New Zealand (P S) - 22-24 Jun 12

NOVIKOV FIRST OF THE PRIVATEERS AS HEARTACHE STRIKES TÄNAK

Posted: July 19, 2012 12:11 PM

M-Sport Ford World Rally Team's Evgeny Novikov secured fourth place overall at the 2012 Brother Rally New Zealand today. Never out of the top-ten, the youngster continually challenged the works drivers in terms of stage times and proved himself to be one of the most exciting young talents in the World Rally Championship. Elsewhere however, there was heartache for team mate Ott Tänak who was forced to retire from the event on the penultimate stages.

Taking in 61.33 kilometres of competitive stages not used since the 1990s, the final day of competition saw a mature drive from Novikov and co-driver Denis Giraudet as the pairing consolidated their fourth place and 'best of the rest' status. Despite his composure behind the wheel of his Ford Fiesta RS WRC, Novikov set an impressive pace over the morning loop. Making the most of Michelin's soft option tyres in the muddy conditions, the 21-year-old posted the second fastest time over both Brother Puhoi 1 (SS18) and the short asphalt test on SSS Auckland Domain 1 (SS19).

A faultless run followed over the afternoon loop and a string of top-ten stage times saw Novikov secure fourth place overall with almost half a minute in hand to his nearest rival, 24-year-old Belgian Thierry Neuville. Scoring vital points for both the drivers' and manufacturers' championships, Novikov now lies fifth in the overall standings ' one point ahead of Ford World Rally Team's Jari-Matti Latvala ' with M-Sport Ford World Rally team third.

Elsewhere however, there was heartache for Tänak and fellow countryman Kuldar Sikk on SS20. The Estonian had been running strongly in fifth place, and with a string of competitive times over the morning loop ' including a second fastest time just 0.6 seconds adrift of stage victory on SS16 ' was keeping rival Neuville at bay.

However disaster struck on the afternoon loop when the 24-year-old was caught out behind the wheel of his Ford Fiesta RS WRC on a fast section six kilometres into SS20. Going off the road, both crew members were unharmed but the incident put an untimely end to the duo's event having been on course for a strong fifth place.

Evgeny Novikov (4th) said:
'The roads were very fast today and the conditions have been very difficult, but our tyre choice has worked very well again so I am pleased with that. Even the smallest mistake can cause the car to roll in these sorts of conditions so we decided not to push today. Fourth place is a very good result for us and I have really enjoyed the stages all weekend.'

Ott Tänak (DNF) said:
'Everything went well this morning. Thierry [Neuville] was going really well, but we set some good times and were able to keep him behind us. Unfortunately, I was caught out on a really fast section this afternoon [six kilometres into SS20] and we went off the road.

'I was trying to push as we lost a lot of time to Thierry on that stage over the morning loop. He was on softs for the afternoon, and we were on hards, so I knew I had to try hard. Unfortunately, the New Zealand camber caught us out.

'Obviously I am very disappointed. Now I just need to concentrate on Finland where hopefully we can finish with a strong result.'

Prodrive finishes New Zealand on a high with two stage wins for Sordo

Posted: July 19, 2012 12:09 PM

Dani Sordo won the two runs through the super special stage today in his MINI John Cooper Works WRC and combined this with some more impressive times on the final day's five other stages to finish Rally New Zealand in sixth overall.

Sordo was one of the few leading drivers who still had a full set of the Michelin soft compound tyres and it was expected that the heavy rain in the morning followed by scattered showers throughout the day would have favoured cars on this tyre. As it turned out, the hard compound tyre also worked very well on the northern stages.

"We really thought we could make up considerable time today on those ahead who had used up all their soft compound tyres on Friday morning; as it turned out they seemed to have only marginal advantage at best," said Wilcock. "Still it has been a good day for Dani and the team. Two stage wins, two top threes and the remainder in the top six is the kind of pace we had been looking for throughout the event. However, it was always going to be difficult to recover from the wrong tyre choice on Friday and even though the car ran faultlessly all weekend after the minor gearbox sensor issue on the first couple of stages, it proved very difficult to make up this lost time."

The team's next event is on the sealed surface of Rally Germany at the end of August, where last year Sordo brought MINI its first podium. "We are now turning our attention to developing the pace of the new evolution of MINI WRC on tarmac and have a series of tests planned to optimise the performance for the stages of the Mosel Valley. We know we have lifted the base performance of the car to last year and it would be great to get an even better result," said Wilcock.

Sordo said:
"Today has been good. I had hoped the soft tyres would have been better in the rain, but still it was nice to win the two stages, particularly in front of all the MINI fans. I think we had all hoped this rally would have been a little better for us, but the car has been very good and now I am looking forward to having a much better fight on tarmac in Germany."

The MINI WRC of Armindo Araujo finished the rally in the points in eighth place while Paulo Nobre was in 17th position.

The Prodrive WRC Team will next compete at Rally Germany in August and Rally GB in September and will confirm its remaining events for 2012 in the coming weeks.

A THIRD ONE-TWO IN A ROW FOR CITROËN

Posted: July 19, 2012 12:08 PM

After Argentina and Greece, the Citroën Total World Rally Team secured its third one-two finish in a row at Rally New Zealand with the Sébastien Loeb/Daniel Elena and Mikko Hirvonen/Jarmo Lehtinen crews. The result means the team ends the first part of the season leading the Manufacturers’ World Championship and holding first and second places in the Drivers’ standings.

Featuring 61 kilometres of timed stages – i.e. less than 15% of the overall distance – the final day of Rally New Zealand was a little less taxing than the first two days. As expected, it was raining heavily in Auckland as the drivers had to choose their tyres. The Citroën Total WRT drivers’ choice of tyres was largely informed by the fact they had already used the ten soft tyres available to them for the entire rally. Sébastien Loeb opted to take four new hard tyres and two soft tyres that he had already used, whereas Mikko Hirvonen went for the opposite choice.

