Monte Carlo Rally (P,S) - 17-22 Jan 12

PIERRE CAMPANA IMPRESSES MINI WRC TEAM WITH MONTE CARLO PERFORMANCE

Posted: February 21, 2012 12:46 PM

Pierre Campana has ended this week’s gruelling Rallye Monte Carlo this morning in a fine seventh place overall after impressing the MINI WRC team with his sensible approach and speed in just his third World Rally Championship event. Concluding the five days of action with the exhilarating power stage, Rallye Monte Carlo has lived up to its reputation for producing varied and unpredictable driving conditions with participants facing a mix of snow, ice, rain and dry during the week.

For a driver like Pierre, in his WRC infancy, simply bringing the car to the conclusion of the rally without incident is impressive enough but to score points for a manufacturer team in the process is something to be commended.

Pierre had hoped to end the event with a competitive performance in the power stage but power steering problems prevented him from capitalising on the momentum he had built up during the week. Among some of Pierre’s highlights this week were an impressive third place in SS12, sixth place in the legendary Col du Turini stages and fourth place in last night’s SS17.

The results were enough to impress Prodrive boss David Richards, who said:
“Pierre has certainly impressed me and the MINI WRC team with his sensible approach and speed in this difficult rally in what is just his third WRC event. As a young driver, it is not easy to come into a manufacturer team and be quick and consistent throughout the event, but that is exactly what Pierre has achieved. The fact he has scored valuable points for MINI in the first WRC event of the year is very much to his credit.”

Pierre Campana added:
“It has been a fantastic Monte Carlo rally and I take away a lot of valuable experience thanks to the MINI WRC team. The MINI John Cooper Works WRC car has been a joy to drive. After a cautious start to the event, I have built up a lot of momentum and confidence in the last few days, as shown by the performances in SS12 and yesterday’s stages. We had a power steering problem in this morning’s power stage but it made no difference to the overall result and I am proud to have scored points in my first WRC event with a manufacturer team. This has been just my third WRC event and, overall, I’m pleased with my performances. I cannot thank MINI enough for this opportunity and hope that I have the chance to return to the WRC stage as soon as possible.”

PROTON Review

Posted: February 21, 2012 12:45 PM

PROTON Motorsports dominated the opening round of the 2012 FIA Super 2000 World Rally Championship, winning 12 of 18 Rallye Monte-Carlo stages, before P-G Andersson retired after a day-four fire aboard his Satria-Neo S2000.

After dominating last season’s FIA Asia-Pacific Rally Championship, the Malaysian manufacturer arrived at the start of its first World Rally Championship campaign with the Satria-Neo S2000 on a high. And PROTON’s double Junior World Rally Champion delivered immediately. Andersson was on sublime form in the French Alps this week, leading the SWRC standings from the start of the event.

Rallye Monte-Carlo began in Valence, in the south-east of France, on Wednesday (January 18) morning. The first loop of stages ran through the Drome region in cold but sunny conditions. Andersson and co-driver Emil Axelsson made a flying start, with their Satria-Neo S2000 only beaten on one of the day’s four stages. On day two, the PROTON team was perfect, scoring six from six fastest SWRC times.

With his lead nearing six minutes over his closest rival, Andersson decided to throttle back as the event moved into the second half. Despite this conservative approach, his advantage at the front of the field still moved past the seven-minute mark.

For the third day, the rally began in Valence with an exceptionally tricky run through the Vercors mountains, where the true nature of Rallye Monte-Carlo came to the fore. The stages were an incredible mix of dry and wet asphalt, snow, slush and ice. And, just to make things even tougher, the fog descended as the roads rose towards the Cols. But Andersson and his PROTON were more than a match for the conditions, once again winning each of Friday’s three stages.

Arriving in the principality of Monaco, all eyes were inland and on the famous Col de Turini test – a true legend among the stages of the World Rally Championship. With bright sunshine rather than snow and ice, the thousands of rally fans stood and cheered as Andersson and PROTON continued to dominate. Unfortunately, just as the SWRC leader was arriving at world rallying’s most famous summit for the second time, a fuel union fractured and leaked fuel, which caused an under-bonnet fire. The crew extinguished the flames but were unable to continue.

The sister Satria-Neo S2000 had already been sidelined after Giandomenico Basso crashed on the opening test of the event.

Having shown great speed and potential on the SWRC opener, the PROTON team is now eagerly awaiting round two, Rally Sweden, which begins in Karlstad on February 9.

Quotes:
P-G Andersson said:
“Not far into the stage, we thought we could smell fuel in the car. I thought maybe it was a leak, but a leak inside the car rather than anything more serious. Then, a couple of kilometres before we got to [Col de] Turini, we had a warning light flash in the car telling us we had low fuel pressure. About 15 seconds after that, the fire went up and it was quite a big fire to begin with. We pulled over and jumped out of the car. The fire went down quite quickly and we got the hand-held extinguisher out and put the flames down through the air vent in the bonnet. And then we watched as our seven-minute lead disappeared. Unbelievable. We had driven sensibly: you can’t say so much about the speed, we hadn’t really pushed or anything, just no risks. The result was there and we have just missed out on it. This sport can be tough, very tough, sometimes.”

Giandomenico Basso said:
“The sun came into the screen and I was momentarily distracted, I couldn’t see exactly. We slid and hit the wall with the left- ide of the car. It was a high-speed crash and the car was not able to continue, which was very disappointing for the whole team. After a good test, we had really been looking forward to this event and we should have been able to make a good result for PROTON.”

Chris Mellors (team principal) said:
“Ultimately, this is a disappointing event for the team but we have to take the positives from here. We have to look at the fact that we were the fastest SWRC car throughout the event – and on top of that, P-G was taking time out of Kevin Abbring in the factory Volkswagen Motorsport entry. Obviously, Abbring is a young driver, but he’s got the full might of one of the world’s biggest car manufacturers behind him and he’s in a very well established car. And P-G was beating him while driving very conservatively. I have to say, P-G drove a brilliant rally. He wasn’t on his favoured surface and he didn’t put a mark on the car. This is hard to take for the team. After last year and our dominance of the Asia-Pacific Rally Championship we’ve become accustomed to winning and we should have added a historic Rally Monte-Carlo win to our collection of silverware this week. Fact is, a fracture in a fuel union leaked fuel, which caught fire and forced the guys into retirement. The car’s not badly damaged and we will bounce back next time out in Sweden. We were the fastest in Monte Carlo and we intend to finish the job in the snow next month.”

SPEED AND EXPERIENCE BRING RECORD RESULT FOR M-SPORT

Posted: February 21, 2012 12:44 PM

After a total of 433 competitive kilometres, the 80th Rallye Monte-Carlo came to a close with the event's final Power Stage ' running from Sainte Agnès to Col de la Madone ' this morning. In an incredible debut for the M-Sport Ford World Rally Team, Monte-Carlo debutants Evgeny Novikov and Ott Tänak finished an impressive fifth and eighth respectively as Monte specialist, François Delecour, proved he still has what it takes to tame the demanding roads with sixth place overall.

With his best ever WRC finish on this his first ever outing at Rallye Monte-Carlo, Novikov confirmed himself to be a real star of the future. In a drive of maturity beyond his years, the young Russian demonstrated technical knowledge and real composure behind the wheel of his Ford Fiesta RS WRC. Alongside experienced co-driver Denis Giraudet, the pairing made some intelligently informed tyre choices, consistently posting top-ten times throughout the day and going third fastest on both SS11 and SS13.

