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TRAVIS WHO? HANSON WINS SNO*DRIFT RALLY 2011
ISSUE 168 • 03 FEB 2011
Service Park
Fiesta RS WRC tech spec, P8 MINI in Monte Carlo, P12 Off-roading to grow, P9
http://wp.me/pkXc
Start Ramp
Parc Ferme
BRC and Irish rally news
RA, R A A, P14
USA rallying snippets snip
HR, H R P16
WRC and IRC news updates new
• BIGGEST NEWS STORIES OF THE WEEK • EXCLUSIVE PHOTOGRAPHS FROM THE SNO*DRIFT RALLY 2011 • LIGA STIRNA REPORTS ON LATVIAN AND LITHUANIAN RALLYING • M-SPORT STOBART FORD’S ENGINEER INTERVIEWED AHEAD OF SWEDEN •
DOCUMENTATION 04
Editorial Information
Editor Evan Rothman
Photojournalist Eva Kovkova
Contributors RallyBuzz, Motorpics, Newspress, Liga Stirna, Tim Williams. All content copyrighted property of HANDBRAKES & HAIRPINS, 200711. This publication is fully protected by copyright and nothing may be reprinted in whole or in part without written permission from the editor. While reasonable precautions have been taken to ensure the accuracy of information from sources and given to readers, the editor cannot accept responsibility for any inconvenience or damage that may arise therefrom.
News
04 05 05
Daily Online Updates Daniel Elena at the Monte Carlo Rally Fan Foto Framed
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Features
06 07 08 09 09 10 11 11 12 13
The new order of the WRC Travis Hanson wins Sno*Drift 2011 Ford Fiesta RS WRC Tech Spec revealed Increased growth for off-road racing Novikov returns to WRC in 2011 VW aim for another winning season Fiestas set to attack works teams Loix signs up for seven more IRC events MINI returns to Monte Carlo Q&A with Stobart WRC engineer
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Events
14 16 17
Sno*Drift Rally 2011 review Halls Winter Rally review Qatar International Rally preview
Welcome to H&H!
Contact
Welcome to issue 168 of HANDBRAKES & HAIRPINS, your FREE weekly insight into the world of rallying. The World Rally Championship is about to start, with the WRC Rally Sweden, next week this time. Entering a new era, months and months of speculation will come to an end after the first stage: how fast are those new crop of rally cars? To this end, H&H this week sheds light on the technical specification of the new Ford Fiesta RS WRC and also interviews M-Sport Stobart Ford’s engineer to learn more about the intricacies of the WRC Rally Sweden. As always, I hope you enjoy this week’s exciting edition.
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Yours in Rallying, Evan Rothman
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START RAMP Team & Event News
Videos
For your convenience, here are the news items in this easy-toclick menu page: WORLD RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP MINI returns to Monte Carlo: http://wp.me/ppkXc-2uz Ostberg plans extra rallies: http://wp.me/ppkXc-2u2 Ostberg 2nd on Hadeland: http://wp.me/ppkXc-2ty Andersson happy to enter WRC: http://wp.me/ppkXc-2tX Parmander joins Sandell: http://wp.me/ppkXc-2tV Sousa to drive WRC at home: http://wp.me/ppkXc-2to Ford Fiesta WRC Tech Spec: http://wp.me/ppkXc-2th Novikov returns to WRC: http://wp.me/ppkXc-2te
Fan Foto Framed
Hijazi to debut Skoda in Qatar: http://wp.me/ppkXc-2tK 2011 Exedy Victorian series: http://wp.me/ppkXc-2u8 Al-Attiyah in Qatar Rally: http://wp.me/ppkXc-2tS Hanson Wins Sno*Drift: http://wp.me/ppkXc-2t9
RECOMMENDED YOUTUBE RALLY VIDEOS Sno*Drift Rally 2011: http://wp.me/ppkXc-2uq WRC drifting with cats: http://wp.me/ppkXc-2uk Petter Solberg in tests: http://wp.me/ppkXc-2tw
BRITISH AND IRISH RALLYING Jardine out of luck: http://wp.me/ppkXc-2sP
SOUTH AFRICAN AND AFRICAN RALLYING ABSA Off Road Championship: http://wp.me/ppkXc-2t5 BP Volkswagen team: http://wp.me/ppkXc-2t3 Bazil Read bizhub Ford Team: http://wp.me/ppkXc-2t0
EUROPEAN AND INTERCONTINENTAL RALLY CHALLENGE Campana answers our questions: http://wp.me/ppkXc-2tl Loix signs for seven events: http://wp.me/ppkXc-2sY Elena finishes Monte-Carlo: http://wp.me/ppkXc-2sV Yalta Rally presented in Monaco: http://wp.me/ppkXc-2sT Erik Carlsson: http://wp.me/ppkXc-2sN
INTERNATIONAL RALLYING AND OFF-ROAD RACING Reeves wins Targa Wrest Point: http://wp.me/ppkXc-2u4 Local drivers in Qatar Int’l Rally: http://wp.me/ppkXc-2ui Boosted octane rating: http://wp.me/ppkXc-2tZ Al-Qassimi set for Qatar: http://wp.me/ppkXc-2tO
THIS WEEK’S BEST VIDEO << Tim Williams represented HANDBRAKES & HAIRPINS at the opening round of the 2011 Rally America season. This talented photographer also filmed the cars in action, and here is his series of video clips: http://wp.me/ppkXc-2uq At the top of each page, a tabbed section contains video clicks we recommend viewing. In other tabbed sections, we have linked articles posted on our website that will add more perspective and insight into the article it accompanies. Together with the videos, HANDBRAKES & HAIRPINS aims to offer readers a fully-interactive reading experience. Send evanrothman@gmail.com your favourite rally-related videos to to be featured in this section. Or, send us a twitter to @Evan_Rothman or a message on Facebook.
THE LATEST NEWS FROM THE WORLD OF RALLYING
RallyBuzz.com features European rally championships, British rallying, RallyCar events, international rally results and videos, as well as S2000 and WRC news.
