s e k a r b d Han &Hairpins
09 Edition 87 July 20
ld of rallying
he wor your insight into t
Cover
Hirvonen trounces Citroens in Poland!
inside this week:
News
Features
WRC’s 2010 new rules!
Volkswagen Rally PREVIEWED!
Welcome to HANDBRAKES & HAIRPINS
04 11 14 17 18 19
The world’s latest rally news
WRC article: The future of WRC
WRC article: Rally Poland review
SANRC article: Volkswagen Rally preview
ARC article: Zambia Rally preview General article: 1960s MINI Cooper S Rally Works car
DIARY JULY EVENTS International Rallies: 09 - 11: IRC Rally Russia 09 - 11: USRC Idaho Rally 10 - 11: BRC Isle of Man Rally 17 - 18: RA New England Forest Rally 17 - 19: ERC Bulgaria Rally 29 Jul - 02 Aug: WRC Rally Finland
Welcome to issue number 87 of HANDBRAKES & HAIRPINS, your FREE weekly insight into the world of rallying! Making motorsport headlines the world over this week was not the news of Hirvonen’s brilliant drive to victory in the WRC Rally Poland, but the silly last stage crash of his team-mate Latvala. With comparisons to the great Colin McRae and Ari Vatanen, Latvala has all the speed and skill to cut it as a WRC driver, but it seems that Malcolm Wilson is unable to tame his young Finnish driver. For the second rally, Loeb crashed out. Due more to bad luck than pressure, Loeb needs a strong result in the next few rounds of the WRC to take charge of the Championship. Next weekend is the Volkswagen Rally in Port Elizabeth. The home ground for the BP Volkswagen Team, the action will be fast and furious! As always, I hope you enjoy this week’s exciting edition! Yours in Rallying, Evan Rothman
South African Rallies: 10 - 11: Volkswagen Rally 24 - 25: Sun City 400 25 - 26: Prisma Comms Special Stage Rally
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The world’s latest rally news SEND YOUR TEAM’S NEWS, PRESS RELEASES OR UPDATES TO EVANROTHMAN@GMAIL.COM!
World Rally Championship set for bright future, says Max Mosley The FIA World Rally Championship is set for a bright future after sweeping plans to further develop and promote the sport were approved by the FIA last week at the meeting of the World Motor Sport Council (WMSC) in Paris on 24 June, reported www.wrc.com. The blueprint for the Championship has been heralded as a major step forward for WRC by all the major stakeholders, and is the start of a brave new world for the sport. It builds on the rich heritage and history of WRC and will enable the sport to adapt to the demands of a rapidly changing media and commercial world.
the stages, not just on the overall results.” Munchi’s will be represented in the WRC Rally Finland by regular driver Federico Villagra and the team will also field a third car for Mathias Thermann. - CREDIT: WWW.AUTOSPORT.COM and WWW.RALLYBUZZ.COM
Petter Solberg tests Abarth Grande Punto S2000 for 2010 WRC
FIA President Max Mosley said: “I’m delighted that the World Rally Championship is heading in this positive new direction. There is no doubt that with a sustained level of development and promotion, we can provide the ultimate stage to showcase this world-class sport.” Neil Duncanson, Chairman of global promoter ISC, added: “All the main players in the sport have worked very hard to get to this moment. These plans give us a stable foundation on which to build the series, and a unique opportunity to create something very special for years to come – for the fans, the media, the teams and the events.” The calendar, technical regulations and greater flexibility for organisers to develop their event’s unique character are a few of the notable developments for the future. However a raft of additional amendments to the 2010 Sporting Regulations will ensure WRC has the freedom to build on its core values while forging ahead in the areas of new media and entertainment, strengthening the qualities that have brought the sport millions of fans around the world. - CREDIT: WWW.FIA.COM and WWW.WRC.COM
Three car Munchi’s Team for WRC Rally Finland at end of month Matti Rantanen is to drive a Munchi’s World Rally Team Ford Focus RS WRC on Rally Finland. Rantanen had a great result last year on his home WRC round when he finished seventh in a privately-entered Ford Focus WRC. Commenting to www.autosport.com, Rantanen said: “I have to thank M-Sport for this opportunity. I have not driven a Focus since last year, but before the event I have 100 kilometres to test the car. My aim is finish higher than seventh and also to make the gap between myself and Mikko Hirvonen or Sebastien Loeb between zero and zero point five seconds per kilometre. That’s what I’m aiming for. I want to show speed on
Petter Solberg has admitted that he would consider taking part in next year’s Super 2000 World Cup after testing an Abarth Grande Punto S2000 on gravel recently, according to Motorsport News. The Super 2000 World Cup, which is to be introduced in 2010 as a new competition within the WRC, will be open to manufacturers and private teams alike. Solberg said: “Provided the manufacturer is coming in and the looking to make the commitment with a car for the world championship, then yes, I would consider it. Nothing is sure about next year. I have meetings with Proton and with Abarth and with some other contacts, but nothing is decided. I want to be in a manufacturer team and I want to be back pushing for a new car to be developed and promoted.” Commenting on the Abarth test, Solberg added: “I didn’t have any problems with the car at all. It’s not a winning car yet, but there’s a lot of passion in there.” - CREDIT: MOTORSPORT NEWS and WWW.RALLYBUZZ.COM
IRC Ypres Rally boosts Skoda Skoda Motorsport boss Michal Hrabanek believes Jan Kopecky’s second place finish on the Belgium Ypres Rally recently will be a major step towards the Czech manufacturer achieving its debut win in the Intercontinental Rally Challenge.
