Mexico (P/S) - 3-7 Mar 10

LOEB AND HIRVONEN SET TO RESUME HIGH-SPEED DUEL IN MEXICO

Posted: March 4, 2010 5:33 PM

Defending FIA World Rally Champion Sébastien Loeb and arch-rival Mikko Hirvonen will resume their duel for supremacy in this weekend’s Rally Guanajuato Bicentenario, round two of the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC), in Mexico.

Frenchman Loeb will be chasing an unprecedented 55th WRC victory, as he bids to steer his Citroën C4 WRC to its first win of the season and prevent his flying Finnish rival from clinching a second successive WRC win for the BP Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team.

Hirvonen arrived in the town of León in the Guanajuato region of Mexico with a seven-point lead in the FIA Drivers’ Championship after his sensational victory in Sweden. The Finn will be chasing a 13th career WRC win, but the arduous gravel stages that make the Mexican round of the WRC so demanding will push both drivers to the limit.

Loeb will be chasing his fourth victory in Mexico in five years – the event was not a round of the WRC in 2009 – and will have the full support of team-mate Dani Sordo in a second Citroën Total World Rally Team C4 WRC. The French team trails Ford by 10 points after round one, but has an impressive winning record in Mexico.

Finland’s Jari-Matti Latvala claimed the final podium place in Sweden and the 24-year-old is feeling confident after a useful test session in Spain recently and his positive start to the season.

This will be his fourth Mexican start, but Latvala is leaving nothing to chance: "Mexico's high altitude affects the engine's performance and because there is less power, the car takes longer to reach top speed. It's important to keep the correct line through corners, particularly in uphill sections, because a mistake costs more time than usual while the engine regains its power.”

Frenchman Sébastien Ogier made a solid start to the new season with the Citroën Junior Team by taking fifth place in Sweden. He made headlines two years ago in Mexico by winning the J-WRC category in a Citroën C2 on his WRC debut. He has gone from strength to strength ever since and will be pushing for the podium over the 22 special stages that make up the timetable of the three-day Mexican challenge.

Citroën Junior Team colleague and former F1 World Champion Kimi Räikkönen has been keeping a low profile in the build up to his first Mexican adventure. The Finn finished out of the points in Sweden after an indiscretion, but his determination to succeed is well known and he is sure to relish the challenge of the Guanajuato gravel stages.

Henning Solberg and Matthew Wilson represent the Stobart M-Sport Ford Rally Team in a pair of Ford Focus RS WRC 08s and former rally winner Petter Solberg returns to Mexico in his privately-run Citroën C4 WRC. Argentina’s Federico Villagra of the Munchi’s Ford World Rally Team completes the line-up of Priority One drivers. This is the first of eight rallies for the Munchi’s Team this season.

The Rally Guanajuato Bicentenario is also the second round of the S-WRC and P-WRC Championships. The new dedicated support series for Super 2000 cars (S-WRC) is a dress rehearsal for the vehicles that will form the basis for World Rally Cars from 2011.

Per-Gunnar Andersson took maximum points from Janne Tuohino and Martin Prokop on round one in Sweden and Prokop has an excellent opportunity of taking the series lead in Mexico in the absence of his Scandinavian rivals.

The Czech gives the new Ford Fiesta S2000 its Mexican debut, but faces stiff competition for S-WRC glory from Norway’s Eyvind Brynildsen and Qatar’s Nasser Saleh Al-Attiyah in a pair of Skoda Fabia S2000s, Poland’s Michal Kosciuszko and Spaniard Xavier Pons in Ford Fiesta S2000s and Andorra-based Albert Llovera in a Fiat Abarth Grand Punto S2000.

The P-WRC category has entered its 23rd year and Sweden’s Patrik Flodin claimed maximum points and the series lead in Sweden recently. Nine of the 13 rounds of the WRC count for the showroom category and registered drivers must tackle six rallies to be eligible.

Flodin and Sweden runner-up Anders Grondal will miss the Mexican jaunt and that leaves the door open for defending champion Armindo Araújo to add to the 15 points he scored in Sweden for third place. The Portuguese heads the P-WRC category in Mexico in his Ralliart Italy Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X, with competition likely from Italy’s Gianluca Linari and Hungarian Gabor Mayer in a pair of Subarus.

