Rally News

[luieluv]

Ogier admits more pace is needed on asphalt

Sebastien Ogier says he found it difficult to be truly satisfied with his performance on Rallye Deutschland last week, despite his capture of third place in his Citroen Junior Team C4 WRC.

Although the result marked the 26-year-old's first podium finish on a sealed-surface WRC event, Ogier acknowledged he was some way off the pace of rally winner Sebastien Loeb and runner-up Dani Sordo.

"Of course I am happy for third but I realise there is still a gap between me and my [Citroen] team-mates," said Ogier, who was 2m13.3s adrift of Loeb at the finish in Trier on Sunday afternoon. "It means I have still to work and improve."

Frenchman Ogier had only contested Rallye Deutschland on one previous occasion prior to last week's event when he won the Junior World Rally Championship category in 2008 in 19th overall. His run to third overall last Sunday marked his first appearance on the demanding event at the wheel of a World Rally Car, a result that impressed Citroen Junior Team chief Benoit Nogier.

“We’ve got to the finish of a long and complicated rally with a very solid performance,” said Nogier. “Competing on their first Rallye Deutschland in a WRC machine, Sebastien and Julien [Ingrassia] are on the podium. At the start of the season we were just aiming for some podiums on gravel. Our goals have already largely been achieved with a podium on asphalt to add to our tally as well now. Sebastien and Julien did a great job, coping well with the pressure when they had to get past [Jari-Matti] Latvala. Their performance came pretty close to perfection I would say.”

Ogier and co-driver Julien Ingrassia will resume their WRC bid on Rally Japan. The gravel event is based in Sapporo and runs from September 9-12.

official website WRC

[apple]

Mini will start its test at the end of September at Spain. There is rumours the drivers will be Marko Märtin and Marcus Grönholm. Mini will begin its WRC campaing from Srdinia rally as its target is to participate to all the rallies in Europe.
TS quotes Auto Sprint magazine.

[luieluv]

J-WRC rising star Kruuda receives rally award

The achievements of the Junior World Rally Championship's youngest competitor, 17-year-old Estonian Karl Kruuda, have earned him the latest Abu Dhabi Spirit of the Rally Award, presented after ADAC Rallye Deutschland.

In only his first WRC season, Kruuda has enjoyed success in two recent events. At Rally de Portugal he became the youngest ever J-WRC driver to finish on the podium, while his third place Germany underlined his position as one of the sport’s brightest young talents.

http://wrc.com/news/j-wrc-rising~-star- ... ?fid=13552

[Wolfie]

J-WRC rising star Kruuda receives rally award

The achievements of the Junior World Rally Championship's youngest competitor, 17-year-old Estonian Karl Kruuda, have earned him the latest Abu Dhabi Spirit of the Rally Award, presented after ADAC Rallye Deutschland.

In only his first WRC season, Kruuda has enjoyed success in two recent events. At Rally de Portugal he became the youngest ever J-WRC driver to finish on the podium, while his third place Germany underlined his position as one of the sport’s brightest young talents.

http://wrc.com/news/j-wrc-rising~-star- ... ?fid=13552

That was a great achievement

Luie:

Off-Topic: show

PM

@ Apple, oi... Mini with Bosse - it would rock my world

[Wolfie]

Loeb is smoking

He just got a fan

[luieluv]

Toyota and Volkswagen move closer to entering WRC

With representatives from both Toyota and Volkswagen in attendance at last weekend’s WRC Rally Germany, prospects were raised that both marques maybe poised to enter the WRC in the not too distant future, according to Motorsport News.

Toyota executives, including chief Yoshiaki Kinoshita, held a series of meetings with FIA officials and team bosses in Trier. The manufacturer is said to be looking at which of its models would be a suitable base for a World Rally Car.

Although there were no official statements, a well informed source has indicated that Toyota plan to contest five or six rallies in 2012, prior to a full WRC programme in 2013.

Volkswagen, who ran a biofuel Scirocco course car during Rally Germany, are widely thought to be running a full WRC campaign from 2013. The deal is apparently waiting final approval from VW Motorsport’s top brass.

Credit: Motorsport News and www.rallybuzz.com

[Julia]

Toyota and Volkswagen move closer to entering WRC

...

Credit: Motorsport News and http://www.rallybuzz.com

the future of WRC is starting to feel nice and bright!

[saif]

How Solberg could beat 'the boss' Loeb

Sebastien Loeb was at his imperious best in Germany, but David Evans wonders just how unbeatable he might be if Petter Solberg could ever get himself back in a factory team



Olivier Quesnel adjusted his baseball cap and looked skyward, blinking at the unusually bright and prolonged sun which was shining across the Mosel region – sweetening this year's vintage of Riesling just a little bit more. Life was sweet for Quesnel, too.

