H&H-12

Handbrakes and Hairpins Issue 12

All content copyrighted property of Handbrakes and Hairpins, 2007 To receive your FREE weekly Handbrakes and Hairpins newsletter, or if you would like to share this with a friend, please send me your e-mail address to handhnews@gmail.com. Mobile: 083 452 6892.

Scottair Rally Provides Thrilling Rallying Action The final round of the KwaZulu-Natal Regional Rally Championship was held in Scottburgh this past weekend. The Scottair 1000 Hills Rally drew a strong competitor turnout, with 21 teams entering the event.

A total of eight National teams tested their machines on the trying dirt roads outside Scottburgh. This event, which will form part of next year’s national Tour Natal Rally, proved valuable to those national teams as they received useful information from rallying on the roads this past weekend.

In his S2000 Castrol Toyota RunX, Mark Cronje and Robert Paisely, the current South African Nation A7 Champions, looked to comfortably win the event, but had made an error on SS2, costing them over 13 minutes to get the car back onto the road from the sugar cane fields. Another national crew, Charl Wilken and Greg Godrich in their N4 Konica Minolta Subaru Impreza, won the

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event with a lead of more than three and half minutes.

Second place finishers were Richard Vaughn and his daughter Laura, in their Class S4 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo. This team won the KwaZulu-Natal Regional Championship this year, and Laura Vaughn, at 16 years old, is the youngest female competitor to be crowned champion!

Chris Atwell and Carolyn Swan, another national competitor, finished third overall in their Class S4 Toyota RunX. Local pairing Bertus Labuschagne and Lou Zietsman finished 8th overall in their Class S2 VW Golf, ahead of Pietermaritzburgers Brian Scott and daughter Kirsty Scott in their Class S3 Volkswagen Polo.

Another Pietermaritzburg-based team of Clyde Victor and Mark King, finished in a strong 10th place overall in their Class S3 Toyota Corolla RSi. Chris de Wit, a national competitor based in Pietermaritzburg and who was vying for the KZN Regional Rally Championship top honours, failed to finish the rally as his engine broke in SS1.

The Scottair 1000 Hills Rally was, in my opinion, the best organised and supported event of the KZN Regional Rally Championship this year. The roads provided thrilling action and great rallying. We will now have to wait until March next year for the next rally... Bring on 2008!

www.sportspics.co.za

Wilken and Godrich End Season On High Note

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www.sportspics.co.za What was supposed to be a last fling at what rallying has to offer in South Africa, almost turned into a full scale war when the Sasol Konica Minolta Subaru driven by Charl Wilken and the Castrol Toyota in the hands of Mark Cronje crossed paths in KwaZulu-Natal during the Scottair 1000 Hills Rally held in the Scottburgh area this past weekend.

Wilken used all his skills to optimise the correct racing lines on the slippery surface and won the rally overall by a healthy margin from regular National Championship contenders such as Paul Pfeiffer in the Mitsubishi Evo, Jose Ferreira in a Subaru Impreza and Chris de Wit, who recently won the A7 class during the Toyota Dealer Rally Gauteng. The local team of Richard and Laura Vaughan in another Mitsubishi Evo were second and also clinched the KwaZulu-Natal regional rally championship title for 2007.

The Sasol Konica Minolta team was happy to setup and refine suspension changes while gaining invaluable experience of the difficult Natal roads, but to walk away with yet another overall victory that incidentally followed two successive National Championship Production wins during the last two National rallies, was a bonus.

The team will now concentrate on their preparation for the 2008 season after a short recess period. - INFORMATION SUPPLIED

BY WILKEN COMMUNICATIONS.

A Lucky Guy! Prokop Test Drives Citroen Xsara WRC Martin Prokop was given his first run at the wheel of a Citroën Xsara WRC on a gravel road near Chablis, close to Auxerre in the Burgundy region of France last week. The test session was organised by Citroën Sport as a reward for the results obtained by the Czech driver within the framework of this year’s C2 Junior Experience.

The Jipocar driver finished third in the 2007 FIA Junior Rally Championship, notching up two wins (Germany, Corsica) and one second place (Spain) with his Citroën C2 Super 1600. His prize, as specified in the regulations of the C2 Junior Experience, was a test drive in Citroën WRC car. For Martin Prokop, the experience was an early Christmas. The 25-year old had no hesitation when it came to sampling the car that has secured three world titles in rallying’s premier series.

