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Re: Rally News

Posted: 16 Jul 2010, 21:02
by momo
Acropolis wrote:Oh Momo, another great avatar!!!!
Thanks Acropolis! :O :)

Re: Rally News

Posted: 16 Jul 2010, 21:11
by Wolfie
Acropolis wrote:Oh Momo, another great avatar!!!!
+1 :hug:

Re: Rally News

Posted: 18 Jul 2010, 19:20
by momo
Mini poised to announce WRC entry

By David Evans Sunday, July 18th 2010, 19:06 GMT

Mini at ProdriveAfter months of speculation, Mini and Prodrive will announce a World Rally Championship programme this week, according to AUTOSPORT's sources.

Mini's first-ever World Rally Car, which will be based on the Countryman road car, has been in preparation for months at Prodrive's Banbury base and the BMW 1.6-litre turbocharged engine recently arrived to turn a rolling shell into a full World Rally Car. Testing of the new machine is expected to begin soon and, as technical director David Lapworth said, once it starts testing it will not stop.

"When we start testing on our rally car development programme, it will be intensive," said Lapworth. "We still have a good timescale to work towards for testing and we're happy with where we're at."

Some sources have indicated Mini will formally launch the car in Rome just ahead of the Rally d'Italia-Sardegna in May next season - the car is not expected to compete in any of the first four rounds of next year's World Rally Championship.

Prodrive has remained tight-lipped about any announcement this week, denying that it has anything planned. The British preparation firm has yet to even admit to any kind of agreement with BMW or Mini - even though AUTOSPORT broke the story of Mini's return to rallying's highest level in August last year.

Norwegian driver Mads Ostberg is being tipped to do some of the early development driving - and to take one of the factory seats in next year's WRC programme. Ostberg is a long-standing customer of Prodrive and is expected to run a Mini-based team in next year's WRC as well as driving an official car.

Ostberg has resisted the opportunity to drive any other cars in the WRC or Intercontinental Rally Challenge this season – including a Peugeot 207 S2000 after a test attended by Sebastien Loeb – out of loyalty to Prodrive.
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/85369

Re: Rally News

Posted: 19 Jul 2010, 06:24
by Julia
momo wrote:
Mini poised to announce WRC entry

By David Evans Sunday, July 18th 2010, 19:06 GMT

Mini at ProdriveAfter months of speculation, Mini and Prodrive will announce a World Rally Championship programme this week, according to AUTOSPORT's sources.

......

Norwegian driver Mads Ostberg is being tipped to do some of the early development driving - and to take one of the factory seats in next year's WRC programme. Ostberg is a long-standing customer of Prodrive and is expected to run a Mini-based team in next year's WRC as well as driving an official car.

.....

wow. very good news for the WRC.... but they are definitely slow to anons their entry's. I mean wasn't they suppos to anons it already last month according to some Finnish FIA guys? And hasn't it been rumored in like a year already after they took their application away from F1.

... ^^^ and thats is probably the reason why that ostberg guy seems to be popping up on the entry lists on the coming rallies... who do you think is going to be their second driver?

Re: Rally News

Posted: 19 Jul 2010, 10:47
by Denorth
it is not exactly the rally news, but more acompetition for those who want to visit Rally Spain. I think (but not sure) it is limited for UK residents:

http://www.pistonheads.com/news/default ... ryId=22223

good luck!!!

Re: Rally News

Posted: 19 Jul 2010, 14:29
by momo
Ogier has made a contract with Citroen factory team.

Source: MTV3 http://www.mtv3.fi/urheilu/ralli/uutise ... 07/1157521

Re: Rally News

Posted: 19 Jul 2010, 14:35
by Maria d
thanks momo

Re: Rally News

Posted: 19 Jul 2010, 16:43
by Julia
momo wrote:Ogier has made a contract with Citroen factory team.

Source: MTV3 http://www.mtv3.fi/urheilu/ralli/uutise ... 07/1157521

little bit more about the contract:

http://www.iltalehti.fi/ralli/2010071912063535_ri.shtml

1+2 years
...and according from the quotes from his managers it does sound more that that they used ford offer as a negotiation tactic, nothing more.

So do we assume he got what he wanted ieg the right to fight against Loeb ? :n i do hope so, because it makes the season so much more interesting...

Re: Rally News

Posted: 19 Jul 2010, 16:51
by luieluv
Julia wrote:
momo wrote:Ogier has made a contract with Citroen factory team.

Source: MTV3 http://www.mtv3.fi/urheilu/ralli/uutise ... 07/1157521

little bit more about the contract:

http://www.iltalehti.fi/ralli/2010071912063535_ri.shtml

1+2 years
...and according from the quotes from his managers it does sound more that that they used ford offer as a negotiation tactic, nothing more.