Welcome to Germany. Welcome to Loeb country.

Cap straight, Quesnel looked skyward once more.

"He's on a different planet," he ventured.

"The boss," he said, by way of an explanation. "He's on a different planet. And he's there by himself."

'The boss' by the way, is Sebastien Loeb. That's what the real boss calls him.

The drivers had just come through the first run at Arena Panzerplatte. For the uninitiated, Arena Panzerplatte is 96 junctions in 29 miles and the road surface varies from terrible to even worse. It's one to be survived.

And that's what Loeb did. He just survived it faster than anybody else first time through. And that was what won him the rally. For the eighth time.

It was at that stage that Quesnel decided to step in. "I said: 'Okay, it's enough.'"

He'd let Dani Sordo have a go at Loeb for the last day and a half, but the gap was growing in the Frenchman's favour. Sordo didn't look best pleased and offered that the choice wasn't his, but: "I'm not the boss."

No. He's not. Quesnel is and Quesnel called it right for the team. If Sordo's got a beef with anybody it's himself as, once again, he went slower through the corners, braked earlier for the bends and generally didn't have the speed to beat the bloke in the car with the same paint job as his. Fact. Move on.

And you only had to go out to the stages to watch where Loeb's speed came from. Where I was watching in Hermeskeil, just before eight on Saturday morning, Sebastien Ogier was the first to catch the eye. He was pretty wild, all locked brakes, opposite lock and urgency. Sordo was next, the C4 still snatched a brake in my view, but there was less attitude in the car. Then Loeb. The car didn't budge. It was brake, brake, brake, just at the point of locking, down the final gear, off the brakes turn in and back on the gas with the wheels straight.

Uncomplictaed, uncompromising and unbeaten. Loeb's approach to the Rally Germany is just the same as any other event: get down the road with as little drama as possible and by taking as few risks as possible. He's living proof that the fastest way from apex to exit has absolutely nothing to do with the most spectacular way of getting through a corner.

That snapshot of Saturday morning Sebastien also provided proof of his contribution to an astonishing rate of reliability. Loeb cars just don't break down. It's easy to sit back and carp on about how lucky he is, but, frankly speaking, that's just rubbish. Loeb's not lucky at all, he just looks after his car.

When was the last chance you saw Loeb chucking his car at a ditch to chop a corner in half, or bouncing it off something on the exit. Actually it was New Zealand earlier this year... Okay, apart from that, Loeb clearly wasn't himself on that event: he came over bridge-bashingly Scandinavian for the weekend. Beyond that, Loeb's cars rarely leave the chosen path; he's Mr Middle of the Road. And that's why his cars don't break down – because they haven't been bashed, rubbed or smacked against anything.

The suspension does exactly what's required of it and no more and the transmission moves through and event in an unruffled, trouble-free fashion.

The above is why Sebastien Loeb is the master of our world.

Or is he?

Could Petter Solberg beat Loeb in the same kit? Hmm, that's a tricky one. Let's ask somebody impartial.

"Yes!" replies Petter Solberg.

Solberg's self-belief is as infectious as it is needed to be to do what he does. And let's face it, he's pretty damned good at what he does. And the driving remains just the half of it. He returned from Germany in time to go straight off to another roadshow for his sponsor Tools, then he was doing a road safety gig in Bergen and then it was off to another Tools show before he boards a plane for Japan for the next event.

Between times, he's still got to source some more cash to keep his team running and conduct a bunch of interviews for the Norwegian media – and he's got to find time to watch his eight-year-old son Oliver in Solberg Jr's latest kart success.

I suspect not many other drivers had a schedule like that one in between Trier and Sapporo.

When Solberg set his team up last year people scoffed at the 'This is my life' slogan on the front and rear of the Xsara. Well scoff no more. It's still his life and we have to be hugely thankful for that. Imagine these last two years without Solberg. Granted he's won no rallies, but, franky, there would have been no show without the 2003 champion. And just wait until he does win a rally. I fear the world may stop in some sort of end of stage emotion overload. I can't wait.

It still bugs me a little bit that Citroen doesn't seem to fully appreciate what Solberg does for the brand. He's turned Citroen from a deeply dull southern European brand of little – if any – interest to the Scandinavian snow-dwellers into something seriously cool. Norwegians are buying Citroens, and lots of them. And it's thanks to Solberg.

I know, I know, we can't expect Quesnel to buy a driver just because he helps shift a few motors. It would help if he could drive. Well, get this, only Loeb has set more fastest times than Solberg this year. So, yes, this fella can still drive. If only Quesnel could see past Sebastien Ogier for a moment and Ford could see the opportunity staring them straight in the face. Solberg has earned the right to be in a factory car.

