France (S,A) - 29 Sep-2 Oct 11

McCormack Makes World Rally Championship Debut

Posted: January 26, 2013 9:23 PM

Recently crowned British Rally Championship F2 winners Marty McCormack and Dave Moynihan in the Sainte?loc Citroe?n DS3 showed their pace on the recent WRC Rally de France Alsace by setting fastest R3 times on 16 of the 23 special stages of the 350 km event.

The eight stages totalling 150km on day one was nearly a clean sweep for McCormack – setting fastest times on all but the ‘Pays d'Ormont 2’ stage where a puncture forced the crew to carry out a rapid tyre change on stage. Indeed the change, done in less than two minutes, saw the crew only drop 1min 46secs on their first run through the 36km stage. At overnight service the crew still led R3 but their dominant lead had been cut to just under one minute.

Day two brought another scorcher of a day and a scorching start for McCormack with the first three of the morning stages taking their lead of R3 to nearly two minutes and well in front of the clutch of WRC Academy Fiestas who were finding the dry tarmac well suited to their cars. However on the last stage of the morning another puncture dropped both of the minutes gained and, at the lunchtime service McCormack had fallen behind the similar DS3 of Swiss WRC regular, Michael Burri. McCormack said ‘I have to hold my hand up. I wrote a wrong note in the recce and it came back to haunt me today. I clipped the front corner and took the tyre out. Such is the level of intensity in these events, you just can’t afford errors like that’. The day finished with two more fastest times however a stone in the power steering pump forced McCormack and Moynihan to get the spanners out on a road section to effect a repair. The ensuing time loss cost a whopping 3min 10secs in penalties and pushed the crew down the standings to third in R3.

Day three started with damp and slightly foggy conditions but as the fog lifted so did McCormack’s pace, setting five out of eight fastest times despite nursing a brake repair which gave him a rear wheel cylinder to operate the front brakes. Not enough to regain the seven minutes lost over the three days but enough to consolidate third place in R3 and 19th overall. McCormack commented ‘We came here to learn and find out how our pace compares to both the WRC regulars and the French nationals who are doing the same stages. We have been pleasantly surprised to find ourselves setting times faster than both. What has surprised us is the level of detail and concentration required not just on the rally but in the preparation both for the crew and the team. It has been Sainte?loc’s first WRC and they have been superb’

Nicolas Bernardi, Team Manager for Sainte?loc, who were running both the WRC entry of McCormack and the French Championship cars of Cedric Robert and Mathieu Arzeno said:
‘We have seen Marty progressively increase his pace and to drive around problems sympathetically yet very, very quickly. I think they also deserve a prize for the fastest wheel change we have heard of! Having also had a national win for Mathieu and with Cedric leading the F2 championship we are looking forward to a good finish to the season and are very optimistic for 2012’

EVANS BREAKS FIESTA R2 RECORD WITH BEST EVER WRC FINISH

Posted: January 26, 2013 9:21 PM

The Ford Fiesta R2 claimed its best ever finish in the FIA World Rally Championship at last weekend’s Rallye de France.

Elfyn Evans, former Kick Energy Fiesta SportTrophy UK and Ireland champion, piloted his Pirelli-supported Gwyndaf Evans Motorsport Fiesta R2 to an impressive 16th place overall to be top 2WD car and took the victory in Class 6.

Out of the 64 cars that entered the 11th round of the WRC, 36 were Ford cars. Ford won the R2 class, the Super 2000 World Rally Championship (S-WRC) with the Fiesta S2000 and the Ford Fiesta RS WRC claimed seven fastest stage times including five out of six stage wins on the event’s final day.

France marked only the second time that 22-year-old Evans has competed outside the UK.

Elfyn Evans said:
“France was my first experience competing on asphalt outside the UK and I’m delighted to have finished 16th overall. I was happy with my pace against the FIA WRC Academy drivers and we set some fastest stage times whilst competing with those guys which felt really good. The car was going really well too and we had no problems. I’m just delighted to have left my third WRC event and first rally on asphalt outside the UK with such a good result.”

Fisher claims maiden WRC Academy Cup win in France

Posted: January 26, 2013 7:26 PM

Alastair Fisher has claimed his first victory in the WRC Academy Cup following a hugely impressive performance on the Rally of France (September 29-October 1). Co-driven by Daniel Barritt, Fisher completed the 17 stages that made up the WRC Academy Cup section of the event on Saturday evening in a strong second position but was promoted to first place when Yeray Lemes was handed a time penalty for twice being caught speeding on public roads, which is against the championship’s sporting regulations.

Fisher’s victory plus the three bonus points he scored for claiming three fastest stage times means he has climbed to fourth in the drivers’ standings with one event remaining, next month’s Wales Rally GB.

“This wasn’t the way I wanted to claim my first victory in the WRC Academy Cup victory but after all the bad luck I’ve had this year it was nice to get some good luck for a change,” said the 23-year-old from Trillick in County Tyrone. “I came to this rally with the aim of finishing on the podium and didn’t want to take too many risks because this is a really tough event. Leaving here with a win is a big bonus and if we can get a good run and show good pace on Rally GB then there’s every chance we can finish runner-up in the championship, which would be a great result.” Fisher and his 15 WRC Academy Cup rivals faced 17 asphalt stages over a competitive distance of 184 miles in the Alsace region of France. The event was held in warm and dry conditions in front of thousands of spectators. Several stages were streamed live on the World Rally Championship’s official website, WRC.com, with Fisher’s run through the final stage in Mulhouse show as it happened.

“In terms of the stages this wasn’t the best rally I’ve done this year but in terms of results and my speed this is definitely one of the best rallies so far,” said the Northern Irishman. “I was setting top three stage times consistently, which was the objective before the start. It’s also a great way to prepare for Rally of Scotland.” The Scottish event, the penultimate round of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge, takes place in Perth from October 7-9. Fisher will step up from the R2-specification Ford Fiesta to a Super 2000 version of the car for the gravel event.

“We might be switching from Tarmac to gravel for Scotland but I head there full of confidence and with a good rhythm after my result in France,” said Fisher. “I’ll be going there aiming to produce another strong performance.”

UPDATE: Hirvonen heads world title race after dramatic finale in France

Posted: January 26, 2013 7:22 PM

Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team drivers Mikko Hirvonen and Jarmo Lehtinen are tied for the lead of the FIA World Rally Championship following a dramatic turn of events after the finish of Rallye de France today.

The Finns finished round 11 of the series in fourth place in a Ford Fiesta RS World Rally Car, to leave them just three points from the head of the championship. However, Petter Solberg was this evening excluded from third after his car was found to be under weight, promoting Ford’s 31-year-old Finnish driver onto the podium of the asphalt event.

The additional points mean Hirvonen is tied for the lead of the drivers’ championship with Sébastien Loeb, who retired from the rally in Friday’s opening leg with engine problems. Just three points cover the leading trio, with two rounds remaining in Spain later this month and in Britain next month.

“It’s unfortunate to inherit a position due to a rival’s misfortune, but at this stage of the season every point counts,” said Hirvonen. “We’ll go to the next round in Spain as joint leaders of the championship and with just two rounds remaining, the fight for the title is truly wide open. I aim to be on top form in Spain and an exciting conclusion to the year is in prospect. I can’t wait!”

Solberg’s exclusion promoted Ford Abu Dhabi’s Jari-Matti Latvala and Miikka Anttila to fourth in another Fiesta RS World Rally Car. Latvala lies fourth in the points table.

NORWEGIANS HEAD STOBART CHARGE AFTER DRAMATIC RALLYE DE FRANCE

Posted: January 26, 2013 7:21 PM

M-Sport Stobart Ford’s Norwegian contingent of Henning Solberg and Mads Østberg successfully finished Rally de France in seventh and eighth place in their Ford Fiesta RS World Rally Cars. Team-mate Matthew Wilson finished 11th.

The Cumbria-based squad travelled to Strasbourg, claimed by many as the “capital of Europe”, to contest 23 stages covering 337 km in their Ford Fiesta RS World Rally Cars. The drivers were greeted with glorious sunshine for the majority of the 11th round of the WRC where temperatures soared as high as 30 degrees Celsius. However, dew and cooler mornings meant that tyre choice provided an added challenge as the crews had to choose either hard or soft compound Michelin Pilot Sport tyres.

Friday’s tricky technical stages saw a number of WRC crews drop by the wayside including seven-time World Rally Champion Sebastien Loeb and former Formula One Champion Kimi Raikkonen but the four M-Sport Stobart crews made it through a difficult opening day to maintain two top ten positions.

Recently-crowned Norwegian Rally Champions Mads Østberg and Jonas Andersson were lying fifth after the opening loop. The pair slipped back to eighth after a left-rear puncture during Stage 7 cost them over a minute but were pleased to finish a difficult day only 13.7 seconds adrift of seventh place.

Regular M-Sport Stobart team-mates Henning Solberg and Austrian co-driver Ilka Minor reported difficulties after opting for the softer compound Michelin Pilot Sport tyres for the day’s opening stages. Harder compound tyres were fitted to the driver’s Ford Fiesta RS WRC before the repeat loop and Solberg moved up to tenth going into Day 2.

Britain’s Matthew Wilson and Scott Martin were 15th after Friday despite difficulties with power steering and finding a good rhythm. The duo changed for hard compound tyres for the afternoon which helped but Wilson was unable to challenge for more competitive stage times due to lack of confidence in the car.