With only the final Power Stage left to run on the last day of competition, Novikov's impressive rally continued. Picking up his first Power Stage point with yet another third fastest time ' just 2.6 seconds shy of pacesetter, Sébastien Loeb ' the Russian well and truly proved himself as a highly talented and intelligent young driver. The 21 year-old will certainly be one to watch as the season ensues.

On his popular return to the WRC, Delecour confirmed what makes him such an expert in Monte-Carlo. With a combined age of over a century, Delecour and co-driver Dominique Savignoni showed their younger competitors what it means to commit to the stages around the Principality. Despite incurring issues with their intercom and power assisted steering throughout the event, the French pairing soon got to grips with their Ford Fiesta RS WRC, setting competitive times throughout. Regularly matching world champions, Loeb and Petter Solberg, and setting the second fastest time on SS11, the Frenchman's return to the championship has been celebrated by fans and colleagues alike.

In an entertaining twist, the flamboyant Frenchman gave the driving seat over to his co-driver for the Power Stage. As a special treat for Savignoni on this his final rally ahead of retirement, the Frenchman drove an impressive stage for a navigator! At 52.2 seconds adrift of Loeb, Delecour admitted that his note calling may have hindered his friend's challenge!

In a composed return to the Ford Fiesta RS WRC, Tänak's maiden run through the challenging stages of Rallye Monte-Carlo was one to be noted. Demonstrating real maturity, the young Estonian drove a composed rally to collate valuable knowledge of what it takes to be a future winner around the Principality. Setting top-five times in the process, Tänak and co-driver Kuldar Sikk made intelligently informed tyre choices throughout the rally ' matching their more experienced colleagues on their first experience of these unforgiving stages.

The young Estonian continued his mature drive into the Power Stage with another top-ten finish to secure eighth place overall. Returning for the remaining 12 rounds in the WRC, the world's media will be keen to see how this impressive young talent develops on the more familiar events.

Evgeny Novikov (5th) said:
'This was a very good rally for us and I am very pleased to have finished here in Monte Carlo. I think this is the most difficult rally on the calendar because the conditions are changing all the time.

'I am very happy with the result and of course you will see me finishing more rallies this season - even faster!'

François Delecour (6th) said:
'This was the best result for my friend Dominique [Savignoni]. This was his last rally and I wanted it to be a fantastic result for him. He drives quite well, you know! For me, I am not so good on the notes, I don't do as well as Dominique, but yes, he is very good.

'I would love to drive more rallies again in the WRC but unfortunately it will not be again with Dominique as he is now retired. This was an absolutely fantastic last rally for him and I am very happy!'

Ott Tänak (8th) said:
'This was a very difficult rally for us but for sure it was ok. We got to the finish and that is the most important thing.

'I'm looking forward to the remaining events which should be better for us. I have more experience of the [following] events and for sure we will be able to push a little bit more.'

MINI CLAIMS SECOND STEP ON PODIUM IN MONTE CARLO.

Posted: February 21, 2012 12:43 PM

The MINI WRC Team concluded the fifth and final day of the Monte Carlo Rally by bringing Dani Sordo (ES) and Carlos del Barrio (ES) and Pierre Campana (FR) and Sabrina de Castelli (FR) to the finish on the principality’s harbourside second and seventh respectively. This was only the team’s seventh FIA World Rally Championship event, but it was the third podium for the Spanish crew.

The sun was shining and the roads were dry for the final stage of the rally - the 5.16 kilometre Power Stage at Ste Agnès – Col de la Madone – but this didn’t mean it was an easy stage. It was twisty and narrow and all the crews knew it could be difficult. Sordo set the fourth fastest time, while Campana was tenth quickest, despite suffering a problem with the power steering on his MINI John Cooper Works WRC. This stage was the 18th of the rally, which included 433.36 kilometres of competitive mileage in its total distance of 1,780.47 kilometres. The top three will now go to the Place du Palais Princier in front of the royal palace for the prize giving at 15.00, and there will be a Gala Dinner in the Sporting Club this evening.

Dirk Hollweg, Head of MINI Motorsport:
“I am very happy that the brand has returned to this legendary event and scored a very impressive result with not just Dani on the podium, but also Pierre really doing a great job for such a relatively inexperienced driver. It was even more gratifying for us to see the results of the other members of the MINI Motorsport family, as the privateers also put in some impressive results. The fans are always really enthusiastic here and make a special atmosphere on the entire rally. They really welcomed us back to our old hunting ground, and we were proud to give them this result.”

Dave Wilcock, Team Principal:
“This is my first event as Team Principal so to get a second in Monte Carlo with the MINI WRC Team is absolutely fantastic. Obviously we are all extremely pleased. We had all our fingers crossed wanting to get through the Power Stage with no problems. Dani was fourth quickest through it, which is fine, even though we were hoping for another drivers’ championship point, but what you want doesn’t always happen! We are extremely happy with the result as both Dani and Pierre have done very good jobs for the team. The whole team has worked so hard for this and it is well deserved.”

Dani Sordo (MINI John Cooper Works WRC No 37):
“We had no problems at all today. Yesterday I was ‘sleeping’ a little bit in the stages so lost a bit of time to Petter, but I am happy with the result. This is great for both me and the team. I think the crucial decision was the tyres we used on day three when we had snow on stage12. Petter (Solberg) lost time to me there and this was really important, as to be honest we took it a bit carefully and he was fast. Without this stage he would have been really close. Being second for the second time for our new team is really, really good.”

Pierre Campana (MINI John Cooper Works WRC No 52):
“I have really enjoyed this rally. It is a very good result for me and I have made good progress on every day. The car really feels nice and I am happy with this performance, which is my best WRC result. The Power Stage was very narrow and twisty, and it was unfortunate I had a problem with the power steering. As you can imagine this made turning the car a bit difficult.”

DOUBLE FINISH FOR GO FAST ON MAIDEN OUTING

Posted: February 21, 2012 12:41 PM

With only the final 'Power Stage' left to run on the last day of competition in Monte-Carlo, the Go Fast Energy World Rally Team completed their maiden outing in the World Rally Championship (WRC) with a double finish from their drivers, Henning Solberg and Matthew Wilson. Following 433km of competitive stages, Solberg and Wilson overcame early misfortunes to finish 13th and 11th respectively.

The WRC curtain-raiser was an eventful first round for Solberg and co-driver Ilka Minor. Blighted by cruel bad luck over the rally's opening stages in Valence, the pairing succumbed to two broken rear driveshafts, issues with the brakes on their Ford Fiesta RS WRC, an engine misfire and a shunt which damaged the left-rear wheel and suspension. Despite their fair share of misfortune, and with no pre-season testing in the lead-up to the event, the pairing battled on. Setting competitive top-ten times throughout, Solberg proved he has some real pace in the car.

The Norwegian's speed continued into the rally's final Power Stage with the sixth fastest time, just five seconds shy of pace-setter, Sébastien Loeb. With the WRC now embarking on what will effectively be Solberg's home event at Rally Sweden next month, the Norwegian will be hoping to translate the form he has demonstrated here into some strong points on snow.

