Japan (P/T) - 8-12 Sep 10

PIRELLI SET FOR FAR EASTERN ADVENTURE

Posted: September 6, 2010 12:45 PM

When Japan last hosted a round of the World Rally Championship in November 2008, Sebastien Loeb clinched his record fifth world crown. Two years later and the WRC circus returns to Sapporo, on the northerly island of Hokkaido, for round 10 of the season where it's conceivable that Loeb could secure his seventh consecutive title, providing he wins and his closest rivals finish outside of the top seven.

However, with Citroen pilot Loeb already planning to drive with the title in mind rather than gun for his sixth win of the campaign when the rally gets underway with two passes through the Sapporo Dome's superspecial stage on Thursday evening (September 9), Ford's Mikko Hirvonen will be a firm favourite to bag his ninth victory at world championship level using Pirelli tyres, which are supplied as standard to the WRC under a three-year agreement with motorsport's world governing body, the FIA.

"I want to finish the season as well as I can so for sure I will try everything to win Rally Japan," said the 30-year-old from Finland.
"The world championship title is not possible anymore but with four rallies to go there are two events where I really think I can challenge for the victory, starting with Japan. While it is over for me for the drivers' title, Ford can still win the manufacturers' title and to do that getting wins is vitally important."

Hirvonen has triumphed on the WRC's last two visits to Japan, taking victory in 2007 and 2008.
"It's a rally I really like," said Hirvonen. "It's similar to Finland, Great Britain and Australia in that you have fast and flowing stages through forests. But it's so unique in other ways because of the culture and the incredible history. Rallying might not be known in the whole country but the fans that come to the event are so fanatical and enthusiastic. For drivers it makes it very enjoyable and gives you a good feeling."

Rally Japan first joined the world championship in 2004 when Petter Solberg swept to victory in a Subaru Impreza WRC using Pirelli tyres. Marcus Gronholm, driving a Peugeot 307 WRC, made it two wins out of two for Pirelli the following season before Hirvonen added a third victory in 2008.

Pirelli will supply its soft compound Scorpion gravel tyre to the 55 crews taking part in four-wheel drive machinery in Japan. The compound type is designed to provide increased grip in cooler temperatures and in damp conditions, which have been a factor on the event in the past.

Priority 1 and 2 drivers will receive an allowance of 30 Scorpion tyres plus six for the pre-event shakedown, while other crews in four-wheel drive cars get 20 Scorpion tyres for the rally and five for shakedown. The tyres were transported by boat from Italy to Japan during the summer.

"Rally Japan is not one of the most demanding on tyres because the surface is not abrasive like on some other gravel rallies," said Pirelli's senior WRC tyre engineer Matteo Braga.
"Cold temperatures and rain are always a possibility in Japan and with rain you can get some mud and it's possible some ruts can form. There can also be a problem of rocks being pulled onto the road for the second pass, which creates a risk of tyre damage because wheel rims can get broken, but it is not a big risk."

While the stages on Friday and Saturday will be familiar to the bulk of the competitors, Sunday's gravel stages are all new. To add to the challenge, there is no midday service on day three of the rally, meaning competitors will have to adopt a degree of caution through the six forest stages before they return to Sapporo for the final two runs through the Sapporo Dome superspecial.

Rally Japan is round seven of the of the Production Car World Rally Championship, for two-litre turbocharged Group N cars, and round eight of the Super 2000 World Rally Championship, which uses normally aspirated two-litre cars. Pirelli will supply its soft compound Scorpion tyres to both support championships, thereby underlining the performance and efficiency of the Italian rubber on a wide range of machinery.

Although Rally Japan is not part of the Pirelli Star Driver programme's six-event schedule, Hayden Paddon, one of the training scheme's five young talents, will be competing in Japan as part of his individual PWRC effort. Rather than using his familiar Pirelli-liveried Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X, Paddon will switch to his privately-run Lancer Evolution IX for his first appearance on the event.

Rally Japan is one of the shortest events on the WRC schedule with a competitive distance of 303.54 kilometres over 26 special stages. Action gets underway at 1840hrs local time on Thursday September 9 with the ceremonial finish taking place at the Tsukisamu Dome in Sapporo at 1500hrs on Sunday September 12.

