Meanwhile, Polish driver Kajetan Kajetanowicz took the late decision to replace his new Volkswagen Polo GTI R5 with the tried a trusted Škoda Fabia R5 in his bid to clinch victory in the WRC 2 category.
Italian rival Fabio Andolfi, who triumphed in the category in Corsica, opted for Emanuele Inglesi in a late co-driver change, but Russian Nikolay Gryazin is a non-starter in his Škoda Fabia R5.
Turkish driver Yildiray Demircioglu is also a non-starter after entering the rally in a Peugeot 208 R2.