Chile - 9-12 May 19

Hyundai Motorsport Preview: Round 6 – Rally Chile

Posted: May 9, 2019 1:14 PM

Hyundai Motorsport is aiming to continue its recent run of competitive results as the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) heads to new territory for Rally Chile, the sixth round of the 2019 season.

The 17-stage gravel event represents a welcome addition to the WRC calendar, offering teams and crews a challenge unlike any other during the year. It will be a step into the unknown for Hyundai Motorsport’s three crews: Thierry Neuville/Nicolas Gilsoul, Andreas Mikkelsen/Anders Jæger-Amland and Sébastien Loeb/Daniel Elena.

The team continues its South American journey with little opportunity for respite following its impressive 1-2 result in Argentina last week. Hyundai Motorsport has now taken two consecutive WRC wins to move 37 points clear in the manufacturers’ championship. The result in Argentina took the team’s cumulative WRC tally to 12 wins and 48 individual podiums since 2014.

As a result of his back-to-back wins, Neuville has extended his lead in the drivers’ classification to ten points over Sébastien Ogier, meaning he will be opening the road order on Friday. A 6.45km shakedown will take place on Thursday, giving all crews a first taste of what’s to come on the Chilean stages.

Team Director Andrea Adamo said: “We have enjoyed our recent run of victories, but now is the time to focus once more. Chile promises to be a fascinating event and we are pleased to be part of its historic debut on the WRC calendar. We have three crews who are all ready to compete at the highest level, and who are all hungry for success in this event. For Thierry and Nicolas, it will not be easy as first on the road, but this is the territory that comes with leading the championship. Andreas and Anders are keen to build on their performance in Argentina, while Sébastien and Daniel will put all of their experience to good use as they return to the i20 Coupe WRC. As a new event, I think it is wise to expect the unexpected.”

Crew Notes: Neuville/Gilsoul (#11 Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC)
Leads the drivers’ championship by ten points following two wins in a row
Will be first to discover the new stages as road-opening crew

Neuville said: “For everyone, Rally Chile will be a step into the unknown. It’s hard to set too many expectations when it promises to be a rally of surprise. We are only going to discover the stages for the first time during the recce but it will be a nice challenge, and it’s good to have a new event on the calendar. We are still in a positive frame of mind following our two recent victories, and an important period of progress for the team. Leading the championship means we will be first on the road; a lot of work awaits us but I am looking forward to it.”

Crew Notes: Mikkelsen/Jæger-Amland (#89 Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC)
First podium of 2019 scored in Argentina
Norwegian crew’s best result to date for Hyundai Motorsport

Mikkelsen said: “I was so pleased with our performance and our result in Argentina, I am ready for more of the same in Chile! It will be a fresh challenge for everyone but from what I have seen in videos it looks like we are in for some beautiful stages. We know what we can achieve with the Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC, as we showed at the last rally, so our target is to repeat that level of performance and build some momentum.”

Crew Notes: Loeb/Elena (#19 Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC)
Team will benefit from the crew’s experience in debut Chile event
Returning to WRC action for the first time since Tour de Corse

Loeb said: “The fact that it’s a gravel event is one of the only things I really know about Rally Chile. Like the rest of the WRC community, I am looking forward to finding out more. Chile is not a country I have been too often, in fact only once to watch the Dakar. From what I have seen, the roads appear to be quite flowing, in the forest and on smooth gravel. There’s no question that it will be an interesting experience and a nice event to have on the calendar, but we’ll have to wait until we are out there to learn all about it.”

About the rally
Action gets underway on Friday with 142km of special stages covered across the El Pinar (17.11km), El Puma (30.72km) and Espigado (22.26km) stages, as well as the short 2.20km Concepcion-Bicentenario test
Saturday’s schedule runs to 121km of stages across a total distance of less than 400km, following a similar repeat loop of three stages: Rio Lia (20.90km), Maria Las Cruces (23.09km) and Pelun (16.59km)
Sunday’s four stages include open roads through Bio Bio (14.41km), Lircay (18.06km) and San Nicolas (15.28km), with a second run through Bio Bio acting as the Power Stage.

THE C3 WRC TASTES CHILE FOR FIRST TIME

Posted: May 9, 2019 1:11 PM

Round six of the season, the third on gravel after Mexico and Argentina, introduces the C3 WRC to Chile, which hosts a world rally championship event for the very first time. With Sébastien Ogier – Julien Ingrassia and Esapekka Lappi – Janne Ferm, Citroën Total World Rally Team is well equipped to tackle this brand new challenge successfully.