Before the start of next year’s FIA Junior campaign at the wheel of a Citroën C2 Super 1600, Martin Prokop will contest the last two rounds of the 2007 World Rally Championship (Ireland and Wales Rally GB) in a Group N car “to gain a little extra experience”. Next year, the young Czech hopes to take revenge and try to win the ‘Junior’ title and consequently follow in the footsteps of Citroën Sport’s WRC drivers Sébastien Loeb (2001) and Dani Sordo (2005) who both won the series earlier in their careers.

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ARC: Twelve out of Twelve For Evans

Toyota Racing Development’s Simon and Sue Evans have taken a clean sweep of the 2007 NEC Australian Rally Championship winning all of the 12 heats contested in the national championship, and finishing atop the NGK Rally of Melbourne podium.

While they wrapped up the title yesterday, Simon made it clear it was his intention to walk away from the year undefeated, but he didn’t have it all his way and was pushed all the whole day by the Pirtek Rally Team Ford’s Michael Guest.

“It’s a great feeling to know that we have been able to back up the Championship, to do it with a clean sweep of every heat is even better, it really is a dream come true,” said Simon at the finish.

“We didn’t do it easy out there today though, Guesty (Michael Guest) really pushed us all the way, it was a great battle,” he continued.

In the teams best Heat result for the 2007 season Guest, behind the wheel of his Super 2000 Ford Fiesta, made Evans fight all the way for the win, taking out four of the eight stages run in Heat two and keeping the pressure on from the first stage to the last.

“Today showed what we can do. When this car is running soundly it has the capability to run with the best, today we proved that and that leaves us with a lot of hope for next year,” Guest said.

Access Hardware’s Spencer Lowndes remained consistent throughout the day, securing third place in the heat and second outright for the weekend, in his home event.

Lowndes’ strong performance over the weekend was enough to secure the Victorian privateer second in the NEC ARC Privateers Cup. “I remember what I missed so much about rallying in the couple of years I had off,” smiled Spencer at the finish. “This weekend has run really well, the car has performed strongly and I think I’m definitely starting to get that feeling and rhythm back.”

Evans TRD team mate Neal Bates struggled to find his normal pace across the weekend but showed the depth of his driving skills finishing the heat in fourth place in the heat and third outright for the weekend.

Reigning Victoria Rally Champion ACTIV Rally Team’s Justin Dowel finished a strong fifth, followed by SR Automotive’s Stuart Reid in sixth and Australian Plastic Profile’s David Hills in seventh. Kipling’s Bakery’s Brett Kipling, Shell Racing Development’s Jesse Robison and PBR’s Paul Batten rounded out the top ten in Heat Two. Batten’s top ten finish was enough to secure the team the 2007 www.rally.com.au Rally Challenge title, an outstanding effort in their debut year. Fusion Motor Sport’s Mitchell Hall finished second with Mazparts WA’s Derek Reddie in third.

Stohl Wins Home Rally Manfred Stohl fulfilled all expectations at the OMV Rally Waldviertel. He outclassed the competition by reaching eleven out of twelve best-times in the CNG (compressed natural gas) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX on day two. In the end he finished 1:50,7 minutes ahead of OMV BIXXOL Rally Team-driver Stepan Vojtech (Mitsubishi Evo IX) from the Czech Republic. Beppo Harrach (CNG Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VI) saved fourth overall place despite grave technical problems.

Manfred Stohl already knew what to expect prior to the OMV Rally Waldviertel. The 35-year-old OMV driver was nearly everybody’s professed favourite. Stohl tried understatement by pointing out that it was his first assignment with the CNG Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX, after all. But he more than compensated for this thanks to his 124 WRC-assignments. Stohl reached 13 out of 17 SS-best-times and was relieved and satisfied in the end: “It is a very special feeling to win the OMV Rally Waldviertel. Especially with the CNG car for which this was invaluable publicity. After Beppo’s victory at the Ostarrichi Rally we have once again proven that gas-driven rally cars are a serious alternative.” It was Stohl’s third victory in the Waldviertel after 2001 and 2002.

