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Rally Mexico WRC (J) - 29 Feb-02 Mar 08Posted: March 20, 2008 3:37 PM - 6287 Hits Round 3 - 2008 World Rally Championship WORLD CHAMPION LOEB CLAIMS THIRD SUCCESSIVE CORONA RALLY MEXICO WINPosted: March 20, 2008 3:37 PM
Aussie Chris Atkinson takes superb second for Subaru Posted: February 29, 2008 3:55 PM
Shanu Gallagher shakes down his new C2 in Mexico Photo: rallyimage.com Gravel roads, new tyres and mountain peaks as SWRT goes West The Subaru World Rally Team will travel west to the Americas for the third event of the season, the Corona Rally Mexico, after its late inclusion in this year?s WRC calendar. The first traditional gravel rally of the year is also the first long-haul event, and the only time the crews will visit the North American continent. Based in the city of Leon in the Guanajuato region of Mexico?s central highlands, the event promises very different conditions to any seen so far this year in either Monte Carlo or Sweden. On the event where the Impreza WRC2007 was launched last year, crews will compete for the first time on Pirelli?s new Scorpion gravel championship control tyre, available in only one compound and tread pattern. It will be the third different tyre design crews have used in the first three events of the year. Crews are banned from cutting the tread of their tyres this year, which on gravel typically meant opening up the tread pattern to maximise the tyre?s ability to cut through the loose surface. This will mean road position is crucial as those further down the order will benefit from road cleaning, meaning a smoothing of the loose surface that will afford the standard tread better traction. The region?s hard-packed gravel roads are some of the highest of the year. Generally fast, they are tricky as they don?t naturally flow through the mountainous terrain. The challenging combination of high and slow-speed sections make it difficult for crews to establish a rhythm along the sometimes narrow and technical tests. Those who are smoothest will improve the life and therefore grip from their tyres on the abrasive surface where tyre wear is very high. These conditions traditionally suit Subaru very well, and Petter Solberg and Phil Mills won here in 2005 and established an early lead last year before being forced into retirement. Chris Atkinson also held second position last year before running into difficulty and finishing fifth. The route is much the same as last year with only minor additions to sections of the Ortega and El Cubilete speed tests. Rally Mexico is the most compact route in the WRC, and this year is even more so than last with a total distance of just 830 kilometres. The 354 competitive kilometres of gravel roads traverse the mountains of the Sierra de Lobos and Sierra de Guanajuato to the east of Leon, reaching a peak altitude of just over 2700 metres where the oxygen is thin and engines struggle to develop power. The event opens with a ceremonial start on Thursday night in front of the Alhondiga de Granaditas, an historic grain storage building which now serves as a regional museum. A change from the first two events, the weather forecast is dry and windy, with temperatures reaching 25 degrees Celsius. Each day is concluded by a 2.21km spectator stage, located 15km south-west of Leon, which will be run a total of five times over the three days to bring the action from the mountains to the local fans. Entries The Subaru World Rally Team have entered two Impreza WRC2007s for Rally Mexico. Petter Solberg / Phil Mills will drive car number five and Chris Atkinson / St鰨ane Pr鶯t will be in car number six. Solberg and Mills have finished on the podium twice in the last three years. Atkinson finished fifth last year, his best result in Mexico, but this will be his first running of the event alongside Pr鶯t. Team quotes David Richards, Subaru World Rally Team Principal: ?Mexico is a totally different challenge to that we have seen so far this year. It?s an event on which Subaru have a good record, and it really demonstrates the strength of our engine. Petter and Chris ran strongly on this event last year and, using the same car that we debuted then, I expect our performance to put us firmly towards the top of the timesheets.? Paul Howarth, Subaru World Rally Team operations director: ?We?ve gone well in Mexico in the past and the conditions suit both drivers and our cars. Recent tests with Pirelli?s new Scorpion tyre have been positive, but have shown that tyre wear will be a real factor in what we consider to be an endurance event. The stages will be a lot cleaner for the second passes and road position is important. You will lose time starting first on the road as for those further back there will be more grip as the surface becomes cleaner. The roads do get very abrasive though as the loose surface is swept away, and as grip increases, the tyres have to really work hard.? Driver quotes Petter Solberg: ?We go to Mexico knowing that we have won here in the past, but we don?t approach it any differently to Monte or Sweden. We made some good steps