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Speaking after Kopecky’s second consecutive runner-up placing in the IRC, which also marked his first podium on a full asphalt rally, Hrabanek said the result was very significant. “Just like we presumed the Ypres Rally was a tough fight for every second, which is actually typical of the entire IRC series and certainly attractive from the perspective of the rally fans,” said Hrabanek. “The final result confirms that our success at the Azores Rally was no coincidence and that we are indeed good enough to fight for the overall victory.” Hrabanek, however, urged caution, adding: “We haven’t made the last step, though, and we know that we still have a lot of hard work to do. The experience we have gained in Belgium will definitely help us in our development work and in preparing the car for the races to come, as well as in our customer sales programme.” Skoda will return to the IRC on Rally Russia, which is due to run from 9 - 11 July. - CREDIT: WWW.IRCSERIES.COM
Honda and Piepers aim for IRC 2WD Championship victory! Honda driver Marcel Piepers has emerged as an outside bet for 2WD Cup honours in this year’s Intercontinental Rally Challenge following his victory in the emerging class on the recent Belgium Ypres Rally. Piepers was the first of two Honda drivers in the top three of the 2WD section on the popular asphalt event. Fellow Dutchman Martijn Braat was third in a similar Civic Type R, while fourth place for Belgian Patrick Vandeputte completed an astonishing Honda performance after it scored more manufacturer points than any other make on the event.
Giving the opportunity for a rising star from selected countries to tackle their home event of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge in a fully funded Peugeot 207 Super 2000, the programme will continue on Barum Rally Zlin in August. Before then, however, representatives of tyre firm BFGoodrich, Kronos Racing (the company responsible for preparing the 207 S2000 used for the project), the Czech Republic’s motorsport governing body and members of the Czech media will have to consider applications from various candidates before eventually selecting a winner. Last year’s recipient on Barum Rally Zlin, Pavel Valousek, finished fourth on the asphalt event, while the pedigree of the candidates was demonstrated when Sebastien Ogier won the Monte Carlo Rally, the IRC opener, in January. Meanwhile, Thierry Neuville, who was selected to drive the car on the Belgium Ypres Rally, lived up to the strong reputation created by the BFGoodrich-backed drivers. Although he would ultimately retire from the asphalt event before the completion of day one, he had run as high as fourth on his first outing in a four-wheel-drive car. “The BFGoodrich Drivers’ Team operation was once again a huge success with the local crowd,” said the company’s Jacques Morelli. “Thierry’s retirement no way calls his talent into question. He failed to finish but that’s rallying.” - CREDIT: WWW.IRCSERIES.COM
Disappointing retirement on SS1 at Ypres for MSD Opel Corsa S2000
Although Piepers will skip the next two rounds in Russia and Madeira, he is set to return for Barum Rally Zlin in August when he will be a favourite for 2WD Cup honours. “The result means that we are now joint second in the IRC 2WD Cup drivers’ rankings and we have also boosted Honda’s score in the IRC manufacturers’ standings,” said Piepers. “It was an excellent rally for us and our Honda performed perfectly throughout all 16 stages. All we did was put in fuel and change the tyres.” Alessandro Mariani of JAS Motorsport, the company responsible for overseeing the Honda Civic Type R rally programme, added: “To achieve such a successful result on one of the toughest events of the IRC only increases our satisfaction.” - CREDIT: WWW.IRCSERIES.COM
BFGoodrich Drivers’ Team search for Czech driver The search for the next BFGoodrich Drivers’ Team participant will begin in earnest shortly following the recent Belgium Ypres Rally.
Motor Sport Developments boss Dave Whitehead has expressed disappointment after the Opel Corsa OPC S2000 retired on SS1 from the Belgium Ypres Rally last weekend. Alex Bengue was forced out of the event after damaging the engine. He continued running after losing all the oil out of the car when a union on the cooler pipe failed on the opening stage. MSD team principle Dave Whitehead commented to Motorsport News: “It was a simple part we couldn’t account for. We were quite encouraged by the pace of the car in shakedown, so it was really disappointing to retire so early.” MSD’s next IRC outing with Alex Bengue and the Corsa S2000 is scheduled for the Barum Rally Zlin in August. - CREDIT: WWW.RALLYBUZZ.COM
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Kevin Abbring wins in Poland to become youngest J-WRC winner!
Kimi Raikkonen to contest WRC Rally Finland at end of this month!
Dutchman Kevin Abbring became the youngest winner of a round of the FIA Junior World Rally Championship today when at 20 years and 159 days old he won the class on Rally Poland in his Renault Clio R3, reported www.wrc.com.
Kimi Raikkonen will compete on the World Rally Championship Rally Finland in his Abarth Grande Punto S2000, according to www.autosport.com.
