Bates to make WRC2 debut

By Thomas Miles

Date posted: March 14, 2024

Australian Rally Championship star Lewis Bates will be the latest Aussie to take on the world in WRC2.

Bates will make his WRC2 debut at the FIA World Rally Championship Rally Portugal event in May in a Toyota GR Yaris Rally2.

He follows Peter Rullo/Ben Searcy and Taylor Gill/Dan Brkic, who both represented Australia at the recent Rally Sweden.

Bates will be steering the Yaris alongside co-driver Anthony McLoughlin.

Bates is one of the biggest names in Australian rally racing having won the 2022 ARC title and just fell short last year to brother Harry Bates by 2.1s.

For Lewis he admitted it has long been a dream to enter a WRC event in the WR2 class and he cannot wait for the challenge.

The livery Lewis Bates will race with in Portugal.

“I can’t wait to get to Portugal,” Bates said.

“From what I’ve seen, it’s always an incredibly tough event, but I’m excited to tackle it and see what we can achieve.

“I’ve been dreaming about this opportunity for a while, so it feels a bit surreal to finally get the chance.

“Of course, it wouldn’t be possible without the help of sponsors like SafetyCulture and I’m incredibly grateful for their support.”

The Rally de Portugal is a gravel based event held inland from Porto on fast and technical roads.

The highlight is the famous Pedra Sentada jump, which will not feature until the final stage in Fafe and attracts a sea of fans annually.

Lewis Bates at the Australian Rally Championship. Image: Epic Sports Photography

The Bates car will be supported by SafetyCulture and CEO Luke Anear was proud to be a part of the entry.

“Lewis is an incredible Aussie talent, so we’re really proud to be backing him,” he said.

“He’s a team player and one of the hardest workers in rallying, which aligns nicely with what we’re all about as a company.”

The 2024 Rally de Portugal will be held on May 9-12 as round 5 of the 2024 FIA World Rally Championship.

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