Evgeny Novikov and French co-driver Denis Giraudet suffered from a puncture 23 km into the lengthy 36 km Pays d’Ormont stage [Stage 3] which cost them over a minute. A drama-free afternoon followed and the Russian driver was placed 11th overnight.

Saturday saw the M-Sport Stobart crews travel south to the Haut-Rhin region where Novikov collided with a hay bale on Stage 11. Significant front-right damage to the driver’s Ford Fiesta RS WRC meant the 21-year-old Russian was forced to call it a day.

Solberg had a clear run through Saturday’s stages reporting only a small issue with overheating brakes and a near miss with a wild pig during Stage 12. The Norwegian driver was 16.8 seconds adrift of seventh place going into the final day.

Østberg had an unlucky morning when he suffered from a slow puncture at the start of Stage 12 and dropped back to tenth. Stage 13 saw the Scandinavian driver run wide and lose time when his wheel rim was filled with mud. Two top five stage times, however, were a consolation and the four-time Norwegian Rally Champion finished the day ninth, 50.8 seconds behind Solberg.

Steering issues returned for Wilson for the majority of Saturday’s stages but the 24-year-old successfully climbed the WRC leaderboard to finish the second day in 12th position.

On Saturday evening Wilson’s team softened the car and altered the set-up ahead of Sunday’s closing stages. The changes made were immediately apparent as Wilson set two top five stage times including a fifth-fastest time during the rally’s closing Power Stage. Despite a difficult weekend, the British driver is now feeling confident ahead of Spain after finding an asphalt set-up on the Ford Fiesta RS WRC he is happy with.

Sunday proved relatively trouble-free for both Østberg and Solberg who took advantage of Armindo Araujo who crashed out on Stage 18 to move up into seventh and eighth place. Three top five stages followed for Østberg including a third fastest time on Stage 19. A front-right puncture for the Norwegian driver on the closing Power Stage dashed his hopes for extra points but the 23-year-old pulled into the final service pleased with his increased pace on asphalt.

Novikov returned for the final day of action at Rallye de France under SupeRally regulations to finish the event 24th overall.

Mads Østberg said:
“I am very pleased with how this weekend has gone. We lost over three minutes with slow punctures on the first two days and then we had a front-right puncture on the last stage so that is a little frustrating. During some of the stages I felt I could really push and I enjoyed today and yesterday when we were feeling good in the car. Today has been an especially positive day as I’m happy with the pace we’ve been setting. I think it’s important to get a good feeling in the car before another asphalt round and we’ve certainly noticed some big improvements this weekend. I have to say that I’m pleased with my progress driving on asphalt and I’m looking forward to Spain to see if I can improve some more.”

Henning Solberg said:
“I am pleased with my position but I’ve not been so happy with my speed on some of the stages. I didn’t have a safety crew and with a lot of metal poles on the side of the road it is very difficult to know where they are or when they have been removed. I tried to push in the Power Stage but the roads were very slippery so I didn’t want to risk too much and go off the road like I did in Australia. I think I have found a good set-up in the car now – we’ve done a lot of experimenting and I’ve seen an improvement with my driving on asphalt. I’m looking forward to getting out to Spain and I will try to get back into the top five or six.”

Matthew Wilson said:
“It’s been a difficult weekend but we’ve had a good final day after the team made some small changes to the car last night. We did nothing too drastic but softened everything and we’ve been able to lean on the car a lot more which has helped with grip. When things don’t feel right it’s really difficult to have the confidence you need and I think that was one of the main problems we had on the first two days. The changes we made last night have made a big difference and I’ve found that I’ve been driving much better today. I think I’ve found a good set-up now and we will leave the car as it is for Spain so that we can be more competitive over there.”

Evgeny Novikov said:
“It is good news to be here and to have made it to the end of my second rally this year but for sure, it would have been better if it wasn’t under SupeRally. Yesterday we crashed into a chicane in the middle of the road and couldn’t get the car going again because of the damage from the impact. The team worked hard to fix the car yesterday and we had a good set-up today. We had to wait over an hour before the Power Stage and because it was a short stage it was hard to get the heat back into the tyres. I would have liked to have pushed more on that stage but I am happy with how today has gone.”

Ogier wins, Citroen stays in front

Posted: January 26, 2013 7:19 PM

Se?bastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia did not make any mistakes in the Sunday morning sprint on the final day of Rally France Alsace, and gave the Citroe?n Total World Rally Team its ninth victory in the eleven rallies run so far this season. This win has helped the French team maintain its comfortable lead in the Manufacturers’ World Championship. On the other hand, the positions in the Drivers’ Championship title chase have closed up as only three points now separate Se?bastien Loeb, Mikko Hirvonen and Se?bastien Ogier.

Compared to the two long stages on Friday and Saturday the third day of Rally France Alsace was a sprint. The crews left the Strasbourg parc ferme? at 6h20 and covered two loops of three stages without a service halt. The leg measured only 42 kilometers and looked like a stroll in the park, despite which Se?bastien Ogier knew that he couldn’t afford to lift off until the finish as his lead over Dani Sordo was less than ten seconds.

The first stage was in the Bischwiller gravel pit posing a singular challenge as the first half was run on gravel. Ogier lost 3 seconds to Sordo on the 5,52-km eighteenth stage.
“We hesitated for a long time about our tyre choice in the service park and finally we opted for hard rubber,” explained the Citroe?n driver. “We knew that I’d lose time in Bischwiller but our choice was better adapted to the summer conditions we would meet further on.”

It was the right way to go as the DS3 WRC driver was on equal footing with his rivals in the following stages. Ogier held on to his short lead over Sordo and then set the fastest time in the Cleebourg vines (SS22).

The rally ended with the Power Stage in the streets of Haguenau. The Citroe?n Total World Rally Team driver set the third-quickest time scoring an extra point:
“Our decision to go for hard tyres didn’t pay off as we spent a lot of time in the regrouping park before the stage. I finally set off on completely cold tyres and I wasn’t able to do any better.”

By scoring 26 points in this rally Ogier is back among the front-runners in the Drivers’ World Championship:
“It’s been a very long rally as I carried the responsibility for the whole team on my shoulders. I’m just happy to be able to relax. Obviously, this victory means a lot to me from a personal point of view. Five wins in a season is already a pretty good achievement. I’d like to thank the team which gave me a perfect car. Congratulations also to Dani Sordo; he drove really well all weekend and it wasn’t easy to beat him.”

Fre?de?ric Banzet, the Automobiles Citroe?n General Manager was also delighted that the French make had won its home rally again:
“Se?bastien Loeb was unlucky and it’s great that Se?bastien Ogier was able to take up where he left off and win. The end of the season is going to be a bit stressful, as our aim is still to win the two championships. We’ve made another step towards the manufacturers’ title as our main rival reduced our lead by only two points.”

VICTORY FOR TÄNAK THROWS S-WRC TITLE WIDE OPEN

Posted: January 26, 2013 7:15 PM

Ford Fiesta S2000 driver Ott Tänak has strengthened his chances of winning the S-WRC title at the championship’s finale later this month with his stunning victory at this weekend’s Rallye de France.

The 23-year-old led the penultimate round of the S-WRC at the end of the first day and finished two minutes and 33.7 seconds ahead of his closest competitor. Fellow Fiesta S2000 driver Martin Prokop secured a second podium spot for Ford after he finished third, only seven seconds behind Eyvind Brynildsen.

Tänak’s third victory in the S-WRC has slashed Juho Hanninen’s lead over the Estonian from 18 points to three and has set the scene for a thrilling championship title fight at the final event of the season – Rally Catalunya.

Ford Fiesta S2000 drivers Bernardo Sousa and wildcard entry Julien Maurin finished fourth and sixth respectively. Sousa’s fourth-place finish this weekend has promoted the 24-year-old to fourth overall in the standings.

After suffering from a heavy crash in Hungary last month, Frigyes Turan was unable to continue after the opening day of Rallye de France due to medical reasons. Qatar’s Nasser Al-Attiyah was unable to finish the seventh round of the S-WRC after retiring on Saturday due to a mechanical problem.

Ott Tänak
S-WRC position: 1
Final position: 12


Markko Märtin’s protégé Ott Tänak got off to a flying start after he won the rally’s opening stage but a front-right puncture on Stage 2 dropped the young driver back to second. Stage 3, however, saw Tänak take advantage of Juho Hanninen’s misfortune and the young Estonian moved into the lead where he remained for the rest of the event. At the end of Friday’s eight stages, the Ford Fiesta S2000 driver had racked up five stage wins and was leading S-WRC by over a minute.

A further five stage wins followed for Tänak on Saturday and the driver continued to lead the S-WRC throughout the day. At the end of the second day, Tänak had extended his lead in the S-WRC to over two minutes and was placed 12th overall.

The final day of Rallye de France saw Tänak adopt a cautious driving approach in order to consolidate his lead in the category and the driver pulled into the final service in Strasbourg leading the S-WRC by just under three minutes.

Ott Tänak said:
“Apart from the puncture on Friday and the scare we had after a spin yesterday we had a good run this weekend. We had a good lead after the first day but we needed to stay focused in order to keep our car out of trouble. We saw a lot of incidents over the weekend and the most important thing was to keep in front of everyone and to get the points for the championship. Now we have only rally to go in the S-WRC and for sure, it will be a big battle as I think I have a good feeling on asphalt now. Maybe the battle wasn’t so big here but it definitely will be in Spain and we will be fighting to the end.”