So do we assume he got what he wanted ieg the right to fight against Loeb ? :n i do hope so, because it makes the season so much more interesting...
Kool. so it would be a fire cracker of a season in 2011. Loeb vs Ogier vs Hirvo
All set for a superb journey with Kimi adding the much needed flamboyance and spice

Re: Rally News

Posted: 19 Jul 2010, 17:57
by Claudie_Schnaudie
Is this good or bad news for our blondie? Only god knows :zz:

Re: Rally News

Posted: 19 Jul 2010, 18:13
by luieluv
Citroen to retain Loeb and Ogier

By David Evans Monday, July 19th 2010, 17:59 GMT

Citroen Racing has confirmed both Sebastien Loeb and Sebastien Ogier will drive for the French manufacturer in next year's World Rally Championship - ending Ford's hopes of clinching a 2011 deal with Ogier.

Ogier will replace Dani Sordo as Loeb's team-mate full-time next season, although the Rally of Potugal winner will step up to the Citroen Total World Rally for next week's Rally Finland and for the remainder of the gravel rounds this season. Sordo will remain a Citroen driver next season, but his deal has yet to be concluded. Ogier's agreement binds him to Citroen for the next three years.

Loeb had a way out of his Citroen contract at the end of this season, but he has signed up for an 11th year with the team which has guided him to a record-breaking six world titles.

Citroen Racing team principal Olivier Quesnel said: "Obviously, it's a double dose of satisfaction for Citroen Racing. Not content to have the greatest set of results in the history of rallying, Sebastien Loeb is still as hungry as ever for more victories and titles. His experience, his race intelligence, and his capacity to get 100 per cent out his cars, will be all the more crucial as we'll have a new car next season.

"Citroen Racing has been preparing for the future with Sebastien Ogier for some time now. This is why we wanted to sign a contract with him for the next three seasons. Dani Sordo is still part of our plans for next year, but we have to finalise our budgets before announcing the full programme."

Loeb added that he still felt as committed as ever despite the incredible success he had already achieved.

"My contract with Citroen allowed me to stop at the end of this year. But my motivation and my will to win are still as strong as ever," he said.

"The 2011 season will be my eleventh in the works Citroen colours. I think that the world championship will be a very interesting one, as the arrival of a new generation of cars will reshuffle the cards among the manufacturers.

"Of course, it's no secret that we're already working flat out on the new Citroen DS3, and I can't wait to see where it stands in relation to its rivals. In the meantime, winning my seventh consecutive world title is my main objective."

Ogier had received offers from both Ford and Citroen, but did not take long to decide to remain with his current employer.

"I'd like to thank Citroen for renewing its confidence in me, and what's more, for three seasons," he said. "I made my world championship debut with this team, and I've always said that my priority was to stay with them.

"I'm thrilled at the idea of driving the new generation World Rally Cars, and of defending the colours of the make at the topmost level. Like Sebastien, I'm fully concentrated on the end of this season starting with the Finnish Rally, where I'll be part of the Citroen Total World Rally Team for the first time."

link:
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/85387

Re: Rally News

Posted: 19 Jul 2010, 18:20
by saif
luieluv wrote:
Julia wrote:
momo wrote:Ogier has made a contract with Citroen factory team.

Source: MTV3 http://www.mtv3.fi/urheilu/ralli/uutise ... 07/1157521

little bit more about the contract:

http://www.iltalehti.fi/ralli/2010071912063535_ri.shtml

1+2 years
...and according from the quotes from his managers it does sound more that that they used ford offer as a negotiation tactic, nothing more.

So do we assume he got what he wanted ieg the right to fight against Loeb ? :n i do hope so, because it makes the season so much more interesting...
Kool. so it would be a fire cracker of a season in 2011. Loeb vs Ogier vs Hirvo
All set for a superb journey with Kimi adding the much needed flamboyance and spice
good good! so Seb will finally get the title challenge from within his team that too from another Seb :n ... hope they dont behave like the red bull boys of f1 :p

Re: Rally News

Posted: 19 Jul 2010, 20:00
by sleenster
''hmm'' Is Sordo really going to be driving for them next year? The main team already has the two drivers they need.

Re: Rally News

Posted: 19 Jul 2010, 21:18
by sammyosammy
sleenster wrote:''hmm'' Is Sordo really going to be driving for them next year? The main team already has the two drivers they need.
Excactly the point !!! Don´t worry about Kimster, he´s a big guy. But Dani-boy, what´s it gonna be...? :zz:

Re: Rally News

Posted: 19 Jul 2010, 21:26
by redstorm
Does anyone else see that the two Sebs will fight tooth and nail for the title. However, meantime Iceman quietly marches forward in his progression towards world domination.... Loeb retires to sportscars after loosing to his younger teammate leaving room for Raikkonen in 2012 to slide into the factory seat. Kimi goes on to win the title thereby bringing on the foretold End of the Mayan calendar and the end of the world........lol!