rally.ie - Stories - 2014 European Rally Championship (ERC)

HUGE INTEREST AS 15 DRIVERS SIGN UP FOR INAUGURAL ERC JUNIOR ROUND

Posted: January 21, 2014 11:33 AM

Fifteen of the best young rally drivers in Europe have signed up to contest the opening round of the inaugural FIA ERC Junior Championship in Latvia later this month.

A new concept for the 2014 season, the ERC Junior Championship is open to rising talents under the age of 25 driving R2-specification machinery.

They will count their best four scores from a total of seven rounds with the winner making selected appearances on ERC events in 2015 at the wheel of an R5 car. The championship will also benefit from exclusive highlights on Eurosport, dedicated online promotion and media training by ERC promoter Eurosport Events.

The ERC Junior Championship runners on Rally Liep?ja are as follows:

Drivers can still enter the ERC Junior Championship ahead of the second event of the season, the Circuit of Ireland Rally from 17-19 April.

PEUGEOT CONFIRMS ERC MANUFACTURERS’ CUP REGISTRATION - Breen to drive 208 T16 (R5)

Posted: December 4, 2013 1:47 PM

Peugeot Sport will register for the new-for-2014 FIA European Rally Championship Manufacturers’ Cup. As a result, drivers planning to contest the new ERC Junior Championship next season will be able to do so in a Peugeot 208 R2, which will now be eligible for the young driver category.

In addition, the Peugeot Rally Academy, created by Peugeot Sport in 2013 to showcase emerging talent, will enter Dutch driver Kevin Abbring and Irishman Craig Breen in a pair of R5-specification 208 T16s on several rounds of the ERC.

“The ERC Manufacturers’ Cup gives us two opportunities and we’re very glad it exists again,” said Peugeot Sport Director Bruno Famin. “Firstly, it will allow us to show how good, hopefully, the 208 T16 is and we hope we will have many cars in the ERC during the year. The second opportunity is to enable our customers to score points in the new ERC Junior Championship with our 208 R2. We are convinced this car is the new reference of the R2 category and there will be a lot of young drivers who can shine in this car in the ERC with the Eurosport coverage as a great platform.”

Peugeot’s 208 T16 is due to be homologated for competition use on 1 March 2014 with cars delivered to customers from February onwards. Famin also confirmed that a Peugeot Rally Academy-supported 208 R2 could be entered on selected rounds of the ERC Junior Championship with Frenchman Stéphane Lefebvre under consideration for the seat.

New developments for 2014 ERC revealed

Posted: November 25, 2013 2:24 PM

Eurosport Events, the promoter of the FIA European Rally Championship, is delighted to announce several exciting developments for the 2014 season, which were approved by a meeting of the FIA Rally Commission in Geneva last month (31 October). All these proposals are subject to approval by the World Motor Sport Council at its meeting in December.

FIA ERC Manufacturers’ Cup

As a direct response to the increased interest from manufacturers planning to contest the FIA European Rally Championship in 2014, Eurosport Events has proposed to the FIA the creation of the FIA ERC Manufacturers’ Cup. It will replace the European Rally Championship for Teams and will be run on all 12 rounds of the 2014 ERC with the two highest-placed cars from each make according to the final official classification scoring points towards an overall classification. There will also be separate Manufacturers’ Cups for ERC Production Car and ERC 2WD competitors.

FIA ERC Junior Championship

Another new initiative for 2014, the FIA ERC Junior Championship will be contested over seven events on a variety of surfaces with drivers counting their best four scores. Drivers must be 25 and under on 1 January 2014 to be able to take part and must use R2-specification cars. Only drivers competing with an R2 car from a brand registered with the FIA will be eligible. A control tyre supplier will provide tyres for sale and pump fuel only, provided by one supplier, will be allowed. ERC Junior championship entrants will be seeded together on events, starting behind the four-wheel-drive crews to help promotion and filming. A special entry fee of 1000 Euros will be set for ERC Junior competitors on each of the seven events. The winning driver will get the use of an R5 car for selected ERC events in 2015. Further awards and incentives will be announced in due course. Eurosport Events will organise a dedicated promotion throughout the season, including a dedicated television package. Training programmes during rallies will also be provided.