Pirelli's Rally Japan in numbers
3: Pirelli victories on Rally Japan
36: number of Scorpion soft compound tyres available for use by P1 and P2 drivers
25: number of Scorpion soft compound tyres available for use by all other 4WD crews
6: World titles won by Sebastien Loeb
2: Production Car world titles won by Japan's Toshi Arai
6852: number of islands making up the archipelago of Japan
127 million: Japan's population
540,000: number of fans who attended Rally Japan in 2008
43,000: capacity of the Sapporo Dome, venue of the rally's superspecial stage

Red Bull Rally Japan preview

Posted: September 6, 2010 9:30 AM

The place: Japan. The year: 2005. The Japanese Grand Prix in Suzuka, nearly 1000 kilometres south of Rally Japan's base in Sapporo, was once the scene of one of Kimi Raikkonen's most breath-taking Formula One victories.

After a wet qualifying session, Kimi started the race from 17th on the grid. He then worked his spectacular way through the field to overtake the leader on the final lap. It was just like Days of Thunder.

Kimi is going to need another Hollywood-style performance this weekend in Japan now that he has switched to rallying, but he is realistic enough to know that there will be no fairytale victory this time. In fact, just getting to the end of the notoriously tough and specialised stages of Rally Japan will be a triumph in itself.

The challenge is enormous: there will be mud and slippery braking areas, over roads so fast and narrow that no mistake goes unpunished. For an absolute beginner - and this will only be Kimi's ninth WRC event in the Red Bull Citroen C4 WRC - Japan is one of the hardest rallies to master. The weather rarely helps: after all, the island of Hokkaido is a skiing area that is on the same latitude as Siberia. Sunglasses probably won't be necessary this weekend.

"It's certainly going to be very different to the Japanese Grand Prix, which is my only other experience of Japan!" said Kimi. "We've got to be really careful here: it sounds so easy to make a mistake, and also the grip level is meant to be quite inconsistent - which is not an easy thing to get used to, particularly when you come from a circuit racing background. When we won the Japanese Grand Prix in 2005 it was certainly tough, but there's no doubt that this is going to be even tougher. Apart from that I don't really know what to expect, so our priority is to get to the end. When you have rallies that are as specialised as this one, it becomes even more important to have experience of the roads."

Precision is the name of the game in Japan, and one person who can certainly help Kimi with this is the man sat alongside him: co-driver Kaj Lindstrom. Kaj has competed on Rally Japan just once before, but he is aiming to make sure that none of his slickly delivered pace notes get lost in translation on the stages around Sapporo.

"I think this is going to be one of the most difficult rallies that we face all year," said Kaj. "It's also a great opportunity for us though to build on the work that we've done with the pace notes, which have to be absolutely exact in Japan. Getting the notes right is always one of the hardest things for any racing driver to get used to and Kimi has been doing really well. On the last rally we set our first fastest stage time together, so it's a good sign that things are moving in the right direction."

The action for Kimi on Rally Japan already gets underway tomorrow night (Tuesday) when he will race an electric go-kart capable of 130kph at a Red Bull event in the Sapporo Dome, which hosted the football World Cup back in 2002. Now the famous Dome is home to Sapporo's football team, as well as the unusually named Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters baseball squad...

The Citroën Junior Team aims to conquer Sapporo

Posted: September 4, 2010 10:22 PM

The Citroën Junior Team will take the start of the Rally Japan – round 10 of the 2010 FIA World Rally Championship – with two C4 WRCs that will be driven by Dani Sordo / Diego Vallejo and Kimi Räikkönen / Kaj Lindström. The Rally Japan gets underway on Thursday 9 September with a superspecial in Sapporo. On Friday 10 September and Saturday 11 September the route will take the crews towards the towns of Tomakomai, Chitose and Eniwa in the south of the island of Hokkaido. The final day, Sunday 12 September, visits the area around Sunagawa, Bibai and Naie, to the northeast of the service park close to Sapporo.

Dani Sordo has taken part in the Rally Japan on three previous occasions, with a best result of second overall in 2007. The Spaniard just missed out on victory by 37.4 seconds on that occasion, having been the best performer of the rally after setting the same number of fastest stage times as Sebastien Loeb.

“I’ve got some great memories of Japan,” said Dani. “It’s a long way away but a very beautiful country. The route is really complex though. As a driver you have to be very precise in order to place the car accurately on very narrow roads and the co-driver has a lot of pace notes to get through, which need to be read out with perfect timing. If all those things don’t come together you end up either losing a stack of time or going off the road. From start to finish, you need to be really exact.”