Ilka Minor can rejoice over a special trophy. Manfred Stohl’s co-driver celebrated her third OMV Rally Waldviertel-victory after 1999 (with Markus Mitterbauer) and 2002 (with Manfred Stohl). Thus the currently best female co-driver worldwide was permanently awarded the “Ferdinand Hinterleitner-Challenge Cup” (co-driver of Sepp Hader who was killed in a traffic accident in 1990).

Final standings after 17 special stages

01. Manfred Stohl/Ilka Minor (A) CNG Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX 1:48:12,6 hrs.

02. Stepan Vojtech/Michal Ernst (CZ) Mitsubshi Lancer Evo IX +1:50,7 min.

03. Michal Kosciuszko/Maciek Szczepaniak (Pol) Fiat Grande Punto S2000 +2:55,0 min.

04. Beppo Harrach/Andreas Schindlbacher (A) CNG Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VI +3:40,1 min.

05. Andreas Waldherr/Richard Jeitler (A) VW Polo S2000 +4:58,0 min.

06. Toto Wolff/Gerald Pöschl (A) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VIII, Gr.-A +5:11,0 min.

07. Willi Stengg/Jürgen Klinger (A) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX +5:32,2 min.

08. Peter Gavlak/Milos Hulka (Sk/CZ) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX +5:53,2 min.

09. Hermann Gassner/Karin Tannhäuser (Ger) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX +6:14,8 min.

10. Gerwald Grössing/Fred Winklhofer (A) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX +6:44,9 min.

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6

Guy Frequelin Retires

After a long career entirely dedicated to motorsport, Citroën Sport’s director Guy Fréquelin has decided to retire. Fully supported by the Brand and faithful to one of our motto – to finish first, first you have to finish – Guy will continue to manage the world rally team and its crews until the end of the 2007 season with the ultimate target of a fourth consecutive world title for Sébastien Loeb and Daniel Elena.

Olivier Quesnel will be Fréquelin’s successor as from the 1st of January 2008. However, he will be present with the team as from Rally Ireland, penultimate round of the 2007 World Rally Championship.

GUY FREQUELIN: Guy started his motorsport career as a top professional driver – 10 French champion titles in various disciplines and a vice-world champion title in 1981 – before moving on to managing a team and continuing to live from his passion : motorsport. His formidable knowledge and experience of rallying, his incomparable qualities to gather and manage a varied and skilled team to develop racing cars, have led him and Citroën on the highest step of the podium everywhere in the world.

His records as Citroën Sport’s director which he runs since 1989 are absolutely unique: 5 Rally Raid World Cup’s titles with 36 wins, 4 French Rally champion’s titles with 23 wins, 1 French Gravel Rally champion’s title (2 wheel-drive category), 1 European Rally champion’s title, 3 Junior World Rally Champion’s titles, 3 World Rally Champion’s titles for Manufacturers and 3 for Drivers and Codrivers with a total of 41 wins.

OLIVIER QUESNEL Olivier Quesnel has also played an important role in the motorsport industry. After having managed Patrick Tambay’s career, he started in racing in 1978 in the competition department of the Simca Racing Team, and then took part in the creation of Peugeot Sport, directed by Jean Todt.

In 1988, he founded his own team - METAL 5 – working for example with drivers like Jean-Pierre Malcher and Bruno Saby. Thanks to his great passion for motorsport he succeeded in gathering a fantastic collection of Group B rally cars at the Automobile Museum of Lohéac (France) Since 23 years, Olivier Quesnel is the managing director of the ‘Hommel’ press group, specialised in the automotive industry.

Past WRC Masters: Didier Auriol

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Didier Auriol (born August 18, 1958) is a French former rally driver. Born in Montpellier, and initially an ambulance driver, Auriol made his name as a French rally driver in the World Rally Championship throughout the 1990s. He became World Rally Champion in 1994, the first from his country to do so. He was a factory candidate for Lancia, Toyota and Peugeot, among others, before losing his seat at Škoda at the end of 2003.