Located around sixty kilometres to the north of the service park, the Burnside/Wech Access and Puhoi stages had no significant impact on the overall standings. The morning’s loop ended with the Auckland Domain super special stage, held in the city’s oldest park.

Before the Power Stage (Burnside/Wech Access 2), the second section featured the Auckland Domain and Puhoi stages, and then the Ahuroa test. Once again, the Citroën drivers opted for different tyres: five hard Michelin Latitude Cross tyres for Mikko Hirvonen and a mix of three hard tyres and two soft tyres for Sébastien Loeb.

Obviously, attention focussed on the final stage, where additional points were available for the top three times.

Sébastien Loeb grabbed the third fastest time, giving him a total of twenty-six points at this rally.
“We had to hold out to the end after an exciting two-day battle with Mikko,” said Loeb, who now boasts 72 career world championship wins. “Once again, conditions were difficult but we managed to secure a one-two finish. I’m very pleased that I can go on holiday now with a comfortable lead in the championship! It’s true that the first half of the season has been fantastic, with five wins out of seven rallies.”

Mikko was pleased to have finished in a good position again despite having to cope with less suitable tyres than his rivals throughout the final day:
“It wasn’t a very exciting day, but we had to stay focussed to avoid making a mistake. This is another good result for the team; it concludes the first part of the season, during which I have learned a lot. I am pleased with how the first seven rallies have gone. I have been fighting for the win a regular basis, and that feels good. I now have a fine collection of runner-up spots, so I’ll be going into the second half of the season hoping to claim some wins.”

“This leg was easier to manage than we feared,” concluded Yves Matton, Citroën Racing Team Principal. “The grip was relatively good on the stages and the tyres we fitted were reasonably well suited to the conditions. Like Seb and Mikko, my assessment of the first half of the season is positive. In terms of the reliability of our drivers and the DS3 WRCs, our tactics and tyre management, we’ve just completed three rallies without making any mistakes. We will arrive at the start of Rally Finland with a comfortable lead in both the Drivers’ and Manufacturers’ World Championship standings. That means we’ll be able to relax a little, which is essential if you are going to go for the win there.”

PROTON: Rally New Zealand review

Posted: July 19, 2012 12:07 PM

The PROTON Motorsports team scored valuable points and plenty of fastest stage times on its latest outing in the FIA Super 2000 World Rally Championship, Rally New Zealand which ended in Auckland this afternoon (Sunday).

Two-time FIA Junior World Rally Champion P-G Andersson and reigning FIA Asia-Pacific Rally Champion Alister McRae were spearheading the challenge from the Malaysian manufacturer and the pair made the perfect start to the North Island event. Both drivers were immediately on SWRC podium pace, with Andersson setting a storming time through the opening stage to beat many of the World Rally Cars and post eighth quickest overall.

Having moved into a 15-second lead in just two stages – a lead which would have been considerably bigger if he hadn’t spun in SS2 – Andersson’s hopes of a second successive SWRC victory (he dominated Rally Sweden to win by three minutes in February) were dashed when he went off the road on the third stage.

McRae stepped up and remained firmly in the lead battle, with almost three minutes in hand over the third-placed car after as many stages. Unfortunately for the Scot, a glitch in the car’s wiring loom left him on the sidelines on the roads around Raglan, south of Auckland.

Both cars returned to the action at the weekend, setting more fastest times on the classic Northland gravel roads. McRae’s fourth place was lost to a clutch-release bearing failure late in the event.

After the sunshine, rain and showers of a typical New Zealand winter, the PROTON Motorsports team will now head home for the Malaysian Rally (July 12-14) where they will hope to repeat or even better the stunning first and third places they achieved on that rally last season.

Quotes:

P-G Andersson said:
“We have taken points for second place here, which is OK for the championship, but we could have won this rally. The car has never felt so good as it did on this rally. I had perfect balance and a great chassis and engine. Everything was going well for us early on in the event, we were fastest on the first two stages without pushing too hard, although we did have a spin on Whaanga Coast. Everything was feeling good in the next stage as well, but we had a pace note wrong for a medium-speed left-hand bend. We were too fast into the corner and, to be honest, I never really got the car into the bend before we went straight on and off the road. The car wasn’t damaged but it just wasn’t possible to get it back to the road. It’s really frustrating to go off at any time, but when you have such a good package in the car and you know you are going to be in with a shot at winning again, it’s really, really tough. We came back but then caught a rock on the last stage on Saturday and pulled the wheel off the car, which cost more time. Like I said, we got second place, but I really wanted first.”

Alister McRae said:
“It was great to be back on these roads again and having been down here earlier this year [for the International Rally of Whangarei], P-G and I both felt pretty happy ahead of the event. The car felt good from the start, but we then had a problem with the wiring loom which stopped the car. The team fixed the issue and we were able to run fastest in SWRC before a clutch-release bearing failed today. It was a little bit frustrating, because everything was feeling so good with the car, it had all looked pretty promising.”

Datuk Abdul Razak Dawood (Head of PROTON Motorsports) said:
“The PROTON Motorsports team has shown great speed on this latest round of the Super 2000 World Rally Championship, especially on today's stages. The roads closer to Auckland today are all new for the rally this year, and are quite different in nature from the rest of the route. Today is narrower, more twisty and more technical - yet the Satria-Neo S2000 and both P-G and Alister have been fastest. P-G deserved to win Rallye Monte Carlo, did win Rally Sweden and definitely showed the speed to win here in New Zealand. Taking second place away from this rally is going to help for P-G in his fight for this year's FIA SWRC title.”

