Although the FIA World Rally Championship has visited Croatia only once, that stop 12 months ago underlined that the asphalt roads around capital Zagreb are far from straightforward.
Esapekka Lappi made a disastrous start to his Croatia Rally debut when the Finn parked his Toyota GR Yaris before the midpoint of the opening speed test after clobbering a roadside rock.
Croatia countdown: rally route
The last time the WRC’s stars fired up their engines for a pure asphalt fixture in the FIA World Rally Championship was back in August 2019.
Any driver expecting a straightforward sealed-surface encounter in the Croatia Rally’s (22 - 25 April) first championship appearance will have had their illusions shattered by the time they complete the two-day recce on Wednesday afternoon.
Those in the know suggest the four-day route near capital city Zagreb features six distinct types of asphalt, ranging from super-smooth via worn to badly broken. And there are some especially challenging stages where the surface constantly switches from one form to another.