Japan’s Toshi Arai is a former P-WRC World Champion, but suffered a major pre-event setback when he damaged his Subaru Impreza on a Monday test in Mexico. The car has been repaired in time for the event and the Japanese should be one of Araújo’s closest challengers.

Italy’s Giorgio Bacco, Argentina’s Miguel-Angel Baldoni and the Mexican duo of Benito Guerra and Rodrigo Salgado complete the list of Priority 3 drivers taking part in the P-WRC category in a quartet of Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IXs.

American driver Ken Block of the Monster World Rally Team heads the remainder of the international field in his Ford Focus RS WRC 08. The list also includes former Champ Car racer Michel Jourdain and veteran Mexican driver Ricardo Triviňo.

There are only minor changes to the format of the event since it last appeared in the WRC in 2008. A short street stage has been introduced in the middle of the opening two legs near the service park in León, but the only other major change is the introduction of new tracks for one of the day three specials.

In a compact route of 858.05km, 41% of the distance (354.86km) will be competitive with the second and sixth Ortega special stages rising to an altitude of 2,737 metres above sea level – the highest point the WRC will reach this season.

The rally begins on Thursday evening with the ceremonial start in Guanajuato - a UNESCO-designated World Heritage Site. Special stage action on Friday, Saturday and Sunday takes place to the north and east of León with the ceremonial finish scheduled for 13.00hrs on Sunday afternoon.

RALLY GUANAJUATO SERVICE BROADCAST LIVE

Posted: March 2, 2010 11:03 AM

In 2007 and 2008, the organizers of Guanajuato's rally introduced an innovative system that allowed viewers to watch WRC class service stops live via its web page, www.rallymexico.com. Following the excellent results of a resource that enabled fans and media around the world to experience the workings of the rally teams close up, at the magnificent Poliforum León facilities, the organizers have decided to provide this service once again at the 2010 event.

On Friday, March 5, Saturday, March 6 and Sunday, March 7, the rally's official Web portal will be providing a live link, “Live TV”, which, with just one click, will take visitors directly to the cameras located at the Poliforum’s Service Park.

In this way, the public at large will be able to watch—live and for free—all the emotion of each team's service stops, visitors being able to choose the camera for whichever WRC team they wish to see.

In 2007, the www.rallymexico.com site received 373,000 visitors, with a massive 2.5 million visiting the site in 2008, 113,000 of whom hooked up to the live webcams, figures that are sure to be beaten this year, thanks in large part to “Live TV”.

This service is just one of the many initiatives undertaken by the Organizing Committee, in its efforts to bring the event even closer to fans in Mexico and all over the world.

• Rally of Mexico

Ford Fiesta S2000 to Conquer Corona Rally Mexico

Posted: February 27, 2010 5:12 PM

M-Sport will look for the Ford Fiesta S2000 to be on top of the world as the FIA Super 2000 World Rally Championship 2010 moves to Corona Rally Mexico next week.  

The previous round at Rally Sweden proved to be a highly successful one for the Ford Fiesta S2000, with three finishing in the top four places of the S-WRC category and the car scoring an overall WRC stage win for the first time at the snow-bound event.  

An entirely different challenge lies in wait as three Ford Fiesta S2000 crews tackle the hot, high-altitude gravel stages of Rally Mexico.  

Former WRC manufacturer team driver Xevi Pons will make a return to top-level rallying in Mexico behind the wheel of the Ford Fiesta S2000.  

The 29-year-old Spaniard and co-driver Alex Haro will be run by a new team under the guidance of compatriot Luis Moya - who won 24 WRC events and two World Championship crowns as a co-driver alongside Carlos Sainz – and will enter at least seven S-WRC rounds.  With extensive WRC experience under his belt from previous years, including a string of fourth place finishes on major events, Pons will be keen to show how competitive he can be in the new breed of rally car when the action begins in Mexico.  

Also making his maiden outing in the Ford Fiesta S2000 is former Junior World Rally Championship driver Michal Kosciuszko, who will contest seven rounds of the new S-WRC category in 2010.  

The 24-year-old Pole finished as runner-up in the J-WRC in 2009, and is looking forward to pitting himself against drivers like Martin Prokop with whom he enjoyed close battles in previous seasons – especially as he is now in the same car as the Czech driver.  Kosciuszko and co-driver Maciek Szczepaniak chose to use the Ford Fiesta S2000 for their 2010 campaign after testing a number of other cars, but believe they have given themselves the best possible chance of success by electing to run with a Fiesta prepared by Belgian firm Symtech Racing.  