Martin Prokop
S-WRC position: 3
Final position: 15

Former Junior World Rally Champion Martin Prokop was unhappy with the set-up on his Ford Fiesta S2000 for the majority of Friday’s stages but despite this the Czech driver held third in S-WRC overnight – only 8.8 seconds behind Brynildsen in second.

The second day of Rallye de France saw the battle for second place continue but Brynildsen edged ahead to finish the day 9.8 seconds ahead of Prokop.

Day 3 saw Prokop’s hopes of catching Brynildsen slip out of his reach. An S-WRC stage win on the rally’s penultimate stage saw Prokop narrow the gap but the closing Power Stage proved too short a distance and the driver had to settle for third. Prokop’s performance still gives him a mathematical chance of winning the S-WRC but with 17 points now separating the Czech driver and the championship leader, Prokop’s hopes of winning the S-WRC title look challenging.

Martin Prokop said:
“I think I’ve lost the championship this weekend. I was pushing like hell to try and get ahead of Brynildsen today but there just wasn’t enough distance to edge ahead. There is still a mathematical chance that I could win but I would need to win 17 points in Spain and for Hanninen and Tanak to crash out which I don’t think will happen! I wasn’t feeling confident on Friday at all - we had the wrong set-up in the car and it was the worst day I’ve had in a long time.”

Bernardo Sousa
S-WRC position: 4
Final position: 16


Portugal’s Bernardo Sousa had an unfortunate start when he overshot a junction on Stage 2, struck a post and went off the road into a ditch. Shortly afterwards Sousa rolled his Ford Fiesta S2000 causing rear left and roof damage but the determined driver battled on and held fifth in S-WRC overnight.

Sousa lost time on Saturday morning with a puncture but three top two stage times followed and the driver moved up to fourth in S-WRC going into the final day.

The final day of Rallye de France saw a trouble-free day for the reigning Portuguese Rally Champion and Sousa pulled into the end of day service after a difficult rally with 12 well-deserved championship points.

Bernardo Sousa said:
“It’s been a difficult weekend but I’ve made it to the end and with some good experience driving on asphalt. I know that I can’t move any further up the standings as there’s too much of a gap between myself and Prokop. I still look forward to competing in Spain for the experience and I will just try to enjoy the stages and find a good pace. It’s been a good year in the S-WRC – I finished eighth last year and, for sure, fourth is a big improvement.”

MINI WRC Team on pace to take second in France.

Posted: January 26, 2013 7:13 PM

Second for the MINI WRC Team in Rally France-Alsace is a result it is justifiably proud of on only its fourth event of the 2011 season. Dani Sordo (ES) and Carlos del Barrio (ES) took the fight down to the wire with just 6.3secs separating the number 37 MINI John Cooper Works WRC and the Citroen of Sébastien Ogier (FR) at the finish in Strasbourg this afternoon.

At no point over the three days and 340 kilometres of competition did Sordo give up his fight for the lead he held going into day two. He started the final day 9.5secs behind the Citroen, and from the first of the six stages was trying to claw back the time. Tyre choice was critical, with the soft Michelins used by Sordo instantly proving the right choice. On the first stage of the day (SS18) Sordo took 3.1secs off Ogier to then be just 6.4secs down. This trend continued on SS19 on which Sordo was quickest, and reduced the gap to 4.9 secs. On SS20 it was honours even with them both posting the same time, however, on the re-run of the first stage Ogier was 11 seconds quicker than before, and Sordo lost a second to him. On the penultimate stage the gap was 6.7secs, and then on the Power Stage Sordo posted the second quickest time behind the Ford of Jari-Matti Latvala (FI). Unfortunately after the accident yesterday the number 52 MINI John Cooper Works WRC of Kris Meeke (GB) and Paul Nagle (IR) was not able to start the last day of the rally.

David Richards, Team Principal:
“Yesterday we could have so easily have settled for a secure second place but that’s not our style and I’m so proud that Dani was able to challenge for victory right to the end. On this occasion we will therefore celebrate a second place and give the entire team a big pat on the back, particularly Dani Sordo. He managed to keep the pressure on Sébastien Ogier throughout the entire rally, and he’s certainly laid down a marker for his home event in Spain.”

Dave Wilcock, Technical Director:
“Second is an absolutely stunning result for the MINI John Cooper Works WRC. Being just 6.3secs behind Sébastien Ogier clearly shows we were on the pace and, after our fourth rally, being in this position has made us all delighted. It’s been a stunning effort from the team, and especially the crew. Dani drove a faultless rally. He had no punctures, the Michelin tyres were absolutely perfect throughout and never once did we ever have any issues with tyre degradation. This morning we made a tactical decision to take the soft tyre option due to the damp and moist conditions, and knowing that the first stage, which was repeated, had two kilometres of gravel. It was completely the right choice. Then in the power stage to take two WRC drivers’ points and finish in front of Ogier was fantastic for MINI. This is a great position to be in going to Dani’s home event in Spain. We have a lot of work to do before then, but we shall be trying everything we can to repeat this performance there, if not make it a step higher on the podium!”

Dani Sordo:
“As you can imagine I am really, really happy to finish in second position. It is an incredible result for the team so thank you to them and also to Carlos who has been great all rally. I think no-one here expected this before the rally, but we were fighting for the victory and at the end were just 6.3 seconds behind Sébastien Ogier. When you set good stage times as we have here in France, you always enjoy it. Before our first event we did not expect to be doing so well so soon. I am very pleased to be going to my home event in Spain in this position. The car was set-up well here, so I am confident it will be the same in Spain.”

Hirvonen climbs into midst of world championship title battle

Posted: January 26, 2013 7:12 PM

Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team drivers Mikko Hirvonen and Jarmo Lehtinen moved to within three points of the FIA World Rally Championship lead after a dramatic 11th round in France this weekend. The Finns finished fourth in Rallye de France in a Ford Fiesta RS World Rally Car, to set up a thrilling title battle with just three points covering three drivers, with two rounds remaining.

Team-mates and fellow countrymen Jari-Matti Latvala and Miikka Anttila finished fifth in another Fiesta RS WRC. They showed the great team spirit within the Ford Abu Dhabi squad by sacrificing fourth place for themselves to boost Hirvonen’s points tally and help his quest for a maiden world title.

Strasbourg, capital of the Alsace region in north-east France, hosted the rally for a second year. Drivers tackled 23 speed tests covering 337.43km over asphalt roads in the Vosges mountains and the region’s vineyards, and two crowd-pleasing street tests in the towns of Mulhouse and Haguenau.

Temperatures climbed to 28ºC during the three-day rally, although low-early morning mercury levels ensured damp patches lingered under the trees in woodland area. The Ford drivers opted for a mixture of soft and hard compound Michelin Pilot Sport tyres, which delivered a strong performance in conditions ranging from clean asphalt to dirt and gravel-covered roads.

Hirvonen and Latvala both dropped time on the opening morning after sliding off the road. Hirvonen lost 50sec when he clipped a bank and the impact pulled the front left tyre off the wheel rim. Latvala slid wide onto a grassy area and became stuck, losing 80sec as spectators pushed his car back onto the road. They ended the day with Latvala in fifth and Hirvonen in sixth.

However, the focus of the team’s strategy switched from chasing outright results to concentrating on Hirvonen’s title hopes following the retirement of series leader Sébastien Loeb with a broken engine. It meant Hirvonen could propel himself back into the title fight with a solid points finish and the 31-year-old measured his pace and adopted a risk-free policy.

Latvala and Hirvonen climbed to fourth and fifth during the second leg, and maintained their positions during the final day until shortly before the final live TV Power Stage in Haguenau. Latvala checked into a regroup early, incurring a two minute penalty which allowed Hirvonen to move ahead and claim valuable extra points to reduce the gap from 15 points to three.

“Who would have thought four weeks ago we would be where we are now in the championship?” said Hirvonen. “The battle ended on Friday when I made a mistake and Loeb retired. After that I knew it was all about points, but it was difficult to find a rhythm because I was driving cautiously to finish. If I had made a mistake I would have looked silly, as my title challenge would have been over.

“I owe Jari-Matti a big thank you. Again he proved what a superb team player he is. There’s no more room for error over the final two rounds and it should be a great end to the championship,” he said.

Latvala won five of today’s six speed tests, and claimed maximum bonus points by winning the Power Stage. The 26-year-old was delighted with his pace on his least-favourite surface. “If I want to be a good asphalt driver, then I must learn and this is the day that I learned and raised my pace. We’ve made progress since the last asphalt round in Germany and I’m increasingly confident with the car.

“It was my best performance on asphalt. I made some mistakes and I wasn’t consistent enough, so I still I need to sustain pace and consistency for the whole rally, but it’s just about fine-tuning. I was hesitant on asphalt before but I’m not afraid of it any more. Being a Finn and being good on asphalt isn’t easy, but I’m getting better and better,” explained Latvala.

Abu Dhabi’s Khalid Al Qassimi and Michael Orr finished 13th in the team’s other Fiesta RS WRC.
“It was hard to find my speed but this is my first asphalt rally for a year, my first asphalt rally in the Fiesta RS WRC and using Michelin’s tyres, so to finish is a good result,” said Al Qassimi.