Auriol won his first World Championship event, the 1988 Tour de Corse, whilst driving a Ford Sierra Cosworth. For 1989 he moved to the Martini Lancia team, where he remained for four seasons, driving three successive versions of the then-dominant Lancia Delta Integrale. In 1992, driving the final evolution of the car, he won six events in one season (a record only beaten by Sebastien Loeb in 2005), but poor results on other rounds and retirement on the last event of the season, the RAC Rally, handed the world championship to Carlos Sainz.

In 1993 Auriol switched to the Toyota team, and won the World Championship in 1994 driving one of the most fabled mounts in the history of the series: the Toyota Celica GT-Four ST185. However he has found fame and distinction for a plethora of other reasons. In 1995, he took the first win for the Celica GT-Four ST205 in Tour de Corse. However, later in the same season, on the Catalunya Rally, Toyota were found to have used an illegal device in the turbocharger to increase the power of the engine, and were excluded from the results of the 1995 championship and banned for 1996.

Another notable achievement in Auriol’s reportoire is being a seven-time winner of the Tour de Corse, level record holder with Bernard Darniche. Even as late as 2001 Auriol was still racking up podiums there.

World Rally Championship record: Nationality: French Active years: 1984 - 2005 Teams: Austin Rover, Ford, Lancia, Toyota, Subaru, Mitsubishi, SEAT, Peugeot, Škoda World rallies: 152 Championships: 1 (1994) Wins: 20 Podium finishes: 53 Stage wins: 554 Points: 747 First world rally: 1984 Tour de Corse First win: 1988 Tour de Corse Last win: 2001 Rally Catalunya Last world rally: 2005 Monte Carlo Rally

8

A South African WRC Winner?

Roger Clark, a former World Rally Championship contender and multiple British Rally Champion, was born on 5 August 1939 in Great Britain.

This British citizen made his debut in rallying in 1956, and was later hailed as being “the greatest rally driver produced by Britain in the 1970s”. He reportedly had an exuberant, but controlled, driving style. Clark worked his way up from club events in a Mini Cooper to full factory drives with Reliant, Rover and Ford.

He also competed in classic rally events in Australia in the 1990s, but died suddenly in 1998.

His career record reads as follows: 1965 - British Rally Champion (Ford Cortina GT) 1972 - British Rally Champion (Ford Escort RS1600) 1973 - British Rally Champion (Ford Escort RS1600) 1975 - British Rally Champion (Ford Escort RS1600) He was also crowned European Rally Champion a couple of times, before turing his attention to WRC. Clark’s best results were: 1973 - RAC Rally - Second place overall - Ford Escort RS1600 1977 - Acropolis Rally - Second place overall - Ford Escort RS1600 1976 - Lombard RAC Rally - First place overall - Ford Escort RS1600 The reason I am mentioning Roger Clark, is that in his one and only WRC victory, his navigator was Stuart Pegg, a South African!

This means that a South African has, technically-speaking, won a WRC event!

There is, unfortunately, no information on the internet regarding Stuart Pegg. If anyone has any information about this successful South African navigator, please send me an e-mail to handhnews@gmail.com...

Handbrakes and Hairpins is a free rallying newsletter, bringing the latest news, reviews, previews and opinions from around the world, as well as informative features on the world’s most spectacular motor sport.

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IRC China Rally Review: Sun Sets In Land Of Rising Sun

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All Images: IRC

Higgins Wins Final IRC Rally

Mitsubishi driver David Higgins has won the IRC classification of the Rally China, the ninth and final round of the series. The Englishman started the final day with a 44-second advantage, and won by just over a minute from local Mitsubishi man Lang Xu. Another Briton, Martin Rowe, was third - also driving a Mitsubishi Lancer. Higgins had been delayed by a misfire throughout the opening day, which he thought could have been related to a turbo boost or electrical problem. His WY team mechanics changed everything at final service on Saturday night, meaning that he had no problems throughout the final six stages on Sunday.

“I didn’t have anything to particularly worry me, but every stage was a real challenge,” said Higgins - who has now won five out of five rounds of the Chinese Championship. “There were some bits that were so incredibly twisty that you got tired of turning the steering wheel all the time. At any point, you could have taken a wheel off as well, so it was a question of keeping maximum concentration all the way to the end.”

