. Viliam Prodan, Jan Pokos and Slaven Šekuljica in Rally3, Tomas Hrvatin, Željko Magličić and Igor Mandić in Rally4 and Igor Tomljanović in Rally5.
"Croatia Rally is the largest sporting event in Croatia with extremely large and important effects for all regions in which it is held as well as for the entire domestic economy and tourism. In addition, this event has an extremely significant importance for motorsport in Croatia since it brings our sport closer to the citizens in strictly controlled conditions of enjoying this adrenaline sport. With special attention we look forward to the rides of our domestic drivers who, with their performances at such large and important competitions, are an inspiration to future generations of young drivers in Croatia, which directly shapes the identity of motorsport in our country. Once again, on behalf of the Croatian Automobile and Karting Federation, all our members in cooperation with the WRC Croatia Rally organizing committee, I want to send an important message to all the drivers and visitors of this year's event that "THE ROAD IS NOT A RACING TRACK" and that responsible behavior, respect for the rules and care for other road users are the basic duty of all of us drivers", said the newly elected President of the Croatian Automobile and Karting Federation Robert Markt.
One of the most important novelties of this year's event is the new location of the service park, which was moved from Novi Zagreb to Westgate Shopping City due to technical difficulties. Traditionally, the Croatia Rally begins with a Ceremonial start where all crews will be presented in front of the National and University Library in Zagreb on Thursday, 18 April 2024 in the evening, and ends on Sunday, 21 April with the awarding of trophies in front of the INA Business Building in Novi Zagreb. The route of the rally this year passes through five counties - Varaždin, Krapina-Zagorje, Zagreb, Karlovac, Primorje-Gorski Kotar and through the city of Zagreb.