Dani Sordo is joining the Citroën Junior Team for the last few gravel rounds of the 2010 season, and he is determined to get stuck into the battle with the frontrunners. “I’m going to be giving my all to show that I can drive just as quickly on gravel as I can on asphalt,” added the Spaniard.

Kimi Räikkönen has been used to making the trip to Japan throughout his Formula One career, winning the Japanese Grand Prix in 2005, but the gravel stages on the island of Hokkaido are going to be all new to him.

Kimi finished in the points on his last outing, the all-asphalt Rallye Deutschland, and also set the first fastest stage time of his short WRC career to date. He said:
“We’ve not been testing since we finished the Rallye Deutschland. When we get to Japan, I’m going to have to get straight back into the rhythm again. I’m expecting it to be a very tricky event for us. From what I’ve heard, the Rally Japan is particularly complex. And it’s sure to be even more complicated for a beginner like me.”

The Finn has been in the points on four occasions from the eight starts he has taken this year, but his objectives remain unchanged.
“My targets are exactly the same,” he confirmed. “From the first few stages in Japan we will be able to see the pace we can run at. But once more the main thing will be to be there at the end of the rally.”

After nine of the 13 events that make up this year’s World Rally Championship, Dani Sordo is fifth in the drivers’ standings while Kimi Räikkönen is 10th. In the manufacturers’ rankings, the Citroën Junior Team lies third with 168 points.

Three questions to... Benoit Nogier
Rally Japan is a particularly demanding event on the World Championship calendar. What are the specifics of the route?
“In the end, all the rounds of the World Rally Championship are complicated. Each rally has its own traits that give every event its unique character. In Japan, the weather is frequently variable. You often drive on quite muddy gravel that quickly forms ruts for the second run. The roads are narrow and extremely technical. Having good pace notes is vital. Once again, the role of the co- driver is fundamental.”

Dani Sordo will be contesting his second rally with the Citroën Junior Team. What are you expecting from him?
“We’re very pleased to welcome Dani back to the Citroën Junior Team. In Finland, we were particularly pleased by his performance. It was his first rally with a new team for him, but he settled in rapidly. In Japan, Dani has shown himself to be quite competitive in the past. We’re hoping that he will be able to do his best again. His objective is to be amongst the top five of the factory drivers.”

For Kimi Räikkönen, will the target be any different to the previous rallies?
“Kimi is making progress from rally to rally and he is getting closer to the performance of other drivers who have a lot more experience than him. His most recent performances underline the improvements he has made and he is becoming increasingly more consistent. In Japan we will be competing against other crews who don’t have a huge amount of past experience on this route, which is relatively new. If Kimi could repeat the same sort of performance that he has put in on the other rallies that are new to everyone this year, like Turkey or Bulgaria, this would be a great outcome.”

First 2010 title clincher for Loeb and Elena

Posted: September 4, 2010 10:19 PM

Rally Japan, the tenth of the thirteen rounds of the 2010 FIA World Rally Championship could prove decisive for the attribution of the World Drivers’ title. Sébastien Loeb and Daniel Elena are having their best season since 2006, and they could win the crown in Asia. As in Finland, the Citroën Total World Rally Team will give its second C4 WRC to Sébastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia, who will be having their first taste of the stages on the island of Hokkaido.

After missing a year, Rally Japan is back on the WRC calendar. This event has a very special ambience because of the change of scenery for the European teams, and the enthusiasm of the Japanese fans for the world rally stars. Like previous years, the rally will be based in Sapporo on Hokkaido island. The route has been given a revamp for this event with several new stages.

Rallye Japan has good memories for the Citroën Total World Rally Team. In addition to a victory in 2006, Sébastien Loeb and Daniel Elena clinched the 2005 and 2008 world titles in the event. Àt this stage of the 2010 season, five drivers, including four at the wheel of a Citroën, are mathematically in with a chance of winning the drivers’ title: Sébastien Loeb, leader with 191 points, Sébastien Ogier (133), Jari- Matti Latvala (117), Petter Solberg (102) and Dani Sordo (95). At the end of the event, Sébastien Loeb will win the title if he has a 75-point lead over his rivals. In short, if the six-time world champion racks up his 60th victory it will give him the title, provided Ogier does no better than sixth.

“Before that happens there’s still a lot of ground to cover,” says Loeb playing down his chances. “Like all the rounds of the World Rally Championship, Rally Japan has its particularities. To be quite honest, I can’t say it’s one of my favourite events. The stages aren’t all that exciting and the fact that they’re very narrow doesn’t really encourage you to let rip behind the steering wheel! However, I think we’ll be in pretty good shape with the C4 WRC. The car’s reached the end of its development and we know the kind of setup to use on this type of surface.”