forward in the test last week, so we go to Mexico with a good setup. We?ll drive our own rally, push as hard as we can and see what happens. I hope we will be strong again here as it?s good for everyone if we can be fighting at the front.? Chris Atkinson: ?It?s a difficult rally with the altitude and the conditions, but we approach it with the same strategy as we have started this year with. Last year we had a good result and good pace on the first day, so if we can maintain consistency throughout the event then I hope we can get a good finish. We have a strong engine in the car that seems to perform well at altitude which I think is one of the reasons we go well here. I like the feeling of the rally as it?s good to have such a variation in speed and conditions that keeps you entertained! Visually it?s appealing and very different, and that's what rallying is all about.? Between the rallies After the Swedish Rally both Impreza WRC2007s travelled straight to Spain for a four day gravel test ahead of Rally Mexico. The duo of Solberg and Mills completed two and a half days, and the pairing of Atkinson completed one and a half days to develop a setup for Mexico and the remaining gravel rallies and to test Pirelli?s new gravel tyre. The team also tested suspension and damper components in what was the final test for the WRC2007 as the emphasis shifts to the Impreza WRC2008. Gallagher Targets World Title for Second Year Donegal’s Shaun Gallagher, last years World Rally Championship (WRC) Rookie of the Year, is going for the 2008 Junior Title in his Citroen 1600 upgrade, a much more powerful car. The twenty eight year old rally driver took home the Rookie title from Catalunya in October in his Citroen C2R2. His team, World Rally Team Ireland, has been given a makeover in the form of the introduction of a new co-driver and additional service crew members. The new recruit, Michael Morrissey, is from Waterford and has competed in two WRC events, Rally Finland and his most recent appearance at Rally Sardegna. He has been competing in the Middle East Rally Championship for over ten years with some success and with such well known names as Edith Weiβ and Essa Al-Dossari. This week’s Rally Mexico will be his third WRC event. Gallagher competed in six rounds of last year’s championship, commencing with Rally Norway in Mid-February. He remained determined and consistent throughout, finishing every event thereafter in Portugal, Sardinia, Finland and Germany, thus retaining the points needed to take home the ‘Rookie’ Trophy. Together the two men hope to build on the success achieved by World Rally Team Ireland in 2007. Team manager and Sligo business man Tommy Mullen said; “This radical overhaul of World Rally Team Ireland is a reflection of Shaun’s passion for the sport. By making these important changes within the team we hope that we can build on Shaun’s success, with the ultimate desire being to see Shaun win the Junior World Championship in his first year”. Tommy added, “It’s a big step up from the Rookie category but Shaun is more than capable. If someone can go on to win the Junior Championship in their first year it depicts pure excellence and the only two WRC competitors to have achieved this so far are Sebastien Loeb and Danni Sordo”. The duo will be competing in the first round of the junior WRC at Rally Mexico from February 28th to March 2nd. The event is well known for its vibrant atmosphere and heavy spectator interest and last year saw over 60,000 gather in Guanajuato, a UNESCO world heritage site listed mining town, for the ceremonial start which will take place this year. The sweeping gravel surface is generally hard packed and smooth but stray rocks and boulders lining the roads could cause many puncture problems for competitors. Much of the route will remain unchanged from 2007, with Rally Mexico being one of the most compact routes in the WRC with just 830 total kilometres, as well as being one of the most elevated at over 2000 metres above sea level. 2008 Corona Rally Mexico - WRC preview The BP Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team will defend a 10-point lead in the FIA World Rally Championship's Manufacturers' title race, when the Corona Rally Mexico gets underway with a ceremonial start in Guanajuato, east of the rally base in León, on Thursday evening. Finnish team drivers Mikko Hirvonen and Jari-Matti Latvala have taken one win and two second places between them so far this season in Monte Carlo and Sweden and head to the testing gravel special stages of the Mexican round of the series in confident mood. Hirvonen holds a six-point advantage over his team mate in the Drivers' Championship - courtesy of two second places - but the Ford duo are mindful of the fact that Frenchman Sébastien Loeb has won the North American round of the series for the last two years and is a formidable force on gravel surfaces. He is chasing a hat-trick of successes in León. His Citroën Total World Rally Team currently lie fourth in the Manufacturers' series behind the Stobart VK M-Sport and Subaru outfits. Monte Carlo winner Loeb gave the