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Issue 168 • 03 Feb 2011
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FAN FOTO FRAMED
Got a great shot from a rally? Send your favourite rally photograph to evan.hhmag@gmail.com to be featured here! Picture by Gavin Rothman of Stuart Pegg (left) and Malcolm Wilson in a rally in South Africa for the Ford rally team.
DANIEL ELENA THRILLED TO FINISH MONTE CARLO RALLY Words: Staff Writer Picture: IRC Series Daniel Elena, who finished 52nd overall on Rallye Monte-Carlo at the end of last month, has described the ‘special feeling’ he experienced by completing the Intercontinental Rally Challenge seasonopener. Elena, the seven-time world champion co-driver and five-time Rallye Monte-Carlo-winning navigator, was taking part in a Citroen DS3 R3 on a rare outing behind the wheel. After overcoming a few early mechanical problems, Elena was one of 60 drivers to earn the right to tackle the four event-closing night stages, including two passes over the legendary Col de Turini, by completing SS9 inside the top-60 cut-off. “It was a very special privilege, not just to finish the rally, but to drive the Turini stages,” said Elena, who was taking a break from his codriving duties alongside Sebastien Loeb. “I had a big enjoyment on this rally, but now I have another more important job to do.” Elena finished 25th in the IRC 2WD Cup, which was won by Corsican Pierre Campana. Defending champion Harry Hunt finished 20th in the division after he lost seven minutes on the first stage when he went off the road overtaking a slower car. H&H
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THE NEW ORDER OF WRC Words: Staff Writer After more than a decade of twolitre turbo-charged World Rally Cars, 2011 heralds a new and exciting era for the FIA World Rally Championship with the introduction of 1.6 litre turbo-charged machinery. Why the change to a new formula? There are a number of reasons for change. The old formula was successful, with seven manufacturers homologating two-litre World Rally Cars, but it was time to rejuvenate the category. The 1.6 litre production vehicle is the preferred route for manufacturers, thanks to its energy efficiency. The FIA recognises the need to ally motor sport with such commercial and environmental considerations and is at the forefront of driving these issues. In addition, there was a need to considerably reduce the cost of participation in the FIA World Rally Championship, not only to make it more sustainable for those manufacturers already involved, but to attract new makes and teams. It is satisfying to see that the work of the FIA and various WRC stakeholders is paying dividends, with the welcome participation of one new manufacturer in 2011. Ford and Citroën continue to commit to the Championship and the FIA is delighted to welcome the return of MINI. It is hoped that more manufacturers will follow suit in the near future. What is the specification of the new World Rally Car that will compete from 2011? The car is based on the Super 2000 concept; this is the same formula as the World Touring Car, thereby potentially allowing a manufacturer to compete in both categories without additional development costs. The World Rally Car has a 1.6 litre direct injection turbo-charged engine and overall is considerably less complex with fewer electronics. Durability is also important, and certain parts will have to be homologated to withstand a much longer competition life. How does the World Rally Car vary from the Super 2000 car? Internally it is not too different to the 2011 Super 2000 car. The most notable change is the aerodynamic package, which includes a different front bumper and larger rear wing, giving the World Rally Car an extra visual dimension. What is the process for homologating this World Rally Car?
Initially the manufacturer’s base Super 2000 car must be homologated. After this, a Manufacturer or WRC Team registered for the Championship can adapt this car to a World Rally Car with the addition of the aerodynamic kit and other specified but restricted parts. Will drivers need to adapt their style of driving with these cars? The new car will certainly not be any easier to drive. In the old World Rally Car there were a number of electronic aids, including the gearshift and launch control. Previously the ECU software was also free, and wheel and gearbox speeds could be monitored; these electronically controlled elements are all now prohibited. As an example, the new World Rally Car has no centre differential or steering wheel mounted paddle shift, resulting in a totally manual gearshift. Cost reduction has been a serious consideration in the concept of the new World Rally Car, but so has the ‘show’. These cars will look, perform and sound more spectacular and provide greater entertainment. What is the performance difference between the old and new generation World Rally Car? The new World Rally Car will be marginally slower on the stages, but the revs on the 1.6 litre engine will be higher and this, combined with fewer driver aids, will make the car look more impressive in competition. It is about improving the spectacle; that is not just about speed. How have the new regulations encouraged MINI to enter the WRC? MINI’s decision to enter the WRC was influenced not only by the costs, but also the chances of success. The new regulations offer a very attractive platform for MINI with an excellent cost/ performance ratio. The goal is to win the World Championship, and the belief is with the new regulations this is an achievable aim. However, MINI realises such successes will only come with hard work. The 1.6-litre turbo engine derived from the MINI production models was developed by BMW Motorsport for use in a wide range of racing series. That means the cost of expensive engine development is greatly reduced and the same engine can, for the first time, be used in two different motorsport World Championships (FIA WRC and FIA WTCC), and the sale of customer rally cars has been another factor that influenced the decision. The WRC provides MINI with an attractive platform coupled with reasonable costs. Ian Robertson, a member of
the Board of Management, Sales and Marketing BMW Group, said: “The new regulations mean the gap to the top is smaller than it would have been at another time. The costs of developing a car and running it in the World Rally Championship have fallen significantly since the introduction of the new FIA Super 2000 regulations. We assume the costs will be about 25 per cent lower than would have been the case in previous years. This was a huge influence on our decision to become involved.” How has the introduction of the new World Rally Car reduced costs for manufacturers? The basic cost of the car is less, there are fewer electronic aids and the regulations state that components must last longer. In the near future, the life of engines and gearboxes – in particular – will be further extended, adding to the cost reduction. In total, it is anticipated that the cost of competing in a complete season will be reduced by at least 30%. The new generation of World Rally Cars use materials that are more in line with production cars; what difference has this made? In order to help reduce costs, the life/ cost ratio of various components has been analysed and when it has been possible to use the production car parts, this has been done. However, there are still a number of parts that clearly need reinforcement, not only for competition but safety reasons. The cars are now smaller; has this had any impact on the safety features that can be incorporated? Back in 2008, the FIA – with the help of the FIA Institute – made significant progress with the introduction of the Advanced Side Impact System, which also incorporated use of a new specification racing seat. Working together, these developments were a further step in improving safety and were designed to help save drivers and co-drivers from serious injury in the event of a high speed side or rear impact accident. With the introduction of smaller and more compact cars this level of safety had to be maintained. Working with the manufacturers, the FIA developed an updated package, enabling the teams to incorporate them more easily into the design of the car. Equally important, the introduction of the new cars means that these elements can be cascaded down to the lower category of cars, further improving overall safety in the sport. H&H