Caution and consistency was the name of the game for Wilson and co-driver Scott Martin. Well aware of the pitfalls Rallye Monte-Carlo can inflict on the unsuspecting, Wilson opted for the sensible approach ' driving his own rally to collate the valuable knowledge and experience needed to prosper on this notoriously difficult event. Using the legendary stages to explore alternate set-ups on his Ford Fiesta RS WRC, the British driver's times improved over the course of the rally.

Scaling the leaderboard with growing confidence behind the wheel of his Fiesta, another solid time through the Power Stage saw Wilson secure 11th place overall. The Brit will be looking to make further gains as the season heads to the only snow rally of the year in Sweden next month.

Henning Solberg (13th) said:
'The car was much better today. We made some changes so I have to say if I could have started the rally like this it could have been quite different!

'But that's the way it is. We're here and that's what counts. Really good rally. Really good.'

Matthew Wilson (11th) said:
'We didn't know what the rally was going to be like at all, or even if we would make the start. This has been a totally different experience for me. But we made it to the end and that is what counts here.

'It was a difficult rally for sure. But to compete in Monte-Carlo is incredible. The atmosphere was fantastic. Especially on the stages last night ' really fun to drive'

LOEB, ELENA AND CITROËN SECURE SIXTH WIN AT RALLYE MONTE-CARLO

Posted: February 21, 2012 12:39 PM

The 80th Rallye Monte-Carlo drew to a close today with victory going to Sébastien Loeb and Daniel Elena, their sixth win in the Principality. The eight-time World Champions enjoyed a clean sweep as they also picked up the three bonus points awarded to the winner of the Power Stage. Fourth overall in the rally, Mikko Hirvonen and Jarmo Lehtinen also collected two points for their performance on the final stage. This result means that Citroën Total WRT takes the lead in the Manufacturers’ World Championship.

After four long days’ racing, the final day of the Rallye Monte-Carlo was without doubt the shortest ever seen in the history of the World Championship: the 5.16km of the eighteenth stage, on a route between Ste Agnès and the Col de la Madone, were covered in under 3m30s by the leading WRC cars! At the stop control, Sébastien Loeb and Daniel Elena were pleased to see that they had recorded the fastest time, earning them three additional points in the Drivers’ World Championship.
“I had decided to push because these points could make all the difference in deciding who wins the title,” explained Sébastien Loeb. “Apart from the points scored, I am happy to win a rally that means a lot to me. There were a lot of supporters alongside the roads and I also wanted to win for them. It’s a big gap to second, but I wouldn’t say that this was an easy win. We had to deal with all sorts of conditions and my lead was largely built on better tyre choices, which were mainly down to the work of Citroën Racing’s technical team and our tyre partner Michelin. For the first time in a long time in WRC, we were able to choose between five types of tyres and we always managed to pick the right tyres for the circumstances. The Citroën DS3 WRC worked like a dream. I felt comfortable from the start of the rally and I managed to get into a good rhythm. It’s certainly a nice way to start the season…”

Second in the Power Stage, Mikko Hirvonen and Jarmo Lehtinen ended their first rally with Citroën Total World Rally Team in fourth place overall.
“It wasn’t the easiest rally for a first race in a new car, but I am pleased with the result,” confirmed the Finn. “The two days we had snow were particularly difficult. On tarmac, I was more comfortable and I was able to set some good times. I had to take it easy, avoid making mistakes and focus on getting to the finish to score some points. That's exactly what we did. I can’t wait now to be in Sweden, I am really looking forward to racing there.”

For his first rally in charge of Citroën Racing, Yves Matton praised the performance of the entire team:
“It’s important to start the season on a positive note and great to win a rally as legendary as Monte-Carlo. One of the key factors was tyre choice. The analysis work performed prior to the rally by our engineers, who had imagined almost every possible eventuality, helped us to make the right choices. Sébastien was impressive in terms of his race management. He was patient and took it a little easier when necessary and then pushed when the conditions enabled him to do so. Mikko did what we asked of him: make it to the finish in a good position. He took it step by step, but his three fastest stage times showed that he was getting to grips with the car. He gave himself the time he needed and that demonstrates his professionalism.”

“This is an exciting result. Once again, I was impressed by the entire team. It is very satisfying to see everyone working in relaxed fashion. I’m also pleased to see that Mikko and Jarmo are integrating well at Citroën Racing. The red army is on its way again!” praised Frédéric Banzet, CEO of the Citroën Brand.

Solberg steers Ford to podium on his stunning Fiesta debut

Posted: February 21, 2012 12:36 PM

Ford World Rally Team’s Petter Solberg and Chris Patterson have secured their first podium at the wheel of a Ford Fiesta RS WRC after an exceptional performance at this week’s Rallye Monte-Carlo. What's more, the Norwegian, returning to the Ford camp for the first time since 2000, celebrated a personal best with third place at the iconic event.

Rejoining the FIA World Rally Championship calendar for the first time since 2008, Rallye Monte-Carlo provided the WRC crews with five gruelling days of competition covering more than 433km. It has been the longest WRC event since Kenya’s Safari Rally in 2002, and was primarily based in Valence before relocating south to the glamorous Principality of Monaco on the French Riviera.

Renowned as a rally with ever-changing road and climatic conditions, this year’s demanding event proved no different as the 18 speed tests challenged the WRC crews with a mix of wet and dry roads compounded by snow, fog and black ice. Tyre choice proved critical and played a pivotal role from the outset as the WRC teams could select between five types of new-for-2012 Michelin tyre.

After team-mate Jari-Matti Latvala’s retirement from the lead on the opening day, a cat-and-mouse battle for second place ensued between Solberg and Dani Sordo. Without studded tyres, 2003 World Rally Champion Solberg struggled with grip on the treacherously slippery roads on Friday morning and was knocked back into third.

Three stage wins on Saturday, however, saw the 37-year-old driver slash Sordo’s advantage from over one minute at the start of the day to less than 20sec by the time the WRC crews reached the overnight halt at Monte-Carlo’s harbour front. With a short 5.16km Power Stage concluding the WRC curtain-raiser on Sunday, Solberg applied a measured approach to ensure a podium spot.

“I’m over the moon. I’ve absolutely loved this rally from start to finish and this is the best start to a WRC season I’ve ever had,” said a delighted Solberg at the finish line. “It is my first rally in the Ford Fiesta RS WRC with so little testing beforehand, and we improved our speed all the way through. For me, this rally was mainly about getting some kilometres in the car, improving our speed and getting to the finish.

"I love the car – it is really fast, I can tell you! It suits my driving style very well. I’ve been waiting for a long time to get into a situation like this, and to have the full support from the Ford team feels fantastic.

“You need to have a good start to the season if you want to fight Seb [Loeb],” continued Solberg. “I understand the car is even better on gravel and snow, so I’m looking forward to moving onto those surfaces next. To finish this rally in the top three is the perfect start to the season – I couldn’t have asked for anything more. Now I can concentrate solely on the driving, and I can’t wait to get to Sweden!”

Ford Team Principal Malcolm Wilson was encouraged by Solberg’s first outing in the Fiesta RS WRC.
“Petter’s experience has shone through as he has delivered a superb performance. The car has been 100 per cent faultless throughout the rally, and Petter has been really happy with it and has settled into the team very well.

“To leave here with his best-ever Monte-Carlo result is a great platform to build upon over the rest of the year,” Wilson continued. “This has given us a lot of confidence going forward. We had the fastest driver on this rally with Jari-Matti leading early on and Petter has done a great job, so looking to the future we know we’ve got a really strong team. We have a test before Sweden, and I’m confident we’ll come away with another positive result next month.”