Ford Abu Dhabi team director Malcolm Wilson was encouraged by the pace of the Fiesta RS WRC.
“We didn’t get the result we wanted, but the real positive was Jari-Matti’s performance. We made some set-up changes after Germany which gave him confidence and he won seven stages. We leave here with Mikko just three points from the lead, and the title race is wide open again,” he said.

Ford of Europe motorsport chief Gerard Quinn was delighted with Latvala’s drive. “He did a superb job, dispelling any doubts about our asphalt pace, and for the second rally in succession helped put the team back in the title battle. This result has put a new perspective on the final two rallies in Spain and Britain, which we’re very much looking forward to,” he said.

News from other Ford teams

FERM Power Tools pair Dennis Kuipers / Frederic Miclotte claimed a career-best sixth in a Fiesta RS WRC. M-Sport Stobart Ford drivers Henning Solberg / Ilka Minor were seventh, with team-mates Mads Østberg / Jonas Andersson one place behind. Monster World Rally Team’s Ken Block / Alex Gelsomino were ninth, their best result of the season, with M-Sport Stobart Ford’s Matthew Wilson / Scott Martin in 11th and Evgeny Novikov / Denis Giraudet in 24th. Ott Tänak / Kuldar Sikk won the SWRC support category in a Ford Fiesta S2000, and the Estonians lie three points behind the leader with just one round remaining.

RECORD-BREAKING SIXTH POSITION FOR DENNIS KUIPERS

Posted: January 26, 2013 7:10 PM

Dennis Kuipers has made history after finishing sixth at Rallye de France Alsace in the Ford Fiesta RS WRC. It is the best performance of a Dutch driver ever in the FIA World Rally Championship.

“I’m really excited with this result”, says the driver of the FERM Power Tools World Rally Team. “In Germany we were already very fast, but to finish sixth here is beyond my wildest dreams. We have also just been awarded the Abu Dhabi Spirit of the Rally Award which is the icing on the cake!”

Together with his Belgian co-driver Frederic Miclotte the Dutch driver set a second fastest time on Stage 18 - the best ever stage time for a Dutch driver. In this early stage on Sunday morning the FERM driver pushed forward to leave the competition behind.

“We worked hard this year to improve our skills and today’s result shows that we have made good progress”, says Miclotte. “This is without a doubt our best rally so far. But of course we still need to continue to improve.”

“This sixth position is a real team effort”, concludes Kuipers. Kuipers has secured himself eight drivers’ points after this weekend’s stunning performance and the FERM World Rally Team have secured ten extra points in the Manufacturers’ Championship.

Team Manager Malcolm Wilson said:
“Dennis and Fred’s fantastic result at Rallye de France is very well deserved. The pair have worked extremely hard this year and their pace this weekend has been reflected in their continued effort over the course of the season. It is also great to see Dennis awarded with the Abu Dhabi Spirit of the Rally Award in France – it is a prize which is presented to those who have made an outstanding contribution or achievement for each rally and I think it is very apt that Dennis is presented with the prestigious award for this event.”

FISHER CLAIMS MAIDEN FIA WRC ACADEMY CUP WIN IN FRANCE

Posted: January 26, 2013 6:56 PM

Alistair Fisher has claimed his first win in the Pirelli-backed WRC Academy on the Rallye de France Alsace: the penultimate round of the young driver-training series. Co-driven by fellow Briton Daniel Barritt, Fisher was declared the winner after Yeray Lemes was handed a five-minute penalty after the event for his second speeding offence on a road section. Lemes – who has been selected to drive Volkswagen Motorsport’s Skoda Fabia S2000 on the Rally of Spain next month – took the lead on stage 10, after Craig Breen went off.

The WRC Academy aims to teach drivers about every aspect of competition at the top level of the sport, by offering training in all the skills needed to become a complete professional – including tyre choice and use.

The 16 Academy drivers who started the Rallye de France were allowed to use a maximum of 18 tyres on the event, out of the 16 P Zero RX5 tyres and 12 P Zero RE7 available to each crew. The RX5 is a hard compound designed for warm and dry conditions, which characterised the Rallye de France, held in temperatures of up to 30 degrees centigrade. The RE7 tyre is by contrast a soft compound, for rain or cold conditions – which were experienced during some of the early morning stages in France. However, the RX5 tyre also proved to be effective in these marginal conditions.

The challenges on the rally this year were extremely varied, with overnight humidity making the roads slippery in the mornings, plus plenty of stones and loose gravel as well as rocks littering the stages, caused by cars cutting the corners. In an attempt to stop this happening the rally organisers had placed metal poles on the apexes of the corners, but this actually created an extra difficulty. The poles were often knocked over by earlier runners, exposing sharp metal for the WRC Academy drivers to run over.

Despite this, only three of the WRC Academy competitors picked up punctures caused by the poles, on a rally that proved extremely tough on tyres for the leading runners. Temperatures tended to climb rapidly during the afternoons, meaning that the tyres had to perform effectively under a very wide range of asphalt conditions. The demands of the Rallye de France ensured that the main contenders for the inaugural WRC Academy title both hit trouble, so the championship will now only be decided on the final round in Great Britain on gravel.

The highest-placed of the six Pirelli Star Drivers, selected by an international jury last year, was Australia’s Molly Taylor, who claimed her best finish of the year in fourth.

Pirelli senior engineer Matteo Braga said:
“For us, it’s very important that our young drivers learn as much as possible, and France certainly provided them with a very strict education. We deliberately reduced the rubber allocation by two tyres compared to the previous round, in order to accustom our drivers to consider carefully how to best match their selection to each loop of stages. The parameters here were extremely complex, forcing them to think on their feet and concentrate on how to get the best out of our tyres. Despite some of the most wide-ranging asphalt conditions that we have ever encountered, our tyres demonstrated both performance and consistency, enabling us to look forward to a thrilling championship finale.”

Pirelli is the official tyre supplier to the WRC Academy, which pitches 16 young hopefuls together on six WRC events on asphalt and gravel. They drive identical Ford Fiesta R2s prepared by the British M-Sport organisation in Poland. The WRC Academy Cup concludes on the Rally Great Britain, an all-gravel event based in Wales from 10-13 November. With rain and mud expected on what has traditionally been an extremely successful event for Pirelli, thanks to seven overall wins in the last 10 years, the conditions could not provide a bigger contrast to the stages in Alsace.

Heartbreak for Breen on WRC France after Inspirational Start

Posted: January 26, 2013 6:54 PM

Craig Breen said he won't give up on winning the inaugural WRC Academy Cup despite missing out on a gilt-edged opportunity to close the gap to title leader Egon Kaur on Rallye de France Alsace. “It’s going to be a tall order [to win the title] now but there are 18 stages on [Wales] Rally GB and 18 points up for grabs [in addition to the 25 we could get for winning] so we’ll be giving it our all,” Breen told WRC.com. “It’s disappointing that we’re out but, not wishing to sound cocky, I’ve proved I’m the fastest driver here in France and I hope to get the recognition for that.”

With Kaur retiring on Friday morning, Irishman Breen was well placed to cut his Estonian rival’s advantage. Breen, who took his first win on the previous round in Germany, held an overnight lead of 24 seconds after setting the pace on day-one. The Irish driver lost 7 seconds to Yeray Lemes [Spain] as the rally resumed on Saturday morning on special stage nine. The pair were neck and neck on the splits through stage ten when Breen crashed out one kilometre from the end. Breen, who is part of the Pirelli Star Driver programme, explained his off was the result of a pace note error:
“I’ve made a hell of a lot of mistakes in my career but this time Gareth [Roberts] was a wee bit late with the note for a slow left corner. We went into a bank and broke the driveshaft.”

Breen made a cautious start on Friday morning as round five of the season got underway recording 9th fastest time, 9.8 seconds down on Spanish driver Yeray Lemes. The Irish driver however hit back over stages two and three and four to set fastest stage times to overhaul his Spanish rival and take a 26.3 sec lead into midday service. Breen’s morning’s work was further enhanced with the news that championship leader Egon Kaur crashing out on stage three, handing a tremendous opportunity to close the gap to his rival with one round remaining. In the Friday midday service Craig said,
“It’s a shame what happened to Egon, we were in exactly the same position in Sardinia earlier this season, we retired early on the Friday so we have to keep in mind that anything can happen. We are keeping a quite steady pace and not pushing overly hard.”

The Waterford driver continued to set the pace as the afternoon action resumed with stage five, Breen again topped the times extending his lead to 31.8

He was temporary slowed on stage six when his Fiesta R2 sustained a puncture, six Kilometres from the end. Lemes took advantage of Breen’s bad luck, cutting the Irish driver's lead to 18.2sec.

With the ailing tyre changed Breen finished the day racking up two more fastest times to round off an exemplary performance and held a 24.6 sec lead as the crews reached the Friday overnight halt.

The action resumed on Saturday with Spaniard, Lemes setting the pace on stage nine, cutting Craig’s advantage to 17sec. The pair were neck and neck on the splits throughout stage ten but when Breen’s final split was slow in registering the team back at base knew something was wrong. The word then came through that he and Gareth had gone off and were out.

Before the French event Craig trailed Estonian driver Egon Kaur by 26 points. The Irish driver picks up six championship points for his six fastest stage times from Friday’s action. Kaur crashed out early but was able to resume on Saturday under SupeRally. The Estonian suffered more trouble during day two and failed to finish. The gap going into the final event of the season now stands at 20 points, Kaur leading the way on 92 and Craig now up to 72 points. The FIA WRC Academy comes to a climax in November [10th -13th] with Wales Rally Great Britain.

