Sportske Novosti reports that the president of the International Automobile Federation, Jean Todt, arrived at the World Rally Championship Croatia Rally, which is being held in Croatia this weekend. The first man of the FIA, whose decision was crucial for Croatia’s entry into the WRC calendar, shared his first impressions.
“Maybe we should ask people who have been involved in the organization and implementation of the rally from the beginning, but according to what I heard from the participants of the race, the impressions are good, and everyone is satisfied. In Croatia, we won a very demanding competition, an uncertain race that requires the creativity of the team and the driver. The weather is great, the fight on the track is open, and first impressions are good, but we need to wait for the end of the race for the final grade,” Todt said.
“This season, some legendary rally races such as Greece and Kenya are returning to the WRC calendar, but Croatia, along with Estonia and a new race in Finland, further enriches the World Championship, and I think that this year we will enjoy an interesting season despite the problems brought on by the pandemic. Croatia has so far been known in the world as a tourist country, and from now on, it will be a country that hosts the WRC. It’s just a new step in the history of car racing and a good reminder of the first club founded 115 years ago.”
Emphasizing the great efforts of the rally organizers and the Croatian Car and Karting Association, Todt also recalled the recently deceased Mayor of Zagreb, Milan Bandić.
“I visited Croatia several times on the occasion of the WRC race, and Milan Bandić was one of the people who always supported the whole project. He put a lot of personal effort into making it happen in the end. Unfortunately, he is no longer with us, and I think that in the end, this rally should be dedicated to him,” said Todt, who on Saturday had the opportunity to visit the plants where Rimac cars are made and take a short test lap in one of his prototypes in Sveta Nedelja.
“I really appreciate people who can push the boundaries, and Mate Rimac is one of them. I was impressed by the acceleration achieved by his cars, but even more by the vision and passion behind everything he has done in just 10 years. It was necessary to have the guts to start developing an electric hypersport car when electric cars were just exotic. I was also introduced to his plans and future projects, and you have to respect and support such things.”
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