Sebastien Loeb extends his Citroen WRC contract for 2 more years

Sebastien Loeb will continue in the World Rally Championship for at least another two more seasons after agreeing a deal to remain with the factory Citroen squad until the end of the 2013 season.

Loeb’s future with the French make and, indeed, the WRC has been the subject of considerable speculation in recent months with suggestions that the 37-year-old Frenchman would call time on his rallying career if he captured an eighth world crown this year. He currently leads the standings following his breath-taking victory on Neste Oil Rally Finland last month.

In a statement, Loeb said: “With the arrival of other manufacturers in the championship, the competition is going to get tougher in the years to come. All the more so with the rule changes concerning the starting order coming in in 2012 as all the drivers will be fighting on a level playing field. To take the fight to them I’m putting my trust in Citroen, a team I know inside out and the DS3 WRC, the car that I helped [develop] with Citroen Racing.”

Loeb has been part of the Citroen family since 2001. He claimed his maiden WRC event win with the firm, on Rallye Deutschland, in 2002 and captured his first world crown driving a Citroen Xsara WRC in 2004. To date he has taken 66 victories in the world championship alongside co-driver Daniel Elena, who will continue alongside Loeb for another two seasons.

Subaru and Mitsubishi developing R4 versions of the Impreza and Lancer

Japanese manufacturers Subaru and Mitsubishi are both developing high performance versions of their existing Group N cars to enable them to compete on level terms with their Super 2000 rivals next year.

Armindo Araujo driving a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X R4 prototype

Work on the cars, based on the firms Impreza and Lancer models, began earlier this month after the FIA World Motor Sport Council gave the green light to a new ‘R4’specification.

An R4 kit, homologated by the current Group N manufacturers, should enhance the performance of the two-litre turbo cars, bringing them in line with the normally aspirated Super 2000s.

The R4 class could lead to Imprezas and Lancers competing alongside Super 2000 cars in the 2011 SWRC, and should also give the turbo cars a boost in national rallies where they already compete in the same category as the S2000s.

Petter Solberg will drive a C4 again in 2010

Solberg: Citroen offer looking best for 2010

Norway's Petter Solberg looks likely to join Kimi Raikkonen as a C4 World Rally Car driver next season, after being made an attractive offer by Citroen.

Solberg, who won the 2003 World Championship with Subaru, tackled most of the 2009 series in a privately entered Xsara WRC, before accepting an offer to drive a Citroen Junior Team C4 WRC for the final two rounds.

With little chance of a manufacturer-funded programme in 2010, Solberg decided to go it alone once again, and try to raise the money himself for a season in a top-level World Rally Car - either a Ford Focus RS WRC or a Citroen C4 WRC.

Kimi Raikkonen to drive with Citroen

Kimi Raikkonen to Citroen - it’s official!

Finland's 2007 Formula One champion Kimi Raikkonen has signed a deal to drive a C4 World Rally Car on 12 rounds of the 2010 World Rally Championship.

This morning's long awaited announcement from Citroen Racing brings an end to weeks of speculation concerning the F1 star's plans for 2010, when he will take a sabbatical from his Grand Prix career.

Raikkonen will drive for Citroen's second squad, the Junior World Rally Team, thanks to backing from Red Bull - one of his personal sponsors from F1. He will be co-driven by fellow Finn Kaj Lindstrom, who previously partnered multiple WRC champion Tommi Makinen. The only rally the pair will miss next year is Rally New Zealand - an event the Junior Team is skipping altogether.

“I always wanted to compete in rally, especially in the World Rally Championship at some point in my career," said Raikkonen. "Thanks to Red Bull, I have the opportunity to drive the best car of the series with the Citroen C4. This is a new but very exciting challenge. For the moment we have a one-year contract and we will see how it goes for the future. I am really looking forward to testing the car and taking the start of the first rally.”

Partnering Raikkonen at the Citroen Junior team in 2010, will be French rising star Sebastien Ogier, 25, who will also drive a Red Bull-backed C4.

Subaru pulls out of WRC, following Suzuki's withdrawal

Subaru to withdraw from World Rally Championship

16 December 2008
Subaru has announced its decision to withdraw from the 2009 World Rally Championship

This sudden decision was in response to the widespread economic downturn that is affecting the entire automotive industry, and follows Suzuki’s withdrawal announced yesterday.

After 20 years in the sport, during which time the Prodrive-run Subaru World Rally Team has won six World Rally Championship titles, this is not only sad news for Subaru and the team, but also for millions of rallying fans around the world. Thanks to its highly successful World Rally Championship programme, Subaru has developed into one of the world’s most widely recognised and evocative automotive brands.