Craig and Gareth will have the opportunity to put their bad luck behind them next weekend when they take on IRC Rally Scotland. It’s Craig’s second IRC event in quick succession after his unbelievable 7th overall at the Barum Czech Rally Zlin. The Waterford driver will again campaign his Kel-Tech Engineering Ford Fiesta S2000 with the three day event starting on Friday. The Rally is based in the City Perth, featuring a ceremonial start at Stirling Castle on Friday afternoon.

Results

Posted: January 26, 2013 6:11 PM

1. S Ogier/J Ingrassia (Citroen DS3 WRC) 3hr 06min 20.4sec
2. D Sordo/C Del Barrio (Mini John Cooper Works WRC) 3hr 06min 26.7sec
3. M Hirvonen/J Lehtinen (Ford Fiesta RS WRC) 3hr 09min 47.0sec
4. J-M Latvala/M Anttila (Ford Fiesta RS WRC) 3hr 09min 50.7sec
5. D Kuipers/F Miclotte (Ford Fiesta RS WRC) 3hr 13min 02.4sec
6. H Solberg/I Minor (Ford Fiesta RS WRC) 3hr 13min 28.7sec
7. M Østberg/J Andersson (Ford Fiesta RS WRC) 3hr 14min 18.7sec
8. K Block/A Gelsomino (Ford Fiesta RS WRC) 3hr 14min 45.9sec
9 P Campana/S De Castelli (Mini John Cooper WRC) 3hr 14min
10 M Wilson/S Martin (Ford Fiesta RS WRC) 3hr 16min 21.2sec

Excl: 3. P Solberg/C Patterson (Citroen DS3 WRC) 3hr 07min 44.2sec

Results on line

Video: Colin Clark Preview

Posted: September 29, 2011 11:34 PM

TASTY FRENCH ASPHALT MAKES KUIPERS HUNGRY

Posted: September 28, 2011 2:20 PM

After several successful stage times during the Hellendoorn Rally, Dennis Kuipers will travel full of confidence to Rallye de France Alsace. Together with Belgian co-driver Frederic Miclotte he will start the mixed asphalt rally in the Ford Fiesta RS WRC.

"The roads look like the German Eifel but are also very similar to a Dutch or Belgian rally," said Kuipers.

In preparation for the second rally on asphalt Kuipers completed a successful two-day test with the FERM Power Tools World Rally Team in France. “I've optimized the setting and the car feels better now than in Germany,” said Kuipers.

The adjustments were immediately brought into practice during the Hellendoorn Rally. During the toughest rally in the Netherlands, Kuipers and Miclotte recorded an impressive eight stage wins. “This was not just for fun or for the Dutch fans to see the Ford Fiesta RS WRC, but also a nice preparation for the French rally.”

A technical problem in the closing stages prevented a good result. “It does not change the fact that we have a lot of confidence. We want to continue in France in the same way,” said Kuipers. “The roads may look like the German Eifel but are again very similar to the Dutch or Belgian asphalt rallies - this suits us fine,” he said

The weather is an important factor in France. “You have to cut deep and this can throw sand on the road. When it rains, it turns into mud which makes the roads slippery. We are ready for these conditions,” explains Miclotte.

Rally de France Alsace starts on Friday 30 October and finishes Sunday 2 October after 23 special stages covering 337.43 km.

FERM WRT Design Competition

The FERM World Rally Team is giving fans an amazing opportunity to create the livery of the team’s Ford Fiesta RS WRC for Wales Rally GB. Dennis Kuipers will pilot the car in the winning livery. The winner will also be a special guest during the final round of the WRC. The winning design will also come back as one of the cars in the official WRC game! It is a huge opportunity to show an individual’s creative skills to a worldwide audience. For more information on how to participate please visit wrcthegame.com or fermwrt.com. The Draw 'n' Race competition runs until 9/10/2011.

PIERRE CAMPANA AIMS TO PUT RECENT EXPERIENCES TO GOOD USE ON HOME GROUND AT FFSA RALLYE DE FRANCE – ALSACE

Posted: September 28, 2011 12:26 PM

Rally’s hottest property, Pierre Campana, is set for his second World Rally Championship event of the year at this weekend’s Rallye de France – Alsace.

The event, taking place on French ground, has extra meaning for Campana, following his appointment earlier this year as the French Motorsport Federation’s (FFSA) lead driver for Rally Team France 2011, following in the footsteps of greats such as Sébastien Loeb and Sébastien Ogier.

Campana has already taken part in one of this season’s WRC events under the FFSA Rally Team France banner, driving a MINI John Cooper Works WRC car run by the Drive-Pro team, led by François Padrona.

It has been a busy and productive few months for Campana and his long-term co-driver Sabrina de Castelli, as they embarked on a steep learning curve to become acquainted with the competitive MINI. Their adaptation has been generally very positive with two victories in their first three outings after winning the Richard Burns Memorial in the UK and then winning in the Mont Blanc-Morzine rally earlier in September.

As part of his FFSA programme, Pierre has taken part in Rally Germany, in which he finished a highly respectable 18th place, but he hopes to use his active rally programme over the last few months to impress around the 23 stage, 348.13km Rallye de France-Alsace course.

Rallye de France has been part of the WRC schedule since 1973 but last year’s event was the first time that the event used a totally new course in the Alsace region. Further changes have been made for this year’s event with the first two stages on the opening day run in an opposite direction with the Pays d’Ormont stage extended to 36 kilometres in length. Saturday includes a new remote service halt in Colmar and a special stage through the streets of Mulhouse. There are two new stages on Sunday, Graviere de Bischwiller and Vignoble de Cleebourg, while Haguenau hosts the event-closing Power Stage.

Pierre Campana:
“I am thrilled and excited to be taking part in this weekend’s Rallye de France-Alsace and I have to thank the FFSA, and Team Drive-Pro, for giving me this fantastic opportunity to rally on French ground. Sabrina and I have built up a wealth of experience and knowledge since our first competitive event with the MINI John Cooper Works WRC at the Richard Burns Memorial. We had a solid debut in WRC in Germany and I was pleased with what we achieved. The victory in the French Rally Championship round at Mont Blanc Morzine showed us that we have made a lot of very positive progress with the car and as a team, so I think we are in excellent shape moving to Rallye de France-Alsace. We will maintain our usual approach of taking each stage as it comes, since this will be another new experience for us, but we will push to extract the most out of ourselves and the car. Finishing the rally will again be an important objective but we have lots of experience to draw upon now, which will hopefully make a big difference.”

Nicolas Deschaux, President of the FFSA:
"The FFSA has long set itself the challenge of guaranteeing conditions and creating the necessary environment for our most promising hopes to attain the highest stage of their discipline, and we still continue today with the same determination. Following Sébastien Ogier in 2009, the steering committee members are, together with myself, happy to entrust Pierre Campana with the colours of Rally Team France this year. We believe that this young, talent and committed driver will give his all to seize the opportunity that the FFSA has offered him.”

Live Video Streaming for France WRC

Posted: September 27, 2011 11:54 AM

Stages from this week's Rallye de France Alsace will be streamed live and exclusive on the World Rally Championship's official website, wrc.com, as part of a pilot project to investigate future digital opportunities for the all-action series.

World Rally Championship promoter North One Sport has made a substantial investment in the trial, which will be used to test the latest camera and streaming technology as well as to gauge the appetite among fans for live online coverage and more interactive content.

Around 14 hours of coverage is planned, spread across Friday and Saturday’s competition, with the action available to view free of charge on a web media player accessed exclusively from the home page of wrc.com.

The coverage on Friday (30 September) will run between 1200hrs and 1900hrs (Irish/UK time), with action from Saturday (1 October) shown between 1145hrs and 1830hrs (Irish/UK Time).

On both days content will consist of interviews and atmosphere from the service park and the end of day press conferences. This will be mixed with stage action shot from two helicopters and by cameras mounted inside the rally cars. English and French commentary will be available.

“The digital landscape presents numerous opportunities to further expand the reach of the World Rally Championship and this experiment is a big step forward in our plans to develop formats and content to suit,” said North One Sport CEO, Simon Long.

“We have made a significant investment to get the project to this stage and it’s exciting that we are now ready to try and turn the theory into reality; however it’s important to make clear that this is a trial first and foremost and we expect to learn a great deal. This is unchartered territory, both technically and in terms of programming, but it’s a vital stage in our development plans for the next 12 months.”

More Details:

www.wrc.com

Times: Live Video

Posted: September 27, 2011 11:51 AM

Irish/UK Time:

Friday (30 September) 12:00 to 19:00
Saturday (1 October) 11:45 to 18:30

www.wrc.com

Video: Meeke/Sordo testing JCW Mini WRC

Posted: September 27, 2011 11:41 AM

World Rally Car run thrills Fisher ahead of WRC Academy counter

Posted: September 27, 2011 11:36 AM

Alastair Fisher will resume his bid for FIA WRC Academy Cup glory in France this week, six days after he got behind the wheel of a Ford Fiesta RS World Rally Car.

Fisher, who will be one of the favourites to win the young driver-training category on the Rally of France, which takes place in the Alsace region of the country from September 29-October 1, was called up to drive the top-of-the-range Fiesta by car builder M-Sport, to give high-speed passenger rides to the team’s VIP guests.