The weather remained dry on the final leg, with higher temperatures. As opposed to the first day’s action, which took competitors high into the Chinese mountains, the final leg used narrow roads that plunged into orange groves and tea plantations. As the stages cut up though, more and more large rocks were exposed - which meant that Higgins, along with all the other competitors, had to keep a constant look-out for any unforeseen obstacles.

Local man Lang Xu, in second, had another reason to celebrate today: as Sunday’s leg two was also his birthday! Martin Rowe, a former Production Car World Champion, had no problems during the final leg but lost time on the opening day with the wrong tyres.

Amongst the retirements were former Asia Pacific Champion Jussi Valimaki, who suffered from an engine problem throughout the opening day. His mechanics changed more or less everything that it was possible to change during the various service halts, without getting to the bottom of the problem. The situation was made even more mysterious by the fact that his team mate, Gaurav Gill, had exactly the same problem starting from SS9. He too was forced into retirement. One theory that the team had was that the cars may somehow have been damaged in their containers during the long trip from the previous Asia-Pacific round in Indonesia - but until they strip them down back at base, they will never know.

Katsuhiko Taguchi started the rally as a strong favourite in his MRF Team Mitsubishi Lancer, but he too had to retire on the final day. - INFORMATION SUPPLIED BY IRC.

IRC RESULTS RALLY OF CHINA: 1. David Higgins (GB)/Euan Thomas (GB) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo - 9 3h29m33.1s 2. Lang Xu (PRC)/Yu Huang (PRC) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo - 9 3h30m35.2s 3. Martin Rowe (GB)/Dale Moscatt (GB) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo - 9 3h34m17.1s 4. Brian Green (NZ)/Fleur Pedersen (NZ) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo - 9 3h44m39.4s 5. Qingxian Hua (PRC)/Jian Zhang (PRC) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo - 9 3h53m01.3s 6. Shinchiro Karakama (J) T.Minamino (J) Honda Civic EK - 4 4h11m55.5s 7. Chunlei Shi (PRC)/Xin Shen (PRC) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo - 9 4h15m46.7s 8. Fengze Xie (PRC)/Tsung Yu Hsieh (PRC) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo - 9 4h16m37.6s 9. Xuming Huang (PRC)/Xin Guo (PRC) Volkswagen Jetta GTX - 4h29m52.5s

10

WRC Rally Ireland Preview: Head-To-Head Battle Expected (15-18 November 2007)

The WRC circus heads into the final three weekends of the 2007 FIA World Rally Championship season, with a head-to-head battle looming large. With two rallies remaining in this three week period, teams need to be on top form in order for their drivers and co-drivers to accrue the maximum possible points.

The BP-Ford World Rally Team enters this rally with a 34 point lead in the manufacturers’ title chase ahead of the Citroen Total World Rally Team. A maximum of 36 points are available this season, that the BP-Ford team needs only three points to clinch the manufacturers’ crown. And, in the race for the drivers’ title, it has never been this exciting for a few years yet. Marcus Gronholm and Timo Rautainen lead Sebastien Loeb and Daniel Elena by four points, while there are only 20 points up for grabs...

This cross-border event includes speed tests in both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. Essentially an asphalt rally the tight and twisty roads are bumpy and narrow – often little more than the width of a car - with many surface changes thrown in for good measure. The more northerly special stages, close to the border, are used by farmers on a daily basis and will be dirty. With rain likely at this time of the year, they could quickly turn muddy and become treacherously slippery, so a more gravel-based car set-up is likely to work better than a traditional smooth asphalt specification.

Grönholm won February’s Galway Rally in Ireland as preparation for the WRC event but the dry and sunny weather that blessed that weekend could be far removed from the conditions next week. “That rally provided an insight into the type of roads used for rallying in Ireland,” said the 39-year-old Finn. “However, until I make the recce I won’t know how similar these stages are. I’ve been told the roads will be fast but unforgiving and difficult to read, so ensuring the pace notes are 100 per cent accurate will be vital during the recce. I’m really excited about the end of season. Fighting for world titles in both the drivers’ and manufacturers’ series is a great position to be in and to win both would be the most fantastic way to end my career. Of course, it’s not that easy and things change quickly in this sport so nobody in the team is taking anything for granted. There are two rallies remaining and we have to be as strong and professional as we have been all season,” he added.