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TRAVIS HANSON CAPTURES TOP HONOURS AT SNO*DRIFT Words: Staff Writer Pictures: Chris Heikkuri and Tim Williams Michigan native Travis Hanson, partnered by his co-driver and father Terry, made history while taking their first overall victory in a RallyCar National Championship event. The father-and-son team piloted their Super Production Class Subaru Impreza STi through incredibly slick conditions at the Sno*Drift Rally en-route to a dominant victory over X Games champion and Subaru team driver Dave Mirra. Hanson secured a place in American motorsports history by being the first-ever Super Production Class driver to win a National Rally America event. More significantly, Hanson managed to achieve this impressive victory against factory-backed teams as a privateer with a limited budget. Hanson’s impressive win sees the team leading the 2011 RallyCar championship and makes them an early favorite to grab a coveted slot in this summer’s X Games 17 event to be held in Los Angeles, California. This is quite
an achievement, given that the Hansons are a small privateer team with a car that gives up considerable performance advantages to its higher powered open Class adversaries. “This was a weekend of firsts,” said Hanson. “It was the first time we were able to lead a rally, racing first on the road. Sno*Drift isn’t a rally you can just fight for, I let the rally come to me.” This philosophy seemed to work flawlessly, marking the young driver’s first ever overall podium. “For my first time with top honors I am so happy to have accomplished it here at my home event, which remains my favorite in the series.” At the awards ceremony the team received a standing ovation and was mentioned as joining multiple legends in the sport that have taken overall wins in production cars, such as John Buffum, Tim O’Neil and Doug Shepard, all of whom were in attendance at the race. Next up on the schedule for the team will be the Rally in the 100 Acre Wood, running 25 - 26 February in Salem, Missouri. “Hundred Acre Wood is another rally that I have had
success with. It’s a very fast event with conditions that can range from snow and ice to mud and dirt, and will truly challenge us if we’re to follow up our Sno*Drift win with a similar result.” H&H
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Issue 168 • 03 Feb 2011
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Dimensions: Length: 3,963mm; width: 1,820mm; wheelbase: 2,480mm; weight: 1,200kg minimum.
Transmission: Permanent four-wheel drive; mechanical front and rear differentials and a clutch disconnect fitted to handbrake; M-Sport/X-Trac sixspeed sequential gearbox with mechanical shift; M-Sport/AP Racing twin disc clutch.
Electronics: Full Cosworth chassis and engine data acquisition for onevent diagnostics and performance development.
Steering: Power-assisted high-ratio (12:1) rack and pinion; one and a half turns lock to lock.
Fuel tank: FIA FT3.5 tank, 80 litre capacity, located centrally.
Brakes: Gravel (front and rear): 300mm Brembo ventilated discs with Brembo fourpiston monoblock calipers. Asphalt (front and rear): 355mm Brembo ventilated discs with Brembo four-piston monoblock calipers. Hydraulic handbrake; adjustable front/rear bias.
Suspension: Front and rear: MacPherson struts with Reiger external reservoir dampers, adjustable in bump and rebound; fully adjustable fabricated steel links; front and rear anti-roll bars; machined aluminium uprights.
Engine: Ford EcoBoost 1600cc direct injection engine developed by Ford, M-Sport and Pipo Moteurs; four cylinders, 16 valves; bore: 83.0mm; stroke: 73.9mm; Cosworth electronic engine management system; Garrett turbocharger (with FIA required 33mm inlet restrictor); air intercooler; catalytic converter; power: 300bhp at 6,000rpm; torque: 450Nm at 4,000rpm.
Bodyshell: Unitary construction; unique composite side panels; welded T45 steel safety roll cage; aerodynamic rear wing; unique front ‘bumper’ treatment. Wheels: Gravel/Snow: 7in x 15in (aluminium) wheels with Michelin 650mm tyres. Asphalt: 8in x 18in (aluminium) wheels with Michelin 650mm tyres.
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION: FORD FIESTA RS WRC 2011 Words: Staff Writer Pictures: Ford of Europe/M-Sport Ford’s all-new Fiesta RS World Rally Car will receive final clearance for its FIA World Rally Championship debut this week when motorsport’s governing body gives it the seal of approval to compete in Rally Sweden next week. The Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) will approve homologation of Ford’s challenger for
the 2011 championship after the car successfully cleared tough technical inspections to ensure it complies with the sport’s new cost-effective regulations. This means that Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team drivers Mikko Hirvonen and Jarmo Lehtinen and team-mates Jari-Matti Latvala and Miikka Anttila will put the Fiesta RS WRC through its paces for the first time in the WRC when the 13-round season begins in Sweden (on 10 February).
“We worked closely with the FIA throughout the development of the car to ensure our understanding of the regulations was aligned with that of the governing body,” said Ford of Europe’s motorsport chief, Gerard Quinn. “We expect the paperwork to be finalised this week, and everyone involved with the programme is looking forward to an exciting season ahead with the action beginning in Sweden.” H&H
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INCREASED GROWTH FOR OFF-ROAD RACING IN 2011 Words: Evan Rothman With a new season looming the Absa Off Road Championship is looking for further stability and growth in 2011. The season opens with the Adenco 400 in Darling, in the Western Cape, on March 11 and 12 and the championship will again comprise eight events throughout South Africa and Botswana. The Absa series is a jewel in the Motorsport South Africa crown and the South African National Off Road Car Racing Association (SANORCRA) will again take a proactive stance in administering the championship. “Last year was a difficult one with the FIFA World Cup soccer tournament interrupting the calendar in mid year,” said SANORCRA chairman Richard Schilling. “Despite the disruption the championship went through a highly successful phase with the sport showing encouraging growth at regional and national level. “This year we are back to normal, with one exception the calendar has a familiar look about it and we will again be proactive in ensuring that the championship continues to grow.” Schilling added there was a solid base from which to operate, and SANORCRA would continue to work closely with principal sponsor Absa and partners Donaldson Filtration Systems, Ford and Toyota. The association would also continue to keep open channels of communication with event and team sponsors and competitors. Where the calendar was concerned, Schilling said the only major change was in terms of the Atlas Copco Battlefields 400 on May 20 and 21. After many years of being based at the Eston Farmer’s Club near Pietermaritzburg, the event this year has moved to Dundee in the KZN midlands.