Ogier and Ingrassia have been integrated into the Citroën Total World Rally Team as in Finland and Great Britain, and they will be making their debut in this event : “I’ve never set foot in Japan and I’m trying to engrave the stages on my mind by looking at the maximum amount of on-board footage. I have the impression that the vegetation hides the corners and the traps they contain,” explains Ogier. “It’s not going to be easy given our lack of experience, but we have the same aim as in all gravel rallies – a place on the podium. That would help Citroën score good points for the Manufacturers’ World Championship. Concerning the drivers’ one, I’m not under any illusions where the title’s concerned. My aim is to hold on to second place and fend off Jari-Matti, Petter and Dani. Finishing in the runner-up spot against all these drivers would have been a dream at the start of the season. Now, it’s up to us to make the dream come true!”

Three questions to Sébastien Loeb
Let’s come back to your eighth consecutive victory in Germany. Are you going to reveal the secrets of your invincibility at last?
“There’s no magic potion! Work’s the secret. The team’s never rested on its laurels. Even if we know this event very well, we prepared for it down to the last tee. For example, we did some reconnoitering near the military camp to test the tyres’ durability on the long Panzerplatte stage. So I knew what rhythm to adopt to get a good performance out of my tyres without putting too much stress on them. Of course it’s true that I feel pretty good on this type of surface. Right from the opening stage I can push really hard and get to grips with the race. But, quite honestly, there’s no real secret.”

Japan is a big change. How do you feel about this rally?
“Well, I can’t say that the stages are my favourite part of the rally. What I like is the atmosphere, this feeling of being in another world for a few days. The spectators are really faithful fans and I recognize them from one year to the next. Thanks to the World Rally Championship, we can experience other cultures, and it’s a good thing to go to Japan even if we don’t race in the most beautiful landscapes of the archipelago.”

You are often asked where you would like to win the title. Some even insist on the fact that you should win number seven in France. What’s your opinion on this?
“I don’t think you choose the place where you’re going to win the title. All I want is to win as soon as possible and I’ll do everything to achieve this. If I’m in the lead and Sébastien Ogier is only sixth, I’m certainly not going to slow down to put off the date. There’s no sense in that. We work like crazy to obtain the best possible results. In any case, winning the title in Japan doesn’t depend on me alone but also on the positions of the other contenders. Let sport roll the dice!

Ford in search of victory hat-trick in Land of the Rising Sun

Posted: September 4, 2010 9:48 PM

After winning the last two versions of Rally Japan in 2007 and 2008, BP Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team returns to the Pacific Ocean island of Hokkaido next week intent on sealing a third consecutive win there. Rally Japan (9 - 12 September) takes the squad back to its preferred gravel roads, the team having won two of the last three loose-surface rallies with its Ford Focus RS World Rally Car.

This 10th round of the FIA World Rally championship is the last of the 2010 season to journey outside Europe and returns to the series after a year's absence. Mikko Hirvonen and Jarmo Lehtinen climbed onto the top step of the podium in both 2007 and 2008 while team-mates Jari-Matti Latvala and Miikka Anttila are on form on gravel, having won in New Zealand and Finland recently.

The rally is again based in Sapporo, Japan's fifth-largest city, in the central Do-oh region of Hokkaido, the country's most northerly island. It is the biggest motorsport event in Japan, with more than 540,000 fans attending in 2008. The jewel in the rally's crown is the 43,000 capacity Sapporo Dome, a modern baseball and soccer stadium that hosted the 2002 World Cup. It will host a spectacular indoor super special stage on each day of the rally, over a course modified since 2008.

The bulk of the competition is based on undulating, medium to fast gravel forest tracks, many of which are particularly loose. The rally is held seven weeks earlier than in 2008, so the cold weather and leaf-covered surface is likely to be replaced by drier roads and temperatures of around 25ºC. However, a strong likelihood of rain could make the tracks slippery and muddy.

Hirvonen has started in Japan on five previous occasions and also has a third place to his credit in 2006. "I enjoyed the type of roads here in 2008. They were fast, flowing and quite sandy. The championship hasn't been there for two years so it will be interesting to see if any work has been carried out on the roads. If not, they could be quite soft and slippery if it rains. Although the rally is earlier in the year this season, I don't think it will make a big difference to the road surface," he said.