Citroën C4 WRC a winning gravel debut in Mexico in 2007, but Hirvonen's best result in Mexico was third overall the same year and the Finn may suffer somewhat from being first on the road for the opening day's eight gravel stages. Dani Sordo will again run in the second official C4: the Spaniard was 11th in Monte Carlo and sixth in Sweden. Mexico is the first of seven consecutive gravel rounds of this year's 15-round series and was reinstated into the global championship following the withdrawal of Rally Australia. It is the first of three consecutive rounds outside Europe and the majority of the special stages are over 2000 metres above sea level. "First on the road isn't the best place to be in Mexico because there will be loose gravel and stones on the road surface," said 27-year-old championship leader Hirvonen. "It's better to be further down the order where the roads will be cleaner but I don't mind putting up with that if it means I lead the championship." Latvala finished seventh last season, but arrives in Mexico fresh from becoming the youngest driver in history to win a round of the WRC - in Sweden. The Ford team prepared for the rally with a four-day test in France, where Pirelli's new Scorpion hard compound gravel tyre was tested for the first time. The Subaru World Rally Team has a good record in Mexico. Petter Solberg won the event in 2005 and finished second overall in 2006, but the team have not won a WRC event since Rally GB three years ago and need a top result in Mexico. They have started the season brightly though: Australian Chris Atkinson finished third overall in Monte Carlo, where Solberg was fifth and the Norwegian was fourth in Sweden. Four other Ford Focus RS cars will start the rally: Italian Gigi Galli and Britain's Matthew Wilson have been nominated for points by the Stobart VK M-Sport team, while the Munchi's Ford World Rally Team will make its season debut with Norwegian Henning Solberg and Argentina's Federico Villagra. The factory Suzuki team will be making its first appearance in Mexico with the SX4. Finland's Toni Gardemeister has suffered one retirement and a seventh place so far this season, but has already scored Manufacturers' Championship points for 'Monster' Tajima's Japanese team. Sweden's reigning J-WRC champion Per-Gunnar Andersson will drive the second SX4 in which he finished an excellent eighth overall in Monte Carlo. The Japanese manufacturer will also be keen to defend its J-WRC title, with Estonia's Jan Molder and Poland's Michal Kosciuszko entering the first round of the Junior series in a pair of Swift Super 1600 cars. Both drivers intend to run in Mexico, Jordan, Italy, Finland, Spain and France this season under the Suzuki Sport Europe banner. "Mexico is going to be a big learning curve for me," said Molder. "Suzuki has contested the event before in 2005 as part of the Junior Championship and the cars were first and second. I hope that is a good omen." Seventeen drivers under the age of 28 will tackle this year's J-WRC, but the Suzuki duo face fierce competition in Mexico from the likes of Zimbabwe's Conrad Rautenbach, Czech Martin Prokop and Germany's Aaron Burkhart in a trio of Citroën C2 S1600s. Other front-runners should include Sweden's Patrick Sandell (Renault) and Ireland's Shaun Gallagher (Citroën). Mexican driver Ricardo Trivino leads the home contingent at the wheel of his Peugeot 206 WRC, although the likes of Benito Guerra (Mitsubishi) and Rodrigo Salgado (Mitsubishi) should entertain the home crowds. No less than 41 cars grace the provisional start list for the third round of the FIA World Rally Championship. This year's Mexican route is virtually identical to 2007 and is the shortest ever for a WRC event, covering a mere 830.83km, of which 43% is competitive. The highest of all the stages will be the Ortega test at 2,737 metres above sea level. The event gets underway with the ceremonial start in Guanajuato at 20.00hrs on Thursday evening. The opening two days on Friday and Saturday comprise two identical loops of three stages before two passes over a super special stage at León's race circuit. The track also hosts a double run on Sunday morning to bring the rally to a close. Drivers tackle a total of 20 stages covering 353.75km. Championship leader Ford aims to cut loose on Mexican gravel After establishing a strong early season lead in the FIA World Rally Championship on asphalt and snow, BP Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team journeys to North America next week for the first of seven consecutive gravel events. Loose surface roads are the dominant terrain in the series, hosting 10 of the 15 rounds, and so Rally Mexico (28 February - 2 March) will offer the best guideline to date for the season ahead. The Ford Focus RS World Rally Car claimed a clean sweep of the podium positions in Sweden earlier this month with BP Ford Abu Dhabi on the top two steps. Combined with second place on the season-opener in Monte Carlo in January, the reigning world manufacturers' champion travels to this third round with a 10-point lead. Mikko Hirvonen and Jarmo Lehtinen