Prodrive chairman, David Richards, said: “Subaru’s departure from the World Rally Championship is a great loss as it is one of the sport’s icons. The Subaru World Rally Team has created true champions such as Colin McRae and Richard Burns and its absence will be felt by many the world over. Although this decision closes a significant chapter in Prodrive’s history, our focus now turns to the future.”

For many, Prodrive and Subaru are synonymous, given the long-standing and close association between the two companies. However, while the Subaru World Rally Team historically represented a significant part of Prodrive’s business, today it accounts for no more than 20 per cent of the company’s turnover.

Prodrive will look to redeploy as many of the rally team as possible in other areas of its business operations, which have grown to span advanced engineering and manufacturing for the automotive, defence, marine and aerospace industries, in addition to other motorsport programmes.

Despite the current economic downturn, Prodrive’s automotive engineering business remains buoyant as it works with vehicle manufacturers to accelerate the development of next generation fuel-efficient vehicles and alternative fuel technologies.

Together with Subaru, Prodrive’s commitment to its customer rally teams will also continue unabated for 2009 and beyond. Over the past 15 years, Prodrive has sold close to 500 rally cars to more than 400 private competitors and independent rally teams in 47 countries. During this time, Prodrive’s customers have won five consecutive Production World Rally Championships and countless international rallies. In 2008, Prodrive-supported customer teams have claimed eight rally championship titles around the world.

Looking ahead, 2010 will see the introduction of new World Rally Championship technical regulations, which provide Prodrive with an opportunity to prepare for re-entering the championship with a new team and build on its 24 years of World Rally Championship experience and success.

Suzuki halts WRC program amidst global economic turmoil

Suzuki to suspend the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) activities

Suzuki Motor Corporation has decided to suspend the FIA World Rally Championship activities from 2009. The company made the 2008 season entry with two SX4 WRCs.

In responding to the contraction of the automotive sales caused by recent global economic turmoil, Suzuki has been promptly taking possible countermeasures including the reassessment of its global production output. The company, however, foresees the shrinking trend in longer periods of time rather than a short-term phenomenon. To secure its own business environment for tomorrow, the organization reviews every aspect of the operations and decided to focus on the core business functions such as the manufacturing system, environment technologies, and development of new-generation powertrains. As a result, Suzuki concluded to suspend the WRC activities from 2009.

Suzuki started to participate in the Junior World Rally Championship (JWRC) in 2002 with Ignis Super 1600 and achieved the driver’s victories two times in the history. Afterwards, the company moved up to the WRC field in 2008. The entry to JWRC and WRC brought a great deal of positive effects on the product development and marketing activities, nurturing the high sporty automotive brand image, especially in Europe.

Suzuki will continue to support the customers who are participating in the JWRC with Swift Super 1600 machines, and local motor sport such as Swift Cup in Europe and the rest of the world.

Suzuki expresses its great appreciation to sponsors and fans around the world for their strong support to its activities. The company will continue to provide valued products for its customers by utilizing the experiences earned through the JWRC and WRC activities.

FIA announces more details of the future World Rally Car

12/12/08
New World Rally Car details revealed

The FIA World Motor Sport Council (WMSC) has announced further technical details of the future World Rally Car.

After meeting today in Monaco, the council reconfirmed that the 2010 World Rally Car will be based on an S2000 specification car.

However, the scope of the removable performance kit, already adopted by the WMSC to bring the car to WRC specification, has been redefined - with no electronic benefits, or similar upgrades, allowed on cost grounds.

Instead, the WRC kit is believed to be limited to a turbo, revised inlet and exhaust manifolds, a quicker gearshift mechanism (with steering wheel paddle shift) and an aero package consisting of a rear wing and front spoiler. The bolt-on kit will cost under 30.000 Euros and should give the cars an extra 50bhp.

The WMSC also decided that the new S2000-based World Rally Car will only be permitted for use on World Rally Championship events, and that the P-WRC will remain open to Group N cars, including the existing S2000 car.

The FIA also revealed that it is in exclusive negotiations with Ralliart Italy to supply and service Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution cars for the Pirelli Star Drivers to contest the designated 2009 and 2010 FIA World Rally Championship events.

-wrc.com

Rally Japan 2008 to be known as PIONEER Carrozzeria Rally Japan

New Name for the Rally - PIONEER Carrozzeria Rally Japan
2008.07/28

On July 22, Rally Japan Organising held a press conference in Tokyo. It was held to announce the new title of the event − PIONEER CORPORATION, the world famous audio components maker. Rally Japan, Round 14 of the FIA World Rally Championship 2008 will run on October 30 − November 2 in the central part of Hokkaido under a new name PIONEER carrozzeria Rally Japan.