Chris Mellors (team principal) said:
“We go away from this rally with second place, which keeps P-G in the thick of the fight for the SWRC title. But the main positive from here, however, is the pace the cars have shown. Both of the guys have gone well; obviously it’s pretty frustrating that P-G went off the road on Friday morning, but what speed before he did go off – that was incredible to see the Satria-Neo S2000 up there beating the likes of Dani Sordo in a Mini World Rally Car. We know we’ve got the speed to win these events and now we’re really looking forward to Rally Finland in a couple of months. Having seen how quick the car is on these kind of fast gravel roads, it’s great news to know we have a Finn [Juha Salo] joining P-G in the team for our next SWRC outing.”

THIERRY NEUVILLE RACKS UP THE STAGE WINS

Posted: July 19, 2012 12:05 PM

Competing for the Qatar World Rally Team at Rally New Zealand, Thierry Neuville and Nicolas Gilsoul finished the event in fifth place overall. The Belgian pair produced an error-free performance, gradually improving as the rally progressed before claiming three stage wins on day three.

Thierry Neuville and Nicolas Gilsoul achieved one of their childhood dreams when they experienced the Rally New Zealand stages for the first time during reconnaissance. Fifth in the qualifying stage, they were faced with a real dilemma when it came to choosing their starting position for the first leg. Gambling on fairly mild weather conditions, they decided to set start in twelfth place, just ahead of Jari-Matti Latvala.

After making a good start to the rally, Thierry was regularly slowed down by the car in front:
“I don’t feel any animosity towards him, because he did what he could to let me past, but in places the road just wasn't wide enough. I ended up losing at least twenty or thirty seconds, so my sixth position at the end of day one didn't really reflect our level of performance. When the conditions were right, we managed to get among the leaders with our times.”

Saturday’s leg enabled the Saint-Vith driver to continue to improve. Runner-up on SS10, Thierry was quicker overall on the day’s stages than all of his direct rivals.
“It wasn’t easy, though. We had to keep switching between hard and soft tyres depending on the changing weather conditions. We worked a lot, not only on my pace notes, but also on the setup of the DS3 WRC. We have closed the gap to fifth place. I’ll be going after it on the last leg.”

Day three, much shorter than the first two days, provided further confirmation of Thierry’s good form. Having carefully managed his allocation of ten soft Michelin Latitude Cross tyres, the Qatar World Rally Team driver was well equipped to go after a top 5 place. A very relaxed Thierry began the day with two stage wins. After cutting Ott Tänak’s lead to 16s by the day’s half-way stage, he looked set to keep up the pressure! Indeed, Thierry then went on to win SS20, while his Estonian rival was forced out of the rally after rolling his car.

“I’m sorry for Ott, but that’s racing, and I’m happy to make it into the top 5 at this rally. If I hadn’t lost so much time on day one, we might have finished fourth,” concluded the Belgian. “I’m pleased to have reached the end of the rally without making any significant mistakes. These three days of racing have been extremely beneficial for me and I would like to thank Nasser Al-Attiyah once again for having given me this superb opportunity! I really enjoyed driving on this magnificent stages and I can’t wait to come back.”

Strong Debut For DMACK Gravel Tyre In New Zealand

Posted: July 19, 2012 12:04 PM

DMACK's new soft compound gravel tyre was the perfect choice for this weekend's Rally New Zealand as it helped master the wet, wintery weather on this 500th round of the FIA World Rally Championship.

Heavy rain showers and rapidly changing conditions across the slippery gravel stages proved difficult for competitors but DMACK's new DMG+2, with it closed tread pattern, worked well in the tough conditions.

Rally New Zealand was round seven of the world series and the smooth, high-speed cambered gravel rounds of the North Island are usually welcomed by world rally drivers. But the conditions made things very slippery indeed and it was because of the expected cool and wet conditions that DMACK nominated its soft compound gravel tyre.

The rally was a challenge for crews. The opening day saw 200km of action across classic tests including Te Akau and Whaanga Coast with only a remote service in Raglan to break up the monster stage miles.

Crews then headed north on Saturday for competitive stages around Whangarei and Kaipara before finishing off closer to the rally base in Auckland.

Finn Jari Ketomaa, driving the DMACK Ford Fiesta RS WRC, struggled on the first day. He started sixth on the road but, not having competed since Rally Portugal in March, found it hard to get a comfortable pace. He overcame day one mechanical problems and a few brushes with the stunning New Zealand scenery to set some solid times on Sunday's final day tests.

He just missed out on a top-10 spot in 11th place but will be looking to build on his improving speed on his home event of Rally Finland in August.

However, DMACK's success in the feeder Production WRC series continued with Swede Ramona Karlsson. She set fastest times in the category in her strongest performance of the year before being forced into retirement after her Mitsubishi Evo X caught fire at the end of day two.

Mexican Ricardo Trivino collected a podium for DMACK after finishing third in PWRC.

Dick Cormack, DMACK motorsport director, said:
'Although we haven't come away from the event with strong results on paper, the debut of the soft compound DMG+2 went extremely well. It was the perfect choice for the wet conditions and every competitor stressed how well it was working in the tough conditions. This information is crucial to continue our development and now we can look to similar events in Finland and GB with increased confidence.'

Solberg/Patterson secure podium place for Ford at Rally New Zealand

Posted: July 19, 2012 12:02 PM

Ford World Rally Team drivers Petter Solberg and Chris Patterson claimed their fourth podium of the season when they finished third in Brother Rally New Zealand today. Driving a Ford Fiesta RS World Rally Car, they battled up the leaderboard after losing time early in the three-day rally and climbed to third in the FIA World Rally Championship driver standings.