The Dutch KNAF Talent First Team driver, co-driven by Erwin Mombaerts, fought a nail bitingly close battle with J-WRC leader Michal Kosciuszko for two and a half days and earlier today were separated by just 0,1 seconds after 14 of the 18 special stages. But if there’s anybody who can understand the disappointment Jari-Matti Latvala is feeling tonight it’s Kosciuszko, who drove his Suzuki Swift into a tree three stages from the finish and retired. Abbring completed the rest of the stages without a drama and took the class win by 1min 10,2sec from Czech driver Martin Prokop in second. A maximum 10 championship points moves Abbring fourth in the standings, on a total of 22. “We tried to push very hard all the way through this rally,” said Abbring. “It was important to be fast, but it was more important to be clever. I was really happy to be leading on Day One, but nobody would remember this if we crashed on Day Two, so I drove hard but did not take any risks. I really felt good and the car was working well, even though we were on the rev-limiter on the long straights and losing time to Kosciuszko. I was really sorry to hear that Kosciuszko had stopped, because I would have preferred to have a fight to the end.” Retirement was bitter disappointment for Kosciuszko, who not only lost a potential home win but also handed a golden opportunity to his J-WRC rival title rival Prokop. Kosciuszko’s retirement means he and Prokop are tied at the top of the standings on 36 points - although Kosciuszko only has Rally Finland remaining and Prokop can score points in Finland and Spain. Aaron Burkart (who did not nominate Rally Poland in his six events) can also still win the title. Arriving back in the Service Park in Mikolajki, Prokop said: “It was very important for me to finish this rally, far more important than winning it, and we drove with that in mind. The final two rounds of the J-WRC will be very close now, but for sure after Kosciuszko retired and didn’t score any points in Poland, it makes things a lot easier for me. Now I don’t need to win both rallies to take the title, so I’m looking forward to Finland and Spain now.” Suzuki Swift S1600 driver Yoann Bonato finished third. “I was really expecting to finish fourth in Poland, but I am very happy to be on the podium,” he said. “It is a very good result for the team and our sponsors and it was important for us to put in a good performance and reach the finish. This rally has been very fast and difficult, and very good training for Rally Finland.” - CREDIT: WWW.WRC.COM
This will be Raikkonen’s first rally on gravel in the Tommi Makinen Racing Fiat and he completed a two day test on the surface last week. It will also be his debut on a WRC event after having contested three national championship status rallies so far this year The experienced Kaj Lindstrom will once again co-drive for the Ferrari F1 star, though he is aware that Rally Finland will be a much bigger challenge for Raikkonen: “Rally Finland is not going to be easy for sure. The rallies we have done so far have been smaller events, a three-day WRC round is much longer and more intense than those national events. And it doesn’t just start with the rally, we have two days to go through the recce and make the notes. Kimi makes very good pace notes, but there will be pressure on for the recce. He has competed on snow and asphalt, but never gravel, but we have tested on gravel. But one of the hardest things for Kimi will be the speed of this event. Rally Finland and the roads used are so fast, like nothing we have done before - that does take time. But, let’s not forget, this guy is a pretty good driver! He’s very talented and I’m sure he will cope fine. - CREDIT: WWW.RALLYBUZZ.COM and WWW.AUTOSPORT.COM
Citroen boss predicts title decider in WRC Rally Wales at year end Citroen Racing director Olivier Quesnel remains confident that his driver Sebastien Loeb will clinch a sixth consecutive title this year, but predicted that the battle with Mikko Hirvonen would go right to the final round of the series, reported www.wrc.com. After crashing his C4 out of Friday’s competition in Poland, Loeb fought back on the two days which followed, eventually finishing seventh. A second consecutive win for his chief rival Mikko Hirvonen put the Finn one point ahead in the championship with four rallies to go. But after a weekend he described as ‘difficult’, Quesnel said he was sure Loeb would come out on top again in the title battle. “Honestly I’m still confident because Seb is a five time champion, he’s got 52 victories and he’s very strong in his head,” he said. “I’m quite sure what happened here was not his fault. So in Finland it could be a really nice rally for everybody and in Australia too. Spain should be good for us and I’m quite sure the fight will go all the way to the last rally in Great Britain. And it will be quite close - I’m sure.” - CREDIT: WWW.WRC.COM
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Keith Cronin in shootout for Pirelli Star Driver for 2010 Motorsport Ireland, the governing body of motorsport in Ireland, has selected Keith Cronin, the 2007 Billy Coleman Award winner, as its candidate for the Pirelli Star Driver competition, which will give a number of young rally drivers the opportunity of competing in a series of six World Championship Rallies in 2010, reported www.rallybuzz.com. Cronin, aged 22, is from Bantry in West Cork, and drives a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9. He is contesting this year’s British Rally Championship, which he currently leads, having won the first two rounds. Ten Northern European countries have been invited by the FIA to send a driver to the Pirelli Shoot-out for Northern Europe at Jyvaskyla, in Finland on July 29-30. A panel of judges will select five of these drivers who will go forward to the European Shoot-out at Freistadt in Austria on September 18-20, where they will compete with drivers from other FIA regions for the 2010 Pirelli Star Drives.
disappointment I can’t bring any benefit to the team. I understand really if they don’t want me to carry on with the team. I understand that.” - CREDIT: WWW.WRC.COM
Ford boss throws Latvala a lifeline for WRC Rally Finland Ford’s rally team boss Malcolm Wilson has confirmed that JariMatti Latvala will drive a BP Ford Abu Dhabi car on the next WRC round in Finland, reported www.wrc.com. Speaking after Latvala crashed out of second place on Rally Poland today, Wilson admitted Latvala’s learning process was proving to be ‘slightly longer’ than he would have liked.
The five successful drivers, who must have been under the age of 27 on 1st January 2009, will use identical Group N cars in the six World Championship events in 2010, supplied and serviced under an FIA agreement.
Wilson said: “Every time he makes a mistake it always tends to be a different type of situation, but I’ll say this for sure; without any question this the biggest mistake of his career.” “I’m still in a state of shock about what actually happened. It is now many years since I was a spectator at any stages, because every time I went we always seemed to have a problem. Needless to say, I did not expect to see what I did at the Super Special stage right in front of me. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.
Keith Cronin said: “I am delighted to be representing my country again and it is a fantastic opportunity that could ultimately result in a paid drive in the World Rally Championship.”
“You can imagine the shock for all of us. The whole team were there; hopefully ready to celebrate a fantastic one-two victory on a new rally. It went there and then. Three days of a great job just evaporated in front of everyone. Just unbelievable...”