“It was a really great experience and my thanks go to M-Sport for trusting me with such an amazing car,” said Fisher, who was driving at M-Sport’s private testing venue in Greystoke Forest in Cumbria. “Like the Super 2000 version of the Fiesta that I have also driven, it was amazing to drive and handled very well. But the power was something else. I definitely would be keen to drive the car again but that’s something to look forward to in the future, hopefully.”

Of his latest WRC Academy outing, Fisher is determined to land a top result following a frustrating run on the previous round in Germany when a puncture put him out of contention for victory.

“I’ll be pushing for a podium finish, just like I did in Germany,” said Fisher, from Trillick in County Tyrone. “With a bit more luck we should have won a few rallies this season, but instead we’ve had a bit of a frustrating year in the WRC Academy. A good result in France would therefore be really welcome and would set me up nicely for my home round of the championship, Wales Rally GB in November.”

Fisher and his co-driver Daniel Barritt, from Burnley in Lancashire, will be up against 16 WRC Academy rivals in France. All drivers will use identical Ford Fiesta R2s, prepared by the British M-Sport operation, which run on Pirelli control tyres.

Based on the outskirts of Strasbourg, close to France’s border with Germany, the asphalt rally is set to pose a significant challenge. With stages featuring differing surfaces, widths and gradients, the competitive route runs through vineyards and mountain areas and concludes with a stage through the streets of the town of Mulhouse south of Strasbourg on Saturday evening. In total WRC Academy crews will tackle 17 stages over a competitive distance of 184 miles.

Q&A: Alastair Fisher

How much experience do you have of competing in France?
“I’ve never rallied in France before but I’ve heard the stages in the Alsace region are going to offer a real challenge. I just plan to do my best and hope for a good result.”

What is the biggest challenge you are expecting to face?
“Last year it rained a lot and that meant a lot of mud was dragged onto the road by drivers running at the head of the field taking ‘cuts’ through corners. From what I’m told it was difficult to know how much grip you would have.”

You showed plenty of speed on the last Tarmac round in Germany. Will that help you in France?
“It definitely gives you confidence when you know you’ve got the pace. But the competition in the WRC Academy is very evenly matched and there are some real Tarmac specialists.”

With your hopes of winning the WRC Academy Cup title all but over, what’s your strategy going to be on the remaining events?
“I’ve just got to push for podium finishes, it’s as simple as that. I’ve shown I’ve got the pace to do but I need to back that up with some solid results, which I am confident I can do on the two remaining rallies.”

Craig Breen Rallying: WRC Academy France Event Preview

Posted: September 26, 2011 11:03 AM

"The title fight is wide open" stated Irish WRC Academy participant Craig Breen in a recent interview for wrc.com, “I was determined to win in Germany after the second place finish in Finland and the victory became even more important as we have halved Egon’s (Kaur, EST) lead”.

We now move to the penultimate round in this inaugural season of the FIA WRC Academy and the second Tarmac event of the year, Rallye de France Alsace. Craig again requires a top result if he is to keep the pressure on the Estonian driver and bring the championship to a winner take all on Rally Great Britain. Before taking to the Tarmac on Rally Deutschland, Breen faced a 52 point deficit but now the Irish drivers arrears is 26 and the mountain looks a lot more scalable.

Craig's confidence was sky high after is victory in Germany and he carried that form to the Czech Republic the following week where the Irish Ace quickly adapted to the four wheel drive pace at the Barum Czech Rally Zlin (IRC, round 7) and recorded a fantastic 7th overall in his Kel-Tech Engineering Fiesta S2000.

Craig has been concentrating on his physical fitness at home in the intervening time since his last event. He has been working in the gym, in the pool and on the bike. Craig then traveled to PRO Performance in the UK last week to put the finishing touches to make sure he’s in top shape to take on the French stages.

Tough Tarmac challenge awaits Pirelli WRC Academy crews in France

Posted: September 26, 2011 10:44 AM

The inaugural FIA WRC Academy intake heads to the Alsace region of France this week (September 29-October 1) for the second asphalt event of the season, rated as a Tarmac rally like no other due to the inconsistent nature of the terrain and road surface.

Based on the outskirts of Strasbourg, close to France’s border with Germany, the event features a wide variety of stages of differing surfaces, widths and gradients in vineyards, mountain regions and town centres. With gravel sections also featuring on the competitive route, the world rally hopefuls will be required to overcome a tough test in their Pirelli-equipped Ford Fiesta R2s.

To ease the task facing the competitors, which is increased by the likelihood of inclement weather, Pirelli, the official tyre supplier of the WRC Academy, will make available 16 P Zero RX5 tyres and 12 P Zero RE7 tyres to each crew. They are permitted to use a maximum of 18 tyres once the event gets underway on Friday morning (September 30). Two spare tyres are made available for the pre-event shakedown on Thursday afternoon but cannot be used on the rally proper.

The hard compound RX5 is designed for optimal performance in warm and dry conditions. Conversely, the RE7 was developed to provide improved grip in the event of rain and cold temperatures, a feature of last year’s Rallye de France.

By offering crews two choices of tyre, Pirelli engineers hope to be able to provide more vital experience when the WRC Academy runners make the step up to the World Rally Championship in future, as well as teaching them about correct tyre usage.

“Our involvement in the WRC Academy is part of our continuous plan to help develop the next generation of world championship stars,” said Pirelli’s motorsport director Paul Hembery. “With a level playing field created due to the fact all drivers have to use the same Ford Fiesta R2s and Pirelli control tyres, our young talents can discover just how pivotal tyre choice can be to the outcome of a rally.”

Another challenge the WRC Academy runners will face in France is the problem of mud, stones and other debris being dragged onto the road by the drivers at the head of the field taking ‘cuts’ through corners.

“This is always a concern,” added Hembery. “But we saw on ADAC Rallye Deutschland, where we experienced similar conditions, how well our tyres, that are of a standard construction for weight and cost benefits, performed with just four failures reported by drivers running over rocks.”

Among the WRC Academy runners in action on Rallye de France Alsace are six Pirelli Star Drivers, who are competing this season through a scholarship from the FIA, motorsport’s world governing body, and the Italian tyre firm, which has underwritten the cost of season of international competition. The Pirelli Star Drivers for 2011 are Irishman Craig Breen, the winner of the previous WRC Academy event in Germany last month, Swede Fredrik Ahlin, Czech Jan Cerny, Italian Andrea Crugnola, plus Australians Brendan Reeves and Molly Taylor.

Rallye de France Alsace forms round five of the six-event FIA WRC Academy Cup and features a total of 17 stages over a competitive distance of 296.77 kilometres. After claiming three straight wins, Estonian Egon Kaur heads the drivers’ standings by 26 points ahead of Pirelli Star Drivers Craig Breen and Brendan Reeves.

Ford’s Facebook fans spark new livery for French rally Fiestas

Posted: September 23, 2011 10:06 PM

Ford will field its official Fiesta RS World Rally Cars in a stunning black colour scheme for the first time in competition at next week’s Rallye de France (29 September - 2 October). Following a concerted campaign by fans on the team’s Facebook page, Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team’s three cars will carry the livery which proved so popular during testing in France in June.

The design is the same as the Fiesta RS WRCs sported on the opening 10 rounds of the FIA World Rally Championship. However, the car's base colour is black throughout, with white branding on top for Ford and its partners.

Ford received a massive vote of approval after the livery was unveiled in the summer. A Facebook group was set up to petition the team to use the new-look in a rally, and Ford of Europe motorsport chief Gerard Quinn opted for the Strasbourg-based asphalt round.

“We listened to what our fans wanted and discussed the idea with our partners at Abu Dhabi and Castrol,” he said. “They were in favour, and I believe this colour scheme allied with a close-to-the-ground asphalt set-up brings a sexy, mean and moody look to the Fiesta RS WRC. It was one of the potential liveries we discussed when finalising the design for our cars at the start of the year,” he said.

Mikko Hirvonen and Jarmo Lehtinen and team-mates Jari-Matti Latvala and Miikka Anttila journey to the Alsace region in north-east France boosted by a one-two finish in Australia earlier this month. Hirvonen’s third consecutive win Down Under boosted his challenge for the drivers’ championship and the 31-year-old Finn starts only the second asphalt round of the season just 15 points from the lead.

The rally returns to Strasbourg, home of the European Parliament, for a second time after its move away from Corsica last year. The city, located on the German border, nestles between the Vosges mountains to the west and the Black Forest to the east.

The Vosges features strongly in the route, with the opening two legs including special stages in the mountain range. The roads there vary considerably, blending narrow, bumpy sections through forests with fast, wide parts where speeds will near 200kph. In contrast, vineyard roads on flat open plains and two street test locations offer a completely different challenge.

“The stages are bumpy and abrasive in some sections, but the biggest surprise last year was how much we could cut the corners and the amount of mud and dirt that was dragged onto the roads,” said Hirvonen. “They were very messy. I think the organisers are taking steps to prevent so much cutting, but we won’t know what difference that will make until the recce.

“When we check our pace notes in the recce we must be careful in deciding which corners we can cut and which we can’t. Where there is a drop-off from the edge of the road, we must think closely about whether it’s worth risking a puncture by cutting, or not. Winning in Australia removed some pressure, but we must carry that success forward and fight for the championship in the final rounds,” he added.