Schilling added that selected Northern Regions and KwaZulu-Natal regional championship events would continue to run in conjunction with national championship races. The experiment in 2010 had proved to be successful, and was one of the reasons for continued growth at grass roots and national level. “It was encouraging to see a number of regional competitors coming through to race on a regular basis in national events,” said Schilling. “We will continue to nurture the sport at grass roots level, but the overall prognosis for off road racing is good and we are in for another cracking championship season.” The Absa series will also continue with the policy of a full-time race director, permanent clerks of course, chief marshal, chief medical officer and MSA Steward. Adri Roets will again act as race director, Joe Fourie and Rex Boreham will continue to share clerk of the course duties and Francois Jordaan will act as permanent MSA Steward. There will also be a full time chief marshal in Theuns Beer, and Rolf Schana of MMC will oversee all medical requirements. “The system provides uniformity and stability in terms of event organisation,” said Schilling. “All are vastly experienced and have a good relationship with other race officials and competitors.” H&H
NOVIKOV RETURNS TO WRC IN 2011 Words: Evan Rothman It has been long rumoured that the wild yet fast Russian rally driver Evgeny Novikov will make a return to the World Rally Championship in 2011, and this rumour has been confirmed with the 20-year-old announcing he will once again take up the challenge of the World Rally Championship. Behind the scenes and out of the spotlight of the global rally audience, Novikov has been honing his rally skills on a number of Russian and select European, Asian and Scandinavian events in Subaru Impreza WRX STi Group N. Michael Lepiekov, the man responsible for the success of Novikov and enabling him to reach the WRC in 2008 and 2009, has been feverishly working on the deals that will see him most likely pilot a Ford Fiesta RS WRC in 2011 under the Novikov MS banner. Evgeny Novikov recently ended his riding career. The twenty-year old Russian is all etched into my memory fierce driving style and in 2009 its extreme jump at Rally Finland. Now it seems that the young Russian will return to the rally. Michael Lepiekov behind the success Novikov, and put all their efforts to return and Yevgeny now it looks like I’ll Novikov MS Ford Fiesta RS WRC. H&H
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VOLKSWAGEN AIM FOR MORE SUCCESS IN 2011 SEASON Words: Staff Writer Pictures: Motorpics The BP Volkswagen team is the standard by which all other national rally teams in South Africa are measured. Six consecutive national rally titles are proof of this. The 2010 season marked the sixth consecutive national title victory for the BP Volkswagen rally team, but 2011 is shaping to be the most exciting season yet and the team have announced their new line-up for the coming season that starts in late March. The 2010 championship-winning duo of Enzo Kuun and Guy Hodgson will tackle the new season side-by-side. For Hergen Fekken and Pierre Arries the partnership will also continue into the new season, contesting the S2000 Class in their BP Volkswagen Polo. However, for Jan Habig 2011 will see a new codriver – and a new team member for the BP Volkswagen crew – enter the fray. Habig will partner with Robert Paisley for the new season. Paisley has moved across from co-driving for Leeroy Poulter in the Toyota Auris S2000 to join Habig in the BP Volkswagen Polo team. These are the three headline crews for the BP Volkswagen rally team that have proved themselves six times over. This is the team that everyone has been expecting to campaign the 2011 season, but the BP Volkswagen team have another card to play in the S2000 field this year: Ralph Pitchford navigated for Jan Habig in the 2010 season and will again navigate in a BP Volkswagen S2000 Polo this year, but in an entry that will feature none other than fellow Dakar
competitor Giniel de Villiers at the wheel. De Villiers and Pitchford are Dakar team-mates, but don’t compete in the same Race Touareg in those events. In South Africa the duo will team up to compete in a much shorter format to the 5,000km they’re used to. The local competition will be intense, packing a great deal of action into a fraction of the distance. The team will now field four works entries, with the newcomers also likely to compete in the BP Ultimate colours of the BP Volkswagen rally team from 2011. The new S2000 Polo of De Villiers and Pitchford and the three crews promise to make the 2011 season a dynamite championship for South African rally fans. These aren’t the only changes to take place in the BP Volkswagen camp this season. The A7 BP Volkswagen entry of Gugu Zulu – who claimed this Class title in 2010 – will see the return of codriver Carl Peskin. Peskin campaigned by Zulu’s side in the A5 category before briefly going their separate ways. For 2011 they will aim for a double-victory for Zulu in this Class. A new entry into the A5 Class for the BP Volkswagen team is that of Megan Verlaque who will campaign with a female co-driver, Lirene du Plessis. Verlaque and Du Plessis will tackle the 2011 challenge as an all-girl entry in the A5 Class campaigning the Polo Vivo that debuted so successfully in the 2010 season. For Verlaque this will not be her first outing as part of an all-girl rally team: she’s one half of the original “Rally Chicks” that saw Megan navigating for
her sister Lola. Now Megan has moved over to the driver’s seat and will have Du Plessis, providing direction. Du Plessis will run with Verlaque as a probationary navigator for the first few rallies during which time her performance as a co-driver will be under scrutiny. In fact, even when the probationary period is over the A5 ladies’ team will remain under the spotlight. As a development initiative, the competitors in the Volkswagen A5 Polo Vivo will have a maximum of two years in which to develop their rally skills. After this two year period a new development team will be put in place to continue and further extend the A5 rally development programme. The idea is to nurture new rally talent by providing promising competitors a strong platform from which to spring into rallying by forming their own team or being snapped up by another team after their tenure in the A5 Class is complete. The aim is to develop and grow the pool of rally competitors in South Africa. The A5 Volkswagen Polo proved itself a serious contender in the 2010 season and is sure to deliver more rally action this year. For Verlaque and Du Plessis it will be a season with a steep learning curve and they will have to work hard getting used to their new car and settling in as team-mates. There is a great deal of action expected in the 2011 national rally season, and HANDBRAKES & HAIRPINS will bring you a blow-by-blow account of this season on these digital pages. H&H
