Juho Hanninen could produce a shock victory on the Belgium Ypres Rally on June 18-20, if the results of an online poll predicting the winner of the asphalt event are to be believed.
Event organisers have invited members of the public to nominate who they think will win round five of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge from a list of 11 drivers.
With the event fast approaching, Hanninen, the event's top seed due to his FIA priority status, also heads the public poll with 27.2 per cent of the votes as of 2200hrs on Thursday June 11.
Hanninen, from Finland, has never won an event on asphalt before but impressed on the Tarmac-based Monte Carlo Rally in January, when he led in his factory Skoda Fabia Super 2000.
Freddy Loix, last year's Ypres Rally winner, is next up with 26 per cent of the vote, while Francois Duval, another Belgian hero has attracted 20.2 per cent of the vote. Kris Meeke, who heads the IRC drivers' standings, is fifth with 5.3 per cent of the vote.
One factor that could work in Hanninen's favour is his co-driver Mikko Markkula. Although Hanninen hasn't competed on asphalt for several months, his co-driver Mikko Markkula entered the Tarmac-based British championship Jim Clark Rally in late May.