Hirvonen and Latvala this week shared four days of testing at the Alès circuit, near Nîmes in southern France. Also present was ex-Ford driver Markko Märtin, an acknowledged asphalt expert who won back-to-back victories for the team in France and Spain in 2004.

“We were encouraged by our performance on asphalt in Germany last month when we set some great stage times and were closer to our rivals than previously,” said Latvala. “The results didn’t reflect that because we had some problems, so we want to take that performance a step further and Markko joined us to offer set-up advice. On the first morning I discovered that our set-up was slightly too soft in Germany, so we revised that and the handling immediately felt better.

“The stages in France vary in their nature. Friday’s opening leg contains a mix of mountain roads, forest routes and vineyard tracks, while Saturday’s tests are more mountainous. The weather was wet last year and with a lot of dirt dragged onto the surface from cutting, some of the stages were extremely slippery. It’s not an easy rally,” added 26-year-old Latvala, for whom Rallye de France will mark his 100th WRC start in partnership with Anttila.

Khalid Al Qassimi and Michael Orr will drive the team's other Fiesta RS WRC and the duo are nominated to score for Team Abu Dhabi. This will be Al Qassimi's third Rally de France and he is aiming to build on a best-ever fifth place finish in Australia. “My career-best result in Australia has really brought my season to life. It’s important to now focus on securing more points to achieve my goal of a top 10 season finish,” said Al Qassimi.

Team News

* Michelin's Pilot Sport asphalt tyre will be used by the Ford Abu Dhabi drivers and will be available in both hard and soft compounds. Drivers will be allocated a mix of hard and soft tyres for the event. Their selection during the rally, which will depend on the weather and the nature of the road surface, must come from that allocation only. Teams are not allowed to hand-carve additional cuts into the tyres and each car can carry two spare wheels.

* Six privately-entered Fiesta RS WRCs supplement the official entries. Matthew Wilson / Scott Martin and Mads Østberg / Jonas Andersson are nominated by the M-Sport Stobart Ford team, which has also entered Henning Solberg / Ilka Minor and Evgeny Novikov / Denis Giraudet. Ken Block / Alex Gelsomino will be behind the wheel of the Monster World Rally Team car and Dennis Kuipers / Frederic Miclotte are entered by the FERM Power Tools World Rally Team.

* The rally is the penultimate round of the S-WRC support category. Five registered Ford Fiesta S2000 cars are entered, headed by Ott Tänak / Kuldar Sikk, who lie second in the championship. It is also the penultimate round of the FIA WRC Academy, the sport's new training programme for young drivers, which is supported by Ford. Seventeen crews will compete over the first two days of the rally in identical Fiesta R2 rally cars, which have been supplied by Ford and prepared by M-Sport. Thirty-eight of the 66 competitors are entered in Ford cars.

Rally Route

The rally retains the same broad format as last year, with Strasbourg’s Zénith concert arena as the base and main service park. The opening two legs have been switched, so after Thursday evening’s start ceremony in the city centre, Friday’s opening leg journeys south-west through vineyards in the Bas-Rhin department and onto the lower slopes of the Vosges mountains. The second day heads deeper into the Vosges for higher altitude tests near Colmar, which hosts a short service midway through the leg. It includes the climb of Le Grand Ballon, the rally’s high point at 1340 metres, and ends with a new street stage in Mulhouse. Most of the short final day north of Strasbourg is new, although the Haguenau street test is retained and the second pass forms the live TV Power Stage with bonus points for the fastest three drivers. The afternoon finish is outside the European Parliament in Strasbourg. Drivers tackle 23 tests covering 337.43km in a route of 1289.90km.

FOUR STOBART CREWS PREPARED FOR TARMAC CHALLENGE

Posted: September 23, 2011 9:39 PM

Next week will see the M-Sport Stobart Ford World Rally Team continue its bid to secure its best overall season to date in the FIA World Rally Championship as its four crews tackle Rallye de France Alsace in the Ford Fiesta RS WRC.

The Cumbria-based squad has scored points in every rally since the 2011 season-opener in Sweden, and the team has finished in the top five in eight out of ten WRC rounds.

After skipping the previous event in Australia, Norwegian Mads Østberg returns to the world rally scene to battle for sixth place in the WRC drivers’ standings alongside team-mate Matthew Wilson.

Since Germany, Østberg has been working hard to secure funding for the remainder of 2011 as well as attending the annual Solberg Extreme Motor Show alongside countrymen Henning and Petter Solberg.

The 23-year-old has also been crowned Norwegian Rally Champion for the fourth time after amassing an unassailable lead that means he can no longer be caught by his rivals with just one round of the NRC remaining.

However, Østberg will still be looking to push at the final round of the NRC - Rally Hedemarken – this weekend in an attempt to score enough points for Jonas Andersson to be crowned the 2011 co-drivers’ champion.

Fresh from matching a career-best fourth place at Rally Australia earlier this month, Britain’s Matthew Wilson and fellow Cumbrian Scott Martin are eager to post another strong result in France.

The 24-year-old is now only four points adrift of team-mate Østberg in the WRC drivers’ standings, and will be looking to record a healthy score of points in order to move into sixth place in the standings. Wilson’s previous best overall finish in the WRC drivers’ championship is seventh.

Since Australia, Wilson has attended the annual Rallyday extravaganza at Castle Combe race circuit where he wowed thousands of spectators in the Ford Fiesta RS WRC.

Regular team-mates Henning Solberg and co-driver Ilka Minor will also be present under the M-Sport Stobart banner at the second asphalt event of the season. The pair were close to sealing their best result of the season in Australia until an electrical problem forced the duo to retire.

Solberg will be looking to emulate his fine performance in last year’s event in France, which saw the driver finish first in class and ninth overall at the wheel of a Ford Fiesta S2000.

Rallye de France debutant Evgeny Novikov will drive under the M-Sport Stobart banner for the sixth time next week. The Russian, who celebrated his 21st birthday on Monday, has proved himself as a sensationally quick driver in 2011.

France will mark the first time that the WRC’s youngest ever stage winner has competed on asphalt this season, so Novikov and co-driver Denis Giraudet will be looking to benefit from a pre-event test organised with the Ford Fiesta RS WRC on Monday.

Mads Østberg said:
“I’ve spent a lot of this week entertaining sponsors - it’s really important to give something back, especially as without their help we wouldn’t have been able to compete in France or Spain so I’m very grateful. We still have a lot of work to do in order to get to Wales but we will never give up and just have to see nearer the time whether that is possible. I really like the character of the stages in France – the roads are fast and flowing but last year’s event was one of the most difficult I’ve encountered. I’m hoping for nice weather and a clear road as when the conditions are right I think the stages are fantastic. I’ve also been trying to get into the right mind set as I need to get used to asphalt as quickly as I can next week. For this event I may need to be clever and change my tactics slightly to score points. The most important thing for me is to gain experience on asphalt and make it to the end without problems rather than concentrating on fast stage times.”

Matthew Wilson said:
“I’m feeling confident on the back of a good result from Australia but I’m preparing myself for what could be a difficult rally as last year’s event was very, very tricky. The weather made the conditions on the roads feel more like a gravel rally with the amount of mud that had been dragged across the road. Of course this year will just depend on the weather so I just hope it stays clear so we can enjoy the stages a bit more. I’m feeling much more confident driving on asphalt now – we had a good fight in Germany and some of the stages in Alsace are similar to the Trier-based rally so hopefully this will pay off when we go to France.”

Henning Solberg said:
“It still feels a bit strange going to a French round of the WRC but not being based in Corsica, but the amount of spectators that were there last year seems to make Strasbourg an ideal location. I remember there being a lot of different stage surfaces with some broken asphalt and a mixture of narrow and fast sections which can make it difficult finding a good rhythm. I’m not sure what the weather will be like when we get there but the cold temperatures last year made it harder for us. I think judging the correct set-up could be the most difficult factor next week but we’ll aim to use Shakedown to find a good feeling before we start the rally.”

Evgeny Novikov said:
“France will be my first asphalt rally this year so, for sure, it’s going to be a big challenge. I don’t have much experience driving on the surface but I will start the rally and then we will see what happens. I have a test planned for Monday so this should help me to experience the power of the Ford Fiesta RS WRC on asphalt. I would like to drive without any problems in order to finish. Of course, I still have Rally Australia on my mind but I have to work to reach the finish and I am always trying to be fast, as if you are slow, you are not gaining experience. These are my conclusions and now I just look forward to getting to France.”

Solberg, Räikkönen and Van Merksteijn Jr take up the Alsatian Challenge!

Posted: September 23, 2011 9:29 PM

Petter Solberg, Kimi Räikkönen and Peter van Merksteijn Jr will all be at the start of Rally France-Alsace at the wheel of their Citroën Racing Technologies Citroën DS3 WRCs. The Citroën privateer drivers who scored points in Rally Germany – the first tarmac event of the season – are all determined to move up the World Rally Championship classification.

Rallye de France-Alsace appeared on the calendar last year and immediately became one of the most popular rounds of the season. The spectators, massed on the sides of the roads in the Alsatian and Vosges stages, were all rooting for Loeb and Citroën creating a unique ambience.

Rain, which is frequent in the early autumn, can make the very fast roads very slippery, as can the gravel projected onto the tarmac when cars cut the apex of the corners turning this event into a real challenge for the drivers!