Issue 168 • 03 Feb 2011
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FORD FIESTAS TO ATTACK WORKS TEAMS IN S.A. Words: Staff Writer Picture: David Ledbitter The 2011 South African Rally Championship has all the ingredients to be the most competitive ever in its 50-year history, with ten teams capable of winning any of the eight rounds of the series. The rally championship will feature three SA rally champions with ten titles between them, one FIA African Rally Champion, a former World Rally Championship competitor, a double Production Car Champion, a former World Production Car competitor and a Dakar Rally winner. Charl Wilken and Greg Godrich – winners of the Gauteng Rally, the last event of the 2010 season – will once again team up for an assault on the South African Rally Championship in the Basil Read bizhub Ford Fiesta S2000. The 2010 season started slowly for the Ford team, but as the season progressed the Basil Read bizhub Ford Fiesta became a regular front-runner, culminating with the team’s dominant win in the final round of the season. “After the Gauteng Rally last October, we conducted further testing and I’m satisfied with the results and believe we will carry last year’s seasonclosing form into the 2011 season”,
said Wilken. “Continuity is important in this sport, and our team of technicians and engineers remains unchanged. The experience we gained in 2010 can be fully utilized on an often overlooked aspect of preparation.” The 2010 South African Rally Championship was highly competitive with honours spread between Volkswagen with four victories, Toyota with two and Ford with two. “The Ford Fiestas were very competitive towards the end of last year, which augers well for the new season”, Wilken stated. With Volkswagen due to field new cars during the year, upgraded Toyotas and no less than three to four Ford Fiestas in the mix, the ingredients are in place for South African rallying to take its place as one of the most spectacular sporting disciplines in the country and of the most competitive domestic rally championships in the world. The first round of the new season gets underway in KwaZulu Natal with the Total Tour Natal Rally on 25 - 26 March. H&H
LOIX SIGNS UP FOR SEVEN IRC EVENTS Words: http://www.RallyBuzz.com Freddy Loix, who has won more Intercontinental Rally Challenge events than any other driver, has confirmed that he will contest six further rounds of this year’s series in a Skoda Motorsport-prepared Fabia Super 2000. Loix, who began his 2011 IRC campaign with second place on the centenary edition of Rallye MonteCarlo last week, will contest the rounds in Spain (Gran Canaria), France (Corsica), Belgium (Ypres), Portugal (Madeira), Czech Republic (Zlin) and Italy (Sanremo) with backing from the financial services company BFO. IRC regulations stipulate that drivers can only count their best seven scores, meaning Loix can’t afford to make any major errors during the season. However, with the Belgian ace including the three events he won in 2010 (Ypres, Madeira and Zlin) on his schedule, he is not unduly concerned by the prospect. “I am extremely pleased with this programme,” said the 40-year-old winner of six IRC rallies. “But because I have no spare rallies I have to be very clean. But I work well under pressure so it won’t be a problem.” Loix will continue to be codriven by countryman Frederic Miclotte in 2011. The pair will also contest two rounds of the Belgian national championship.
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Issue 168 • 03 Feb 2011
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MINI RETURNS TO MONTE CARLO WITH OLD AND NEW RALLY MODELS Words: Staff Writer Pictures: MINI WRC Team MINI is back in Monte Carlo and this time it is the iconic version that won the famous rally in the sixties meeting up with the latest MINI WRC that sees the brand back on the world rally stage. Rauno Aaltonen was driving the 1960s version when he was greeted at the end of the Rallye Monte Carlo Historique in the early hours of the 2nd February by Kris Meeke and Dani Sordo, the drivers who will revive the brand’s rallying tradition this year. For Meeke and Sordo this is a stop on what is a busy schedule leading up to the first appearance of the MINI WRC on selected FIA World Rally Championship events in 2011, prior to a full assault on the championship in 2012. However, before that they will be heading from Monaco to Spain to put their brand new test car through its paces. Then on the 13th April comes the official launch of the MINI WRC Team at the plant in Cowley, Oxford (GB) where MINI models are produced. Aaltonen, who won the 1967 Monte Carlo Rally in a works Mini, covered 4,101km on the rally that took him and his co-driver, Helmut Artacker, from the start in Marrakech on the 26th January to the principality’s harbour for
the finish in the early hours of the 2nd February. His comments on the event were: “It has taken us a long time to get here and it was a good trip. In the old days a Mini in rallying form was rather uncomfortable, but in this Mini we had modern shock absorbers and it was so comfortable that after over 4,000km I am not tired at all. There was snow in places, but we were not told about this so we did not have the appropriate tyres and so lost over a hundred places. It was really busy on this last leg, we were really fighting hard and it was a great atmosphere.” Also in Monte Carlo to greet Aaltonen was another famous Mini driver, Paddy Hopkirk from Northern Ireland, who won the Monte Carlo Rally in 1964. Remembering that time he said: “It is very interesting to be here and I was delighted to see Rauno looking so well and the car looking so good. It is just great to see it all being revived. When we won it was not just motorsport news, but front page news and I even got a telegram from the Beatles and the Prime Minister and I was given the keys to Belfast. I do admire the talents of these guys. Kris took me around the Prodrive test track in the MINI WRC and it was absolutely fantastic.” Meeke and Sordo are both keen to start their rally programme. “It is great for Dani and me to be competing