Ford of Europe motorsport chief Gerard Quinn was delighted with Solberg’s drive.
“This has been an extremely challenging start to the 2012 season, considering we’ve covered 433 stage kilometres over the last five days. We’re thrilled for Petter and Chris finishing on the podium on their first outing in the Fiesta RS WRC. There was obviously disappointment with Jari-Matti going out of the rally so early on, but from the pace he showed, I’m confident it’s going to be an exciting season for the Ford World Rally Team,” he said.

News from other Ford teams

Evgeny Novikov matched his best-ever WRC result by finishing fifth in his M-Sport Ford World Rally Team-run Fiesta RS WRC alongside experienced co-driver Denis Giraudet. François Delecour / Dominique Savignoni came home sixth following a polished performance in another Fiesta RS WRC. A consistent drive left Rallye Monte-Carlo debutants Ott Tänak / Kuldar Sikk eighth in a similar car. Martin Prokop / Zdenek Hruza finished the iconic Rallye Monte-Carlo ninth, a personal best for the duo in the Principality. New-for-2012 Go Fast Energy World Rally Team’s Matthew Wilson / Scott Martin finished 11th in a Fiesta RS WRC, whilst team-mates Henning Solberg / Ilka Minor claimed 13th.

Results

Posted: February 21, 2012 12:01 PM

1. S Loeb/D Elena FRA Citroen DS3 4hr 32min 39.9sec
2. D Sordo/C Del Barrio Corral ESP MINI John Cooper 4hr 35min 25.4sec
3. P Solberg/C Patterson NOR Ford Fiesta RS 4hr 35min 24.1sec
4. M Hirvonen/J Lehtinen FIN Citroen DS3 4hr 36min 46.7sec
5. E Novikov/D Giraudet RUS Ford Fiesta RS 4hr 38min 43.3sec
6. F Delecour/D Savignoni FRA Ford Fiesta RS 4hr 40min 27.8sec
7. P Campana/S De Castelli FRA MINI John Cooper 4hr 41min 11.3sec
8. O Tänak/K Sikk EST Ford Fiesta RS 4hr 43min 14.5sec
9. M Prokop/Z Hruza CZE Ford Fiesta RS 4hr 48min 50.6sec
10. A Araujo/M Ramalho PRT MINI John Cooper 4hr 48min 56.5sec

Full Results World Rally Radio

Video Clips from Shakedown

Posted: January 17, 2012 7:41 PM

M-SPORT LOOK TO SPEED AND EXPERIENCE FOR STRONG POINTS IN THE PRINCIPALITY

Posted: January 17, 2012 12:07 PM

With just over a two month break since the 2011 season finale in Wales last year, the World Rally Championship (WRC) is back to entertain us for another season. Old friends and new join the series for 2012 as, following a three year absence, the legendary Monte Carlo Rally is restored to its natural place in the Championship; an inspiring backdrop for the all new M-Sport Ford World Rally Team’s debut from 17th to 22nd January.

Replacing the M-Sport Stobart Ford World Rally Team as the WRC’s leading privateer, the M-Sport Ford World Rally Team will be hoping to emulate the successes of its predecessor’s final season and get its own 2012 campaign off to a flying start. The Stobart team recorded its best ever season since its creation in 2006 last year with three podium finishes - two second places for Mads Østberg and a third place finish for Henning Solberg - and with some of rallying’s most promising young talents under the M-Sport banner, the team will be hoping for future podiums of their own.

A real challenge for all drivers, Monte Carlo is sure to provide excitement. With five days of competition covering more than 433km, this year’s curtain-raiser is one of the longest rallies in recent history. Teamed with its unpredictable weather conditions and the importance of strategy and tyre choice, M-Sport’s new line-up will be looking to capitalise with a strong haul of points.

Leading the M-Sport squad through all 13 rounds of the 2012 season is the 2011 S-WRC runner-up, Ott Tänak. Tänak claimed no fewer than three victories alongside regular co-driver, Kuldar Sikk, in last year’s official support series (S-WRC) with the Championship fight coming down to the wire at the final round in Spain. The young Estonian also put his skills to the test behind the wheel of a Ford Fiesta RS WRC at the 2011 Wales Rally GB. Finishing in an impressive 6th place despite early problems, Tänak proved his ability and earned himself a full WRC drive in the process.

Joining Tänak as a nominated points scorer for the M-Sport Ford World Rally Team in the first two rounds is Russia’s Evgeny Novikov. In his second season with the Ford Fiesta RS WRC, Novikov and co-driver, Frenchman Denis Giraudet, will be looking to build upon their experience gained in 2011 to showcase the Russian’s obvious speed with some strong finishes in 2012.

Also bringing his vast talent and experience to the team as a guest driver is the 1994 Monte Carlo winner François Delecour. Delecour and co-driver Dominique Savignoni spent Friday testing their Ford Fiesta RS WRC on the roads around Monaco and will be looking for a strong result on a rally where experience and strategy can prove key.

Ott Tänak said:
“This is our first time here at Monte. For sure it is a difficult rally so the most important thing for us will be to get the mileage and make it to the end. It’s the first round of the season and we can fight harder in later [more familiar] events. We did a little testing on Friday and the car is feeling really good so we’ll see how it goes. Anything can happen. From what I’ve seen, the roads here are really nice and if it stays dry we could be in a good position to push.”

Evgeny Novikov said:
“This is my first time in Monte and we haven’t had the chance to do any testing in the lead up to the event so I think this will be a very difficult rally for us. Hopefully we can show some good pace and make it to the end but it’s very difficult to predict. We’ll go there and do our best.”

François Delecour said:
“I am so excited to be back behind the wheel of a WRC car. It’s been ten years since I last drove one. I have to say that the car is feeling fantastic. We did some testing with the [Ford] Fiesta [RS WRC] earlier in the week and it’s a real joy to drive.

“Monte has to be one of the most difficult rallies on the calendar. You never know where the grip is and stages can differ hugely from one to another. As a driver you have to be clever and consider everything; you have to be on the limit, but you can’t go flat. Maybe you will have the wrong tyre choice for one stage, but it will be perfect for another. That’s the great thing about Monte and to win here is very special!

“I cannot wait for the competition to start. There’s a great spirit here and so many spectators on the stages - even during practice. It’s unbelievable.”

PIERRE CAMPANA SET FOR COMPETITIVE START TO 2012 WITH MINI WRC TEAM AT RALLYE MONTE CARLO

Posted: January 16, 2012 10:24 AM

Corsican rally star Pierre Campana is looking forward to a competitive start to 2012 as Rallye Monte Carlo, the first round of this year’s World Rally Championship, gets underway this week.

Pierre has the honour of flying the MINI WRC flag at this year’s Monte Carlo event, continuing his association with the legendary MINI marque from last year, and will be using his wealth of experience to help the MINI WRC Team in its first Monte Carlo.

Pierre was in dominant form at last year’s event, taking a comfortable victory in the 2WD class as part of the IRC championship, so he brings with him relevant and beneficial knowledge of the course. In keeping with its WRC status for 2012, there will be an increased mileage of special stages with a 20% increase compared to last year.

