Thierry Neuville has vowed to undo the last round damage and reignite his world rally championship title challenge in Spain this weekend.

The Belgian shared the lead with Sébastien Ogier before the last rally in Germany but broken suspension left the Frenchman 17 points clear with just three rounds remaining. 

Now, after a six-week summer break, Neuville has promised to take the fight to the defending champion at RallyRACC Catalunya - Rally de España [5 - 8 October], the only mixed-surface event on the calendar. 

"This is certainly an important event if I want to catch back the points we lost in Germany. We were unlucky there, now it's our time and we will fight back," the Hyundai Motorsport driver told wrc.com. 

"Things are delicately positioned in the drivers’ championship, so anything can still happen. I'm determined to put in my strongest fight for the title." 

Ninety points are available from the final three rounds in Spain, Great Britain and Australia. This weekend's rally is unique in the championship because it blends an opening day of mainly gravel stages with two days of action on wide, smooth, circuit-style asphalt. 

Neuville's Hyundai's i20 Coupe boasts a new front and rear aero package and the 29-year-old had a clear strategy. 

"I feel rested after the long break since Germany and I'm looking forward to the start. My motivation is good, but I know that this is not an easy rally. We have to be consistent, and faster than Seb," he said. 

M-Sport Ford Fiesta driver Ogier is a three-time winner in Spain. He won in 2016 and a fourth success would move him closer to a fifth consecutive world title. 

"I'm feeling fully refreshed after the break and ready to get back to business. We have a 17 point lead but there remains all to play for and we all need to work together to maximise our potential,” he said.

Ogier's team-mate Ott Tänak is the only other driver with a realistic chance of the title but he sits 33 points off the lead and needs both Ogier and Neuville to hit trouble this weekend. 

The rally starts on Friday morning from the holiday town of Salou and will conclude on Sunday afternoon after 19 special stages totalling 312km.

Andreas Mikkelsen has signed a two-year deal with Hyundai that will put him back at the championship's top level in 2018 and 2019.

The Norwegian will compete in all rounds of the 2018 championship in a Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC, co-driven by Anders Jæger.
 
The pair will join Hyundai's existing WRC crews of Thierry Neuville/Nicolas Gilsoul, Dani Sordo/Marc Martí and Hayden Paddon/Seb Marshall - all of whom remain under contract for 2018.
 
After losing his full-time drive last season following Volkswagen's withdrawal from the series, Mikkelsen said he was delighted that Hyundai had offered him the chance to return. 

"Even before my first rally with the team, I feel that I have settled in quickly, and it is clear to me that I am joining a world-class team with realistic chances of fighting for both Drivers’ and Manufacturers’ championships," he said.

"I look forward to helping to achieve these goals from Rallye Monte-Carlo next year, and making my own presence felt in the drivers’ title fight.”

Mikkelsen will join Hyundai's WRC squad for the last three rounds this season, starting with the upcoming RallyRACC Catalunya - Rally de España (5 - 8 October). 
 
Team Principal Michel Nandan is confident that Mikkelsen will make a strong contribution to the squad. 

“Andreas is one of those rally drivers who fits in quickly and just gets straight down to business,"he said. "From the few times he has already been to visit the factory in Alzenau, his determination and professionalism have shone through." 

"We are pleased to have him on board in a full-time capacity for two complete seasons. He has already had the chance to experience the Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC in testing, and has delivered us positive and useful feedback. He has also driven our i20 R5, which has further allowed him to integrate into all areas of our team. 

"We can’t wait to see him in action as a Hyundai Motorsport driver in the final three events of the season, into next year and beyond.”

Citroën Racing boss Yves Matton believes the two days of asphalt action could be the key to his team’s fortunes at this week’s WRC encounter in Spain.

After a day of predominantly gravel-based competition on Friday, RallyRACC Catalunya - Rally de España switches to wide, smooth, circuit-style Tarmac roads on Saturday and Sunday and the sort of conditions in which the C3 World Rally Car has performed best in an otherwise disappointing season. 

The car's sealed surface highlights have included Kris Meeke's rally leading performance at April's Che Guevara Energy Drink Tour de Corse, and Andreas Mikkelsen's second place at last month' ADAC Rallye Deutschland. 

"If we can manage to be well placed by Friday evening, then we'll be able to make full use of the potential of the C3 WRC on Tarmac to keep fighting at the front of the field," Matton explained.  

"For the last three rallies of the season, our aim is to get good results, building on the podium secured in Germany."

Citroën's hopes in Spain ride with drivers Kris Meeke, Stéphane Lefebvre and Khalid Al Qassimi. Last week Meeke and Lefebvre drove at a three-day gravel test in Catalonia along with nine-time champion Sébastien Loeb, who Citroën has invited to provide input on the car. 

"During the tests we tried out a number of set-ups and some of them will be applied this weekend. We are continuing to work hard to meet the challenge of competing with our rivals," Matton said. 

Before making his tenth appearance at the championship's Spanish counter, Meeke said: "We had a good test session and it was interesting to work with Seb . There is always room for improvement, but I think we are moving in the right direction." 

"Potentially, we have a good starting position, but that'll depend on the level of dust or whether it rains. For the last two legs, we know all about performance level of the C3 on Tarmac."

Sixteen-year-old Kalle Rovanperä will become one of the youngest drivers to contest a WRC rally when he makes his debut at Wales Rally GB next month - so long as he passes his driving test.

The youngster turns 17 on 1 October, and will take the practical element of his driving test at home in Finland the day after. All being well, he will start the penultimate round of the championship in Great Britain 24 days later, driving an M-Sport Ford Fiesta R5 in the WRC 2 category.

A second outing is planned in the car at the championship's final round, Kennards Hire Rally Australia (16 – 19 November), before a more comprehensive programme in 2018. 

“He’s about the same as Jari-Matti [Latvala] was when he first came,” M-Sport boss Malcolm Wilson told Motorsport News. 

“There’s always something really exciting about seeing these young guys progress. Having him with us for GB and Australia is fantastic news – he’s going to be a real talking point on the last two rounds of this year’s world championship.”

Rovanperä hopes to follow in the tracks of his father Harri, who was a works driver in the WRC with SEAT, Peugeot, Mitsubishi and Skoda between 1993 and 2006 and who won Rally Sweden in 2001.

Kalle first made headlines when a video of him drifting a Toyota Starlet on snow became a YouTube hit. He was only eight at the time.

More recently, he won the 2016 national championship in Latvia, where the driving age is lower, and has driven in the 2017 Finnish – winning two rounds – and Italian championships with licence dispensations.

Rovanperä has already tested the Fiesta in the UK, and he will get another opportunity before Wales Rally GB.

His manager Timo Jouhki confirmed that further WRC 2 outings in the M-Sport Fiesta were an option next year, but with Kalle recently confirmed as a finalist in Hyundai's young driver development scheme, there is a chance he will drive a Hyundai i20 R5 instead.