"After crashing out in Finland so early, I'm short of recent gravel competition because the previous loose-surface rally was at the end of May. The shakedown in Japan is at Sapporo Dome so there is no opportunity to benefit from a final test on a proper gravel stage. It may take a while to get back into the rhythm again on the first stage, but it shouldn't be a problem. I should have the speed to fight for a win but my main target is to end the year with a series of strong finishes," said the 30-year-old Finn.

This will be 25-year-old Latvala's fourth start in Japan, his best result in 2008 when he was runner-up to Hirvonen as Ford claimed a formation finish. "The stages are fast and although there are trees close to the road, visibility through the corners is good and the speeds remain high. I prefer fast, flowing rallies like New Zealand and Finland. Japan is another rally of that nature although the roads are narrower here.

"My confidence is highest on that type of road and I want to fight for a podium. I had good speed when I won in Finland in July and the Focus RS WRC is competitive in those conditions so I'm confident a top three finish is possible.

"We have to use Pirelli's soft compound tyres and the warmer weather will make it more difficult for them. But the road surface is quite soft and sandy and the distances we must drive on the same set of tyres are not particularly long, so I have no worries about excessive wear," added Latvala.

Abu Dhabi's Khalid Al Qassimi and Michael Orr will drive a third Focus RS WRC for the team.
"This will be the first time I have competed in Japan, but I am looking forward to the return to a gravel surface and, with my eighth place finish in Germany, I am feeling confident to push for a top 10 finish to claim more championship points," said Al Qassimi.

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

* Three other Focus RS WRCs are entered. Matthew Wilson / Scott Martin will be rejoined in the Stobart M-Sport Ford team by Henning Solberg / Ilka Minor, while Argentines Federico Villagra / Jorge Perez Companc will drive for the Munchi's Ford team. The rally is the eighth round of the

S-WRC and three Ford Fiesta S2000 cars will start.

* Latvala will drive Ken Block's Monster World Rally Team Focus RS WRC at the 10th anniversary Rallyday at Castle Combe race circuit in Britain on Saturday 18 September. Latvala will join other rally celebrities including Stig Blomqvist, Phil Mills, Nicky Grist, Gwyndaf Evans and Guy Wilks at the non-competitive event.

Rally Route
Organisers have made significant changes, including a totally new final leg. While Sapporo Dome remains the location for the super special stage, the rally base and single service park have been moved to the nearby Tsukisamu Dome. The rally begins with two passes over the Sapporo Dome test on Thursday and these are repeated at the end of each leg, with the stage used eight times in total. The opening two legs journey south of Sapporo and close to Lake Shikotsuko for stages near the towns of Tomakomai, Chitose and Eniwa, which were all used in 2008. The final day heads north-east of the city for two loops of three new stages near the towns of Sunagawa, Bibai and Naie, taking the route further north than in 2008. Drivers tackle 26 stages covering 303.54km in a route of 1220.43km.

Stobart crews confident in Rally Japan plan

Posted: September 4, 2010 9:46 PM

Stobart M-Sport Ford Rally Team drivers Matthew Wilson and Henning Solberg believe they can go on the attack at Rally Japan and aim for their best results so far in the FIA World Rally Championship 2010.

Wilson and co-driver Scott Martin are aiming to score a top five finish in Japan next week. The 23-year-old Cumbrian scored his best WRC result so far there when he finished fourth overall in 2007, and with the Championship returning to his preferred loose gravel surface the young driver is hoping to replicate his past success on Japanese soil and secure his second top five finish of the season in the Ford Focus RS WRC.

Team-mate Henning Solberg and co-driver Ilka Minor will be back behind the wheel of a Ford Focus RS WRC for the tenth round of the 2010 WRC season. The Norwegian driver has returned as the team’s second nominated points scorer after piloting a Ford Fiesta S2000 at the previous WRC round in Germany.

Solberg also has a strong track record in the land of the rising sun. The experienced 37-year-old has contested the Asian-based event twice, and on his first outing there in 2007 the Stobart regular claimed third overall after an impressive drive.

Like team-mate Wilson, Solberg will hope that a return to his favoured surface will give him a chance to push for a big result. Currently only one point off claiming eighth position from fellow Ford Focus RS WRC driver Federico Villagra in the Drivers’ Championship Standings, he will be looking for enough points to leap-frog the Argentinean while also staying ahead of Citroën rival and former F1 world champion Kimi Räikkönen who is four points behind him.