Always very comfortable when tackling stages for the first time, after just two runs in recce, Sébastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia will be aiming to rack up their fifth podium of the season at this new round, adding to the overall wins at Monte-Carlo and in Mexico and top-three finishes in Corsica (2nd) and Argentina (3rd). Although they are still fine-tuning certain points with the team as they adapt to the C3 WRC, the win in Mexico and the podium in Argentina, along with ten stage wins set at these two events, confirm that they are already comfortable in the car on gravel. Currently occupying the runners-up spot in the championship standings, they will be starting second on the road on day one. This position should provide them with the beginnings of a line to follow if conditions are dry, and may offer a significant advantage if it rains.

Meanwhile, Esapekka Lappi and Janne Ferm still need to rack up more miles in the C3 WRC on this surface, which is why their approach will be about building their pace during the event, whilst also gradually showing the full extent of their undeniable potential. For once, the Finnish pair, who are one of the least experienced crews in the championship, will not be at a disadvantage compared with their rivals as regards knowledge of the roads. Starting eighth on Friday’s leg – provided the weather stays dry – also means that the roads will be swept clear of loose gravel and dust by those higher up the running order, thus enabling them to get their bearings more quickly.

As testing is forbidden outside of Europe, the quick transition from Argentina to Chile ruled out the option of holding any more tests. However, Citroën Total World Rally Team also prepared for Chile during the four-day test session it held in Portugal ahead of both South American rounds. The road surfaces are nonetheless somewhat different between Argentina and Chile, so Citroën’s engineers used all of the information available to them to adapt the basic set-up of the C3 WRC. They will also be looking to use the shakedown, due to be held on representative roads, to confirm the direction taken.

REACTIONS FROM…

Pierre Budar, Citroën Racing Team Principal
“There’s always something exciting about competing at a rally for the first time. This one looks like it is going to be held on some great roads, which should make for a highly unpredictable race, with the crews all on an equal footing as regards experience. Recce will be critical, as will our ability to adjust our basic set-up. And then there’s the weather, which could well play a key role. But we are determined to provide the crews with the best C3 WRC possible so that we can grab our sixth consecutive podium of the year in Chile.”

Sébastien Ogier, Citroën Total WRT driver
“From what I can tell by watching the videos available, the roads do seem really quite different to those we had in Argentina. The stages seem to be fairly flowing and fast, somewhat reminiscent of the ones you get at Wales Rally GB with all these sections through the undergrowth. I hope we’ll have slightly better performance here. There is still a significant layer of fine gravel on the road surface, which may make life complicated for the early runners. We’ll have to see whether the rain that has fallen recently limits the extent to which the roads clean or not.”

Esapekka Lappi, Citroën Total WRT driver
“After a tough start to the season, I'm determined to get back on track in Chile and come away with a decent result, and regain confidence behind the wheel step by step. I hope that the weather will be kind to us on Friday. If it stays dry, the roads are likely to clean. That would enable us to make the most of being down the running order and get off to the ideal start. The stages look really nice and interesting. The road surfaces look good, or at least they did when they were filmed for the videos provided by the rally organisers.”

M-Sport - A NEW CHALLENGE IN CHILE

Posted: May 9, 2019 1:10 PM

M-Sport Ford World Rally Team’s Elfyn Evans and Teemu Suninen will face a brand-new test at next week’s Rally Chile. Making its debut as part of the FIA World Rally Championship, the Chilean fixture provides an unknown challenge for crews and team alike.

With no return to the workshop in Cumbria, the EcoBoost-powered Ford Fiesta WRCs had to be cleaned, stripped, repaired and re-prepped on site in Argentina. New suspension parts and transmissions were fitted, new panels and fresh stickers applied, and in the case of Evans’ damaged Fiesta the bodyshell was completely repaired.

The re-prepped cars left for Chile on Wednesday evening – trucked across the Andes in convoy – leaving the team with two days to relax. And they did so by organising a group mountain biking tour on one of the championship’s most iconic stages – El Condor!

Team Principal, Richard Millener, said:
“It’s a little unusual for us to have two days off between rallies, but this South American adventure has given us the opportunity to do that, and we spent it doing something we all enjoy – a spectacular mountain biking tour of the El Condor stage.