Team-mates Jari-Matti Latvala and Miikka Anttila finished seventh in the squad's other Fiesta RS WRC. They held a comfortable third until late in the opening leg when they dropped more than 4min 30sec after their car slid into a fence and became tangled in wire. The Finns claimed maximum bonus points for winning the final live TV Power Stage today, with Solberg taking second.

This seventh round of the 13-event season was based in the middle of the southern hemisphere's winter. Temperatures were mild but heavy rain showers ensured tyre selection for the fast and flowing gravel speed tests around Auckland was always tricky, as teams strived to find the perfect balance between Michelin's hard and soft compound rubber in rapidly changing conditions.

New Zealand's smooth but heavily-cambered North Island roads are regarded as among the best in the championship. Drivers enjoyed 413.94km of competition over 22 special stages in the lush, rolling farmland as the championship celebrated its 500th round since its launch in 1973.

Solberg lost time on Friday morning when the team mistakenly opted for hard compound tyres in cool and damp conditions. The 90sec time loss dropped the 37-year-old Norwegian to seventh, but he recovered to fourth by the end of the day. Solberg moved into the top three early yesterday and was the fastest driver through the second leg, but the time gap to those ahead remained big and he eased through the final day to consolidate third.
'We came here with a good car and a big opportunity but unfortunately Friday's mistake ended our hopes of a win,' admitted Solberg. 'That was sad for the team, but a podium is still a good result. The key today was to stay calm to secure third, and taking bonus points in the Power Stage was a good ending.

'We need some luck and make sure we're fully prepared for the next rallies to try to secure that elusive win at last. The speed of the car is fantastic and everyone in the team is pushing hard for victory, so I'm confident it will come soon,' he added.

Latvala was fastest in qualifying and after leading initially, the 27-year-old settled into third. However, his victory hopes ended late on Friday when his car hit a hole and spun into a fence. Although there was no damage, some wire became wrapped around a wheel and the car was unmoveable until the crew used some clippers to cut it free.

The incident relegated Latvala to ninth, but he climbed to eighth yesterday and moved up another place today, despite intermittent rain making conditions tricky over the seven stages covering 61.33km. With no chance of a podium, Latvala also took the opportunity to test some revised differential settings on his Fiesta RS WRC.
'Today I started to regain my speed and confidence and I'm happy to earn bonus points for winning the Power Stage,' he said. 'I struggled on Friday and after my spin I focused on testing. That brought some good ideas for the next round in Finland. Looking at the points, I have no chance for the drivers' championship now but the main thing will be to keep fighting for victory on every rally.

'It's good that the summer break is here and I can try to relax and come back with a refreshed spirit for the second half of the season. I want to analyse everything that has happened so far this year, get rid of any negative thoughts, and move forward,' added Latvala.

Ford World Rally Team director Malcolm Wilson praised Solberg's recovery drive.
'We made a mistake with the tyres on Friday which proved expensive, but he fought back well to finish third. Of course, it's disappointing to come away with just third, especially after Jari-Matti was fighting for a win. We have the speed from the car and drivers, but we need to put together the pieces of the jigsaw to convert our pace into victories. I'm confident we can do that in the second half of the year,' he said.

Ford Racing senior manager Gerard Quinn said:
'On a weekend where tyre choice was critical and the weather made for challenging driving, I'm satisfied to finish this rally and close the first half of the season with a podium. Jari-Matti's Power Stage win and Petter's second place also brings valuable points in the drivers' championship. Our team now has a six-week break before Rally Finland, in which we'll concentrate on preparing a strong challenge for the second part of the season.'

News from other Ford teams
M-Sport Ford World Rally Team's Evgeny Novikov / Denis Giraudet finished fourth in their Fiesta RS WRC, 37.2sec behind Solberg. However, team-mates Ott Tänak / Kuldar Sikk rolled into retirement three stages from the finish as they tried to hold off a charging Thierry Neuville. Monster World Rally Team's Ken Block / Alex Gelsomino finished ninth in only their second outing of the season. Brazil World Rally Team's Manfred Stohl / Ilka Minor completed the leaderboard in 10th in Stohl's first world rally since December 2007. Jari Ketomaa / Mika Stenberg finished 13th.

Next round
The series pauses for a six-week break before the second half of the championship begins with Rally Finland, which is based in Jyväskylä on 2 - 4 August.

Results

Posted: July 19, 2012 11:59 AM

1. S Loeb/D Elena (Citroen DS3 WRC) 4hr 04min 51.2sec
2. M Hirvonen/J Lehtinen (Citroen DS3 WRC) 4hr 05min 20.8sec
3. P Solberg/C Patterson (Ford Fiesta RS WRC) 4hr 06min 27.6sec
4. E Novikov/D Giraudet (Ford Fiesta RS WRC) 4hr 07min 04.8sec
5. T Neuville/N Gilsoul (Citroen DS3 WRC) 4hr 07min 33.6sec
6. D Sordo/C Del Barrio (Mini John Cooper Works WRC) 4hr 07min 54.3sec
7. J-M Latvala/M Anttila (Ford Fiesta RS WRC) 4hr 09min 44.1sec
8. A Araujo/M Ramalho (Mini John Cooper Works WRC) 4hr 14min 27.6sec
9. K Block/A Gelsomino (Ford Fiesta RS WRC) 4hr 15min 21.5sec
10 M Stohl/I Minor (Ford Fiesta RS WRC) 4hr 16min 17.5sec

Results on line (New Zealand)

Ford's hard chargers prepared for close combat in New Zealand

Posted: June 21, 2012 2:25 PM

Ford World Rally Team heads to Brother Rally New Zealand (21 - 24 June) next week with both drivers able to draw on past experience of how intense the fight for victory there can be. Both Jari-Matti Latvala and team-mate Petter Solberg have enjoyed the spoils of victory by just a handful of seconds after dramatic battles which were only decided in the final kilometres.