Ichiro KAMOSHITA [The Environment Minister (Center)], Mr. Toshihiro ARAI (Right) and Mr. Katsuhiko TAGUCHI (Left)

Three rally cars − Subaru Impreza WRC 2008, Suzuki SX4 WRC and Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X were displayed on the event stage where the Pirelli girls greeted more than 200 media representatives. On behalf of the Organisers Nobuyuki IDEI, the Event Chairman, encouraged the media to look forward to the all-new Rally Japan. Ichiro KAMOSHITA, the Environment Minister and the head of the Liberal Democratic Party members union for motor sports promotion was also present at the official announcement. His comment was: "Please make Rally Japan a true people's event". The Executive Director of Sapporo Dome Takeshi SETO wished the event a great success and expressed high expectations on behalf of all administration representatives and other parties involved.

The summary of the event was also give at the conference. The Service park, the Rally HQ, the Media center and the Super Special Stage will all be located at the Sapporo Dome. Besides that Shin-Chitose purpose built stage, which will be used on Day 2 and Day 3 of the Rally, was introduced. The stage is located on the existing off-road course 10 minutes away by taxi from the Shin-Chitose airport. On Day 3 the final stage of the event will run here thus giving the spectators an excellent opportunity to witness the moment of winning the Rally.

A presentation on Rally Japan long running environmental effort was also given at the media conference.

Katsuhiko Taguchi (in red shirt) [Mitsubishi] and Toshi Arai (in blue shirt) [Subaru]

Two special guests were invited to attend the conference − 2005 and 2007 PWRC champion Toshihiro ARAI and the current Asia Pacific Rally Championship points leader Katsuhiko TAGUCHI. ARAI said: "I am very excited about the coming event and will try to do my best there, please come and watch". TAGUCHI, who won Rally Japan Group N category in 2007 has finalized the arrangements to participate in this year event using Lancer Evolution X. He said: "Since this year the event will be held in Sapporo I hope more people can come to watch the rally. In my turn I will try to have a drive that would meet everyone's expectations".

-Rally Japan

Loeb wins in Argentina... again

Sébastien Loeb, Daniel Elena and their Citroën C4 WRC overcame the three days of rain, fog and treacherous conditions that were thrown at them during the 2008 Rally Argentina to end the fiercely fought battle on top spot. The mud didn’t deter the spectators from turning out in their usual high numbers as Dani Sordo and Marc Martí joined their team-mates on the podium in third place. The visit to South America turned out to be highly successful for Citroën-Total, with Sébastien taking control in the Drivers’ championship, while Citroën is now just three points short of the lead in the Manufacturers’ standings.

The final leg of the event was once again marked by wet weather, with fog also making an appearance high in the mountains of the ’Giulio Cesare’ and ’El Condor’ tests. These were the only true stages of the day before one last visit to the super-special in Córdoba and the finish ceremony in Villa Carlos Paz.

Just like Diego Maradona in the days when he starred with the N°10 jersey in Argentina’s national soccer squad, Sébastien Loeb and Daniel Elena deftly dribbled round the weekend’s countless pitfalls to put their rivals on the wrong foot as they powered home to victory with their Citroën C4 WRC. During Thursday’s shakedown session, as guest passenger alongside Seb, ’El Pibe de Oro’ had been able to see at first hand that the defending World Champion is not just strong technically but also that it’s not only with a ball that a top sportsman can juggle!

One of the challenges faced by Seb over the three days was having to run on Pirelli tyres which, in keeping with the regulations, turned out to be too hard for the wet conditions. Along with near-zero grip, crews often had to contend with extremely low visibility, too, so it’s no surprise that Sébastien and Daniel were delighted with their 39th world class win. "Believe me, it wasn’t easy," admitted Seb. "Given the delicate conditions, we had to stay doubly concentrated from start to finish. We also benefited from a faultless performance from our Citroën C4 which was once again competitive and reliable. Before coming here, we had been hoping that Rally Argentina would enable us to take the lead in the Drivers championship and score points for Citroën, and that’s what we’ve done!" Today’s result is Citroën’s fifth straight success in Argentina, while Sébastien has become the most successful driver ever on the South American fixture with a score of four consecutive wins to his name.

"It would have been so easy to get caught out," remarked Dani Sordo before the podium ceremony. "It really has been a difficult event: a single bend could have compromised all the good work put in by everyone in the team and the chance for Citroën to close the gap in the championship. I am please to have finished third and my times were on a par with what I was hoping for."