Alex Sinclair, Chief Executive of Motorsport Ireland, said: “Last year, Keith came very close to winning one of the drives on offer and with the experience gained since then and his outstanding performances in the British Rally Championship, we are expecting great things from him this time around”. - CREDIT: WWW.RALLYBUZZ.COM
In the past Wilson has likened Latvala’s high-speed but accident-prone nature to that of a young Ari Vatanen - the man who went on to win the 1981 World Championship. But this evening Wilson said he was ‘running out of ideas’ about how to get the 24-year-old back on track.
Latvala distraught about last stage crash in WRC Rally Poland BP Ford Abu Dhabi team driver Jari-Matti Latvala fears his last stage crash in Poland today could cost him his place in the team, reported www.wrc.com. With a comfortable gap of 53,1 seconds over Dani Sordo in third place, Latvala had only to cruise around the 2,5km spectator stage in Mikolajki to secure a one-two victory for Ford - a result which would put them right back in the fight with Citroen for the 2009 manufacturers’ title. Instead, the 24-year-old Finn crashed his Ford Focus on the second bend and was forced to retire from the event. “I wasn’t driving too quickly but I turned into the bend too early and clipped an oil barrel which was full of sand. The impact broke the steering and I couldn’t turn into the next bend and hit the barrier on the opposite side of the road,” Latvala explained.
“It is difficult at this moment in time,” he said. “We were really in a position to challenge for the Championship. I am not saying that is dead and buried, but we sure have a mountain to climb. We have invested in Jari-Matti for a long time. He made good progress in Sardinia but unfortunately here you can see now we are back to square one again.” Wilson said that although the chance to get just six points away from Citroen in the title race had disappeared, his team wouldn’t give up the fight. “Yes it’s made the manufacturers’ championship far more difficult, but five weeks ago a lot of people thought we had no chance,” he said. “We’re back. We’re actually leading the drivers’ championship. It’s made [the manufacturers’] much more difficult but you can never rule anything out. Who would have thought that Sebastien would have crashed on two consecutive rallies?” - CREDIT: WWW.WRC.COM
“This is the biggest mistake I’ve made,” he added. “I have disappointed the whole Ford group and the Ford motor company. We were going to make a one-two, and with this
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WRC’s 2010 Sporting Regulations released!
IMAGES: Citroen Racing, Stobart Motorsport and BP Ford WRT Media
Following a meeting of the World Motor Sport Council (WMSC) on 24 June, a number of amendments to the World Rally Championship (WRC) Sporting Regulations have been accepted in principle.
have completed each stage of the rally will appear in the Final Classification. Bonus points from each day will replace existing time penalties for missed stages, and will be in addition to the Final Classification points. In recognition of the new points scoring system, a daily and overall classification will be drawn up at the end of each day of competition.
These will be further developed before application with the intention of enabling the WRC to respond to current economic challenges, and to further aid the development and promotion of the sport. This is particularly relevant in light of the FIA’s recent appointment of a Championship Promoter, ISC. The principles of the amendments to the 2010 WRC Sporting Regulations are detailed:
• While the recommendation for one central service park remains, organisers may submit promotional plans to support relocation during the rally. In addition, Remote Service Zones designed to take the sport to the population in large towns and cities are encouraged. Crews will also be required to attend autograph sessions at the mid-day service, and be available for promotional activities during the final service each day
• There shall be no minimum or maximum stage distance. However, there shall be a maximum of 80km between service halts. The stage distance of a World Rally Championship event has been revised to become between 300km and 500km.
• One type of tyre will continue to be used for all events, except those that are fully on asphalt. However, the option of a choice of compounds will be investigated to increase media interest.
• The current system of ‘Super Rally’ will be replaced to provide additional media stories, encourage retired competitors to return the following day, and to recognise rallying as an endurance sport. As a consequence, only competitors who
• In an effort to reduce the WRC’s carbon footprint, the importance of a single fuel supplier will be investigated.
• A global Drivers’ World Ranking will be introduced from 2010 to identify the positions of personalities within the sport.
• A podium at the end of each day will be introduced to
provide media opportunities in recognition of the winner of the day and the leader of the rally. • To assist media deadlines, the finish and podium ceremony procedures must be completed by 16:00 hrs CET. For events outside Europe, this will be subject to agreement between the organiser and the Promoter. • The FIA World Rally Championship for Manufacturers will be eligible for all cars, including existing WRC cars with any driver. Registered Manufacturers must enter two cars in all rounds and must use 2009 homologated cars. • With the intention being to assist in the promotion of the series, the World Rally Championship Commission will also review the possibility of the Manufacturers’ Championship becoming a Teams’ Championship. Manufacturer Teams must participate in at least seven nominated rounds, including one outside Europe. They may enter one or two cars homologated prior to 2009. • Promotional activities may be scheduled during reconnaissance and events may also specify PR activities involving mandatory driver or team participation. • Organisers may arrange scrutineering as entertainment for the public and a visual opportunity for the media. Shakedown will be developed as a promotional and media opportunity, requiring a specific level of participation by Manufacturers and Manufacturer Teams. The possibility of there becoming a start order qualifying will be studied. • The service park can be redesigned to permit access from the rear of each team’s service area. This will allow spectators to be closer to the action. • Subject to satisfactory levels of safety, night stages are