Hirvonen also completed a practice in Ireland when he tackled the Cork ‘20’ International Rally in September. “After what I saw there, I think this will be the most difficult rally of the season,” said the 27-year-old Finn. “Nobody knows what the weather will do. It could be cold overnight so a combination of ice and narrow, bumpy roads would be extremely difficult. Victory in Japan was great for my confidence. I had a perfect drive over the whole weekend and I’m feeling good going into Ireland. I want to help the team win the manufacturers’ title there and that would give me the opportunity to go to the final round in Wales with the opportunity to help Marcus in his fight for the drivers’ title,” he added.

Abu Dhabi’s Khalid al Qassimi and Nicky Beech return to the BP-Ford squad for their fourth and final outing of the season in a Focus RS. “As with every WRC event I have done this year, Ireland will be another completely new challenge,” said 35-year-old Al Qassimi. “As before, the objective will be to establish a pace and learn how to adapt to the particular challenges of this event.

From what I understand of the stages in Ireland, they will be narrow, bumpy and with lots of surface changes. So in that respect, they will be quite similar to the roads in Lebanon,” he added.

“There’s no other asphalt event like it in the WRC,” recognises Sébastien Loeb. “The stages in the Sligo region might turn out to be a little different to those we saw in Donegal and Cork, but we are expecting them to be very fast, narrow and bumpy, and lined with big banks. They are likely to be a very difficult cocktail, especially when you consider that it is imperative that we win. It will doubtlessly be close but we’ll give it everything we’ve got!”

Seb’s analysis is echoed by Dani: “Although the Cork Rally took place in the south of Ireland, it still showed us how specific the Irish lanes are,” he reports. “They were a big surprise to me, especially the grip which is low even in the dry. So I can only imagine what it will be like if it’s wet!” Indeed, the Spaniard’s remark highlights a factor that could well play a big role this weekend: the weather. The region in which the event takes place is by no means immune from fronts moving in from the Atlantic.

“The stages are atypical with many potential pitfalls. Adverse weather conditions would obviously make them more selective still. Rain would also make tyre choices even more complex which is another important factor. All the ingredients are in place to ensure that the inaugural Rally Ireland will be no stroll,” predicts Guy Fréquelin. “The result in Japan and the effect it had on the

situation in the Drivers’ championship make me glad that we decided to prepare our visit to Ireland so thoroughly. To keep their title chances alive, Sébastien and Daniel need to win. Meanwhile, Dani and Marc will again do what they can to finish between his team-mates and Marcus Grönholm. The Citroën C4 is unbeaten on asphalt this year and we hope that we will manage to keep up that record on this very different sort of terrain. Everyone at Citroën Sport is aware of the size of the challenge we face but we couldn’t be more motivated…”

Rally Route: The rally is based in the small town of Sligo, in the north-west of the Republic of Ireland, which also hosts the single service park.

Even for those drivers who competed in the candidate event here last year, there will be little advantage as more than two-thirds of the route is new and only one stage is unchanged. The rally begins on Thursday evening with a super special stage at Stormont, Northern Ireland’s Parliament buildings in Belfast. The opening day is the longest and is based entirely in the Republic, taking in fast moorland and mountain roads east of Sligo. The second leg’s stages cover narrow farm roads in the Fermanagh lakelands, across the border in Northern Ireland. The final day includes both countries, ending with a picture postcard test on the coast at Mullaghmore, which will be covered live on television, before the afternoon finish in Sligo. Drivers face 20 stages covering 342.34km in a total route of 1196.25km. Of the 14 stage locations, six are in Northern Ireland and eight in the Republic.

Questions to Guy Fréquelin…

What is your analysis of what turned out to be a difficult Rally Japan?

“The long road sections, the timing, the demanding stages and the cold, damp weather combined to ensure that this year’s Rally Japan was by no means simple, as we saw by the high number of offs. The result wasn’t as favourable for Sébastien and Daniel as it might have been either. The fact that they and Marcus Grönholm retired resulted in a status quo at the top of both the Drivers and Co-drivers’ points tables, which means that Seb and Daniel are still in contention for the title. Dani and Marc finished second and didn’t make any mistakes, which was far from being a foregone conclusion given their limited experience of the event.”