With two cars on the podium, Sébastien Loeb now on top of the Drivers’ championship and Citroën closer to the lead in the Manufacturers’ standings, Olivier Quesnel was also understandably delighted with the way the weekend turned out. "It’s an excellent result for us. When you see how the event unfolded, it clearly wasn’t an easy rally, yet both our crews figured amongst the few who didn’t put a foot wrong. Apart from the steering rack problem which slowed Dani on Friday, we didn’t have any mechanical trouble either. The combination of two such sure-footed drivers and the reliability of the C4 has enabled us to go top in the Drivers’ standings and also make up much of our deficit in the Manufacturers’ points table. It’s now up to us to keep up the hard work in order to leave nothing to chance with a view to repeating the same sort of performance in Jordan, which is the next round. I would also like to congratulate Conrad Rautenbach and David Senior whose fine run took them to fourth overall with their Citroën C4 WRC run by PH Sport with support from Citroën Sport Technologies technicians. Conrad scored his first WRC points in an event that was far from straightforward given the conditions."
-Citroen WRC

Galli scores points for Stobart in Argentina

GALLI GLIDES INTO POINTS FOR STOBART
March 30, 2008
Italian crew Gigi Galli/Giovanni Bernacchini have helped the Stobart VK M-Sport Ford rally team to three vital manufacturers’ points on the fourth round of the FIA World Rally Championship this weekend. Galli’s seventh place in his Stobart Ford Focus RS WRC07 sees him maintain fifth in the Drivers’ Championship and the team hold fourth in the Manufacturers’ Championship after Rally Argentina.

Results were not so fortunate for Henning Solberg/Cato Menkerud and Matthew Wilson/Scott Martin who all retired from the event on the final day. Both drivers were running well inside the points at different stages of the event but were struck down by the treacherous weather conditions which hampered this year’s South American round.
Galli’s result was a fantastic achievement considering he retired from day 2 at mid-day service with problems caused by the rough terrain that took over the given time limit to fix. The 35-year-old set a multitude of top-three stage times on the opening day of Rally Argentina posting the fastest on the second pass of San Marcos on Friday afternoon.

Stobart’s second nominated point scorer was not so fortunate, retiring from each day under different circumstances. On day 1 Solberg retired with a broken top-mount after clipping a surface rock sticking up on the racing line. The Norwegian withdrew from the afternoon stages on Saturday to preserve his car for next month’s Jordan Rally and re-entered today under SupeRally regulations, only to retire on the opening test with suspension damage.

Twenty-one-year-old Wilson was running well at the halfway point of Rally Argentina sitting in sixth position and staying out of trouble. Unfortunately on stage 15 the Brit struck trouble on the final corner when the track control arm on his Focus RS broke forcing him to retire from the leg.

The youngster re-started the final day in an effort to gain maximum experience and some more gravel miles before Jordan but unfortunately retired on the opening test with broken front suspension.

This year’s Rally Argentina has very much been a rally of attrition with horrendous weather conditions making it one of the most challenging events in recent years. Torrential downpours, mud, fog and wild winds were the common tune this weekend as several crews fell victim to the unpredictable conditions.

The rally’s 348 kilometres took competitors higher than 2000 metres above sea level at times as they covered 21 special stages including three runs over the 1.78 Estadio Córdoba super special. The next event for the Stobart team will be Jordan Rally 24-27 April where both Galli and Solberg will again score points for the side.

Stobart VK M-Sport Ford Team Driver Gigi Galli said:
“Wow, last night I did not think I could finish this rally in seventh position but it just goes to show the rally isn’t over until you cross the finish ramp. What happened yesterday was unlucky for us and my mechanics did a fantastic job trying so hard to fix the car before time ran out so I must say thank you to them all. On the first day things felt very good even though the conditions were the worst I have ever driven in my career. We had some good stage times and even a fastest on one of them so this is a good sign for Jordan because I have only had limited kilometres on gravel, in the car. There have been so many people out supporting this rally even though the weather has been terrible and this is great to see.”

Stobart VK M-Sport Ford Team Driver Henning Solberg said:
“Well it has not been the best event for us but OK this is the way it goes sometimes. We started off quite slow as there was a lot of fog on Friday morning but then on the next few stages we found the feeling and the times were good. It was unfortunate we retired on the first day, the conditions were quite rough and I was unlucky to hit a sharp rock which broke our suspension. This has been the most challenging event in my career but hopefully it will help in the future if there is another event where the weather is really bad like this. Now I am looking forward to Jordan Rally where it is a new event for everybody.”