Event Summary
After a year’s absence, Rally Japan has returned to the FIA World Rally Championship calendar. This will be the sixth edition of the event which is based in Sapporo - Japan’s fifth-largest city and capital of the north island of Hokkaido.

From 2004 – 2007, the rally was based in the Tokachi region, close to the city of Obihiro but the rally moved to a new base in the city of Sapporo for 2008 with a selection of gravel stages in the surrounding countryside and forests. It also featured one of the most spectacular Super Specials of the year at the Sapporo Dome sports stadium - a futuristic looking building which has a seating capacity of over 40,000 and has previously hosted three games during the 2002 Soccer World Cup.

There will be a few tweaks to this year’s stages as they feature six new stages and the rally has also moved slightly further north compared to 2008. The Stobart crews will have to complete eight runs round the 1.57 km Super Special Stage at the Sapporo Dome throughout the event, including a ceremonial start and two laps of the Super Special on the Thursday evening.

The first full day of action will consist of a repeat loop of three tests totalling 116.46 km which are based to the south of Sapporo. All three stages have been used in previous years and are forestry based. The end of the first day will culminate with two Super Special Stages round the Sapporo Dome sports stadium.

Saturday will be the longest day of this year’s Rally Japan for the Stobart crews and includes a repeat loop of three stages based south-east of the service park. It also includes the longest stage of the rally, Kamuycep, which is a 33.76km forest-based test (SS12 and SS15). The day will finish with two Super Special Stages at the Sapporo Dome.

The final day will run without a midday service and a new addition to the four-day event is the spectator-friendly stage, Sunagawa, which provides great viewing opportunities thanks to a stage start on a tarmac kart course (SS21 and SS24). The remaining six stages on Sunday include two more laps round the Sapporo Dome and also a repeat loop of two new tests based north-east of the service park.

Stobart M-Sport Ford driver Matthew Wilson said: “I’m happy to return to gravel after the last all-tarmac round in Germany, it’s definitely my preferred surface and I always enjoy myself more when driving on gravel. Japan has been a good event for me in the past, I achieved my best ever result there in 2007 and I really enjoy the culture, it’s so different from home. Scott [Martin] can use about 80% of his pace notes from 2008’s rally as there’s only six new stages this year, so I think we’ll be quite well prepared. I’ve heard that the weather forecast is mainly dry for the rally and I hope it’ll stay that way, the forest based stages will get really slippery if it’s wet. I want to finish in the top five at this event and if I find a good rhythm in the rally’s opening stages I think we can do that.”

Stobart M-Sport Ford driver Henning Solberg said:
“I really like the stages in Japan but they are also very challenging for drivers and it’s easy to feel too confident and push too hard in the beginning. I’ve only been to Japan twice before – the last time was not so good for us because we had some technical problems but we will work hard at the recce so I can learn the stages as best as I can. For sure, I think I can do well at this event, I like driving the Ford Focus best on gravel and I think if I can maintain a consistent pace throughout then I will finish in a good position.”

Stobart M-Sport Ford team principal Malcolm Wilson said:
“Japan has been a strong round for the Stobart M-Sport Ford Rally Team in the past and I am confident that both Matthew and Henning can produce some of their best results of the season next week. Henning was unfortunate to retire from 2008’s event but he is an experienced driver who has proved he can adapt well to different road conditions, so I have little doubt that he will fare well in Japan this time round. We only have three WRC rounds remaining in the 2010 season after this, so I’d really like to see the Stobart team leave Japan on the back of a strong showing and for Henning to have moved up the overall Drivers’ Championship Standings.”

Ford Fiesta S2000 crews prepare for Asian Adventure

Posted: September 2, 2010 9:28 PM

The Super 2000 World Rally Championship (S-WRC) will reach a pivotal stage next week at Rally Japan as Martin Prokop aims to snatch first place from the current series leader, Xevi Pons.

With only three registered S-WRC crews travelling to take on the challenge in the land of the rising sun – all of them in Ford Fiesta S2000s – those present could make up significant ground in what is turning out to be a tight title fight if they maximise the points-scoring opportunity available.

Current series leader Xevi Pons is one of seven S-WRC crews electing to skip the eighth round of the season, and that will give fellow Ford Fiesta S2000 driver Martin Prokop the chance to snatch first place from his Spanish rival.

Prokop is currently 18 points behind Pons, but a victory in Japan could elevate the Czech driver into the top spot. If Prokop were to finish second next week, then it could result in the two Ford Fiesta S2000 crews jointly leading the S-WRC with only two rounds remaining.