Latvala and Miikka Anttila won the most recent fixture there in 2010, emerging from the last speed test with a slender 2.4sec advantage after a thrilling four-car showdown. It is the fourth-closest finish in the history of the FIA World Rally Championship.

Six years earlier Solberg won by just 5.9sec following a similarly action-packed rally. Fittingly, both drivers clinched victory in the classic Whaanga Coast special stage, one of the sport's iconic and most challenging venues.

Rally New Zealand, round seven of the 13-event WRC, is the last outing before a six-week break and the 500th championship encounter since the series began in 1973. Drivers regard the flowing gravel roads as among the best in the world and both 27-year-old Latvala and 37-year-old Solberg, partnered by Chris Patterson, list the event as one of their favourites.

The cambered roads around the North Island Maori-stronghold of Auckland are as smooth as a billiard table and positively entice drivers to attack. They wind through lush, green countryside and the scenery is as stunning as the roads, the picture postcard views over the Tasman Sea from Whaanga Coast being some of the finest of the championship.

Late June is the middle of winter in the Land of the Long White Cloud and rain will be a constant threat. Car reliability will be crucial, as the opening two legs offer just a 15-minute remote service midway through, in which teams can make repairs using only parts carried in the cars. This will be particularly true in the first leg which, at 209.60km, contains more than half the competitive distance.

'The first day will be tough because the stages are long and there is just one short service zone to make repairs if we have problems,' said Latvala. 'We will have limited access to spare parts, so it's vital to avoid mechanical issues. The famous Whaanga Coast stage will be run twice in the leg and it's one of the most challenging tests in the championship. There are always dramas on those roads.

'It was the final stage in 2010 and to come out of there and find I had won the rally was a great, great moment after such a hard battle. Four of us had the chance to win but the stage caught out the three others. It is one of the sport's great challenges.

'The roads are used daily by the public so they have a smooth, hard surface with a lot of camber. As you cross the camber through the flowing corners, it feels as though the car is dancing. It's a great feeling and it's hard not to attack over such wonderful stages. Because it's mid-winter, the risk of rain is higher and the roads may not be quite as smooth as we have been used to,' added Latvala.

Solberg, too, has great respect for Whaanga Coast. 'It's a special place. It's incredibly twisty and hugely technical towards the finish and a stage where the drivers come to the fore. It's tricky, but a driver can really make a difference with a good performance through there,' said the Norwegian.

'It's winter in New Zealand so there's a good chance the temperatures will be low and rain is likely. That will make it hard to generate heat into the hard compound tyres, which will be our primary option for the rally. It's the same for everyone and there's nothing we can do about it, but the other side of the coin is that the Fiesta RS WRC works well with hard compound rubber.

'Looking back to the previous round in Greece, I knew the risks when I raised my pace by half a per cent on the final day and I made a mistake that was costly. But I could sense victory then. I want to win and I'm confident that victory will come very soon. New Zealand would be a great place for it to happen,' he added.

Team News

* Michelin's Latitude Cross gravel tyres will be used by the Ford drivers and 35 of these will be available in hard compound. New-for-2012 regulations mean drivers will also have 10 soft compound tyres available if conditions are wet and muddy. However, only 35 units can be used in total during qualifying and the rally itself. Teams are not allowed to hand-carve additional cuts into the tyres and each car can carry two spare wheels.

* Five privately-run Fiesta RS WRCs are entered. Ott Tänak / Kuldar Sikk and Evgeny Novikov / Denis Giraudet are nominated by M-Sport Ford World Rally Team. Monster World Rally Team's Ken Block / Alex Gelsomino will make their second WRC start of the season while Brazil World Rally Team will be present, but with team manager Manfred Stohl / Tina-Maria Monego making a one-off appearance. It will be Stohl's first WRC outing since December 2007. The Fiesta RS WRC entries are completed by Finns Jari Ketomaa / Mika Stenberg.

* Latvala warmed up for the rally by winning the historic class in the POP Pankki SM-Ralli last Saturday. Latvala and co-driver Asko Sairanen took the class honours by more than five minutes in a Ford Escort RS Mk2 on the one-day event based at Lapua in western Finland.

Rally Route

The route returns to areas familiar to the drivers, but is centred around a new service park at the recently completed Wynyard Quarter on Auckland's waterfront. After Thursday evening's start ceremony, drivers journey south-west the following day to the Tasman Sea coastline for tests near Raglan, including two passes through Whaanga Coast. Raglan hosts a remote service midway through the leg. The second day heads to the Northland region for stages in the Whangarei and Kaipara districts, with another remote service in Whangarei itself. The final day is just north of Auckland, covering roads not used since the 1990s. It includes two passes over a short asphalt test at the city's War Memorial Museum, as well as the final Power Stage, which offers bonus points to the fastest three drivers. Drivers face 22 stages covering 413.94km in a route of 1656.38km.

AOTEAROA ADVENTURE AWAITS M-SPORT YOUNGSTERS

Posted: June 21, 2012 2:23 PM

A new challenge awaits Evgeny Novikov and Ott Tänak as the aspiring youngsters look to secure another strong result for the M-Sport Ford World Rally Team on the gravel tracks of the World Rally Championship's (WRC) 500th event at Brother Rally New Zealand next week.

Despite a year's break in the calendar, Rally New Zealand has been a regular and popular fixture in the world series since its inaugural inclusion in 1977 ' securing the WRC Rally of the Year award in 2001.

Famed for its high-speed stretches, technical corners and picturesque scenery, the smooth gravel roads will pose a fresh challenge for Novikov, who has contested the southern hemisphere event only once before, and Tänak who will be making his first venture to the stages this year.

