F1Zone

mimozka wrote:

Kinga wrote:^^^it's in the news everywhere.

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/86881

OMG ...

If Sebastien Ogier Citroen your teammate and the man who currently stands in the world of rally, you beat regularly, it would make you stop?
Yes, I think. I'd say it does not worth taking unnecessary risks to try to follow him. But it was not him who will end my career. It is I who take this decision, and it will probably be after the 2011 season.

sleenster wrote:Former Scottish rally champion Jimmy Girvan died this weekend in a rally which ironically, was held to honour Colin McRae.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-t ... l-11412436

R.I.P.

New WRC cars set for unveiling

By David Evans Wednesday, September 29th 2010, 12:44 GMT

Dani Sordo, Citroen, Japan 2010The three manufacturers involved in next year's World Rally Championship will all unveil their next generation World Rally Cars at the Paris Motor Show tomorrow.

Ford will be the first to take the wraps off the Fiesta RS WRC. Citroen will then show the DS3 WRC to the world for the first time, before Mini's Countryman WRC is unwrapped just weeks after it started testing ahead of a limited programme of world championship events next year.

All the cars will feature the 1.6-litre turbocharged engine and new specification mechanical transmission in accordance with the FIA's revised regulations for World Rally Cars.

The Citroen is believed to be the car closest to the form in which it will be homologated and run in next year, both the Ford and Mini are likely to be interim set-ups with aerodynamic revisions to the bodywork possible before the cars compete for the first time in Sweden next February.

Rally Australia relocates to Coffs Harbour

Rally Australia will have a new home in Coffs Harbour next September after the confederation of Australian Motor Sport (CAMS) decided to relocate the event from its 2009 base in Tweed Heads.

CAMS says the move 300km down the east coast will lead to a compact route featuring gravel forestry and shire roads regarded as some of the best rally stages in Australia.

Located 500kms north of Sydney, the roads of the Coffs Coast have featured in rallies since the 1960s. Most recently, the region has hosted a round of the Australian Rally Championship.

President of CAMS Andrew Papadopoulos said he was disappointed to be leaving the Northern Rivers area, which replaced Perth as the rally base for the first time last year, but said it was not feasible or practical to locate the event there in the future.

In welcoming the rally, the Mayor of Coffs Harbour City Council, Keith Rhoades said: “This is an absolutely fantastic opportunity for the Coffs Harbour region. From an economic perspective, we would see around $15 million directly injected into the local economy through this one event alone. Coffs Harbour has successfully staged legs of the Australian Championships in the past and I’m confident we will provide a great venue for the World Rally Championship in 2011.”

Rally Australia is the tenth round of the 2011 WRC calendar and will take place in the second week of September. Work to determine the exact date, route and the location of rally headquarters will start immediately.

"There are many options available because we have been used to hosting rallies now for many decades. But securing a major world class event of this magnitude and significance is something for us all to be extremely pleased about," said Rhoades.

Q & A: Lapworth on Mini's programme

By David Evans Thursday, September 30th 2010, 13:44 GMT

Mini officially unveiled its WRC car at the Paris Motor Show on Thursday, also confirming Kris Meek as its lead driver.

AUTOSPORT heard from Prodrive's technical director David Lapworth about Mini's plans for next year.

Q. Overall, how do the new cars like the Mini stack up against the current cars?

Mini WRCDavid Lapworth: They are 30 kilos lighter and about five per cent down on power. They have slightly less sophisticated transmission and a slightly higher centre of gravity. It's certainly not going to be a night and day difference from the current cars.

Q. You're going to be competing against Ford and Citroen next season, but they are still engaged in a current, ongoing World Rally Championship. Does that mean you have an advantage, being able to direct all time and resources towards next season?

DL: It's going to be easier for us to focus on the development of the car in the short-term, but that's balanced by the fact that Citroen and Ford have their team and resources in place. I would say the playing field is pretty level for the manufacturers.

Q. How do you think the engine will compare with the current World Rally Cars?

DL: The only comparison I can make is a generic one with the current cars, but there's going to be less torque from this engine because we have 1.5-bar of [turbo] boost on a 1.6-litre engine; there's not going to be the same low-speed torque that we have from the current cars. Overall, the difference in the performance is not going to be stunningly different for the people watching from the outside. Inside the car, I think the drivers will have to work harder with the gears, but the cars are not going to be that much slower.

Q. How is the engine development coming along?

DL: Very well. Obviously, the engine development is part of the critical path of the whole project and, don't forget, it was only a few months ago that we got the final technical regulations nailed down. Certainly, the engine development is right on track and looking good for the homologation date.

Q. When is the car going to be homologated?

DL: We haven't decided that yet, there are still options.

Q. What's the next stage of engine development?

DL: There's nothing really special to talk about here. We have a plan for the engine, we're following that plan, everything is working as we want it to, everything is on schedule. The engine has worked very well straight away, there are no issues here at all.

Q. Who is supplying the transmission?

DL: XTrac. We went for them because, obviously they are one of the suppliers on the FIA's list and we have a working relationship with them. They are a firm with a well-proven track record who are able to adapt to our requirements.

Q. Was it a difficult decision?

DL: It was, really, yes. There are a number of suppliers who could do the job, but in the end it's our history [with XTrac] and their proven product and track record which tipped the balance.

Q. What about the suspension?

DL: That's Ohlins. Again, we've had a good working relationship for a number of years and we are pleased to be working with them again. We definitely don't see Ohlins as a bolt- on part, we see them as a long-term partner in the project. Again, we did speak to other suppliers, but we have worked with Ohlins on other projects and they were the preferred option.

Q. Is Ohlins still the preferred option for the Group N Subaru?

DL: Yes and it has been for a while now.