Jari Ketomaa and Bernardo Sousa will also be in with a chance of moving up the championship standings should they secure strong finishes.

M-Sport’s new generation rally car has already achieved podium finishes in six of the seven rounds of the S-WRC so far, and the three Ford Fiesta S2000 crews fighting for class honours in Japan next week will want to extend that run.

Czech driver Martin Prokop has already racked up three podium finishes in the S-WRC and is currently only five points off snatching second position from rival P-G Andersson. At Prokop’s most recent outing at Rallye Deutschland, the Czech driver finished second and was just 4.7 seconds off his first victory in the S-WRC. This will be the first time that the reigning J-WRC champion has been to Japan but Prokop’s co-driver, Jan Tomanek, competed at 2005’s event alongside Roman Kresta. However, this will be of little advantage to the Czech duo as the event’s location has since moved and is now based in the city of Sapporo. Prokop will be aiming for his first S-WRC victory in Japan and to move into the top two in the S-WRC overall standings.

Jari Ketomaa was unfortunate at his last S-WRC outing at Rally Finland where the Finn was forced to retire on the final day after a series of technical issues. However, Ketomaa is the only S-WRC contender to have previously contested Rally Japan and will therefore hold a distinct advantage over both Sousa and Prokop who are less familiar with the Sapporo-based event. The Finn last competed at Rally Japan in 2008 and was leading the P-WRC throughout the rally until he was forced to retire on the final day. Despite an unfortunate ending last time, Ketomaa will be looking to build on his past experience in an attempt to move up the S-WRC leader board and back into the top three.

This will be the first time that Bernardo Sousa has contested Rally Japan but the young Portuguese driver will be aiming for his first podium finish in the S-WRC. The 22-year-old driver finished fourth at Vodafone Rally de Portugal but suffered from a series of problems at Rallye Deutschland last month after a loss of power steering during the event’s opening day. This incident wreaked havoc from an old shoulder injury Sousa had sustained from karting. However, the young driver managed to finish the Trier-based event seventh overall and is currently only four points behind Janne Tuohino and eight points behind Nasser Al-Attiyah. Sousa has spent the last fortnight in Portugal recovering from his shoulder injury and hopes that a strong performance next week will help move him up into the top eight of the S-WRC overall standings.

Martin Prokop said:
“Japan is a new rally for me so I don’t know what to expect. I’ve been watching some footage today and the stages look like they could be very fast but I have no experience of this event so it is very difficult to tell until we get over there and do the recce. I really need to score points at this event – the championship has started to get very tight and it’s now very important that I finish first or second in Japan. I know that Jari [Ketomaa] wants to score points as much as I do so it could be a close battle between the two of us over the weekend. Jan [Tomanek], my co-driver, has competed at Rally Japan before but this was years ago and the event has moved to a new location now. It’s really just a question of how much risk to take next week – I am desperate for a win at Japan but at the same time, I would not be disappointed with a second place finish.”

Jari Ketomaa said:
“This is the second time I’ve been to Japan and the first time went very well for me - I was leading on the final day but had to retire after going off the road. It was really disappointing so I’d like to do better this time. I’m hoping the weather will stay dry - if it rains, the stages could get very slippery and this would be hard when tackling the forest-based stages. The stages were quite soft last time we were there but they are all very different – it’s a challenging rally. It’s a shame there aren’t more S-WRC drivers coming to Japan but I think my main competition will be [Martin] Prokop – I know that he’s aiming to win next week and he’s been very fast in the last few events. I want to push from the first stage at this rally - I need to maintain a comfortable lead from the beginning.”

Bernardo Sousa said:
“I’m happy to be back on gravel for this event – it’s a surface I feel most confident and have the most experience driving on. The last S-WRC event in Germany didn’t go so well for me – I didn’t feel well and I struggled with my shoulder after losing power steering on the first day. Since I’ve been back from Trier, I’ve been resting to make sure I’m in good health for Japan - I’ve got an event in Lisbon this weekend but I’ll be flying straight out afterwards and I’m due to be in Sapporo on Monday. From what I’ve seen from the stages, they are quite smooth and the weather forecast looks like it’s going to stay dry. I hope it does stay dry – if it rains, it could be very difficult. Prokop and Ketomaa are going to be tough competition next week – they’re very fast and will be fighting for the podium but my aim is to keep up with both of them and to get my first podium finish.”