“A lot of the team never get to see the stages so it was brilliant to be able to see this iconic location and the fantastic scenery that Argentina has to offer – whilst doing a bit of team building at the same time! Despite a couple of ‘offs,’ there were no major mountain biking injuries so we’re all good for Chile!

“I think everyone is now looking forward to seeing what Chile has to offer. The crews will have to make completely new pacenotes – something Elfyn and Scott proved they were pretty good at in Corsica – and it will offer a level playing field – which could work in Teemu and Marko’s favour.

“As for the team, the re-prep went well and both cars are now safely on their way to Chile – the mechanics doing a fantastic job to repair Elfyn’s damage considering we didn’t have a workshop available! The engineers will start their recce on Sunday – to get a feel for the stages and what set-ups we should be running – and then Shakedown will give us our first real indication of what to expect.

“It seems as though the Shakedown stage is fairly representative of the rally so we’ll need to make really good use of that and learn as much as we can before the event gets underway on Friday. We can’t wait to get stuck into this new challenge and bring the FIA World Rally Championship to some new fans in a new country.”

RALLY CHILE
A NEW CHALLENGE
As the 32nd country to host a round of the FIA World Rally Championship, Chile offers a brand new challenge for teams and crews alike. Chilean stages have formed part of the championship before – as part of the Codasur Rally in 1980 – but this is the first time the country has hosted an event in its own right.

For the first time since the inclusion of Rally Bulgaria in 2010, the crews will be tasked with making brand-new pacenotes from a completely clean sheet of paper. The stages have been likened to those in Wales, Portugal, Finland and even New Zealand, but the crews won’t know for sure until they experience them for themselves during the pre-event reconnaissance.

ELFYN EVANS
SCOTT MARTIN
Elfyn Evans could well feel at home in Chile – the stages likened to those in his native Wales. The Welshman is also notoriously strong when it comes to making new pacenotes. In Corsica, where more than half the route was new, he and co-driver Scott Martin were one of the fastest crews – and that’s something they’ll be looking to use to their advantage next week.

Elfyn Evans said:
“This is going to be a brand new experience for everyone. It’s rare to have to write completely new pacenotes like what we’ll have to do next week, but I’m looking forward to the challenge.

“Logistically, it’s also a massive challenge for the team – especially when someone damages the car on the previous event! A big thanks to the mechanics who have been working to repair the car – and hopefully we can repay them with a strong result next week.

“Looking at the video, the stages don’t look too dissimilar to Wales – medium width, flowing and technical. They look really nice to be fair, but we’ll be better placed to judge after the recce.

“Before then, we’re spending some time in Santiago with Pedro [Heller]. We’ve been up to the Andes and we’ve also been out on the bike. It’s a really beautiful landscape and I look forward to learning more about the country – hopefully Pedro can give us a few tips about the rally as well!”

TEEMU SUNINEN
MARKO SALMINEN
Teemu Suninen could well benefit from a level playing field at next week’s Rally Chile. Partnered by compatriot co-driver Marko Salminen, the young Finn has the natural speed and potential to spring a surprise or two.

Teemu Suninen said:
”Looking at the recce videos from the organisers, Rally Chile appears to be a very smooth event. We’ll have to wait for our own recce before we have a chance to see the stages in more detail, but to me it looks really interesting. I think I will like this event, but we will have to wait and see how things go.

“I think we can assume that the top three drivers will be fighting at the front, but after that the results can be very mixed. As we saw on Corsica, anything can change the game and make it more equal. So I am really looking forward to next week where I want to continue to show my performance.”

GREENSMITH PREPARED FOR CHILE

Posted: May 9, 2019 12:53 PM

M-Sport Ford World Rally Team’s Gus Greensmith and Elliott Edmondson are prepared to tackle a new challenge at next week’s Rally Chile. Taking to the wheel of their EcoBoost-powered Ford Fiesta R5, the British pairing will be looking to tame the unfamiliar terrain and push for victory in the FIA World Rally Championship’s premier support series – WRC 2 Pro.

Gus Greensmith said:
“I’ve heard a lot of different things about this new rally and only the Heller brothers have been able to give me a clear insight on what to expect. But it will still be a huge unknown for everyone.

“The organisers provided some onboard videos that I have spent a lot of time studying, but it’s hard to get an exact feel for how the stages will be – especially in terms of how wide or narrow they will be.

“They look quite fast and flowing which I believe will suit the Fiesta, but we won’t get a clear indication until we recce them for the very first time – and for sure it won’t be exactly how we thought.

