Pellier targets Liepāja treble

It’s been a dream couple of rallies for the Frenchman, who leads the Junior ERC by 18 points after back-to-back victories in the Canaries and Poland as well as holding third overall in ERC4. 

He and co-driver Marine Pelamourges will field their trusty Opel Corsa Rally4, with the pair insisting they are not resting on their laurels. 

“Our lead in the [Junior ERC] championship standings is very nice, but it’s only a snapshot,” said Pellier. “This rally will be a big challenge.

“There are a number of drivers at the start who were pretty much born to drive fast on gravel, so once again the competition will be extremely strong. 

"The roads around Liepāja are incredibly fast and demanding, but any small mistake can end your rally on the spot. We will have to be focused every second of the day," he added.

Finnish teenager Toni Herranen will be one of Pellier’s leading rivals. The 18-year-old was only a handful of seconds away from taking the honours in Poland, although his team has been very busy this week rebuilding his Ford Fiesta Rally4 after a roll in a local event.

"We had a lot of late nights with the car," Herranen told FIAERC.com. "But with our amazing team, we have managed to get the car 100 per cent ready for the rally. 

"I'm really looking forward to this one. The roads look similar to Poland and we had a great result there, so I feel confident. My target is obviously to win, but it was so close last time and it will be very tight again," he added.

Super Spaniard Óscar Palomo has entered a Peugeot 208 Rally4 and hopes to close Pellier’s advantage in the Junior ERC as well as extending his own lead in ERC4. He’ll have to watch out for Renault Clio team-mates Andrea Mabellini and Anthony Fotia, with Fotia only eligible to score ERC4 points. 

Other entries include Hungary’s Martin Lászlo in another Clio, with Victor Hansen, Daniel Polášek and Mattia Vita also among the Fiesta runners. 

• Full coverage from Tet Rally Liepaja will be available on WRC+ All Live here, including every stage broadcast as it happens as well as key interviews, features and expert analysis from the service park.