Munchi’s set for Japanese Jaunt

Posted: September 2, 2010 2:35 PM

Munchi’s Ford World Rally Team driver Federico Villagra will return to the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) next week where he will aim to extend his one point lead in the FIA Drivers’ Championship Standings over fellow Ford Focus RS WRC driver, Henning Solberg.

This will be the third time that Federico Villagra and co-driver, Jorge Pérez Companc, will have competed at the Asian-based event and the duo are keen to improve on their previous outing at the rally when they finished ninth overall in 2008.

The eight-time Argentinean Rally Champion has a strong track record at Rally Japan – Villagra finished seventh the first time he contested the rally in 2007 and also scored his first WRC points at the event. Villagra’s past knowledge of the stages in Japan should hold him in good stead when competing against former Formula One Champion, Kimi Räikkönen, who is currently five points behind Villagra in the Drivers’ Standings. However, Henning Solberg is only one point off claiming eighth position from the Argentinean and the experienced Norwegian driver will be tough competition to beat.

The Munchi’s Ford World Rally Team will look to replicate the consistency it has delivered in both the WRC and Argentine Rally Championship this year and aim to leave the tenth round of the WRC with a seventh consecutive points finish and to consolidate their eighth place in the Drivers’ Championship Standings.

Event Summary
Rally Japan returns to the WRC calendar after a year out in 2009 in accordance with the FIA's event rotation system. After making its WRC debut in 2004, the championship’s Asian event has quickly become a popular fixture in the calendar, and one which attracts a huge number of dedicated fans from throughout the host country.

The popular event is based on Hokkaido, the northernmost of Japan's islands but from 2004 to 2007 the rally used the twisty, narrow and soft gravel stages of the Tokachi region, close to the city of Obihiro.

However, for the most recent edition of Rally Japan in 2008, the event moved to a new base in the city of Sapporo, Hokkaido’s main city with a selection of gravel stages in the surrounding countryside and forests. It also featured one of the most spectacular Super Specials of the year; which ran inside and outside the spectacular Sapporo Dome sports stadium.

There will be a few tweaks to this year’s route as it features six new stages and the rally has also moved slightly further north compared to 2008. There will be eight runs round the 1.57 km Super Special Stage at the Sapporo Dome arena throughout the event, including a ceremonial start and two laps of the Super Special on the Thursday evening.

The first full day of action will consist of a repeat loop of three stages totalling 116.46 km which are based to the south of Sapporo. All three stages have been used in previous years and are forestry based. The end of the first day will culminate with two Super Special Stages round the Sapporo Dome sports stadium.

Saturday is the longest day of this year’s Rally Japan and includes a repeat loop of three stages based south-east of the service park. It also includes the longest stage of the rally, Kamuycep, which is a 33.76km forest-based test (SS12 and SS15). The day will again finish with two Super Special Stages back at the Sapporo Dome.

The final day will run without a midday service and a new addition to the four-day event is the spectator-friendly stage, Sunagawa, which provides great viewing opportunities thanks to a stage start on a tarmac kart course (SS21 and SS24). The remaining six stages on Sunday include two more laps round the Sapporo Dome and also a repeat loop of two new tests based north-east of the service park.

Argentine Rally Championship News
Villagra has not contested a round of the WRC since Vodafone Rally de Portugal which was back in May but over their winter, the Argentinean duo have been busy competing in three rounds of the Argentine Rally Championship. After winning Rally Vuelta de la Manzana and finishing second at last weekend’s Rally de Goya, Villagra is currently placed second in the championship - just four points off snatching first position from Gabriel Pozzo. There are four rounds remaining in this year’s Argentine Rally Championship and Villagra is hoping to close the gap on Pozzo to try and clinch his ninth victory at his home championship.

Munchi’s Ford WRT driver Federico Villagra said:
“I’m delighted to be back driving in the WRC after nearly three months away from the championship. I’ve been to Japan twice before and I really enjoy this event – the stages are similar to what they’re like in my home country of Argentina; quite soft with some very technical sections. I have fond memories of this event because this was the first rally I scored WRC points and both times that I’ve competed in Japan I’ve finished inside the top ten. I’ve also had two very successful rallies in the Argentine Rally Championship during August and managed two podium finishes so I’m feeling confident that I can do well when I return to the WRC next week.”

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Posted: August 25, 2010 9:37 AM

• Rally Japan

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Posted: January 1, 2010 12:01 AM

• Rally Japan