are six points clear in the drivers' table with Sweden winners Jari-Matti Latvala and Miikka Anttila tied in second. Ford is a major sponsor of the rally, which is based in León in the centre of the country. It is the first of three consecutive rounds outside Europe and is also the highest in the championship. Most speed tests are over 2000m and the first leg climbs to more than 2700m on hillsides awash with cacti and water crossings. The altitude takes its toll on cars as the thinner air means engines 'run out of breath' and can lose up to 30 per cent of their usual power. The special stages are fast and flowing and average speeds last year topped 96kph. They are mostly hard-packed gravel, although some are sandier, and organisers worked closely with local authorities to build stages for the rally that also opened up new link roads for isolated villages. Hirvonen, whose best finish in his three previous starts was third last year, will be first in the start order on the opening day courtesy of being championship leader for the first time in his career. "First on the road isn't the best place to be in Mexico because there will be loose gravel and stones on the road surface," said the 27-year-old Finn. "It's better to be further down the order where the roads will be cleaner but I don't mind putting up with that if it means I lead the championship. I really don't want to start first on Saturday or Sunday though, and it will be interesting to see if tactics come into play at the end of the first day as drivers try to obtain a better start position for the rest of the weekend. "Technically the roads are a mix. About 50 per cent is quite straightforward and the rest is more difficult. There are also plenty of stones on the edge of the road. In the past, with puncture-resistant mousse in the tyres, that wouldn't have been a problem but now it's something I have to think about more carefully. The altitude is the most difficult aspect because the higher the stages, the less power there is and sometimes when you need the power it isn't there. I will attack as hard as I can from the start. We had a good test last week and I was pleased with Pirelli's gravel tyre. I'm not concerned about punctures or tyre wear," added Hirvonen. Latvala became the youngest driver in history to win a WRC round in Sweden last month on only his second outing with the BP Ford Abu Dhabi team. The 22-year-old Finn acknowledges that victory imposed demands on him that he had not experienced before. "It was a surprise because I didn't expect so much media interest and I was very busy handling interviews for a few days after the rally," he said. "I don't have as much experience in Mexico compared to some other rounds and I need to be a bit calmer than in Sweden. Another win isn't a realistic aim and I would be happy with a top three position. I was very satisfied with last week's test. Pirelli's tyres felt strong. I had a couple of impacts with stones but no punctures so I have no concerns. Latvala was seventh last year, his best result from just two starts, and has learned to be cautious of the water crossings. "In the recce the roads are in good condition but it's surprising how many big impacts the cars can take during the rally itself. Where the water flows down from the mountains and crosses the roads, the concrete crossings can be deep and after a fast section the car can take quite a hard impact there," he explained. Team News * The team prepared for the rally with a four-day test at Chateau Lastours in France following the Swedish Rally. It was the first opportunity for both Hirvonen and Latvala to test Pirelli's new gravel tyre. Each drove for two days, concentrating on tyre work and completing about 400km each with no punctures. They also tested some new development parts for the Focus RS. * As part of the sport's new regulations, BP Ford Abu Dhabi will have just one tyre pattern from new partner, Pirelli. The Scorpion gravel tyre, which will make its competitive debut in Mexico, will be available in hard compound only. Because anti-deflation mousse is also outlawed this year, the Scorpion includes reinforced sidewalls to offer increased protection against punctures Teams are not allowed to hand-carve additional cuts into the rubber and each car can carry two spares. * Four other Focus RS cars will start the rally. Gigi Galli / Giovanni Bernacchini and Matthew Wilson / Scott Martin will be nominated for points by the Stobart VK M-Sport team. The Munchi's Ford World Rally Team will make its season debut with Henning Solberg / Cato Menkerud and Federico Villagra / Jorge Pérez Companc nominated to score. Rally Mexico is not part of the programme for Abu Dhabi's Khalid Al Qassimi / Michael Orr. Rally Route Mexico was a late inclusion in the calendar following the withdrawal of Rally Australia. The route is virtually identical to 2007 with just a few small variations to some stages. It has the shortest route ever for a WRC event, covering just 830.83km with a remarkable 43 per cent of that being competitive. It is based in León, 400km north of Mexico City, with stages