for MINI and taking up that legendary spirit . Everything is going extremely well and I think the fundamental DNA of the car is very, very good. At this early stage of the development everyone is really excited as it seems to be hitting all the targets that were set out in the development phase,” said Meeke. Sordo was also relishing the task ahead of him: “I have driven the car less than Kris but I have been on both tarmac and gravel. Honestly the feel of the car was really good. We still need to improve in certain areas, but this is normal because the car is new. Our MINI is new to rallying but in Prodrive we have a lot of experience and they have achieved many things in the sport. Kris and I will try to do the best we can. At the moment the car is really good and getting better and better.” The MINI WRC is based on the MINI Countryman and is powered by a 1.6-litre turbo engine derived from the MINI production models that has been developed by BMW Motorsport for use in series running to the FIA Series2000 Regulations, which also includes the FIA World Touring Car Championship. The MINI WRC has been developed by Prodrive, one of the most experienced and respected operations in rallying. This UK based company from Banbury has no less than six World Rally Championship titles to its name. H&H
Issue 168 • 03 Feb 2011
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Q&A SESSION WITH M-SPORT STOBART FORD’S ENGINEER Words: Staff Writer Pictures: The FIA World Rally Championship’s season-opener gets underway next week in Sweden which sees the M-Sport Stobart Ford World Rally Team contend the only snow event of the season where temperatures can plummet to as low as – 30 degrees Celsius. This year the M-Sport Stobart Ford drivers must deal with an added difficulty as they contest their first WRC event in the all-new Ford Fiesta RS World Rally Car. As one of the men responsible for keeping these cars competitive in such challenging conditions, M-Sport Stobart Ford engineer Paul Murphy who manages Matthew Wilson’s car explains some of the difficulties with competing in Sweden. Q: From an engineering point of view, why is Rally Sweden such a difficult event? PM: The weather - it’s the only WRC event run on snow and the temperatures on the stages can drop to well below freezing which has various effects on the running of the car. The low temperatures mean the engine and transmission run at much lower temperatures compared to hot rallies so we counteract this by restricting the flow to the radiator and oil coolers. Q: So what’s changed to the car for a snow rally? PM: The biggest change is probably the use of special Michelin snow tyres. Each tyre has approximately 400 studs to help
the drivers maintain grip on the roads and makes Sweden one of the fastest rallies of the year. Sometimes the studs can be ripped out if there is a lack of a good ice base and the cars are driving on the gravel underneath the ice. This is not usually a problem until the second pass through the stages. We also have a heater in the car with a changeable fan control to increase the temperature inside the car and help maintain driver concentration. Most of the drivers wear special inserts in their shoes which help to keep their feet warm. Special covers are added to the front radiator vent which help restrict air flow to the radiator. Additives are also added to the windscreen washer bottle to prevent water from freezing. The car will also carry snow shovels and snow blankets. The shovels are made out of aluminium to help reduce excess weight in the car. Q: What are some of the main difficulties drivers face in Sweden? PM: It is very difficult to pick a line on the road when driving in snow. The drivers can lean on snow banks to help the car go round corners but some snow banks can be too light and won’t keep the car on the road resulting in a crash or the car getting stuck. It’s all about being precise and judging what snow banks drivers can use to their advantage. Q: What is different about a service in Sweden compared to other WRC events? PM: The mechanics have a tough time working in the freezing temperatures
especially if the ice build-up on the car starts to melt during service. The boys would rather it was just cold rather than wet and cold. In the service area, hydraulic jacks are prone to freezing because the oil thickens in the cold weather. The team use hot air guns on the jacks to stop them from freezing before and during service. Oil can also start to freeze so it is vital that they are kept at normal temperatures. Normally the oil is kept outside on rallies but they are kept indoors in Sweden and only brought out at the last minute to ensure they do not freeze when temperatures are below zero degrees. Q: When the cars are in service overnight, what prevents the car from freezing? PM: They’re kept inside but we do cold start testing to ensure the engine starts at the temperatures we have to contend with in Sweden. Q: Does the cool air in Sweden help engine performance? PM: For sure, with average temperatures of -20 degrees Celsius the drivers will feel that the Fiesta RS WRC’s EcoBoost engine is stronger in Sweden than on a rally where the ambient temperature is 20 degrees Celsius. H&H
Event Reports & Results
Action Photography
HANSON STORMS TO WINTER WIN Words: Staff Writer Pictures: Timothy Williams Travis and Terry Hanson won the Sno*Drift Rally in Atlanta, Michigan, the opening round of the 2011 Rally America Championship. The Hansons piloted their 2007 Subaru Impreza WRX STi to victory with a huge lead of 03min 53.1sec over Subaru factory driver Dave Mirra, who took second overall in a 2011 Impreza WRX STi with a total time of 02hrs 31min 13.6 sec. Rounding out the overall podium was Joseph Burke, who finished only 05.2sec behind Mirra in a 2006 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX. A triumphant Hanson made U.S. rallying history this weekend by being the first-ever Super Production Class driver to win a National Rally America event outright! Even more significant is that Hanson was able to accomplish this feat as a privateer with limited support.