The ERC Junior Championship will be contested over the following seven events (subject to FIA World Motor Sport Council approval):

*ERC Junior Championship contesting SATA Rallye Açores will receive free return boat travel for a service vehicle towing a rally car plus six free return airplane tickets. Journeys to start from Lisbon

Further cost-cutting measures for 2014

Following the ERC’s successful efforts to reduce costs by limiting the amount of tyres that can be used on each event to 20 (plus four for Free Practice and Qualifying Stage), the ERC’s proposals to restrict tyre use by competitors in two-wheel-drive machinery were accepted by the meeting of the FIA Rally Commission in Geneva. From the start of the 2014 season, ERC 2WD Championship competitors will be able to use a maximum of 16 tyres plus four for shakedown). In a further move to reduce expenditure, the FIA Rally Commission approved an ERC proposal to introduce pump fuel as standard for all drivers contesting rounds of the ERC provided by a single supplier. Furthermore, organisers of SATA Rallye Açores and the Cyprus Rally will provide significant travel subsidies to ERC competitors planning to contest those events.

Qualifying Stage on each ERC event

On all rounds of the 2014 FIA European Rally Championship, FIA and ERC priority drivers will complete two runs of Free Practice before tackling a Qualifying Stage. The results of the Qualifying Stage will be used to determine the starting order for leg one with the driver setting the fastest time in Qualifying choosing their starting position first at a public-focused Start Selection Ceremony followed by the second fastest driver and so on until all FIA and ERC priority drivers have made their selection. Following the Qualifying Stage, all other competitors will undertake a period of shakedown.

Titles up for grabs in next year’s ERC

In summary, the following titles will be contested in the FIA European Rally Championship in 2014:

ERC reveals exciting new-look calendar for 2014

Posted: November 15, 2013 8:49 PM

There will be serious competition ahead – and seriously good events – in next year’s FIA European Rally Championship with the publication of the draft list of dates for 2014.

Following a meeting of the FIA Rally Commission in Geneva last month, Eurosport Events, the ERC promoter, is delighted to reveal a 12-round schedule, which is due for final ratification by the FIA World Motor Sport Council at its meeting in Paris in December.

It features three events on snow and ice as part of the exciting new ERC Winter Challenge, two on gravel, four entirely on asphalt and three on a combination of asphalt and gravel, with a more even spread of rallies from January to November.

Eight rounds included this season remain on the schedule for 2014 with three legendary events returning to the ERC after several years of absence: the Acropolis Rally, the Circuit of Ireland Rally and the Cyprus Rally. Meanwhile, auto24 Rally Estonia is a new addition to the ERC calendar having hosted a round of the European Historic Sporting Rally Championship in recent years.

ERC Winter Challenge is go!

As previously announced, the 2014 ERC season kicks off with two winter events, the 31 Int. Jännerrallye, Oberösterreich in Austria (3-5 January) and Rally Liep?ja in Latvia (31 January-2 February). A third winter event, Sibiu Rally Romania, has now been confirmed from 27 February-1 March and will form part of the all-new ERC Winter Challenge, which will carry its own points and awards. The popular rally in Transylvania is switching from its traditional July slot and will include a stage on the famous Transf?g?r??an mountain pass.

Legendary events return to the ERC

The ERC calendar for 2014 is further enhanced by the inclusion of the Acropolis Rally, Circuit of Ireland Rally and the Cyprus Rally, three flagship events. The Acropolis Rally, previously Greece’s round of the world championship, celebrates its 60th anniversary in 2014. Taking place from 28-30 March, it is one of the most famous rallies on the international calendar and will include asphalt and gravel stages when it runs next year. The Circuit of Ireland Rally first took place in 1931, making it the third oldest in existence. Using asphalt stages in Northern Ireland, the rally is scheduled for 17-19 April. The Cyprus Rally will take place from 19-21 September over a mixed-surface route. It returns to the ERC roster for the first time since 1999.