Driving the number 52 MINI John Cooper Works WRC car with his co-driver Sabrina de Castelli, all eyes will be on Pierre as he continues his adaptation to the competitive world of WRC. Together with backing from the French motorsport federation, Pierre competed in two rounds of the WRC with the Drive-Pro team last year, taking points in the France-Alsace event, so he has firm foundations upon which to build.

This year’s event will be the 80th edition of the Rallye Monte Carlo and also holds special memories for MINI. Even though the MINI WRC Team will be taking part in the Monte Carlo Rally for the first time, this is an event that the Mini-Cooper ‘S’ won three times in the sixties.

Pierre has already carried out a test with the MINI John Cooper Works WRC in France last week as part of his preparation for the event, ensuring that he also got some practice in snow conditions that drivers might have to negotiate this week.

Quick Q+A with Pierre Campana

Pierre, what are your aims for this Monte Carlo rally?
“Firstly, I am very grateful to have been given this opportunity by Prodrive and to have the chance to compete in a third WRC event with the MINI John Cooper Works WRC car. I spent a lot of time driving the car in the second half of 2011 and I feel that I have developed a good understanding of the car’s behaviour and how to get the best out of it. I am pleased that Prodrive acknowledged my performances with the car last year and have placed their trust in me for Monte Carlo, a rally I know well. I will do all I can to deliver a competitive result for myself, Prodrive and MINI.”

You obviously like Monte Carlo, how will your experience help with the MINI?
“There are a few changes to the route this year because it is a WRC event, but I know a large percentage of the course from my involvement last year. I won the 2WD class in the 2011 Monte Carlo rally, as part of the IRC, so I have good memories of the event from that. Being a WRC event, this year will have its own challenges but I think I am ready to tackle anything that comes my way.”

What is the key to doing well at Monte Carlo?
“The thing about Monte Carlo is that it is a bit of a lottery at times and you need to be on the right tyres at precisely the right time, especially in the event of snow. I had some testing time with the MINI in France last week, including some practice in snow conditions, which I absolutely loved and I am as well prepared as I can be for any conditions. The car is fantastic to drive and I cannot wait to get started. It is a real pleasure to be competing against some of the greatest rally drivers in the world but I will adopt my usual approach, taking each stage as it comes and getting the best out of myself.”

CITROEN PREVIEW - THE RETURN OF A CLASSIC

Posted: January 13, 2012 10:25 PM

After a three-year absence, the Rallye Monte-Carlo makes a much- anticipated return to the FIA World Rally Championship as the opening event. Five-time winner in the Principality with Se?bastien Loeb and Daniel Elena, Citroe?n Total World Rally Team is delighted to race again in the world’s most famous rally. To kick off the 2012 season, the seven-time World Championship winning team has a new driver pairing in its second works DS3 WRC. Winners of the 2010 Rallye Monte-Carlo, Mikko Hirvonen and Jarmo Lehtinen begin a new journey with Citroe?n.

Barely two months after the 2011 season ended, the WRC gets underway again in the south of France. Starting in Valence (Dro?me) on Wednesday, 18 January and arriving in Monaco on Sunday 22 January, the rally will take the competitors through the Arde?che, Haute-Loire, Vercors and Alpes-Maritimes regions. With a total of 430km of timed sections, the 18 special stages read like a list of rallying’s great monuments: Le Moulinon, Burzet, Saint-Bonnet-le- Froid, Saint-Jean-en-Royans and the famous Col du Turini, to mention just a few. Offering a real challenge for drivers, a headache for engineers and a delight for spectators, Monte Carlo is every inch the classic rally.

Five-time winners Se?bastien Loeb and Daniel Elena are excited at the idea of racing in one of their favourite rallies again. Adept at handling the many grip changes that are typical of the particular challenge of the route, the Franco- Monegasque driver pairing will start as favourites.
“And yet, it’s three years since I last competed in this rally”, played down Se?bastien Loeb. “I don’t doubt my ability to be on the pace, since we haven’t really stopped since the end of last season. But this rally is so specific, you can never be sure of anything.”

A key feature of success at Monte-Carlo, tyre management can indeed muddy the waters. “With five types of tyre – three slicks, one snow tyre and one studded tyre – we’ll have a fairly wide range of options available to us. Even if we don’t get wintry conditions, just being able to choose between three types of slicks with varying compounds could create huge gaps,” summarised Se?bastien Loeb. Mikko Hirvonen and Jarmo Lehtinen make their competitive debut for Citroe?n in the no.2 works DS3 WRC. The Finnish driver pairing has made a habit of getting off to a good start. Winners in Sweden in the opening rally of the 2010 and 2011 WRC, they also won the 2010 Rallye Monte-Carlo in a Super 2000.
“Although I really enjoyed racing in Sweden, I think it makes more sense to start the season here,” confirmed Citroe?n Total World Rally Team’s new driver.

“That said, I’m a little apprehensive about Monte-Carlo. Starting a stage where there are icy patches on slick tyres is not something I am particularly looking forward to, but that’s part of what makes this rally special! My aim for this weekend will be to ‘survive’, or in other words, make it to the finish without incident and pick up as many points as possible in the championships.”

“Our goals for the season are simple, yet difficult: keep our two world titles. The Rallye Monte-Carlo is the perfect place to start the season and I am proud to be leading the current World Champion Team,” added Yves Matton, who was appointed Citroe?n Racing Team Principal on January 5th. “With ten wins in thirteen rallies, the Citroe?n DS3 WRC has already set the standard. And in Se?bastien and Mikko, we have two drivers with complementary styles, both capable of winning rallies. I am fairly confident in our ability to make a positive start to the year!”

TWO QUESTIONS FOR... YVES MATTON Citroe?n Racing Team Principal

You were recently appointed Citroe?n Racing Team Principal, on January 5th. How have you found the first few days at Versailles-Satory?
“I was very pleased to rejoin an organisation in which I had already spent five years. In addition, my previous professional activities kept me in regular contact with Citroe?n Racing.
With two weeks to go until the Rallye Monte-Carlo, my priority was to meet the various team members to get up to speed. There is such great stability at Citroe?n Racing that the majority of the faces were already familiar! I am now in charge of a highly organised structure, a team that has made itself synonymous with winning, and I will benefit from all the team’s experience.”

What, specifically, have you been set in the way of targets?
“Citroe?n Racing has won both the ‘Manufacturers’ and ‘Drivers’ championships for the last four seasons. The target is to keep this record going thanks to our strengths: the DS3 WRC, our two driver pairings and a closely-knit team supporting them. That’s the easy part. In addition, I have to work on the ‘post-Se?bastien Loeb’ issue. Although I was not involved in the agreement, the arrival of Thierry Neuville in the team will help us to prepare for the future by training up a promising young driver. As standard bearer of the Brand, Citroe?n Racing must continue to raise its profile internationally to represent the Brand as effectively as possible. In this respect, the participation of Nasser Al-Attiyah in a DS3 WRC, starting at Rally Sweden, will help us to raise the profile of Citroe?n in the Middle East.”

More Testing, including Craig Breen

Posted: January 13, 2012 10:12 PM

Mikko Hirvonen


MINI WRC


Craig Breen


Martin Prokop

PROTON Motorsports Preview

Posted: January 13, 2012 9:17 PM

PROTON Motorsports begins its challenge for the FIA Super 2000 World Rally Championship glory on next week’s Rallye Monte-Carlo.