positive stuff has come out of the meeting and it’s sent out a clear message about the way that the FIA and ISC are working together. There’s still a lot of detail to come, a lot of meat to be put on the bones, but in principle we’re happy.” Quesnel: “It’s a good start; they have done a lot of the job but there’s still a lot to do. I’ve always said rallying is going up and up and will be okay in 2013, when I think the series will be fully up to speed, but we have to go step by step and yesterday’s decisions are a going in the right way.” Are you in favour of the switch to a 1600cc turbo engine in 2011? Wilson: “The 1600cc turbo decision ticks all the boxes. Environmentally, a smaller engine with forced induction is the way all manufacturers are going, and it’s the right direction for our sport to go in too. Having said that, there are still a lot of technical details to sort out to get the 1600cc engine to work in a Super 2000 chassis. Whether that can be achieved by 2011 we’ll see, but at least the ground rules have been set and we can work now on finding a solution.” Quesnel: “We agree with the decision to go 1600cc. Earlier it was a two litre atmospheric engine until 2013 but if this is new solution leads to other manufacturers joining the series then of course we agree it’s a good idea. Generally manufacturers are downsizing engines and soon two litres won’t be an option, so we need to use other units. For us it won’t be any problem.” What do you make of the 2010 World Rally Championship calendar? Wilson: “It’s a real positive to get next year’s calendar now. Yes, it will change in 2010 but with ISC stepping in and having some involvement the good news is that we have some ‘pillar’ events back in. I’m talking about events like GB, Spain and Finland. For me, Finland is the rally that sets the standard for everybody to follow. It’s fantastic to have the best event in the series back in.” Quesnel: “It could have been worse. No Monte for us is a problem but for the other events it should be okay. In the current financial crisis the most important thing for Citroen is that each Euro we spend has to be justified, so we always prefer to go to places we sell cars.” How much power do you think the World Rally Cars will have with a 1600cc engine? Wilson: “The performance potential of a 1600cc turbo is ultimately more that what we’ve got now. A lot comes down the size of the restrictor and that hasn’t been determined yet.” Quesnel: “Remember Formula One cars with 1.5 litre turbo engines? - at the official test one was producing 1,400bhp. We can do that. It’s up to the FIA to decide on the size of the restrictor. But power won’t be a problem.”
permitted but should not form the whole itinerary of the day. Cars that are certified by ASNs, and which are based on those eligible to enter the WRC, shall be permitted and identified in a National classification. • Entries for all World Championship rallies will close four weeks prior to the start of the event. Here’s what Olivier Quesnel (Citroen Racing Team Principal) and Malcolm Wilson (M-Sport Team Principal) had to say about the 2010 WRC changes in an interview with www.wrc.com. What do you make to the decisions of the World Council in general? Wilson: “We were really pleased by the decisions. A lot of
What do you think about the possibility of two, three and four days rallies? Wilson: “Anything to help rally organisers take their events to the people is a good thing. One thing we have to be a little careful about, however, is the length of rallies and the component sharing measures brought in to reduce costs. Currently with rallies of 350 kilometres we can do three with one engine. We’ll need to think again if we’re going to ask that engine to do three 500 kilometre rallies, for instance.” Quesnel: “We agree with the new freedoms. If the Monte returns in 2011 it could be a good solution.” And what about the possibility of more mixed-surface rallies? Wilson: “This is going to be a big help for some rally organisers. Cyprus this year was still quite an expensive exercise for the teams because even though we used gravel
suspension we had to test more to determine the set-up. Now with the freedom to mix the stages up, everybody will be on the same suspension and brakes. Hopefully we’ll see tarmac stages after gravel ones, when the tyres are worn a bit.” Quesnel: “Did you see how Sebastien did in Cyprus? We’ve got no problem with more mixed surface rallies!” In an interview held ahead of the WRC Rally Poland this past weekend, ISC’s CEO Simon Simon Long was interviewed by www.wrc.com about his views on the recent WRC regulation changes announced by the FIA last week. What is the rationale behind a 13 event WRC Calendar for 2010? “The 2010 calendar is a combination of nine events which had previously been confirmed by the FIA plus four other events, Finland, Spain, GB and Portugal, thereby extending the calendar from 12 to 13 events. The good news is that there are no losers from the previously published calendar which has now been further reinforced with four quality events, proposed by ISC”. How will WRC calendars be proposed in the future? “In drawing up our future calendar recommendations, the overriding focus will be on quality as we look to combine the world’s best drivers and cars with the best events. That means quality not only in terms of a well run event but also in the way events are marketed and promoted in the interests of spectators, viewers, the media, car manufacturers and commercial partners. As Championship Promoter, ISC will be working with all of the sport’s stakeholders to raise the bar for how WRC is staged and showcased to an increasingly global community of fans. ISC will be submitting a proposal for the 2011 WRC calendar for the FIA’s approval before the end of 2009”. What are the promotional benefits of introducing the 1600cc turbo engine in 2011? “This brings WRC in line with the way the automotive industry and public opinion is moving towards more energy efficient engines. At the same time, this will further support our efforts to attract new manufacturers and car brands into our sport with the prospect of more cost effective and relevant WRC car regulations”. What are the advantages of giving event organisers more flexibility over the design of their events? “The beauty of going to so many distinctive and spectacular locations around the world is the unique character which each event can bring to the Championship and how we promote it. We need to make more of a virtue of the sheer variety of experience and geographical reach which WRC can offer. By allowing Organisers more flexibility over the make-up of their event we anticipate being able to connect with a wider landscape of communities, places and fans. The prospect of mixed surfaces will only add to the unpredictability and challenge which characterises the sport of rallying.”