Stobart VK M-Sport Ford Team Driver Matthew Wilson said:
“This has been the most difficult rally of my career and is one from which I will take away a lot of experience. It was a disappointing end because we were looking good yesterday and my mechanics did an awesome job to get us back out in the afternoon after the problems on Saturday morning. On stage 15 we broke the TCA which was in a slow and smooth corner but it was just one of those things unfortunately. Today was definitely the hardest day in my career, the rain was unbelievable and you could barely see 20 metres in front of you on the stage because of all the thick fog. It would have been nice to finish this event but we had some good times on the first two days and have gained some experience in some of the worst conditions you will face in rallying.”

Stobart VK M-Sport Ford Team Principal Malcolm Wilson said:
“This has been one of the most difficult events for the Stobart team in its short history and I am relieved that Gigi has made a comeback today to score good manufacturer points for the team. I’m really pleased with the effort of the whole team, this weekend things have not gone our way but nobody ever gave up and this has resulted in Gigi’s good result which leaves him fifth in the Drivers’ Championship. This event has been a good platform for all three guys heading into Jordan next month and especially for Henning and Gigi whose first day performances showed some impressive times.”

Solberg [Subaru] retires from Rally Argentina, losing 2nd place to Atkinson

Rally Argentina, 30 March 2008
Joy and heartbreak for SWRT in ruthless Argentine finale
Chris Atkinson and Stéphane Prévot finished Rally Argentina in second position overall, making it three out of four podiums from the 2008 season. Team-mates Petter Solberg and Phil Mills were however dealt a cruel blow, being forced into retirement from second position with only two stages to go after complete electrical failure.

Following a fantastic performance that saw them climb to second position overall on Saturday’s stages, Solberg and Mills suffered the cruellest of fates as their Impreza WRC2007 rolled to a stop midway through the first stage of the morning as they lost all electrical power. The duo were denied what would have been their best result since Rally Portugal last year.

“I am desperately disappointed for Petter and Phil” said David Richards, Subaru World Rally Team Principal. “Petter is showing such renewed enthusiasm since we’ve got the car more to his liking, and despite this setback I’m feeling increasingly confident for the rest of the season. In Chris’ case, his maturity in these extraordinarily tough conditions has delivered him yet another excellent result.”

Solberg and Mills attempted roadside repairs to their stricken car but were unable to locate the source of the problem and rectify it within the time they had available, exceeding the stage time limit despite their best efforts. The crestfallen duo were unable to complete the final day of a rally on which they demonstrated a reinvigorated level of performance.
In the ensuing reshuffle of the overall standings, Atkinson and Prévot were promoted to second position overall. Fully aware of the hazards posed by the trickiest of the rally’s stages, the duo continued their measured and mature drive to bring their Impreza home on the middle step of the podium. The result means that Atkinson has had his best ever start to a WRC season, scoring an impressive three podium finishes from the first four events of the year.

“It’s been such a hard weekend it’s more of a relief to finish!” said Chris Atkinson. “Another podium is fantastic for us and for the team, there’s nothing that motivates the guys more than a great result at the end of all the hard work. The feeling in the car was just so much more consistent this weekend and it was easier to drive so I was able to push without making any big mistakes. It’s clear we’ve taken some good steps forward with the car this year and it’s sort of a surprise for me to be third in the championship at the moment. It’s a real shame about Petter as he was going very well and we should have had two cars on the podium, but it demonstrates that we’re definitely moving in the right direction.”

Atkinson’s second place in Argentina moves him into third overall in the Drivers’ Championship, just three points behind second-placed Hirvonen (Ford). The Subaru World Rally Team emerge from South America in third position overall in the Manufacturers’ Championship, but as a result of the electrical problems lost a potential eight points that would have put them within just three of the lead.

The final day of competition provided a short but sharp sting in the tail to this gruelling event. Crews tackled only two full-length stages and a third and final running of the short spectator stage in the ground of the Cordoba Stadium that has proved so popular with fans this weekend. The day’s competitive distance was less than a third of that on Friday and Saturday at just over 40 kilometres.
A combination of high altitude and stages that rose steeply as they twisted and snaked their way up and back down the El Condor mountain, today’s tests were the hardest of the rally. Whilst engines struggled for power in the thin air, an equally treacherous layer of mud on the roads made the level of grip even more unpredictable and challenging.

-Subaru WRT

World championships support Make Cars Green campaign

Competitors from the major FIA world championships are showing their support for the FIA’s Make Cars Green campaign throughout this season.

Drivers from the FIA World Rally Championship participated in a group photo to endorse the campaign during the recent Rally Mexico. A similar group photo for the FIA Formula One World Championship will take place at the first Grand Prix of the season in Australia.