Where does that leave the situation with just two rounds remaining, beginning with Rally Ireland?

“Ireland promises to be a turning point. It isn’t possible to predict all the potential scenarios, of course, but the fact remains that Seb and Daniel trail Marcus by four points, with two events remaining to attempt to bridge that gap. If they manage to win in Ireland, the final outcome will be influenced of course by the result Grönholm achieves in Sligo. If he comes second, Seb will still have a deficit of two points to make up on the championship’s final round in Wales.”

What lessons did you learn when you took part in the Donegal and Cork Rallies?

“From what the crews tell me, Rally Ireland won’t be easy. All the staff from Citroën Sport who attended these two events reported that the roads and surface they found were like nothing they have come across anywhere else. The stages are difficult because they are extremely fast and narrow, and also very slippery with countless potential pitfalls. It should be a great event and Seb and Daniel will try to win, while Dani and Marc will do their utmost to finish ahead of Marcus Grönholm.”

Questions to Sébastien Loeb…

Have you managed to put your off in Japan and the points you lost behind you?

“I’ve never been one to dwell on the past. I prefer to look forward and I’m more interested in the two rounds to come. Daniel made a mistake like I can make mistakes at times. We’ve been competing together for almost ten years now and it was one of the first times he’s ever made an error calling out a pacenote. We immediately got back into the swing by re-starting and pushing hard the following morning. That was important. When Grönholm retired, we had a chance of scoring a good result in Japan but we let it slip from our grasp. We can’t afford to miss the next one. The overall result in Japan leaves us in the same situation we have been in for some events now: we’ve absolutely got to win. Before, we needed to win five rallies; now we need to win the next two!”

You have contested two rallies in Ireland this season. What did they teach you?

“They taught me that Rally Ireland won’t be easy! It’s important to point out that the Donegal and Cork Rallies don’t take place in the same region as Sligo and the roads there might be different to what we’ve already seen. Taken part in these two events was a new experience but Citroën has good experience of asphalt. That said, Rally Ireland promises to be like no other event I know. I would perhaps liken it to the French Championship’s Rallye du Touquet, only faster in places. The bumpy, narrow stages make it a very difficult cocktail and it will call for a special feeling.”

To stay in the title chase, you need to win…

“We have no alternative. I start every event with the intention of winning and that’s especially true this time. Our visits to Ireland earlier in the year, Citroën’s experience of asphalt and the Citroën C4 WRC’s proven competitiveness on sealed surfaces should all help us and I hope Dani and Marc succeed in finishing ahead of Marcus. We’re still very much in with a shout, but we have very little margin for manoeuvre…”

Questions to Dani Sordo...

You scored your best result on a gravel rally to date in Japan…

“I was very pleased to finish second on what was only my second visit to Japan, especially since it was such a tough event this year and many stages were new to me. The situation regarding grip was very complex and we needed to keep up a fast pace to maintain pressure on Mikko Hirvonen all the way to the finish. Happily, Marc and I came through the various pitfalls unscathed.

We lifted where necessary and pushed whenever that was possible. I haven’t lost sight, however, of the fact that our result was also due to the numerous mistakes made by those drivers who either had to profit from the SupeRally ruling or else retired.”

The next event takes you back to asphalt, but Rally Ireland doesn’t seem to a straightforward event…

“I have to say that I’m not expecting the Irish stages to be at all easy! We saw that at first hand when we contested the Cork Rally recently in a Xsara WRC. The roads shake you all over the place in a way that’s not marked in the notes! During recce, we will therefore make a special point of noting as much about the surface as we can. There is very little margin for error because the stages are so narrow, with very little run-off, if any at all. I enjoyed my first taste of them, but now we need to see what the stages in the Sligo region are like.”

What will your objective be in Sligo? Will you be looking to keep up your momentum after your result in Japan?

“That would be perfect, especially if it’s Seb and Daniel who win! We will all be on an equal footing, of course. Nobody knows the stages and nobody really knows what to expect. I have a very good feeling on asphalt with the C4 WRC which has shown what it can do on this type of surface, so we hope we can help Sébastien by finishing ahead of Marcus Grönholm. That said, we saw in Corsica that Marcus is very quick on asphalt, so my role will perhaps be to put as much pressure on him as I can.”