Established rallies strengthen ERC ties

Eight rounds of next year’s ERC formed part of the 2013 calendar. The 49th SATA Rallye Açores moves from late April to 15-17 May, while Belgium’s Geko Ypres Rally will take place from 19-21 June. Barum Czech Rally Zlín is scheduled for 29-31 August. Rallye International du Valais in Switzerland is due to run from 23-25 October with Giru di Corsica-Tour de Corse switching from mid-May to the final round from 6-8 November subject to the signing of the event promoter agreement. ERC newcomer auto24 Rally Estonia will run from 17-19 July.

François Ribeiro, Motorsport Development Director, Eurosport Events, said:
“We’re delighted to announce the ERC calendar for 2014, our second season promoting the championship under our agreement with the FIA. We’ve included some of the best events in Europe over an 11-month spread to facilitate logistics for the teams. We have achieved a good split of surfaces and will visit a number of key markets. As well as showcasing several emerging rallies, we’re also incorporating several legendary events famous throughout the world. Allied with a number of new initiatives to be announced soon, the revamped calendar gives us great cause for optimism for the year ahead.”

Q&A: François Ribeiro
Motorsport Development Director, Eurosport Events

Q: The 2014 FIA ERC calendar is very exciting indeed. How satisfied are you?
A: “We have worked on this calendar for many months with the objective of creating a schedule of events that offers a wide variety of surfaces and terrain but spread over the balance of the season. We’ve also ensured a good mix of established and emerging rallies, plus hallmark events, such as the Acropolis, Circuit of Ireland, Tour de Corse and the Cyprus Rally.”

Q: You mentioned the Acropolis Rally, Circuit of Ireland Rally, Tour de Corse and the Cyprus Rally. What does it mean for the ERC to have such famous events on the schedule?
A: “We are thrilled to include these events on the ERC calendar for 2014. The Acropolis is a name synonymous with rallying and the organisers are planning a real big push for the event’s 60th anniversary celebrations. The Circuit of Ireland is the third oldest rally in the world and its forward-thinking organisers have exciting plans in place for 2014. The Cyprus Rally gave a big push to return to the ERC and help teams with logistics. The Tour de Corse remains the stuff of legend and is a very good event to finish the season. It’s also several weeks after the Rallye de France WRC event and this was important to the French Federation.”

Q: The ERC Winter Challenge is new for 2014. What more can you say about this?
A: “It was always the plan to maximise the number of events run in the winter months because rallying on snow and ice is truly spectacular. We were looking for a way to overcome the roughness of the gravel stages in Romania. When the Sibiu Rally organiser accepted to switch to February, it made complete sense to set-up a three-event Winter Challenge and incentivise drivers to participate. There will be separate points and awards with a Winter Challenge champion crowned following the final event in Sibiu, which is going to be a classic with a stage on the famous Transf?g?r??an mountain pass. It may be the best road in the world to organise a special stage, halfway between Pikes Peak and Alpe d’Huez cycling climb, and it’s coming to the ERC in 2014.”

Q: How important was achieving a greater mix of surfaces in the calendar?
A: “It’s vitally important to offer competitors, manufacturers, fans and the media a variety of surfaces as it creates added interest and increases the challenge on offer. While some drivers relish competing on all surfaces, others prefer to specialise on one surface. With more events on each surface on offer they are able to do this and be a title contender at the same time.”

Q: The calendar spans 11 months from January to November. What benefits will this bring?
A: “With pretty much one rally per month, each rally will become a focal point and the interest in the ERC will be maintained for almost the entire calendar year. Teams have been all asking for a better spread of rallies across the season and contribution to the cost of ferries for the Açores and Cyprus to reduce their logistic budget so they’re closer to an event based on mainland Europe.”