The World Touring Car Championship also supported the campaign from the first round of its series. During the event, in Curitiba, Brazil, and for the rest of the season, the campaign’s logo can be seen prominently displayed on every car in the field. Further Make Cars Green events in conjunction with these championships are planned for later in the year.

Max Mosley, FIA President, said:

“It is immensely satisfying that so many competitors in world motor sport are championing the FIA’s campaign to make motoring more sustainable in the future. This support will be a major benefit to our mission to encourage ecologically sound mobility worldwide.”

Sebastien Loeb, four-time World Rally champion, said:

“It is nice to see that the FIA World Rally Championship is aiming to support FIA's Make Cars Green campaign. I also feel very proud driving for Citroën, a leading brand in Europe regarding CO2 emissions as a result of its more environmentally friendly policy. I have the feeling that we can all work together to reduce the impact of motoring on the environment.”

Jacques Behar, Chairman & CEO of KSO, promoter of the FIA World Touring Car Championship, said:

“The WTCC is honoured to support the FIA's Make Cars Green campaign. Because of the obvious relationship between the touring cars and their road-going equivalents, we strongly believe that the WTCC has a key role to play in raising public awareness of these environmental initiatives.”

Make Cars Green is an international campaign, aimed at reducing the impact of motoring on the environment. This can be achieved in a number of ways, such as through the promotion of more environmentally friendly and fuel efficient driver behaviour; the introduction of new technologies to help motorists monitor their environmental impact; the improvement of tyre design to help save energy; and by encouraging the global use of unleaded and sulphur free fuels.

As part of the campaign, the FIA has launched a public policy Declaration which calls on the United Nations to adopt the first ever worldwide target for CO2 emissions in passenger cars. Make Cars Green also outlines how policy makers, industry and consumers can all play a constructive role in the development of a more ecologically sustainable means of personal mobility in the future.

http://www.makecarsgreen.com

MEXICAN MITSUBISHI LANCER EVOLUTION DRIVERS TAKE TOP 5 PLACES ON RALLY MEXICO

MEXICAN MITSUBISHI LANCER EVOLUTION DRIVERS TAKE TOP FIVE PLACES ON RALLY MEXICO

Benito Guerra (Mexico) realized a lifetime ambition today, when he guided his Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution to Group N victory on his home round of the FIA World Rally Championship. Aged 24, Guerra is the nation’s hottest rally talent - and has already become the youngest ever winner of the Mexican Rally Championship. Now, though, he can add a world rally win to his list of achievements. The top five in Group N was dominated by Mexican Mitsubishi drivers, as neither another marque or another country could make any impression on the leading positions.

BENITO GUERRA / SEGIO GONZALEZ

Guerra didn’t just win the Group N category of Rally Mexico, he utterly dominated it in his Lancer Evolution. He and co-driver Segio Gonzalez (Mexico) were fastest on each of the opening day’s major stages. The pair were only beaten on the two superspecial stages, run around Leon race track on the outskirts of the host city. By then, however, Guerra was already thinking about looking after his lead. He would end day one with a three-minute advantage over his nearest rival.

Run earlier in the season than usual, this year’s Rally Mexico didn’t feature the kind of fierce heat which has become associated with the Leon-based event. What it did have, though, was another incredible following from the passionate local fans. Once again, spectators turned out in their tens of thousands to wave the crews away from the start in the colorful city of Guanjuato on Thursday evening. Even if the temperatures were running as high as usual, the sunshine was omnipresent – and a complete contrast to the overcast and cold conditions which had greeted crews through the rallies in Monte Carlo and Sweden.

As soon as the flag dropped on the serious competition, in Mexico, nobody could touch local ace Guerra. And that’s how it would remain for the balance of the rally. He’d almost doubled his lead with another string of fastest times through day two and on today’s three stages (SS18 was cancelled due to spectator numbers) he preserved that advantage to arrive back at the Poliforum service park wreathed in smiles - and the a hero’s welcome from the fervent local supporters.

"This is incredible," said the Lancer driver. "It has been a fantastic rally. My car has been perfect all of the time. To come here and compete against these drivers is a privilege and to go away as a winner is the best feeling. We have had a very good rally, really nothing to report. Of course I had dreamed of this result, but to have it now is just amazing. I am so happy!"

A Mitsubishi was clearly the car to drive in Group N in Mexico. From the first stage, the top six Group N places were all filled with Lancer Evolutions. And by the end of the event, the order might have changed slightly over the 350 competitive kilometers, but five of those top six places were still occupied by Lancer Evolutions.