“I just have to do my part as well as I can to try and bring home the first victory in Chile!”

CHILE’S NEW ROUND OF THE WRC ATTRACTS IMPRESSIVE 63-CAR ENTRY

Posted: May 9, 2019 12:52 PM

Sixty-three cars and competitors from 18 nations grace the entry list for Copec Rally Chile, the exciting new seventh round of the FIA World Rally Championship, which takes centre stage over 16 gravel special stages this week (May 9-12).

Eleven P1 drivers top the entry in World Rally Cars with the championship-leading Hyundai Shell Mobis World Rally Team sending three i20 WRCs for Drivers’ Championship pace-setter Thierry Neuville, Andreas Mikkelsen and nine-time World Champion Sébastien Loeb.

Ott Tänäk, Jari-Matti Latvala and Kris Meeke represent the Toyota Gazoo Racing World Rally Team and Welshman Elfyn Evans and Teemu Suninen feature in the M-Sport Ford World Rally Team line-up with a pair of Fiesta WRCs. Six-time World Champion Sébastien Ogier and Finnish team-mate Esapekka Lappi represent the Citroën Total World Rally Team.

Privateer Lorenzo Bertelli rounds off the World Rally Car field in an M-Sport Ford Fiesta.

Four drivers grace the WRC 2 Pro list, a new sub-section of the popular feeder series for professional drivers in WRC 2 cars. Poland’s Lukasz Pieniazek currently leads the series by four points, but has not made the trip to Chile.

His absence has opened the door for nearest rival Gus Greensmith to take control in his Ford Fiesta R5, but the Englishman faces competition from Finland’s Kalle Rovanperä, the experienced Norwegian Mads Østberg and talented young Bolivian driver Marco Bulacia.

Copec Rally Chile has attracted an impressive 19 entries in WRC 2 for non-professional drivers in a category that is led by Mexican Benito Guerra after the recent Rally of Argentina. Guerra faces a testing challenge from Japan’s Takamoto Katsuta and Poland’s Kajetan Kajetanowicz in a category that is dominated by South American drivers.

These include the Chilean Heller brothers, Alberto and Pedro, in a pair of Ford Fiesta R5s, Brazilian Paulo Nobre, a host of other Chilean and Argentinean crews and the Peruvian driver Eduardo Castro.

The remainder of the entry is made up of drivers from Chile, Argentina, Peru, Spain and Uruguay tackling the event is a variety of cars entered in the RC3 and RC4 categories. Meanwhile, Chilean WRC 2 driver Felipe Rossi suffered a setback to his pre-rally preparations after a testing accident with his Ford Fiesta R5 on Monday morning.

Entry List

Posted: April 24, 2019 4:11 AM

Chile - 9-12 May 19 - ENTRY LIST

Hyundai Motorsport announces line-up for South American double-header

Posted: March 27, 2019 12:34 PM

Hyundai Motorsport will approach the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) double-header in South America with a combination of crews as it seeks a competitive advantage on two contrasting gravel events, Rally Argentina and Rally Chile.

Belgians Thierry Neuville and Nicolas Gilsoul, winners in Argentina back in 2017, will be joined by Norwegian crew Andreas Mikkelsen and Anders Jæger-Amland in both events, offering consistency from one of WRC’s established rallies to its most recent addition.

Spaniards Dani Sordo and Carlos del Barrio will line up in the Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC in Argentina, before handing over to Sébastien Loeb and Daniel Elena for Chile.

Rally Argentina, which has been won twice by Hyundai Motorsport crews in the past three seasons, offers the opportunity to recapture performances shown in Mexico earlier this month. Rally Chile, meanwhile, will be a brand new event, and therefore a level playing field, for all participants.

Team Director Andrea Adamo said:
“We are looking forward with great anticipation to our South American double-header in Argentina and Chile. When looking at our line-up for these events we wanted to deliver a mix of consistency and also offer the opportunity to all our crews. Thierry and Andreas will participate in both events, and will be ready to compete at the highest level. For Dani, Argentina is an important rally, and we hope he will be able to show the same high rhythm and performance that he demonstrated in Mexico. Sébastien’s experience is like no other in WRC so to be able to make use of that in our first visit to Chile will be very important for us as a team.”

Rally Argentina takes place from April 25-28, with WRC’s inaugural Rally Chile following shortly after from May 9-12.

Rally Guide / Details / Event Website

Posted: February 19, 2019 1:43 PM

Rally Chile (WRC)