After dominating last year’s FIA Asia-Pacific Rally Championship, where PROTON won the drivers’ and manufacturers’ titles, the Malaysian manufacturer arrives at one of world motorsport’s most iconic events for a legendary, five-day race through mountains to the principality of Monte Carlo.

The PROTON Motorsports team will field two Satria-Neo S2000s for Rallye Monte-Carlo (January 18-22), the first of seven SWRC rounds it will contest this season.

Two-time FIA Junior World Rally Champion P-G Andersson and double FIA European Rally Champion Giandomenico Basso will contest the opening SWRC round for PROTON. Both drivers have previous experience of what is recognised as one of the most challenging rallies of the season – and both are raring to get back into the Satria-Neo S2000 for their second year with the team. Both drivers have also finished in the Rallye Monte-Carlo top 10 previously.

Andersson and Basso have been testing the PROTON in the mountains close to the French-Italian border this week, with both drivers reporting significant progress with the Satria-Neo S2000.

PROTON already has a strong history in the World Rally Championship, having won the 2002 FIA Production Car World Rally Championship with Malaysian driver Karamjit Singh, but this year’s SWRC represents a new challenge – a challenge which will bring the Satria-Neo S2000 into competition with some of the strongest rally machinery around.

Rallye Monte-Carlo has a long and illustrious history. First running in 1911, next week’s event is the 80th edition and it looks set to be one of the toughest. The organisers of the rally have ramped up the competitive action, with a route starting from Valence in the Drome region and running through the Ardeche, Haute-Loire, Vercors before ending with a final evening and day in the Alpes Maritimes where the crews will contest the legendary Col du Turini stage twice – including a run at night.

The 18 stages total 433.36 competitive kilometres, which added to the liaison section make up a complete route of 1,772.52 kilometres.

This event is tricky enough, running through some of the most technical and twisty stages of the season, but when you add the Alpine element, then you get probably the most complex rally of the year. Proton will have the choice of five different tyres – more than on any other event this season – in an effort to cover off every conceivable condition from dry to wet asphalt, ice, snow, slush and rain. Sometimes, the crews can get all of those conditions in one stage.

Rallye Monte-Carlo is a true challenge and to come out the other side is a victory in itself.

The event begins with a ceremonial start in Valence at 1900 on Tuesday January 17 and finishes at 1500 on Sunday January 22 in Monaco.

Quotes:

P-G Andersson said:
“As soon as I drove the car at the test, immediately I could feel there was more torque from the engine: the car is definitely a step forward from last year. I am very happy with this! The team has worked really hard. The benefit from these changes with the engine will come from a faster exit from slower corners. At the same time, the car’s handing is also feeling better. But now we have to see what happens on the rally itself. Who can tell what’s going to happen on the Monte? Nobody. Everything is possible next week, but I hope to be looking for the podium result. I really like this rally, but in the past I have made some silly mistakes – I’m determined not to do that. As well as anything, we have to remember that there is no superally this year, so if we retire then we are finished and out of the game. The weather plays such a big part on this event; personally, I like it when we have the changeable conditions, you never know what you’re going to get. I think it’s easiest to make the best result when the roads are like this as well.”

Giandomenico Basso said:
“First, I have to say how happy I am to be back with PROTON. I have good times with this team and I like to be driving the Satria-Neo S2000 again this year. We had the good test, everything felt well. I think we have some more small changes before the event, which will also help the car some more. I have good memories of this rally: it was on Rallye Monte-Carlo where I made my debut in the World Rally Championship. I won a competition in 1999 and ended up with an entry on this great event. It’s also nice to be back in the WRC, I haven’t driven in this series for a lot of years. Our test went well, no problems and looking to the event, I think the first priority is to survive the changing conditions. We saw how difficult this event could be last year – I remember leaving the service park on one morning in beautiful sunshine, then we arrived at the stage and it was pure ice! We have to get the tyres right, as well. Make the wrong choice and the rally can be destroyed. It’s really exciting to be back at the start of another season.”

Chris Mellors (team principal) said:
“We’re delighted to be contesting the Super 2000 World Rally Championship and we’re also very pleased with the work we’ve done on the Satria-Neo S2000 over the closed season. The drivers are both very happy with what they’ve got for this event, so let’s see what we can do. Obviously we want to be at the front of the SWRC pack, but the priority has to be to get some points on the board on this first round of the championship. The emphasis is on getting to Monaco on Sunday afternoon. But what an event! The first stage? Thirty-six kilometres. Bang, off you go. And it gets harder from there. The weather is looking like it will be very cold, but dry – which would suit us: that’s what we got in the test. If there is any snow, we’ve got that covered as well with plenty of set-up data from previous tests. The whole team is really looking forward to getting back to the World Rally Championship and making a good start in France next week.”

MINI WRC Team Preview

Posted: January 13, 2012 10:42 AM

Rally fans will be able to celebrate a double return next week when the first round of the 2012 FIA World Rally Championship is held. Even though the MINI WRC Team will be taking part in the Monte Carlo Rally for the first time, this is an event that the Mini-Cooper ‘S’ won three times in the sixties, and the rally will be back in the WRC for the first time since 2008.

Flying the MINI flag will be Dani Sordo (ES) and Carlos del Barrio (ES) in the MINI John Cooper Works WRC number 37, and newcomers to the works team, Pierre Campana (FR) and Sabrina de Castelli (FR), in the number 52 sister car. Sordo, a veteran of 91 WRC starts, proved how quick he was last year by gaining two podiums for the team in Germany and France in its testing year. Campana made his WRC debut with a customer MINI in 2011 and in Rally France finished ninth overall. He is no stranger to the Monte Carlo Rally where he won the IRC 2WD Cup last year, and even co-drove on it in 2008. Pierre’s career has been supported by the French motorsport federation, the FFSA, who also gave its backing to Sébastien Loeb (FR) in his early career.

For 2012, David Richards passes the role of team principal to the team’s technical director, Dave Wilcock. Wilcock will combine the two roles and will be supported by team manager, Campbell Roy. Richards will continue to oversee the MINI WRC Team and will attend many of the events in 2012, mentoring Wilcock in the new role.
“It was always my intention to take a step back in the team’s second season and pass the responsibility over to Dave,” said David Richards, chairman of Prodrive. “During the last year he has proved he has all the right skills to lead the team and I have no doubt the MINI WRC Team will continue to go from strength to strength under his leadership.”

Both drivers have been in France this week testing ahead of the event. Campana was driving on Monday and Sordo on Tuesday. They then moved locations to where they would be guaranteed snow and the drivers completed half a day each.

Dave Wilcock, Team Principal:
“It would be incredible to go to the Monte Carlo Rally for the first time in more than 40 years and replicate the feats of the original Mini Coopers in the 1960s. However we have to be realistic about this event, where tyre choice on some part snow covered stages can be a lottery. Still, much of the route is new for everyone and we have proved in 2011 just how competitive the MINI John Cooper Works WRC is. I know Dani is eager to get back behind the wheel, while Pierre is keen to impress his local fans.”

Dani Sordo (MINI John Cooper Works WRC No 37):
“This is a rally I like very much as the stages are really nice. I can’t remember exactly how many times I have done it, but it could be three times. We have been testing and that has gone very well, so I am happy with the car. The most important thing is to do tyre testing and we have been able to do this with Michelin, so I know we have some very good tyres. The issue will be the conditions as at the moment it is dry with very little snow. However, this can change very quickly.”