RODRIGO SALGADO / DIODORO SALGADO

Rodrigo and Diodoro Salgado (both Mexico) were second after a fascinating tussle with fellow Mexican Mitsubishi runner Jose Ignacio de Izaurieta. De Izaurieta had held second place in Group N initially, dropping behind his rival on the third stage, but then coming back past later on in the opening day. De Izaurieta remained the runner-up until SS12, when a searing run from Salgado moved the number 65 back into second place. Salgado remained second until the end of the event, with De Izaurieta collecting the final podium place in the showroom category.

JOSE DE IZAURIETA / MAURICIO PIMENTEL

Carlos and Guillermo Izquidero (both Mexico) were fourth on the opening stage and remained in the precisely the same position throughout the three days of competition after a trouble-free run in their Lancer Evolution. Jos Cortes (Mexico) was fifth.

Sebastien Loeb (France) won the rally outright for Citroen, with Subaru’s Chris Atkinson (Australia) taking a career-best second overall. Swedish Rally winner Jari-Matti Latvala (Finland) was third for Ford.

The World Rally Championship remains in the Americas for the next event, Rally Argentina (March 27-30), which is also the second round of the FIA Production Car World Rally Championship.

Pirelli's control tire for gravel - "Scorpion"

Third new Pirelli WRC tyre makes debut on Rally Mexico

After introducing two of its new control tyres on the first two rallies of the 2008 WRC season, Pirelli’s new gravel tyre - the Scorpion - will make its competitive debut on the gravel tracks of Rally Mexico.

Following the introduction of the PZero asphalt tyre in Monte Carlo and the Sottozero winter tyre in Sweden, the Scorpion is the last of Pirelli’s new range to make an appearance on a WRC rally; and after widespread acclaim for its asphalt and winter offerings, it has two tough acts to follow.

As is the case for the asphalt tyres, there are two compounds of the Scorpion gravel tyre available, intended to cover all the possible conditions that could be found on the gravel rounds of 2008 WRC series. A hard compound tyre will be used on rallies with a very abrasive surface - like Rally Mexico - while a soft compound will be used for the softer ground or mud of rallies like Wales Rally GB.

The Scorpion has been developed during test sessions carried out all over Europe, using a Peugeot 307 WRC prepared by Bozian Racing and piloted by Italian rally champion Paolo Andreucci.

“We have paid attention to making the new tyres as adaptable as possible, as they need to perform strongly on hard and compact gravel as well as on mud and loose gravel,” said Pirelli’s competition manager, Mario Isola. “Following comparison tests an asymmetric and directional design was chosen, in order to maximise grip under acceleration and braking - as well as providing good lateral grip.”

With anti-deflation mousse banned for 2008, keeping its new tyre puncture-free on the rocky gravel roads around Leon is one of the toughest challenges Pirelli will face this year. Saturday afternoon looks especially gruelling, as crews 75km of repated stages on the same tyres, followed by two passes of the Superspecial. But despite the fearsome reputation of the Mexican roads, Isola says the new Scorpion is up to the job.

“The tyre has been considerably strengthened in order to resist cuts, abrasions and punctures from sharp rocks, potholes, and other such obstacles,” said Isola. “The depth of the tread pattern has been increased in order to make the tyre last longer, and the diagonal tread blocks have been redesigned. The construction of the tyre has been heavily reinforced in order to meet the demands of competition without anti-deflation mousse. Most of the new reinforcements are based around the sidewalls. This is the most vulnerable part of the tyre, where it is easy to pick up a laceration or suffer a failure due to sharp rocks or other obstacles at the side of the road.

“The new construction uses solutions derived from ‘run-flat’ technology, which has already been used to good effect on our road car tyres. As well as reducing the risk of punctures to a minimum, these tyres allow the cars that do pick up a puncture to get to the end of the stage without losing too much time and without destroying the bodywork or any other components. The tyre can then simply be changed on the next road section.” He added.
-WRC, Pirelli

Pirelli's control tire for snow

The Swedish Rally, the only snow event scheduled for this year’s WRC, marks the debut of a brand new tyre from the series’ supplier Pirelli.
For this specialised round the Italian manufacturer has introduced a new product called Sottozero. Unlike previous years in Sweden, when teams could select a tyre from a variety of different treads, compounds and stud lengths, the new 145/85 R16 Sottozero is available with only one type of tread pattern, construction, compound and stud.

To enable it to bite through soft snow and into the hard ice underneath, the Sottozero is equipped with 400, 2cm-long tungsten-tipped metal studs, moulded into the tread blocks during the vulcanisation process. The spikes protrude 7mm out of the rubber and dig into the road surface - assisted by the narrow tyre width, which intensifies the contact pressure.

Pirelli’s Rally Manager, Mario Isola, said: “This is quite a specific tyre, which has been recently tested by all the factory teams in the championship - who appreciated the traction and grip that it provided. Naturally, the more it snows the more the drivers will be able to use them to maximum effect.”