Hanson was able to gain an advantage on the first day of the rally when front-runners Antoine Lâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Estage (Mistubishi Lancer Evolution X) and David Higgins (Subaru Impreza WRX STi) both retired, leaving him with an overnight lead of 04min. Hanson drove a flawless rally and maintained a pace that kept him head and shoulders above the rest of field for the remainder of the event to seal this record-setting performance. In the fight for second place overall, Subaru Rally Team USAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Dave Mirra and his new co-driver from the U.K., Marshall Clarke, were able to battle back from being dropped to fifth due to a tyre puncture late on Day One. Mirra was able to gain a few precious seconds on Joseph Burke during the penultimate stage of the rally, giving him the edge to claim his best career finish to date. 2010 Rally America Rookie of the Year Joseph Burke placed third overall on his first time competing
in Open Class. Despite his limited experience on snow and ice, Burke overcame the setbacks he encountered on Day One to maintain second position overall throughout most of Day Two and battled Mirra to the very end before slipping back to third. Burke was the only remaining Mitsubishi driver to finish the event and also placed second in class. Of the eight Super Production crews entered in Sno*Drift, three finished within the top five overall. After Hanson, Roman Pakos and co-driver Maciej Sawicki claimed second in class and fourth overall with a time of 02hr 34min 32.4sec. Pakos finished 02min 46.5sec ahead of husband and wife team and 2009 Super Production Champions Jimmy and Melissa Keeney. The Keeneys placed third in the SP Class and finished fifth overall on the season opener. New to the Super Production Class for 2011 is ex-factory driver and two-time MaxAttack! 2 Wheel Drive Rally
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Series Champion Lauchlin O’Sullivan. O’Sullivan and co-driver Scott Putnam experienced a series of setbacks starting early in the rally that saw them drop to 20th overnight, but they managed to climb up the standings and end the event placed 11th overall and fourth in Class. In the two-wheel-drive competition, Dillon Van Way had a successful outing in his new Ford Racing Fiesta R2, finishing 38.1sec ahead of 2010 2WD Champion Chris Duplessis. Van Way took to Michigan’s snowy stages without having previously driven the Fiesta R2 and was able to run a clean rally alongside his new co-driver Jake Blattner and place eighth overall. Also driving a car making its competitive debut at Sno*Drift was Chris Duplessis in the Scion Rally xD. Duplessis and co-driver Catherine Woods finished second in 2WD and tenth overall after starting Day Two in 21st place due to a puncture that had cost them
10min the day before. Chris Greenhouse and co-driver Phil Marsh were the next fastest 2WD crew, finishing about 04min 30sec behind Duplessis after incurring an 02min 40sec penalty for being 16min late to a Re-Group Control. Greenhouse placed 12th overall in his 1995 Plymouth Neon. Mazda driver Erik Zenz and codriver Dave Parps won the Drift Regional Rally on Saturday, posting a time of 01hr 17min 14.2 sec. Zenz finished 22sec ahead of Henry and Cynthia Krolikowski, winners of Friday’s Sno* Regional. In third position was Matt and Andrew Bushore, finishing 06min behind Zenz.
OVERALL CLASSIFICATION 01) T. Hanson/T. Hanson Subaru Impreza WRC STi - 02hr 27min 20.5s 02) D. Mirra/M. Clarke Subaru Impreza WRX STi + 03m 53.1s 03) J. Burke/A. Kihurani Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX + 03m 58.3s 04) R. Pakos/M. Sawicki Subaru Impreza WRX STi + 07m 11.9 05) J. Keeney/M. Keeney Subaru Impreza WRX STi + 09m 58.4s 06) M. Moyle/G. Barton Subaru Impreza + 13m 14.2s 07) M. Marker/C. Gordon Subaru Impreza WRX + 16m 49.2s 08) D. Van Way/J. Blattner Ford Fiesta + 19m 19.3s 09) A. Yeoman/J. Schulze Subaru Impreza + 19m 49.1s 10) C. Duplessis/C. Woods Scion xD + 20m 27.2s
Timothy Williams represented HANDBRAKES & HAIRPINS at the Sno*Drift Rally 2011, and his fantastic photography can be viewed at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/trwr39 and he can be contacted at: http://twitter.com/TeeArrWilliams/ H&H
DRIVERS’ STANDINGS 01) Travis Hanson 02) Dave Mirra 03) Joseph Burke 04) Roman Pakos 05) Jimmy Keeney 06) Mason Moyle 07) Matthew Marker 08) Dillon Van Way 09) Adam Yeoman 10) Christopher Duplessis
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22 pts 17 pts 14 pts 12 pts 10 pts 8 pts 6 pts 5 pts 4 pts 3 pts
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Issue 168 • 03 Feb 2011
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LATVIA CONQUERS LITHUANIA Words: Liga Stirna Pictures: Kriss Karnitis The second winter rally in the Baltics was a combined round of the Latvian and Lithuanian Rally Championships, the Halls Winter Rally in Utena, Lithuania. As with the first Estonian event held in the middle of January, this rally also saw a long entry list with many international crews making up the 97 cars taking to the start ramp. The main competing nations were Latvia and Lithuania, along with Russians, Ukrainians, and an unusually large number of Polish teams as they are preparing for their own winter rally in the Polish Rally Championship. But, Latvians won this rally: Andis Neikšāns/ Pēteris Dzirkals (Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X). Winter was kind on this event despite the relatively warm temperatures in the days leading up to the rally. Roads were frozen and the snow banks still high yet icy, and it became a bit more dangerous: the most common missing parts of the cars were front and rear bumpers. To fit into the short daylight hours, this one-day winter rally was organized using the “zip” system that was new to some participants. That meant that the gap between cars is
02min and the first car for the second run of the stage would start between, for example, car no. 9 and 10 and the rest of the gaps would then be 01min. From the very first stage the Latvian crew of Andis Neikšāns/ Pēteris Dzirkals who, for the first time, competed with their brand new Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X, claimed the lead. They won all but two stages of this rally and began their 2011 season with a win in the Latvian Championship – in overall and Class N4. “We didn’t dream of such a result before the rally, we thought that a finish in the top three would be fine,” said Andis Neikšāns. “After all, in Lithuania all the best Latvian drivers participated.” “The rally roads in Utena were very interesting yet complicated for pace notes,” added co-driver of Pēteris Dzirkals. “Precise notes gave us this result.” Second place went to Andis’ older brother Māris Neikšāns who drove a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX with a new co-driver aboard. “My advantage was the car: I know it very well and could take more risks,” said Māris. There was no doubt that the fight for the top places would be much fiercer if it were not for so many retirements from the fast local drivers such as former champion Vytautas