How will the introduction in 2010 of a ‘WRC Cup’ for Super 2000 cars help? “This is great news. With the WRC regulations set to shift to a Super 2000 car in 2011 this is a good way of attracting manufacturers, teams and privateers into WRC at an affordable and competitive level. This also offers the chance to sample WRC ahead of potentially taking the step up to the highest level of the sport. We will be undertaking a number of media and marketing initiatives to showcase the series globally and integrate it within the overall promotion of WRC.” What will be the benefit of replacing ‘Super Rally’ with bonus points for each day? “With our Championship Promoter’s hat on, I think it’s fair to say that the Super Rally system can be quite confusing to explain to fans and viewers. The provision of daily bonus points should help further incentivise drivers to go full out throughout the duration of the rally whilst rewarding those drivers who keep their cars on the road from start to finish. This will be good for generating increased media and public interest in the result of each day of racing as well as in the overall classification, a bit like in the Tour de France.” There are a number of rule changes regarding the introduction of more media opportunities, finish and podium ceremonies and PR opportunities involving the drivers, teams and fans. How will these help your role as the Championship Promoter? “I think the FIA is to be applauded for the way it has looked at ways of changing the sporting regulations in order to help improve the WRC ‘show’. WRC is all about accessibility and the changes outlined in the FIA’s announcement are likely to enable the public and media to get closer than ever before to the local and global heroes of the sport. Adapting to the needs of the broadcasters and press, whilst increasing the entertainment and spectacle of our sport, are bound to increase the profile and marketability of WRC”. What will be the impact of allowing cars that are certified by ASN’s, and which are based on those eligible to enter the WRC, to be permitted in a National Classification? “As the Championship Promoter we see our role as being as much about showcasing the top of the pyramid of rallying with WRC, as we do connecting the grassroots of the sport to a ladder of opportunity. This is a welcome change which will help encourage more competitors, especially amateurs, to sample the unrivalled experience of participating in WRC events.” - CREDIT: WWW.FIA.COM and WWW.WRC.COM
Hirvonen trounces Citroens in Poland!
IMAGES: Citroen Racing, Stobart Motorsport and BP Ford WRT Media
At the start of the final stage of the WRC Rally Poland this past weekend, only a handful of seconds separated the two BP Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team crews. Mikko Hirvonen looked assured of his second win of the season, while team-mate Jari-Matti Latvala had settled for a strong second place overall result WRITES EVAN ROTHMAN. Malcolm Wilson, and the rest of the BP Ford and M-Sport engineers and mechanics, were congratulating each other and were already preparing their media responses when their two factory drivers took to the final stage of the rally, the SuperSpecial Stage. A one-two result for Ford was just the thing the squad needed to re-motivate their team members and bring the Fords back into contention for the all-important Manufacturers’ Championship title. Hirvonen safely negotiated the point and squirt “Mickey Mouse” stage, but starting alongside him was second-placed
Latvala’s who had only to steer his battle-worn Focus RS WRC through the final 2,5km to reach the finish line. Entering the second turn too sharply, Latvala smacked the barrier on the inside of the corner and then hit the barrier on the opposite side too. His right front wheel assembly was fatally damaged, and while trying to continue on the young Finn burnt his car’s clutch out, resulting in a marshal extinguishing Latvala’s WRC Rally Poland weekend. After a relatively easy final day of the rally, and after he had set the fastest stage times in the morning’s opening loop of stages, Hirvonen finished the rally in the lead of the Drivers’ Championship title fight and helped bring Ford closer to Citroen in the Manufacturers’ points battle. It wasn’t all easy for the winner all weekend, however Hirvonen had better luck than Loeb and a number of top crews. Loeb crashed out of the lead on SS4. The defending WRC Drivers’ Champion clipped a tree stump with his right front wheel, which severely damaged his car’s steering and suspension. This forced him out of the event, but he rejoined the rally on Day Two under SupeRally regulations and brought his bruised Citroen C4 WRC across the finish line on Day Three in seventh place overall with valuable Championship points in the bag. Day One of the rally was a ding-dong affair between the two
factory Ford crews. Latvala and Hirvonen both set three fastest stage times each, and had begun opening a slight advantage over the chasing competitors. After Loeb’s early demise, the focus of the rally completely shifted towards the Ford camp. At the end of Day One, Hirvonen claimed the top spot of the leaderboard with Latvala behind him and Sordo 28,1sec adrift. All drivers were drawing comparisons of this event with the roads and conditions of Rally Finland, as Poland offered high-speed bends and long straights on flowing gravel roads. This did not deter Sordo in the slightest, and on Day Two he attacked the Ford crews. On the opening loop of stages on Day Two, Sordo slowly reeled in Hirvonen and Latvala. With the weight of Citroen on his shoulders, Sordo cleverly consolidated his third place position by driving cautiously on the afternoon’s stages. However, a driver error on Day Three cost Sordo 25sec, and this dropped him to over 60sec behind Latvala going into the final stage of the event. The Spaniard did have a cushion of 55sec over fourth-placed Henning Solberg/Cato Menkerud (Sotbart VK M-Sport Ford World Rally Team). After Latvala’s silly crash, Sordo moved one place up on the podium and Henning Solberg gained a podium finish. Behind the three leaders, an exciting battle for fourth place (which later became third spot) raged between Sebastien Ogier (Citroen Junior Team), Petter Solberg (privateer Citroen Xsara WRC) and Henning Solberg (Stobart VK M-Sport Ford World Rally Team). On the final day of the event, each driver attacked to break away from the fight. Henning Solberg posted the fastest time on two stages, and Ogier one. Ogier’s Citroen’s engine began to falter, and this left the two Solberg brothers to duel it out for fourth place. On SS17, Henning managed to break away from Petter for third place, and he was able to edge out the gap to 18,6sec gap by the end of the gruelling rally. “Wow, what an end to the rally, it’s very sad for Ford but the podium is fantastic for me,” said Henning. “We have come a long way since Thursday when the feeling after shakedown wasn’t very good and today the car has been much better. I’ve been driving as fast as I can on this rally and really been