Czech driver Martin Prokop made a fine start to his 2010 S-WRC campaign at Rally Sweden when he drove the Ford Fiesta S2000 to third place in the class.  Prokop drove well throughout the event and experienced few problems as he chased fellow Fiesta S2000 runner Janne Tuohino ahead of him.   

However, the highlight of his weekend came on the second day when he stunned the field by recording the fastest time on SS16 Hagfors Sprint and taking his first S-WRC stage win –also beating every other car in the field to take an overall stage win and a create a new first for both the S2000 class and the Ford Fiesta S2000.  The 27-year-old will be keen to produce that kind of form again as he heads to Rally Mexico and continue building towards his title challenge.  

With Rally Mexico 2010 leading the state of Guanajuato's bicentennial festivities, M-Sport will be confident that the Fiesta will live up to its name and be joining in the celebrations come the finish of the event.  

Xevi Pons said:
“I am very excited to be back in the WRC and looking forward to this season.  It is going to be hard in Mexico as I have maybe not had enough testing, so the aim for me is to get to the end and finish with no problems.  Of course I want to try and win the championship, but Mexico is about getting some points and the same in Jordan, then we can see if it is possible to be up there going for the title.”  

Michal Kosciusko said:
“I cannot wait for the rally.  I tested the car last week and it was very strong and nice to work with.  I have a really good sponsor in Lotos Dynamic, a great team and car behind me now, and I have to use this backing to its full potential and get some really good results.  The competition will be very tough because I think there are four or five drivers on each rally who can fight for the win, but I can’t wait to test myself at this level.  I came third in the Junior World Rally Championship class in Mexico in 2008 so I definitely want to try and beat that. It will be a very exciting challenge to start my S-WRC season.”     

Martin Prokop said:
“Sweden was a good event as we got good points and made no mistakes, but I think I can go faster in Mexico because it is on gravel and I have more experience of that surface.  I have also been there before and I know what it is like so we should be able to push a bit more.  It will be a big challenge to win because Kosciusko and Al-Attiyah will be strong rivals.  I have competed against them before and they have good experience so they will be difficult to beat, but it will be a good fight.”  

M-Sport Managing Director Malcolm Wilson said:
“We have seen the Fiesta S2000 perform exceptionally well on a number of different surfaces so far and the conditions at Rally Mexico will be another chance for it to prove its capability.  Martin [Prokop] had a very good run in Sweden and took his, and the car’s, first S-WRC stage win, so he will be keen to show that kind of form again.  It’s also great to see another two talented drivers like Pons and Kosciusko choose the Fiesta S2000 for their campaigns, and I’m sure they will both want to be up there challenging for honours.  With all those guys capable of fighting for the win it looks like it will be another very exciting rally in the S-WRC class.”

 

Hirvonen's centenary adds spice to Mexican independence fiesta

Posted: February 27, 2010 5:10 PM

Two hundred years after Mexico's native Indians began their bloody fight for independence against Spanish rule in Guanajuato, BP Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team next week takes up the call to arms in the mountains near the city for a battle of a different kind. The team journeys to North America for Rally Mexico (4 - 7 March), the second round of the FIA World Rally Championship, intent on extending its lead in both the manufacturers' and drivers' standings.

Victory for Mikko Hirvonen and Jarmo Lehtinen and third for team-mates Jari-Matti Latvala and Miikka Anttila in Sweden earlier this month means the team heads both championships with the Ford Focus RS World Rally Car. Hirvonen's win moved Ford level at the top of the WRC's all-time standings with 74 victories and the 29-year-old Finn celebrates an anniversary of his own in Mexico – his 100th WRC start.

The rally, which returns to the series after a year's absence, is a key part of Guanajuato state's bicentennial celebrations. It is based in the large city of León in the centre of the country, 400km north-west of Mexico City. The compact route comprises speed tests in the mountains to the north and east and most climb above 2000m on hillsides awash with cacti and water crossings, making this the highest round of the season. The altitude takes its toll on cars as the thinner air means engines 'run out of breath' and can lose up to 30 percent of their usual power.