Norwegian, Petter Solberg, will be starting his eleventh ‘Rallye de France’ this year, an event he has already won as he came first in the 2003 Tour of Corsica. ‘Hollywood’ scored another podium finish in Rally Australia and he is currently lying fifth in the Drivers’ World Championship:
“This result was a great reward for the whole team, and it’s given our motivation a mega-boost for the last three events of the season.Tarmac isn’t my favourite surface but I like this rally. The roads are very quick and you have to watch out for the multiple grip changes. I finished third in 2010, and I’m hoping for a result that’ll be at least as good this year.”

Kimi Räikkönen did not take part in Rally Australia, and the French round marks his return to the WRC. He had to retire last year and is back for revenge:
“I like driving on gravel, but tarmac is more natural for me. I’m tackling this rally like all the others - trying to avoid mistakes and cover the maximum number of kilometres to gain experience.”

Peter Van Merksteijn Jr. finished the last two rallies and is determined to continue his apprenticeship in the world championship. Last weekend, the driver of the eponymous team competed in the Hellendoorn Rally to keep his hand in. He swapped his DS3 WRC for a C4 WRC, and he won this round of his national championship beating Dennis Kuipers. This result has given the Dutchman’s confidence a huge boost and he will tackle the Alsatian event ready to burn up the tarmac!

Video 3D: Sebastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia testing!

Posted: September 23, 2011 9:16 PM

Sébastien Ogier’s and Julien Ingrassia’s Citroën DS3 WRC was fitted with a 3D camera during a test session, and they take you on a trip the likes of which you’ve never experienced before! This film can be viewed on YouTube either with 3-D glasses (blue and red lenses) or on a 3D TV connected to the Internet.

Citroën’s home round

Posted: September 23, 2011 9:14 PM

After travelling to the other side of the world, the 2011 World Rally Championship will finish in Europe. The ‘Rallye de France-Alsace’, the first of the three remaining events, will be on Citroën’s home turf. Last year, Sébastien Loeb and Daniel Elena won their seventh world title in Strasbourg, and the Citroën Total World Rally Team scored its sixth Manufacturers’ World Championship crown. Twelve months later the French make is aiming for more wins with its two crews.

‘Rallye de France’ was held in Corsica since the creation of the world championship in 1973. Last year it moved to Alsace. The event took place in the heart of Europe and it was a huge popular success attracting over 250 000 spectators. The great majority of the public only had eyes for one driver, Sébastien Loeb, the local lad who was on his way to winning his seventh world title. Despite the pressure and the various pitfalls of the route, the bloke from Oberhoffen scored a hands-down victory giving him and his team, Citroën, more world titles.

A year later, Sébastien Loeb and Daniel Elena start the eleventh round with a 15-point lead over their nearest rival.
“We have to watch out as proved by the results in the last two rallies,” says Loeb. “A puncture in Ger- many and we lost victory, a moment’s inattention in Australia led to an off and prevents me from tackling the end of the season in a calm state of mind. We won Rally France last year, so we’re the favourites and we’ll do everything possible to honour this position. But victories don’t fall off trees! Before even thinking of the po- dium we have to master the difficulties of this very tricky route. Last year, the speeds we reached on the roads really struck me. With potentially capricious weather and innumerable changes of surface, you have to know how to read the road to adapt your braking distances and your trajectories. The organizers have announced that they’re going to put posts on the apexes to prevent the roads from getting dirty too quickly. Maybe that’ll make things easier on the second pass.”

Last year, Sébastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia made a great start to the rally and then lost time due to a suspension breakage after an impact on an apex. They saw the flag in sixth place overall after showing real potential. Since then the pair won their first tarmac rally in Germany a few weeks back. Ogier also made a mistake in Australia and lost second place in the world championship to Mikko Hirvonen. The Frenchman is now 29 points behind his team-mate (more than a rally victory) and knows that his chances of winning the title are slim.
“I’m at the team’s service to help it win more titles. To fine-tune my preparation for this type of terrain, which I’m slightly familiar with, I took part in the Vosges rally two weeks ago. That helped me to gain experience on terrain that’s similar to that of Rally France in racing conditions,” said Sébastien. “We’ll see how the race pans out, but I’m going to try and stay close to my team-mate who’s the benchmark on this type of surface.”

As in Australia, the Citroën Total World Rally Team can win the manufacturers’ title before the end of the season. To achieve this the team must extend its lead to 86 points compared to 62 at present.

Three questions to Sébastien Loeb

Attention seems to be concentrated on your duel with Sébastien Ogier. But as the end of the season approaches Mikko Hirvonen is now your most serious rival, isn’t he?
“Sébastien and I had the same race in Australia! We both made mistakes and left the door open for our rivals. The first consequence is that the Citroën Total World Rally Team’s lead in the Manufacturers’ World Championship has been cut. The second is that Mikko has closed the gap in the drivers’ title chase. We’re now under pressure from a driver in another make of car, so it’s not the same thing. This is why the team gave orders at the end of the rally so I could add another point to my total. In this type of situation every point is worth its weight in gold!”

With two tarmac rallies out of the three rounds left, the situation is still to your advantage, isn’t it?
“In theory only! We’re always at the mercy of a driving error or a mechanical problem. Despite eight wins on the trot in Germany, I wasn’t able to continue the series. At the same time Mikko is a rival who gives nothing away, and he’s shown that he can never be ruled out. We have to watch out and transform our theoretical advantage into points!”

Do you have any special feelings about taking part in the second Rally France-Alsace?
“I’m here above all to compete in a rally - and to try and win it if possible! Like last year I’ll have to concen- trate on my race and try and ignore everything else that’s going on around me. I‘ll do my best to remain accessible, but there are so many people that I can’t do it for all my supporters. Although it’s mathematically impossible for me to win the title this weekend, the pressure’s the same. I could say that I haven’t got a title to win yet, but rather that I’ve got one not to lose!”

MINI WRC Team - Rally France-Alsace - Preview

Posted: September 23, 2011 9:11 PM

The MINI WRC Team will again be competing on asphalt when it arrives in Strasbourg for its fourth event of 2011, Rally France-Alsace. The team is keen to capitalise on its third place in Germany for Dani Sordo (ES) and the tarmac performance shown by the MINI John Cooper Works WRC.

While the rest of the World Rally Championship competitors have been in Australia, the number 37 and 52 MINIs have been back in Banbury at the Prodrive headquarters. Since Rally Germany, both drivers have been getting valuable time behind the wheel with Kris Meeke (GB) attending the Rallyday at Castle Combe, and Dani Sordo shaking the car down at Prodrive’s test track in Warwickshire as the team continues the MINI WRC’s development. The team is also holding a one day pre-event test in France this weekend.

David Richards, Team Principal:
“Dani and Kris have proven that the MINI is very competitive on tarmac. Just like in Germany we will be going to France to show the performance of the car and aiming for both drivers to finish in strong positions. Whether we can repeat the podium in Trier remains to be seen, but certainly Dani likes the event. However, Kris is new to the stages, but I am confident he will soon be on the pace as he was in Germany.”

Dani Sordo:
“The surface in France changes frequently, which makes the rally technically demanding. The route is very hilly, particularly in the forest sections. Here, the weather decides how you can drive. Last year it rained heavily, which made the surface very slippery. The Rallye de France is similar in many ways to Germany. Personally, I really like driving there, as you have to be both very focused and flexible with regard to the weather conditions. The recce plays a major role. The pace notes must be accurate, and the co-drivers instructions must be perfect.”

Kris Meeke:
"I didn’t start this rally in 2010, which practically makes this a completely new rally for me. However, I have completed a lot of testing in this region in the past, so I know roughly what to expect. The rally is a bit similar to its German counterpart, particularly the sections through the vineyards and on the gravel roads. It is technically very demanding and you cannot afford to lose concentration for a second, your pace notes must be very accurate."

History and Background:
This rally is very much home for Sébastien Loeb (FR) with the Power Stage even going through the town he comes from. Its base in the Alsace region of France around the town of Strasbourg is relatively new, as this is only its second year there. Not surprisingly last year it was won by Loeb. However, before this the French round of the WRC has always been associated with the Mediterranean island of Corsica, where it was held from 1973 to 2008.

The event starts in Strasbourg Zénith at 07.00 on Friday, 30th September. This first day of action is over eight stages and 148.38 kilometres of competition. The competitors return to Strasbourg for service during the day, and then finish there in the evening with the first car due into the final parc fermé at 18.20. Day two sees an early start at 06.45 and a remote service at Colmar. On the schedule are a further nine stages with an almost identical competitive distance as day one at 148.39 kilometres. The first car is due into the final control for parc fermé at 18.36. On day three the start is even earlier at 06.20. The final of the day’s six stages is the Power Stage and this is 4.20 kilometres around Haguenau. The final day’s competition is over 51.36 kilometres, while the total for the whole event is 348.13 kilometres in the 1,296.08 kilometres that make up the total mileage.

Video: Sébastien Loeb Testing

Posted: September 23, 2011 2:51 PM

Posted: September 23, 2011 11:57 AM

Video Interview: Kris Meeke

Posted: September 23, 2011 9:28 AM

List of Entries

Posted: September 6, 2011 4:41 PM

France (S,A) - 29 Sep-2 Oct 11 - List of Entries

Event Website / Details

Posted: January 2, 1990 3:05 PM

RALLYE DE FRANCE (ALSACE)