Based in the city of Auckland ' home to a third of the New Zealand population ' this year's event will include two remote services as the rally takes in much of what the Isle of the Long White Cloud has to offer. Traditionally a loose-surface event, the occasional stretch of asphalt will provide some thrilling on-stage action; and with two special stages through Auckland's city centre, rally fans and spectators the breadth of the country will have the opportunity to take in the action for themselves.

In the midst of winter, inclement weather conditions are sure to play a pivotal role. Teamed with the importance of road position, tactical tyre choices and a need for consistency, M-Sport's young guns will need to adopt all of their experience and composure as they look to tame the cambered gravel roads which are renowned as some of the best in the world. Nevertheless with the fast, flowing nature of the New Zealand stages suiting both drivers' attacking driving style, the duo will be out to impress.

Following a stunning start to the season, Novikov and co-driver Denis Giraudet will be looking to reignite their assault on the WRC Drivers' and Co-drivers' Championships. The young Russian has come into his own this season with a string of record results behind the wheel of his Ford Fiesta RS WRC which he will be eager to replicate next week.

Having contested Rally New Zealand as part of the Production World Rally Championship (P-WRC) with a Mitsubishi Lancer in 2008, Novikov was on course for a second place finish on his debut at the event until mechanical problems forced an untimely exit. Back for 2012, the 21-year-old will be keen to make the added power in his Fiesta RS WRC count as he looks to display what makes him one of the most exciting young talents in the WRC.

Recovering well from early misfortune at last month's Acropolis Rally, Tänak will be hoping to make the most of his regained confidence in New Zealand. With the emphasis on experience, the Estonian will be aiming to complete all of the event's 22 stages and secure the maximum benefit from the event. Yet given his obvious pace and ambition behind the wheel of his Ford Fiesta RS WRC, the youngster is sure to show his speed as he chases a strong points finish.

With fellow country-man Kuldar Sikk in the navigator's seat, Tänak will be in good hands ' Sikk securing fifth place overall on the 2008 edition of the event alongside another Estonian, Urmo Aava.

Evgeny Novikov said:
'I am feeling very good ahead of the rally and we are hoping that everything goes well. I have competed in New Zealand once before in 2008. It was a long time ago, but as I remember the stages are all really nice and very different from the others [in the championship].

'They are really fast which suits my driving style ' they are really enjoyable to drive and you can drive to the maximum. We will have to see where our pace is when we get there, but the main thing for us will be to finish.'

Ott Tänak said:
'The feeling is good ahead of New Zealand. This will be my first time at the event, but I have heard that the stages are amongst some of the best in the season and I am very excited to compete there.

'The stages are mostly very fast and flowing. There are also very few rocks which makes it easier on the car and much easier for the drivers to drive as fast as they can ' which I hope suits my driving style. We have had some good times on similar stages this year so the feeling is good.

'Having Kuldar [Sikk] in the car will also be an advantage as he has competed here twice before and it is always good to share in his experience. We will be looking for a good result, but first we need to find our pace and see how it compares to everyone else. We will try our best and hopefully get a good result for the team.'

DMACK Goes Soft For New Zealand

Posted: June 21, 2012 2:12 PM

DMACK has nominated its soft compound gravel tyre for the seventh round of the FIA World Rally Championship as the series moves to the other side of the world for a winter running of Rally New Zealand.

Next week sees drivers tackle one of their favourite, and most competitive, rounds of the championship and DMACK will supply drivers with its new DMG+2 pattern in S1 compound.

The new closed pattern tyre was introduced as DMACK's joker a few weeks ago on the Acropolis Rally but next week's Auckland-based event will see its first competitive outing in soft compound.

The rally also marks the return of Finn Jari Ketomaa to the DMACK team and he will be leading the charge in his Autotek-run Ford Fiesta RS WRC car on an event where he took S2000 victory in 2010.

New Zealand is famous for its cambered, flowing roads and stunning coastal stages. But the threat of rain and low temperatures in the middle of winter has prompted DMACK to nominate its well-proven softer compound.

The soft tyre recently helped Martin Prokop score DMACK's best-ever world rally finish with fourth at Rally Argentina and the firm is confident the cooler conditions and smooth gravel surface will suit its gravel tyre perfectly.

PWRC runners Ramona Karlsson and Ricardo Trivino will also be heading the charge on DMACK tyres in the support category for production-based cars.

Event Details
Based once again in Auckland on New Zealand's north island, the event kicks off with classic stages, such as Te Akau and Whaanga Coast, which hugs the Tasman coastline, to the south-west of the city. The day is made even more challenging with only a remote service in Raglan to break up over 200km of timed rally action.

Saturday sees crews head north to Whangarei and Kaipara with another remote service forcing drivers to concentrate on a mistake-free run. The rally finishes with stages closer to Auckland and includes two runs over a spectator stage around Auckland Domain.

Dick Cormack, DMACK motorsport director, said:
'The introduction of our new DMG+2 in Greece, and the test afterwards, was very successful and we are keen to see its performance in New Zealand. The soft compound we've developed is very good, as was proved in Argentina, and it should work really well again in the damp conditions and low temperatures expected next week.'

THIERRY NEUVILLE WITH QATAR WRT: UPSIDE DOWN BUT WHEELS FIRMLY ON THE GROUND!

Posted: June 21, 2012 2:10 PM

Having produced a series of promising performances since the start of the season, Thierry Neuville and Nicolas Gilsoul’s programme now features an additional rally this month. The Belgian crew will line up for the Brother Rally New Zealand, the seventh round of the FIA World Rally Championship, in a Citroën DS3 WRC sporting Qatar World Rally Team decals. An exceptional opportunity for Thierry and Nicolas, who are determined to make the most of it!