The road surface is essentially hard-packed gravel, although some parts are sandier and can become rough during the second pass. Most special stages are fast and flowing, although there are slower, more technically demanding sections as well. There are also tests at two short spectator-friendly venues, one in León city itself, immediately next to the single service park at the Poliforum.

Hirvonen has four Mexico starts to his name, third in 2007 being his best result. The 29-year-old Finn will be first in the start order during the opening leg following his Swedish success, but is happy to carry the role of creating a clear driving line for his rivals on the gravel tracks.

"Leading the championship can have its disadvantages, and I now run first on the road for the opening gravel rally of the season. My rivals have better road positions than me so it will be difficult, but I'll still try to find a way to challenge for the win. I'm not underestimating the difficulties, but I wouldn't swap my win in Sweden for a better start seeding," he said.

"Sweden was the perfect start to the championship for both me and the team. It's important that we build on that in Mexico and continue to take the brave decisions that paid off in the opening round. The first gravel rally of the season is always an interesting one because, with the majority of the championship on that surface, it gives pointers as to how the season may play out," added Hirvonen, who flies to León today (Friday) to acclimatise to the high altitude and the eight-hour time difference between his home country and Mexico.

This will be the fourth Rally Mexico start for Latvala, who finished third in 2008, and a podium in Sweden has left the 24-year-old feeling calm about the challenge ahead. "I've not enjoyed as good a start to a season for five years and it's a completely different sensation to go to Mexico feeling relaxed and under less pressure," he said.

"I tested for two days in Spain this week but the weather was more suited to Rally GB than a hot event like Rally Mexico. It rained so the roads were muddy and the morning temperature was -2ºC. At least I managed to find a good feeling with gravel tyres again and I tried a few small changes with the car.

"Mexico's high altitude affects the engine's performance and because there is less power, the car takes longer to reach top speed. It's important to keep the correct line through corners, particularly in uphill sections, because a mistake costs more time than usual while the engine regains its power. The roads are generally wide and fast but there are twisty sections during Saturday's stages. They're not rough, but there are many small river crossings where the water runs down from the mountains that have a concrete base. When you hit them at speed they can damage the car," added Latvala.

Team News
* Tyre partner Pirelli will provide BP Ford Abu Dhabi with one regulation tyre pattern. The Scorpion gravel tyre will be available in hard compound only. Teams are not allowed to hand-carve additional cuts into the rubber and each car can carry two spare wheels.

* The team completed a five-day pre-event test in northern Spain yesterday to prepare for Rally Mexico. Latvala completed the opening two days before handing over to Hirvonen, who drove for two days on gravel before ending the test with a day's asphalt work.

* Ford is again the most popular manufacturer in the entry with nine of the 35 entry cars carrying the Blue Oval. Henning Solberg / Ilka Minor and Matthew Wilson / Scott Martin are nominated by the Stobart M-Sport Ford team in Focus RS WRCs while Federico Villagra / Jorge Perez Companc will make their season debut for the Munchi's Ford squad in a similar car. Also debuting is the all-new Monster World Rally Team, for whom Ken Block / Alex Gelsomino will drive a Focus RS WRC. Three Fiesta S2000 crews will start in the second round of the S-WRC support series.

Rally Route
Organisers have stayed faithful to their tried and tested format with few changes from Mexico's last WRC appearance. The major difference is the introduction of a short street stage in the middle of the opening two legs just behind the service park at León's Poliforum. Otherwise, just one Sunday morning test offers new roads. It is a highly compact rally, covering just 884.58km with 40 per cent of that being competitive, and the opening day's Ortega test climbs to a breathtaking 2737m – the high point of the season. The rally begins on Thursday evening with a colourful ceremonial start in Guanajuato, where more than 60,000 people are expected to pack the streets.
The town is a UNESCO-designated World Heritage Site, famed for rich veins of silver and gold discovered centuries ago and extensive underground tunnels. All the action takes place north and east of León and the opening two legs end with two passes over a super special stage at the city's race circuit. The track hosts a double run on Sunday to close the rally. Drivers tackle 22 stages covering 354.60km.