Despite the lack of anti-deflation mousse inserts, which are banned for 2008, Isola says the tyres have proved strong and reliable in testing and he is not expecting to see a lot of punctures during the rally.

-WRC

Gigi Galli for Stobart VK M-Sport Ford Rally Team in 2008

Stobart VK M-Sport Ford Rally Team has confirmed that Italian driver Gigi Galli will take over the slot previously held by Jari-Matti Latvala and join Henning Solberg and Matthew Wilson for the 2008 FIA World Rally Championship season.

Like his new team-mates, the Italian will compete on all 15-rounds of the series with the latest specification of the Ford Focus RS WRC.

Galli will be nominated permanently to score manufacturers' points while the second scoring driver position will be left open during the year.

The first man to fulfill this position at the first round of the 2008 season, Rallye Automobile Monte Carlo, will be Francois Duval.

The Belgian will be the fourth entrant at the event as he makes his first appearance on board a Focus RS WRC since he left Ford at the end of 2004.

"It's set to be another exciting year for the Stobart team after such a successful season this year. Jari-Matti's promotion to the BP-Ford Abu Dhabi team has left an opportunity for someone to join this very competitive squad and we are happy to announce that it will be Italian driver Gigi Galli. Gigi has a wealth of experience in the WRC and I'm sure will be a great asset for the team," said Team Principal Malcom Wilson. "Matthew and Henning will again be part of the Stobart team after some fantastic performances in the 2007 championship. The battle this year with Subaru came down to the final event in Wales and next year things are again looking strong for the Stobart squad."

Marcus Gronholm's crash in Rally Ireland

The Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X Group N car

Serving now as Course Car ("0" and "00" cars) in Raly Japan. FIA Group N homologation to follow mid 2008.

Ceremonial Start

Shakedown

Leg 1

Leg 1


Leg 2

Leg 3

4 Lancer WRC05 in 07 Rally Finland, Mitsubishi's biggest outing

Neste Oil Rally Finland (August 3-5) will mark a landmark event for MMSP, Mitsubishi's UK-based world championship competition department - four of its cars will go over the start ramp!

Heading the assault will be Finn Juho Hanninen, on his third World Rally Car outing, followed by veteran Finnish driver Kristian Sohlberg, Urmo Aava from Estonia and Kaj Kuistila. Kuistila runs RRE, the Mitsubishi preparation specialist, and enters the Jyvaskyla event for the 10th time.

Hanninen is hoping for better luck this year; last year his World Rally Car debut drive was wrecked when he was excluded for not wearing the correct safety underwear.

John Easton, MMSP's Operations Manager, said: "This is the biggest WRC challenge that MMSP or even the old Ralliart team has made, even going right back into history."

-WRC News

Gigi Galli will not compete in Argentina, halts 07 program

18/04/07 - Gigi Galli and Aimont Racing Team stopped their program in the 2007 FIA World Rally Championship



Gigi Galli and Aimont Racing Team have decided not to compete in Rally Argentina, also due to the high costs of this race and to stop, for the moment, the program they got ready for the 2007 FIA World Rally Championship.

The decision has been taken today, after careful assessment by the driver and the team, because it hasn’t been reached the agreement with an important sponsor that would have supported the driver and the team in the next races.
Gigi Galli and Aimont Racing Team are grateful to Citroen Sport and PH Sport for their support in the races disputed so far and also to Pirelli and the Italian Federation ACI CSAI for their important contribution.
“I’m really sorry we have been obliged to suspend the program”, said Gigi Galli “Unfortunately we had no other choice at the moment. I thank Pirelli that has supported me and also ACI CSAI that gave a contribution to this program as well as Livigno and Valtellina. I’m sorry not to compete in Rally Argentina a race I’m fond of and I like a lot, also because of the podium place obtained there last year. I’d like to thank the organizers that tried to help me when they heard I was not going to compete there”.

“Unfortunately our sport depends on budget” - Gigi continues - “Because of this lack of support we cannot go on with our program and we regret we could not find any remedy. We are sorry mostly for all the people who follow us and wait during the special stages. This is what we regret most!

I wish to thank all the partners who helped me in creating this program. I also thank all my fans for their constant support”.

“Unfortunately, due to budget problems, we have been obliged to stop the program” said Pierfrancesco Zanchi, Aimont Racing Team manager “An important sponsor on which we counted, at last turned down its interest. I would like to thank personally all the partners that made this project feasible so far and in particularly Citroen Sport, PH Sport, Pirelli and the Italian Federation ACI CSAI”.

-GigiGalli.com