At the start of the season, they were scheduled to start nine of the first ten rounds of the WRC, but Thierry Neuville and Nicolas Gilsoul no longer have a gap at the midway point of their season. In the midst of preparing to take part in this fifth Olympic Games in skeet shooting, Nasser Al-Attiyah offered the Belgian crew the chance to take his place at the Brother Rally New Zealand. The Saint-Vith-born driver, always accompanied by his fellow countryman Nicolas Gilsoul, will therefore be defending the colours of the Qatar World Rally Team on the other side of the world.

This long journey will provide Thierry Neuville, currently lying ninth in the Drivers’ World Championship, with the chance to add to his experience at this very specific and much-loved rally: “Ever since I was a little boy, long before I got behind the wheel of a car, I dreamed about taking part in Rally New Zealand. The scenery, the roads, the banked corners; I love everything about it. I really wanted to take part in the rally and I’d like to thank Nasser Al-Attiyah and Qatar for giving me this opportunity!”

Before setting off for New Zealand, the Belgian driver has already taken a lot of information on board:
“I’ve looked at a lot of onboard camera footage from previous years to get a good idea of what to expect over there. That way, I will be well prepared, even though I know that we will be short of experience in terms of driving on the stages when we line up at the start.”

“As far as I can tell – based on the footage I’ve seen – the level of grip and amount of loose gravel is roughly comparable to what we faced in Mexico,” commented Thierry. “But the main thrust of our approach will be to find the right setup quickly for this new surface. With only two runs in free practice before the qualifying stage, it certainly won’t be easy to compete with drivers who have already raced on these roads several times before. But the aim, of course, is to pick up as much experience as possible.”

Having finished in the points at the last three events in Portugal, Argentina and Greece, Thierry Neuville is on the upswing. Despite his good form, the rising star of Belgian rallying remains focussed in his main goal:
“We will see how the rally goes. Nicolas and I are not going to change our preparation. We always try to do our very best. The circumstances – by which, most of all, I mean the weather – will also play a major role. I wouldn’t be bothered by rain; that would reduce the problem of sweeping the loose gravel. Our goals will be set in the briefing with the team. Since the start of the season, we have had excellent support from Citroën. I have complete faith in Yves Matton that things will continue in the same way.”

“I’d like to thank Nasser Al-Attiyah and Qatar again for this gift,” added the Belgian driver. “We have talked a lot since the start of the season, and he knew I dreamed about driving in New Zealand. And I know that he dreams about representing his native Qatar in London. We are all behind him and wish him well at the Olympic Games. He’d better prepare properly: the entire Citroën team will be watching his progress from Finland!”

CITROEN: A TRIP DOWN UNDER BEFORE THE SUMMER B

Posted: June 21, 2012 2:08 PM

The 2012 FIA World Rally Championship season will reach its halfway point on the other side of the world at the Brother Rally New Zealand. Although certain to come away from Oceania still leading the Drivers’ and Manufacturers’ World Championships, the Citroën Total World Rally Team and the Sébastien Loeb/Daniel Elena crew will be aiming to make this long-distance trip a positive experience. Second in the overall standings, Mikko Hirvonen and Jarmo Lehtinen will also be keen to defend their position!

Rally New Zealand was not included in last year’s calendar (since it alternates with Rally Australia), but it is one of the rounds that is most appreciated by the drivers, who particularly enjoy the gravel roads on the North Island. Compared with the last time the rally featured in the WRC, the itinerary includes a significant part of the stages run around Raglan and Wangarei again, starting with the legendary Whaanga Coast, often acclaimed as the WRC’s most beautiful stage.

Concentrated on roads around Auckland, day three will see the return of stages that have not been used since the 1990s.

Winners of four of the six rallies held so far this season, Sébastien Loeb and Daniel Elena start the event as leaders of the World Championship. 30 points clear of their team-mates Mikko Hirvonen and Jarmo Lethtinen, the eight-time World Champions will hold onto the lead over the summer break, regardless of the outcome in New Zealand.

Before totting up his points for the first half of the season, Sébastien's thoughts turned to the enjoyment he gets from this special rally:
“This rally may well be the pinnacle when it comes to driving on gravel. It’s a bit like Finland… except the trees are much further back from the side of the road! It has often been said that it’s an extremely quick course, but I think it’s actually quite varied, with some really twisty sections. It is a rally where you need to be pushing all the time. If you’re not giving it 100%, you can see it in the times straight away.”

Winner of the event in 2005 and 2008, Seb’s memories of the trip to New Zealand are not however all good ones: “True enough, I have won the rally twice out of six attempts, but I have also made some mistakes here. Some when I was pushing hard, some when I had adopted a more measured pace. The speeds we reach here are such that you have to stay perfectly focussed all the time.”

Despite finishing on the podium three times here, Mikko Hirvonen has yet to win this rally. The Finn is nonetheless one of this event's biggest fans:
“It is certainly worth the 24-hour flight to get to Auckland. After the recent ‘rough’ gravel rallies, I’m pleased to be back on a surface that places greater emphasis on speed. We have already racked up four podium finishes this season and I am really hoping for another good result here.”

“With four wins out of the first six rallies, including two one-two finishes, the Citroën Total World Rally Team is on a good run,” reiterated Yves Matton, Citroën Racing Team Principal. “The trip to New Zealand should enable us at least to confirm if not increase our lead in both championships. The outcome of this rally is still far from certain, however, and we have seen in recent rounds that the gaps between the leading cars are very narrow. Everything suggests we’ll see yet another ding-dong battle in the World Rally Championship!”

THREE QUESTIONS FOR… MIKKO HIRVONEN

You finished in second position at the Acropolis Rally, but you make no secret of your preference for quicker surfaces… like the one on this next rally!
“Yes, Rally New Zealand is just great. Obviously, my favourite event is still Rally Finland, but this really is one of my favourites. The stages are run on fast-flowing roads and they allow you – or rather force you – to adopt a good pace right every inch of the way. It's great fun to drive like that and I can’t wait to get there. This year, there are over 400 kilometres of stages to run, which makes it all the more exciting!”