Švedas and Ramūnas Čapkauskas who crashed and also saw Davidas Jocius retire. The best of the Lithuanian drivers was Dominykas Butvilas who finished in fifth place overall. From the 97 cars that started from the podium in Utena on Saturday morning, just 67 arrived at the finish podium in the evening and that shows just how complicated and demanding this rally was. Now it is Latvia’s turn, as the next winter rally in the Baltics will be a Latvian Championship round, the Rally Sarma 2011. “Sarma” in Latvian means white frost; let’s hope there will be lots of snow, ice, cold and “sarma” for this rally! H&H OVERALL CLASSIFICATION 01) A. Neikšāns/P. Dzirkals (LV) Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X – 01hr 04m 10.2s 02) M. Neikšāns/R. Bērziņš (LV) Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX + 21,5s 03) J. Feldmanis/A. Jesse (LV) Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X + 57,3s 04) M. Svilis/A. Aizsilnieks (LV) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VIII) + 01m 02,2s 05) D. Butvilas/R. Vaitkevičius (LT) Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X + 01m 29.7s 06) R. Lipeikis/I. Lipeikyte (LT) Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VIII + 01m 37.0s 07) M. Samsonas/M. Varža (LT) Subaru Impreza + 01m 37.0s 08) A. Egle/M. Jerums (LV) Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X) + 01m 47.9s 09) M. Samuitis/R. Šaučikovas (LT) Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X + 02m 19.4 10) A. Višniauskas/E. Pagirskas (LT) Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX + 02m 25.4s *LV – Latvia *LT – Lithuania
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QATAR INTERNATIONAL RALLY POSES TOUGH CHALLENGE FOR ALL CREWS, AL-ATTIYAH AIMING FOR RECORD-BREAKING WIN Words: Evan Rothman The first round of the 2011 Middle East Rally Championship gets under way this week with the Qatar International Rally. Running from 03 - 05 February, this event will challenge crews over its mix of 12 stages and 269.30km of competitive kilometres. For this opening round, not one crew stands out from the rest; four crews all stand a chance of victory, including recent Dakar Rally winner Nasser Al-Attiyah (Ford Fiesta S2000 who also has the most victories at this event to his name. The UAE’s Sheikh Abdullah Al-Qassimi will pilot a Ford Fiesta S2000, the same machine that Al-Attiyah competed with in seven rounds of the Championship in 2010. Defending regional champion Misfer Al-Marri has announced he will run a QMMF-backed Skoda Fabia S2000 on the Qatar International Rally. The Doha driver won the series last year in a Subaru Impreza Group N. Austrian rally firm Baumschlager Rally Racing (BRR) will run the Skoda for Al-Marri and he again teams up with Italian co-driver Nicola Arena. Sheikh Khalid Al-Qassimi, the 2004 FIA Middle East Rally Champion, won’t be trying to win back Championship title this season. The Abu Dhabi driver has already confirmed to be driving a Ford Fiesta RS WRC in the World Rally Championship (WRC) with co-driver Michael Orr, but has not been able to finalise a sponsorship package to enable him to run a Ford in the Middle East as yet. Interestingly, Swiss female driver Edith Weiss has once again entered the Qatar International Rally. A regular competitor on various international rallies for a number of years, Weiss has tackled the Qatar event on several occasions in the past in a variety of different cars and it is not known what she will drive this in this event year’s edition. Germany’s Claudia Harloff will co-drive for Weiss in Qatar. Ammar Hijazi will debut his new Skoda Fabia S2000, aiming to finish on the podium in his first outing in his new machine. Hijazi will be partnered by
Lebanese co-driver Joseph Matar the winning co-driver from the 2009 Pirelli Star Driver campaign alongside Greek youngster Nick Georgiou. Last season Matar and Georgiou tackled selected rounds of the Producatin Car World Rally Championship (PWRC) as part of their Pirelli prize. “The Skoda is a strong, competitive car and our team is really looking forward to using it for the first time in the Qatar International Rally,” said Hijazi. Hijazi is not the only Jordanian entrant in the 2011 Qatar International Rally: Nancy Al-Majali, who is teamed up with Nadia Shnoudeh (Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X), is seeded at the tail of the entry list at number 24. Al-Attiyah became the first Arab to Dakar rally and now the Qatari motorsport ace will be hoping to clinch an unprecedented ninth successive victory in the Qatar International Rally. Nasser Khalifa Al-Attiyah, the President of the Qatar Motor and Motorcycle Federation (QMMF) was one of the first to congratulate Al-Attiyah on his superb achievement on the Dakar Rally: “On behalf of everyone at the QMMF, I congratulate Nasser on this superb achievement. He has made everyone in Qatar proud and we are delighted that he has fulfilled one of his goals.” “I knew that the big Dakar special stage into Cordoba two days from the end was the most important of my life,” said Al-Attiyah. “I was not going to take any risks. I had a dream when I was very young that I would win the Dakar. Even at the start in Buenos Aires on New Year’s Day I felt relaxed and comfortable. I cannot describe what it feels like to win this event. I was so close last year and I was leading the year before, but this is something very special. This is the biggest moment in my career.” The multi-talented Al-Attiyah has claimed the Qatar International Rally win six times out of the last eight seasons, and has already notched up an awe-inspiring 38 victories in the Middle East Rally Championship to indelibly leave his mark on this sport. “The Qatar Rally is also special for me. It is a fantastic feeling to win
your home event and it is important that I manage to make a good start to the new season.” Al-Attiyah’s Qatar victories have been earned with four different co-drivers. England’s Steve Lancaster partnered the Qatari to his first success in a Subaru Impreza World Rally Car in 2003 and Ulsterman Chris Patterson sat alongside him in 2004. That victory marked the first of five wins with Petter Solberg’s current co-driver Patterson, as the pair dominated the Qatari’s home rally in various evolutions of the Group N Subaru Impreza WRX STi. Patterson switched to the FIA World Rally Championship at the start of 2009 and this paved the way for Thina Thorner to enter the Qatari team. The pair, who were a team in the Dakar Rally as part of the Volkswagen Motorsport Team, led the Dakar through the early stages in 2009, went on to win the Qatar event in a privately-run Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X. The success also created a little piece of history for Thörner - she became the first lady ever to win a round of the FIA Middle East Rally Championship. Shortly afterwards, Al-Attiyah began his now successful partnership with Italian co-driver Giovanni Bernacchini. The pair won the 2010 Qatar Rally in a Ford Fiesta S2000 and has now won nine rounds of the regional series in less than two years. Bernacchini is already the fourth most successful co-driver in the 163-event history of the MERC behind Ireland’s Ronan Morgan, Patterson and Dubai-based English veteran John Spiller. Al-Attiyah, Al-Qassimi and Al-Marri will alslo have to contend with local rally crews aiming to topple the more favoured teams: Khalid Al-Suwaidi, Abdulaziz Al-Kuwari, Mubarak Al-Hajri and the 1993 FIA Middle East rally champion Sheikh Hamed Bin Eid Al-Thani are all names to keep an eye on in Qatar for this event. H&H