Pierre Campana (MINI John Cooper Works WRC No 52):
“I am thrilled to have been selected by MINI to join its squad for Monte Carlo following our achievements last year. It is a rally I know well and enjoy. I won the 2WD class last year, so I am pleased to bring my experience and to showcase my abilities on such a competitive event. I have enjoyed my time driving the MINI John Cooper Works WRC car in WRC and French championship events in 2011 with Drive-Pro and together with the French Federation support, and I am honoured to be able to continue my association with this tremendous manufacturer into 2012 with this Monte Carlo participation.”

Dirk Hollweg, Head of MINI Motosport:
"After what, from a sporting point of view, was a very successful 2011 season for us with our MINI John Cooper Works WRC in the World Rally Championship, we are now looking forward to the start of the 2012 season at the Monte Carlo Rally. We have a big tradition at this event, which has been the scene of some fantastic successes for us. The new season starts here with Dani Sordo and Pierre Campana in the MINI WRC Team, as well as with our MINI privateers, and we are hoping to score more positive results for the MINI Motorsport family."

History and Background:
No true rally fan will ever forget the Monte Carlo Rally exploits of the Minis in the sixties with wins for Paddy Hopkirk (GB) in 1964, Timo Mäkinen (FI) in 1965 and Rauno Aaltonen (FI) in 1967. The brand even returned last year to take part in the Historic Monte Carlo Rally with Aaltonen (FI) at the wheel. However, it is now the MINI John Cooper Works WRC that will herald the first works car from the marque in this iconic event since 1968.

The 80th Monte Carlo Rally is back in the FIA World Rally Championship after an absence of three years. This year’s event is considerably longer than the majority in the WRC as it run over five days. It also has different locations for its start and finish. The start is in the town of Valence in the Drôme region, which is in south eastern France, 105 kilometres south of Lyon on the left bank of the river Rhône. Meanwhile, as would be expected, the finish is in the principality of Monaco.

There will be a ceremonial start at the Champs de Mars in Valence at 18.00 on Tuesday, 17th January, but the first stages will not be until the next day. On Wednesday the first car will leave Valence at 08.00 and then return there for service and an overnight halt at 17.52. During the day there will be a lunch time service in Valence and the cars will compete on four stages, covering 134.70 kilometres of competition in an overall route of 471.82 kilometres.

On the 19th January the first car will leave Parc Fermé at 07.55 for another six stages over 131.76 competitive kilometres on a route that is 441.96 kilometres long. Again there will be a service back in Valence halfway through the day.

Day three starts in Valence with the first car out of Parc Fermé at 08.44. The competitors return for a service at lunch time, but this is the last time the rally goes back to Valence before it heads to Monaco, where the first car is due that evening at 19.59. There are just three stages which total 77.30 kilometres, but the total mileage is 545.72 kilometres.

The Monaco start on day four is late as the first car is not due out of Parc Fermé until13.15. The cars return for service at 17.53 and then the end of the day’s competition sees the first car into final service for the day at 21.32. In terms of total distance the crews travel 272.50 kilometres and the four stages are a total of 84.44 kilometres.

The final and fifth leg is very short with just one stage over 5.16 kilometres in a total distance of 48.47 kilometres. The first car leaves the Monaco Parc Fermé at 09.05, the stage – the Power Stage at Ste Agnes – Col de la Madone – starts at 10.11, and the first car is due back into Parc Fermé at Quai Antoine 1er for the finish at 11.17. In total there will be 433.36 kilometres over stages in a total distance of 1,780.47 kilometres. There will be a Prize Giving at 15.00 at Place de Palais Princier and then, in true Monegasque style, there will be a Gala Dinner at the Sporting Club at 20.30.

Breen/Roberts to open new Season in the Principality of Monaco

Posted: January 12, 2012 3:05 PM

Amidst the instability, uncertainty and rumour that has plagued the World Rally Championship over the Christmas period the focus has remained the same for 2011 World Rally Academy Champion, Craig Breen. Before the festive holidays the Irish driver released the news that the next phase of his World Rallying career would pivot around the 2012 Super 2000 World Rally Championship. Now as the first ray of light emerges from a dark WRC off season tunnel, Breen is eagerly waiting to open the new season in the principality of Monaco.

“Today was a day that I’ve been waiting for all through Christmas”, said the Inaugural WRC Academy Champion before setting off for Valence, France earlier today. “Usually it’s Christmas morning when a person receives their presents but for me it’s today. I begin the next step of my dream over the next week and I can’t to start that first 36 km stage next Wednesday morning.” When asked to comment of the current controversy Craig said, “I’ve been monitoring the situation over the last few weeks, I’ve been reading snippets of information on the internet but as I’m not aware of all the facts, it would be wrong of me to get involved. As a driver, all my concentration was on the planning and organisation of my 2012 schedule and the prep’ work for Monte”

The 2012 Super 2000 Championship (SWRC) entails eight events based within the World Rally Championship and navigates throughout the continent of Europe and also takes in Rally of New Zealand in the Southern hemisphere with each entrant nominating to compete in seven of the eight events in the calendar.

More Pre Event Testing Video:

Posted: January 11, 2012 7:54 PM

Sébastien Ogier

Seeded Entry List

Posted: January 11, 2012 4:43 PM

1  LOEB Sébastien/ELENA Daniel (CITROEN DS3 WRC)
2  HIRVONEN Mikko/LEHTINEN Jarmo (CITROEN DS3 WRC)
3  LATVALA Jari-Matti/ANTTILA Miikka (FORD FIESTA WRC)
4  SOLBERG Petter/PATTERSON Chris (FORD FIESTA WRC)
5  TANAK Ott/SIKK Kuldar (FORD FIESTA WRC)
6  NOVIKOV Evgeny/GIRAUDET Denis (FORD FIESTA WRC)
8  DELECOUR François/SAVIGNONI Dominique (FORD FIESTA WRC)
9  WILSON Matthew/MARTIN Scott (FORD FIESTA WRC)
10  SOLBERG Henning/MINOR Ilka (FORD FIESTA WRC)
12  ARAUJO Armindo/RAMALHO Miguel (MINI COOPER WRC)
14  NOBRE Paulo/PAULA Edu (MINI COOPER WRC)
21  PROKOP Martin/TOMANEK Jan (FORD FIESTA WRC)
37  SORDO CASTILLO Daniel/DEL BARRIO CORRAL Carlos (MINI COOPER WRC)
52  CAMPANA Pierre/DE CASTELLI Sabrina (MINI COOPER WRC)
11  VAN MERKSTEIJN Peter/CHEVAILLIER Eddy (CITROEN DS3 WRC)
23  NEUVILLE Thierry/GILSOUL Nicolas (CITROEN DS3 WRC)
38  MAURIN Julien/URAL Olivier (FORD FIESTA WRC)
15  OGIER Sébastien/INGRASSIA Julien (SKODA FABIA S2000)
16  BOUFFIER Bryan/PANSERI Xavier (PEUGEOT 207 S2000)
32  BREEN Craig/ROBERTS Gareth (FORD FIESTA S2000)
33  ANDERSSON Pergunnar/AXELSSON Emil (PROTON SATRIA S2000)
34  BASSO Giandomenico/DOTTA Mitia (PROTON SATRIA S2000)
131  KOSCIUSZKO Michal/SZCZEPANIAK Maciej (MITSUBISHI EVO X)
132  FUCHS Nicolas/GARCIA Ruben Francisco (MITSUBISHI EVO X)
134  BERTELLI Lorenzo/GRANAI Lorenzo (MITSUBISHI EVO IX)
136  COOK Louise/DAVIS Stefan (FORD FIESTA)
17  ABBRING Kevin/VANNESTE Lara (SKODA FABIA S2000)
18  LAIVOLA Ari/MUSTALAHTI Kari (PEUGEOT 207 S2000)
19  MELICHAREK Jaroslav/BACIGAL Igor (PEUGEOT 207 S2000)
20  ARZENO Mathieu/JAMOUL Renaud (PEUGEOT 207 S2000)
22  BURRI Michael/REY Stéphane (PEUGEOT 207 S2000)
24  BURRI Olivier/FERRERO Jean Jacques (MITSUBISHI EVO X)
26  GALLI Antonio/VOZZO Marco (MITSUBISHI EVO IX)
27  BOLAND Eamonn/MORRISSEY M.J. (MITSUBISHI EVO X)
28  BAUDOIN Miguel/POMMARET Eric (MITSUBISHI EVO X)
29  NICOLAS laurent/MALLET Patrice (MITSUBISHI EVO X)
30  CORNU Stéphane/NEDEL Fabrice (RENAULT MEGANE RS)
51  AYMARD Jérôme/AYMARD Sandrine (SUBARU IMPREZA)
53  FRAU Richard/VAUCLARE Frédéric (MITSUBISHI EVO X)
54  CASTRO SANTAMARIA Joseba/TRAMONT Arielle (MITSUBISHI EVO X)
55  ARICI Marco/INGLESI Emanuele (MITSUBISHI EVO X)
56  VOSSEN Henk/FINDHAMMER Johan (MITSUBISHI EVO X)
57  TAORMINA Jean Luc/LUCON Pascal (MITSUBISHI EVO IX)
58  SAUVAN Frederic/CAPANA Sébastien (MITSUBISHI EVO X)
59  BOS Pïerre/ROYER Jean Louis (MITSUBISHI EVO X)
60  FONT Joan/Enrique (MITSUBISHI EVO IX)
61  CARRET Claude/SERVOL Philippe (SUBARU IMPREZA)
62  BESSON Jean Pascal/BUELLET Frédéric (MITSUBISHI EVO X)
63  CAILLET Christophe/AUBEUF Benjamin (MITSUBISHI EVO IX)
64  KELETI Edwin/PONTA Victor (MITSUBISHI EVO X)
65  BOULANGER Benoit/LEMOINE Maxime (MITSUBISHI EVO X)
66  FOULON Alain/BRISSART Bruno (MITSUBISHI EVO X)
67  COVI Carlo/CAMPESAN Giorgio (SUBARU IMPREZA)
68  TEMPESTINI Marco/PULPEA Dorin (SUBARU IMPREZA)
69  DRIVAKOS Dimitrios/BANTE Ekaterini (HONDA CIVIC R3)
71  ROBERT Cédric/PERRET Yoann (CITROEN DS3 R3T)
72  CALI Gianluca Maria/PANNO Gianluca (RENAULT CLIO R3)
73  RESSEGAIRE Nicolas/ARNAUD Jonathan (RENAULT CLIO R3)
74  VIALLE Lilian/GHIRARDELLO Manuel (RENAULT CLIO R3)
75  COMOLE Lionel/PAILHON Julien (HONDA CIVIC R3)
76  CHARDONNET Sébastien/DE LA HAYE Thibault (RENAULT CLIO R3)
77  REBILLY Jean Michel/OBRECHT Justin (CITROEN DS3 R3T)
78  FONTAINE Christophe/COLAS Yvon (RENAULT CLIO R3)
79  DELLA CASA Federico/MENCHINI Marco (CITROEN DS3 R3T)
80  LATOUR Bertrand/DELCAMBRE Jean Christophe (CITROEN DS3 R3T)
81  IHLE Wolf D./HARLOFF Claudia (CITROEN DS3 R3T)
82  SIAS Franck/BARICHELLA Tony (PEUGEOT 207 R3T)
83  BECT Fabrice/LAMBERT Mathieu (CITROEN DS3 R3T)
84  PANCIATICI Nelson/PADOVANI René (CITROEN DS3 R3T)
85  REBILLY Jérôme/BEYLOUNI Romain (CITROEN DS3 R3T)
86  RIBERI Bruno/HAUT LABOURDETTE Florian (PEUGEOT 207 R3T)
87  BACLE Olivier/GALPIN Julie (CITROEN C2R2)
88  POUTOT Renaud/VIRAGH Ludovic (FORD FIESTA R2)
89  METIFFIOT Stéphane/METIFFIOT Franck (CITROEN C2R2)
90  ESPOSITO Rodolfo/GROSJEAN Julien (FORD FIESTA R2)
91  ALTHAUS Cédric/NICOLIER Nathalie (FORD FIESTA R2)
92  DROXLER Sylvain/RACINE Sébastien (FORD FIESTA R2)
93  GATTI Jean Pierre/CHAGOT Bertrand (PEUGEOT 206 XS)
94  CALVEL Pascal/VERRIER Jean Marc (RENAULT CLIO)
95  RADA Martin/JUGAS Jaroslav (ALFA ROMEO 147)
96  CAMBON Daniel/CAMBON Valérie (RENAULT CLIO)
97  FOSTIER Romain/ABCHICHE Ophélie (SUZUKI SWIFT)
98  PALMERO Jean Paul/PASTORINO Mattia (SUZUKI SWIFT)
99  BERTON Charlotte/DEROUSSEAUX Cathy (SUZUKI SWIFT)
100  PETIET Cédric/AMOROS Cédric (RENAULT TWINGO R1)

Monte Carlo Rally

Interview with Craig Breen - Pre Monte

Posted: December 31, 2011 11:45 AM

PIERRE CAMPANA CONFIRMED FOR MONTE-CARLO RALLY WITH MINI

Posted: December 31, 2011 11:29 AM

French rally star Pierre Campana has this week been confirmed as part of MINI’s entry in the 2012 Monte Carlo rally, which takes place in January.

Pierre has been chosen as a result of his performances driving the MINI John Cooper Works WRC in 2011 and will be part of a two-car team to tackle the legendary rally alongside Dani Sordo.

The news comes following a fantastic year for the Corsican having won half of all rallies he has contested in a MINI John Cooper Works WRC car with French squad Drive-Pro, including participation in two World Rally Championship rounds in Germany and France-Alsace.

Such is Pierre’s natural rallying prowess, the French automotive sport federation (FFSA) made him the figurehead for their Rally Team France in the second half of 2011.

Pierre Campana:
“I am thrilled to have been selected by MINI to join their squad for Monte-Carlo following our achievements this year. It is a rally I know well and enjoy. I won the 2WD class last year, so I am pleased to bring my experience and to showcase my abilities on such a competitive event. I have enjoyed my time driving the MINI John Cooper Works WRC car in WRC and French championship events this year with Drive-Pro and together with the French Federation support, and I am honoured to be able to continue my association with this tremendous manufacturer into 2012 with this Monte Carlo participation.”

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Posted: December 16, 2011 5:59 PM

Petter Solberg


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Posted: October 26, 2011 2:46 PM

Monte Carlo Rally