It has often been said that the roads in New Zealand are quite specific, with series of banked corners that form a sort of propeller. Is it really special from a driving point of view?
“Most rallies have their specific features and Rally New Zealand is no exception; the gravel roads are indeed characterised by their pronounced camber. You have to be very precise during reconnaissance and note down carefully on which side of the road you need to position the car for braking. If you are on the wrong side, you can end up tilting the car and you’re certain to go off the road! You have to ‘master’ the contours of the roads, so that you can negotiate the bends more quickly. When you manage to do that, it’s exhilarating.”

In recent years, this rally has seen some very close finishes. Do you think there is an objective reason for that?
“I think it’s related to the nature of the roads. There is no rough gravel on the course and so it’s very unusual for the leading contenders to experience major problems at the start of the race. New Zealand is all about pure speed; we drive flat out from start to finish. The time differences can therefore be very minimal between those who have found the right pace. The race can come down to the last few stages. When there are several of us ‘busting a gut’ to try and win the rally, anything can happen!”

Prodrive looks for podium in New Zealand

Posted: June 21, 2012 12:53 PM

The Prodrive WRC Team returns to the World Rally Championship next week at the Brother Rally New Zealand two months following its last outing at Rally Portugal. After proving his pace by taking six fastest stage times in the newly upgrade MINI John Cooper Works WRC in Portugal the team believes that Dani Sordo can challenge for the podium on the gravel stages of New Zealand.

While Sordo has not competed in the WRC in the MINI since Portugal he stood in for the injured Jari Latvala and drove the Ford Fiesta WRC in Rally Argentina. If it wasn't for an electrical fault on the final powerstage he would have taken his second podium of the year. However, just two weeks later he gave the new MINI its first major international event win by winning the Tour de Corse in the Intercontinental Rally Challenge. This time, Sordo was driving the tarmac specification MINI John Cooper Works S2000.

"We were really impressed by Dani's pace in Portugal. The upgrades really made a difference to the car and Dani got into a great rhythm on day two after the unfortunate electrical problems forced him to stop on the first leg," said Dave Wilcock, Prodrive WRC Team principal. "It is mid winter in New Zealand and the smooth fast and what could very easily be damp conditions should suit the MINI and Dani's style. He showed what he could do in similar circumstances in Portugal and proved why he is such a highly regarded WRC driver by so nearly taking another podium in his very first outing in a new car in Argentina."

In between events, Sordo has been using his spare time to keep in peak condition, by competing in the second Carrera Solidaria Santander, a 160 km mountain bike race and managing to finish near the head of the field of 250 riders. He also took the opportunity to fly to the UK to shake down his Rally New Zealand event car and to try some new developments for rallies later in the year, which will include Rally GB and Rally Germany among others.

"The MINI had very good pace in Portugal and I got a really good feeling for new car," said Sordo. "The car is particularly good in the flowing high speed sections and I think it will be very well suited to the stages in New Zealand. However, so much will depend on our road position and the weather as it could be cold and wet."

It is 40 years since a 1275 GT Mini Clubman won the 1972 Heatway International Motor rally in New Zealand, driven by Scotsman Andrew Cowan. The small car headed home the factory backed Toyota team as well as a group of BMWs, Ford Escorts and Holden Torana XU1 competitors. As in Monte Carlo eight years earlier it was the 95 bhp Minis agility which overcame the more powerful competition.

THIERRY NEUVILLE TO COMPETE AT RALLY NEW ZEALAND FOR QATAR WORLD RALLY TEAM

Posted: May 17, 2012 11:37 AM

Due to his Olympic Games’ commitments, Nasser Al-Attiyah will be unable to take part in Rally New Zealand, the seventh round of the World Rally Championship, which is set to be held in Auckland on 21- 24 June of this year. The Qatari has chosen to entrust his Citroën DS3 WRC to the Thierry Neuville/Nicolas Gilsoul crew, who will race on behalf of the Qatar World Rally Team.

It would certainly be no understatement to say that Nasser At-Attiyah is a busy man! The Qatari simply never stops: official entrant in the WRC and a regular competitor in the Middle East Rally Championship, he also somehow finds time to take part in rally-raids and Skeet shooting competitions. Despite his unwavering commitment to the WRC, the opportunity to represent his country for the fifth consecutive Olympic Games, in one of the shooting events, was too good to turn down and so he had to miss the New Zealand round. Attached to Thierry’s human qualities and aware of his potential in the DS3 WRC, Nasser didn’t hesitate in choosing the Belgian driver to take his place for the rally in the ‘land of the long white cloud’.

“I have to complete some training sessions in preparation for the London Olympic Games, and so I can’t take part in this exceptional race,” explained Nasser. “We are official entrants in the World Championship and it is mandatory for us to compete in every round. It didn’t take much thinking time to realise who should take my place in the no.7 Citroën DS3 WRC! I trust Thierry, but most of all I want him to be able to gain as much experience from taking part in this event as possible and for it to be beneficial to him. I am equally convinced that he is more than capable of scoring points for the Qatar World Rally Team.”

“This is more than just a great opportunity, it is a real honour for me to be trusted in this way by the team,” said the Belgian driver, visibly pleased. “This event wasn’t part of our schedule and without this offer, I would never have been able to race on the legendary tracks of the Pacific coast. We will do everything in our power to defend the colours of the Qatar World Rally Team. I'd like to thank them for giving us the opportunity to experience such a great event.”

Rally Guide / Website / Details

Posted: May 17, 2012 11:35 AM

• Rally New Zealand