pushing hard in the battle with Petter; the fastest stage times we had today prove just that.” Fortunately for Loeb, both Conrad Rautenbach (Citroen Junior Team) and Evgeny Novikov (Citroen Junior Team) were asked to let him overtake them to score as many Championship points as possible. Novikov sat by the side of the road for two minutes on SS16, and then Rautenbach waited 15 minutes for the Loeb’s Citroen C4 WRC to move past him to secure the final Championship point. Thanks to Latvala’s error, Loeb scored a second point and gifted Rautenbach with a point’spaying finish. “I obviously can’t be satisfied with seventh place, but we did succeed in salvaging something from the weekend,” said Loeb. “Given the way things stand after this rally, I think the points we managed to secure here could turn out to be very valuable at the end of the year.” The high speeds, flowing bends and dramatic jumps made for an exciting rally. Hirvonen’s brilliant win was sadly overshadowed by the silliness of Latvala’s crash. Hirvonen outdrove his competitors and with his confidence on an alltime high now, Loeb will have to earn hs paycheque in Finland at the end of the month! Who would have predicted Loeb to crash in two consecutive rallies? With not a single mistake, or niggle wiht his car, Mikko Hirvonen’s Finnish smile is back. After tasting the winners’ champers in Poland, he will be looking to taste it again in his home country. FINAL WRC Rally Poland CLASSIFICATION: 01) M. Hirvonen/J. Lehtinen (Ford Focus RS WRC) - 3h 07min 27,5s 02) D. Sordo/M. Marti (Citroen C4 WRC) + 01min 10,3s 03) H. Solberg/C. Menkerud (Ford Focus RS WRC) + 02min 05,7s 04) P. Solberg/P. Mills (Citroen Xsara WRC) + 02min 24,3s 05) M. Wilson/S. Martin (Ford Focus RS WRC) + 04min 17,5s 06) K. Holowczyc/L. Kurzeja (Ford Focus RS WRC) + 04min 33,9s 07) S. Loeb/D. Elena (Citroen C4 WRC) + 19min 15,1s 08) C. Rautenbach/D. Barritt (Citroen C4 WRC) + 19min 20,6s 09) E. Novikov/D. Moscatt (Citroen C4 WRC) + 19min 26,2s 10) M. Bebenek/G. Bebenek (Mitsubishi Lancer Gp N) + 23min 08,7s
Volkswagen Rally action revving up! The dust-devil action of the Volkswagen Rally explodes in the Eastern Cape on Friday and Saturday, 11 and 12 July. This event is a firm favourite on the annual calendar and marks the 26th running of the event with Volkswagen and the Algoa Rally Association. The event gets underway at 12h30 from the Volkswagen museum, Auto Pavilion, in Uitenhage on Friday for several stages of action. The start is the prime spot for photographs and autographs with your favourite rally heroes – you will have to arrive early to get hold of the drivers and navigators. Algoa Rally Association officials have been hard at work to create an exciting event for 2009, and the event this year will be a little different to what has been experienced previously. “This is going to be a very exciting event,” says route director Joe Fourie. “The roads into the forest are like a highway since all the repairs have been done. The stages that will be used are the best we’ve had in three years and we’ll be running as we did in 2007, not like we had to do last year.” For the home team, the BP Volkswagen crew, the event marks their lead in the 2009 championship – defending champions Hergen Fekken and Pierre Arries took their place as points leaders in the BP Ultimatepowered S2000 Volkswagen Polo at the Rally of South Africa after a stunning performance. The team currently hold first, third and fifth position overall on the national rally scene with Jan Habig and Douglas Judd in second and Enzo Kuun and Guy Hodgson in fifth place. Gugu Zulu and Carl Peskin are the leaders in the national A5 class in their BP Volkswagen Citi Golf. For local rally fans the Volkswagen Rally is not just an opportunity to see some exciting gravel action. The event is a careful mix of both gravel and tar, bringing the sport – and the racers – closer to their fans. As per previous years, the grand finale takes place at Kings Beach with rally racers covering the final distance through a series of high speed hairpins in a last mad dash for the finish. There are 12 stages waiting for rally crews over the two days, with six stages on each day. Unlike previous events, the rally will not take place in Jeffreys Bay this year. Instead the Kings
Beach parking lot stage will be tackled on two occasions, as the last stage on each of the two days. This is also the venue for the prizegiving which will take place at approximately 15:30 on Saturday afternoon. “We are not racing in Jeffrey’s Bay this year,” says Fourie. “There just are no funds available for spectator barriers, and since these barriers are mostly sent from Durban, it makes it a very expensive exercise. “As safety is always of primary concern when organising the rally, we’ve taken the very difficult decision not to run in Jeffrey’s Bay this year, and rather do two Kings Beach stages instead. If the economy has recovered sufficiently by next year and we can find the funding, we’ll definitely be back in Jeffrey’s, it is one of the most popular spectator stages.” While the rally won’t be heading down the coast, there will be extra stages in the Uitenhage area. Jagtvlakte on Friday and Nooitgedacht on Saturday will make the Volkswagen Rally even more accessible to Uitenhage residents. As per previous events, there will be stages in the Longmore Forest as well as at the Port Elizabeth Oval Track Raceway (PEOTR), the stock car racing track on Mission Road, near Greenbushes. In addition to the rally action, there are also several activities planned for the Kings Beach stage on Saturday. Amongst the proposed activities are a street rod display, an action karting display and, for the first time, a quad action display. These action displays will give spectators a bit of racing action as they perform short demonstration races on the same stage the rally cars will be using. While the national racers will be competing – in classes ranging from the top-of-the-line S2000 entries sporting all-wheel drive and the N4 four-wheel drive production cars complete with turbochargers to the A7 (2.0 litre), A6 (1.6 litre), A5 (1.4 litre) and N3 (production standard four-wheel drives up to 2.0 litres) and N2 (production cars up to 1.6 litres), the local rally racers will be in action in two regional events. As the Volkswagen Rally is split into two days of six stages each, the regional racers will complete one full event on Friday and one on Saturday. Local rally competition received a boost from Volkswagen last year when they provided five Citi Golf rally cars to help grow the sport locally. It is these cars which will feature amongst the list of regional competitors during the Volkswagen Rally. - TEXT SUPPLIED BY VOLKSWAGEN OF S.A.; IMAGES BY MOTORPICS
African Rally Championship action heads to Zambia!