Q: We’ve seen the revamped calendar for 2014 but what else will be new for next year?
A: “Standby for an announcement soon when we’ll reveal more details about the ERC in 2014 and some cost saving initiatives for the teams.”

FIA European Rally Championship 2014 provisional calendar*

Posted: November 15, 2013 8:48 PM

31 Int. Jännerrallye, Oberösterreich (Austria), Asphalt/snow, 3-5 January 2014
Rally Liep?ja (Latvia), Gravel/snow, 31 January-2 February 2014
Sibiu Rally Romania, Gravel/snow, 27 February-1 March 2014
Acropolis Rally (Greece), Asphalt/gravel, 28-30 March 2014
Circuit of Ireland Rally (United Kingdom), Asphalt, 17-19 April 2014
49th SATA Rallye Açores (Portugal), Gravel, 15-17 May 2014
Geko Ypres Rally (Belgium), Asphalt, 19-21 June 2014
auto24 Rally Estonia (Estonia), Gravel, 17-19 July 2014
Barum Czech Rally Zlín (Czech Republic), Asphalt, 29-31 August 2014
Cyprus Rally (Cyprus), Asphalt/gravel, 19-21 September 2014
Rallye International du Valais (Switzerland), Asphalt/gravel, 23-25 October 2014
Giru di Corsica-Tour de Corse (France), Asphalt, 6-8 November 2014**

*Subject to ratification by the FIA World Motor Sport Council **Subject to the signing of the event promoter agreement

EXCITING WINTER START FOR 2014 FIA ERC SEASON

Posted: September 19, 2013 3:57 PM

The 2014 FIA European Rally Championship will begin with two exciting winter rallies in Austria and Latvia while discussions are ongoing over a third snow spectacular, Eurosport Events, the ERC promoter, is delighted to announce.

For the third year in a row, the Internationale Jännerrallye in Austria will open the ERC season from 2-4 January with Rally Latvia scheduled from 31 January-2 February. A third winter event could also be added to the provisional ERC calendar and, if current plans reach fruition, a three-round Winter Challenge will be created and incorporated within the existing ERC framework. Both dates remain subject to FIA World Motor Sport Council approval.

Eurosport Events is working in close collaboration with the FIA to secure a harmonised ERC and WRC calendar. As such, the full 12-round ERC schedule will be revealed following the announcement of the 2014 FIA World Rally Championship calendar.

François Ribeiro, Motorsport Business Director, Eurosport Events, said: “Announcing the first two opening rounds of the 2014 season now not only gives our teams and drivers the opportunity to start their preparations, it also whets the appetite of rally fans who can look forward to some serious competition ahead when the 2014 ERC season begins with at least two exciting winter rallies. While the Jännerrallye is well established as one of Europe’s leading winter events, Rally Latvia was a completely new event for 2013 and proved to be a tremendous success. We can’t wait to take the ERC back to these two rallies. The third winter event remains in the planning stages. But if it does go ahead then it will be a truly spectacular affair to ensure a stunning start to next season’s ERC.”

Internationale Jännerrallye
Based in Freistadt, near Linz, the Jännerrallye was back in ERC last season for the first time since the championship’s restructuring in 2004 and proved a big hit as drivers fought for glory on the snow-coated undulating stages of Lower Austria. This year’s event also proved to be an epic with Jan Kopecký claiming victory over Bryan Bouffier by half a second and seven different drivers winning stages.

Rally Latvia
Starting in Liep?ja in Latvia’s Kurzeme region west of the capital Riga, the action gradually headed north up the Baltic coast to Ventspils where it finished two days and 243 kilometres of snow and ice-coated stages later. The roads were littered with jumps, high-speed turns and blind crests. Jari Ketomaa came out on top but only after Craig Breen had led early on.

Championship Website

Posted: September 19, 2013 3:53 PM

European Rally Championship (ERC) - fiaerc.com

2014 European Rally Championship (ERC)