to the north and east. It is the highest round in the series, with the opening day's Ortega test climbing through cacti-filled mountains to a breathtaking 2737m. It begins on Thursday evening with a spectacular ceremonial start in Guanajuato, which last year was packed with more than 60,000 fans. The town is a UNESCO-designated World Heritage Site, famed for its beauty and underground road network. The opening two days comprise two identical loops of three stages before two passes over a super special stage at León's race circuit. The track also hosts a double run on Sunday morning to bring the rally to a close. Drivers tackle 20 stages covering 353.75km. Munchi's kick off campaign Mexican style The Munchi’s Ford World Rally Team kick start their 2008 FIA World Rally Championship campaign next week on the third round at Corona Rally Mexico. As in 2008, the team will again be contesting ten championship rounds under manufacturer team status. Federico Villagra/Jorge Pèrez Companc are back again for this year’s challenge but will be partnered by Henning Solberg/Cato Menkerud in Mexico with Munchi’s co-owner Luis Pèrez Companc only taking on three rounds in 2008 due to business and other motorsport commitments. This will be the Argentine’s first attempt at Rally Mexico on a surface much similar to South American soil where his driving aptitude was formed. Jorge Pèrez Companc will again partner Villagra as the Munchi’s co-owner looks to further his ability on the pacenotes. Last year was a super year for Villagra who was picked up by the Munchi’s squad after an outstanding display on Rally Argentina where he finished ninth overall winning the GpN class. ‘Coyote’, as he is also known by, won the Argentine Rally Championship in 2006 and 2007 and will again throw down a contest alongside his WRC campaign in search of the hat-trick. With a place open to score for the Munchi’s Ford WRT Solberg has taken on the roll and will be the first non-Argentine driver in history to score points for the team. This will be the Norwegian’s third attempt at an event where he has had mixed fortunes but on both occasions finished inside the top-ten standings. Yet to score a drivers’ point this year, Solberg will be hungry in Mexico after running third in the Swedish Rally earlier this month before a big ‘off’ ended his snowy challenge. It will be a warm affair in Mexico with temperatures expected to climb over the 30 centigrade mark – something Solberg is aware of as he has upped his pre-event training regimen. This hard-packed gravel event is made trickier by the extreme high altitudes at which stages are run above sea-level. This causes world rally cars to lose anywhere up to 100bhp with the thinner air compromising the effectiveness of the start-of-the-art air cooling systems. With this in mind it becomes a real battle of technical driving ability made tougher by the high temperatures which can reach well over 40 centigrade inside the cockpit. Competitors will again head to the UNESCO world heritage listed town of Guanajuato for the ceremonial start which saw tens of thousands of people flock to last year. The course this year will offer 354 kilometres of competitive distance almost identical to last year’s compact route with just two stages on day 1 slightly modified. This will be the first event for Villagra on a Pirelli tyre and one without mouse inserts. Keeping it neat and tidy will be the key here for the Argentine as rocks and boulders come into play as they line sections of the loose gravel stages. Munchi’s Ford World Rally Team Driver Federico Villagra said: “I know this is a difficult rally which can be very hard on the drivers and maybe even harder for me being my first time here. It will be great to have Henning in the team, he has experience of this event and has done well in the past so I will take all the information I can from him. This will also be my first time behind the wheel of a Focus WRC07 and I am really looking towards driving it. It has had a lot of success over the last year and I think it will be a great experience having the opportunity to drive it. I did a lot of rallies last year in both the WRC and at home in Argentina so I think this will help with my challenge this year and with the feeling in the car.” Munchi’s Ford World Rally Team Driver Henning Solberg said: “I’m looking forward to this rally and getting back onto gravel. I have a very good feeling now after Sweden because we were very quick there. I think I can do quite well here in Mexico and I will be aiming for the top-three because I have a very good road position on Friday and if it doesn’t rain it will help me a lot. I have been doing some more training for this event because it can be very demanding on the body especially with the thin air. I struggled a bit last year with feeling because of the engine power loss with the altitude but this year we have an 07 Focus so we will see what this does. I am going to try my best here and hopefully we can finish in the points which will help both myself and the Munchi’s team.”
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