Round Four of the thrilling yet challenging African Rally Championship (ARC) will be played out in Zambia at the Zambia International Rally, WRITES EVAN ROTHMAN. In a dramatic championship thus far, the Zambian event marks the penultimate round of the 2009 African Rally Championship as well as the third and penultimate qualifying round of this year’s Africa Pirelli Star Driver competition. Now in its 33rd running, the Zambia International Rally has grown in stature and has remained a firm favourite on the FIA African Rally Championship calendar. Legendary Zambian driver and eight-time ARC Champion Satwant Singh has won this event a record 14 times! Taking place from 3 - 5 July, this year’s stages are a mixture of the best stages from previous rallies. A total of 557,45km lay ahead of competitors, with 262,67km of those competitive Special Stage distance. On Thursday 2 July, the sealing and marking of turbos for N4 cars will be undertaken between 08h00 and 17h00 at Autoworld Downtown on Kafue Road. Scrutineering and documentation will be held that same
afternoon between 14h00 and 17h00 at the same venue. The ceremonial start and Special Spectator Stage (SSS) will be run on Day One, Friday 3 July, starting at 14h00 in Lusaka east opposite The Barn Resorts (Rally HQ). The Spectator Special Stage will be followed by three competitive sections with the final section being a re-run of the Spectator Special Stage. The service park on Day One will be at The Barn Resorts. Cars will thereafter be held in Parc Ferme at The Barn Resorts. Day Two (Saturday 4 July) will be from morning to afternoon in Fringilla, Chisamba north west of Lusaka, using five competitive stages each to be run twice. The service park for this leg will be at Fringilla Farm. Day Three (Sunday 5 July) will be a repeat of the first five competitive stages of Day Two, the only difference being that the stages in this case will be run in reverse order. The event will finish by 17h00 and prize giving will be held thereafter. The Zambia International Rally is an exciting and dynamic way to showcase Zambia’s beautiful and richly varied landscape. It will once again produce exciting rally action, and HANDBRAKES & HAIRPINS will bring a full event review!
MINI Cooper S Rally Works: Rally’s honest giant slayer! Far from the high-tech WRC cars sliding around hairpins today, rallying cars of the 1960s were pure and honest. And none were more so than the MINI Cooper S: drivers and teams throughout Europe recognised the rally-winning potential of this little car, and was soon entered into rallies with great success, WRITES EVAN ROTHMAN. Tuned by John Cooper the feisty red-coloured MINI Cooper S Works cars brought home a number of international victories from its first year in competition. In 1962, driven by Pat Moss (sister to the great Sir Stirling Moss), the MINI Cooper S scored its first win in the Tulip Rally. By the end of that year, the MINI Cooper S had totalled 153 rallies wins! Its first Monte Carlo Rally victory has become a classic rally legend. The MINI Cooper S was entered into the 1964 event, and this victory sweetly summed up the character of this rally car. 1964 was an important year for rallying as a sport. Rallying was moving ahead in leaps and bounds, as a number of drivers and teams were turning professional. Manufacturers were entering as many as six full factorybacked crews in each event, and for the 1964 Monte BMW (the manufacturers of the MINI Cooper) entered six factory cars while another 24 MINIs were driven by privateers. Signed to the factory team were drivers Patrick “Paddy” Hopkirk, Rauno Aaltonen and Timo Makinen.
Covering a total of 4 000km, contested by 277 crews, the 1964 Monte Carlo Rally was tougher than you can imagine. Twists and turns, the average speed for the rally was 50km/h. The MINI Cooper S Works, with 72kW of power on tap, it was able to accelerate from standstill to 100km/h in 13sec. Ford Falcons, with their monstrous 4,7-litre V8 motors, were at the head of the field come the end of the first leg. All spectators were expecting the Fords to power into the distance, but the MINI of Paddy Hopkirk was only 16sec behind the leading Ford. Over the three days of competition, the Fords were unable to stretch their advantage over the MINIs by more than 65sec. Before the days of points and classes, crews were handicapped according to engine output. The Fords, with the biggest and most powerful motor, needed to stretch their lead not just by a few seconds, but by minutes to record a win. With small engine capacity, the MINI Cooper S incurred the least time/ handicap penalties. At the beginning of the final leg of the rally, the Ford was still in the lead, followed by a Volvo P544 and then the plucky MINI of Hopkirk. With two iconic stages remaining, the Col de Turini and a lap of the Monaco Grand Prix circuit, the Ford was looking to sew up its another Monte victory. Renowned for its tight hairpins and challenging blind corners, the Col de Turini proved to be ideal for the MINI: it closed to 17sec behind the Ford. With one stage to go Hopkirk managed to maintain the gap to the Ford, thus scoring MINI its first Monte Carlo Rally victory! The little car immediately became not only a rally legend but a cult motoring icon. The Mini was originally conceived as an inexpensive and economical form of motoring, but the Cooper S variant proved it to be a world-beating sports car too!