Citroen Sport Previews

Posted: February 27, 2010 5:08 PM

Citroen Sport WRC Press Release

Citroen Sport Junior WRC Press Release

BP Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team runs for Sport Relief

Posted: February 27, 2010 5:03 PM

BP Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team will take to the streets of León in Mexico next week to raise money for UK-based charity, Sport Relief. FIA World Rally Championship leaders Mikko Hirvonen and Jarmo Lehtinen will swap their Focus RS WRC for running shoes as they tackle the Coca-Cola Street Stage in León on foot with the support of team mates Jari-Matti Latvala and Miikka Anttila.

In a bid to complete the famous Sport Relief Mile they will take to the 1.5km Street Stage on Thursday 4 March with BP Ford Abu Dhabi team management, engineers, technicians and even the team chef. They will be joined by Stobart M-Sport Ford drivers Henning Solberg and Ilka Minor, Matthew Wilson and Scott Martin, Munchi's Ford drivers Federico Villagra and Jorge Perez Companc and new to the Ford line-up for 2010, Monster drivers Ken Block and Alex Gelsomino.

Ford drivers will be running in Sport Relief t-shirts for this event - designed by England football star David Beckham and his family.

"I'm really looking forward to getting out there with the whole team and doing something for charity. We raised money for Comic Relief last year and I hope we can raise even more for Sport Relief this year. Running isn't my strong point, but I'm up for the challenge. I'm a better boxer than a runner I think! I also need to beat Jarmo or I have to buy him dinner!" said 29-year-old Hirvonen.

What is Sport Relief?
In 2010, Sport Relief is raising money to help people living unimaginably tough lives both in the UK and across the world. Three major issues are being highlighted this year – Street and Working Children, Malaria and local projects in the UK. Money raised helps to provide safe places for children to live, get nutritious meals, an education and supports them as they cope with their difficult lives living on the streets.

How can you support us?
If you would like to support the team in their bid to raise money for this great cause, then you can do so at

www.mysportrelief.com/fordrallyteam

HEALTH RALLY IN MEXICO TAKES OFF

Posted: February 25, 2010 5:01 PM

Once more, the communities in which Rally Mexico, Rally Guanajuato Bicentenario, takes place are to benefit from the Rally de la Salud, the “Health Rally”, a social program born of the collaboration between rally organisers, the Department of Health of the State of Guanajuato, and the local health authorities.

The program aims to improve the overall health of the communities where the rally is held. It provides mobile medical units where people can receive dental care, cervical screening, medical checkups and eye tests, and promotes preventive health awareness. It is hoped that these services will result in a well-balanced social development among local people and, through the benefits that the event brings, a much closer identification with the rally itself.

The community of Ibarrilla was chosen as the site of the starting signal for the health convoy, on its way through the various communities where the Rally Guanajuato Bicentenario will take place. Once again, the Rally de la Salud will provide more than 12,000 people with numerous health benefits, with more than 1500 medical checkups, 700 dental consults, and cervical screenings for women.

Present at the launch of the program were Dr. Jorge Armando Aguirre Torres, Secretary of Health of the State of Guanajuato; Gilles Spitalier, Operations Director of Rally Guanajuato Bicentenario and Mrs. Ingracia Terán Flores, from the Neighborhood Committee of Ibarrilla.

“The Rally de la Salud was designed to bring medical attention to those who have limited access to medical care, and to thank the inhabitants of the area for their support of the event. As in previous years, Rally Guanajuato Bicentenario will visit their communities and we want to ensure the event is a resounding success.”, commented Gilles Spitalier.

Dr. Aguirre added, “We are ready and eager to welcome Rally Guanajuato Bicentenario and the party atmosphere that comes along with it. You are all part of this event and we want to take care of you the way you take care of us. Promoting a culture of health is a challenge, but we must embrace this important opportunity, starting with oral hygiene, precautions that need to be taken during the winter season, and other activitiess. We are enormously grateful to the organisers of Rally Guanajuato Bicentenario for their help in an issue that concerns us all”.

The Rally de la Salud started on 02 February in Ibarrilla, and will move on to the communities of Alfaro, San Antonio del Gigante, Sauz Seco, La Laborcita, Las Coloradas, Vaquerías, Derramadero and Nuevo Valle de Moreno.

Entry List

Posted: February 22, 2010 10:58 PM

• Rally of Mexico

Event Website / Details / Google Maps etc

Posted: January 1, 2010 12:01 AM

• Rally of Mexico