And if he's in one next year, he might also find his way into the parking space beneath the Porta Negra in the middle of Trier: the one marked 'S.Loeb – first.'

http://www.autosport.com/features/article.php/id/2997

[Julia]

How Solberg could beat 'the boss' Loeb

Sebastien Loeb was at his imperious best in Germany, but David Evans wonders just how unbeatable he might be if Petter Solberg could ever get himself back in a factory team



Olivier Quesnel adjusted his baseball cap and looked skyward, blinking at the unusually bright and prolonged sun which was shining across the Mosel region – sweetening this year's vintage of Riesling just a little bit more. Life was sweet for Quesnel, too.

Welcome to Germany. Welcome to Loeb country.

Cap straight, Quesnel looked skyward once more.

"He's on a different planet," he ventured.

"The boss," he said, by way of an explanation. "He's on a different planet. And he's there by himself."

'The boss' by the way, is Sebastien Loeb. That's what the real boss calls him.

The drivers had just come through the first run at Arena Panzerplatte. For the uninitiated, Arena Panzerplatte is 96 junctions in 29 miles and the road surface varies from terrible to even worse. It's one to be survived.

And that's what Loeb did. He just survived it faster than anybody else first time through. And that was what won him the rally. For the eighth time.

It was at that stage that Quesnel decided to step in. "I said: 'Okay, it's enough.'"

He'd let Dani Sordo have a go at Loeb for the last day and a half, but the gap was growing in the Frenchman's favour. Sordo didn't look best pleased and offered that the choice wasn't his, but: "I'm not the boss."

No. He's not. Quesnel is and Quesnel called it right for the team. If Sordo's got a beef with anybody it's himself as, once again, he went slower through the corners, braked earlier for the bends and generally didn't have the speed to beat the bloke in the car with the same paint job as his. Fact. Move on.

And you only had to go out to the stages to watch where Loeb's speed came from. Where I was watching in Hermeskeil, just before eight on Saturday morning, Sebastien Ogier was the first to catch the eye. He was pretty wild, all locked brakes, opposite lock and urgency. Sordo was next, the C4 still snatched a brake in my view, but there was less attitude in the car. Then Loeb. The car didn't budge. It was brake, brake, brake, just at the point of locking, down the final gear, off the brakes turn in and back on the gas with the wheels straight.

Uncomplictaed, uncompromising and unbeaten. Loeb's approach to the Rally Germany is just the same as any other event: get down the road with as little drama as possible and by taking as few risks as possible. He's living proof that the fastest way from apex to exit has absolutely nothing to do with the most spectacular way of getting through a corner.

That snapshot of Saturday morning Sebastien also provided proof of his contribution to an astonishing rate of reliability. Loeb cars just don't break down. It's easy to sit back and carp on about how lucky he is, but, frankly speaking, that's just rubbish. Loeb's not lucky at all, he just looks after his car.

When was the last chance you saw Loeb chucking his car at a ditch to chop a corner in half, or bouncing it off something on the exit. Actually it was New Zealand earlier this year... Okay, apart from that, Loeb clearly wasn't himself on that event: he came over bridge-bashingly Scandinavian for the weekend. Beyond that, Loeb's cars rarely leave the chosen path; he's Mr Middle of the Road. And that's why his cars don't break down – because they haven't been bashed, rubbed or smacked against anything.

The suspension does exactly what's required of it and no more and the transmission moves through and event in an unruffled, trouble-free fashion.

The above is why Sebastien Loeb is the master of our world.

Or is he?

Could Petter Solberg beat Loeb in the same kit? Hmm, that's a tricky one. Let's ask somebody impartial.

"Yes!" replies Petter Solberg.

Solberg's self-belief is as infectious as it is needed to be to do what he does. And let's face it, he's pretty damned good at what he does. And the driving remains just the half of it. He returned from Germany in time to go straight off to another roadshow for his sponsor Tools, then he was doing a road safety gig in Bergen and then it was off to another Tools show before he boards a plane for Japan for the next event.

Between times, he's still got to source some more cash to keep his team running and conduct a bunch of interviews for the Norwegian media – and he's got to find time to watch his eight-year-old son Oliver in Solberg Jr's latest kart success.

I suspect not many other drivers had a schedule like that one in between Trier and Sapporo.

When Solberg set his team up last year people scoffed at the 'This is my life' slogan on the front and rear of the Xsara. Well scoff no more. It's still his life and we have to be hugely thankful for that. Imagine these last two years without Solberg. Granted he's won no rallies, but, franky, there would have been no show without the 2003 champion. And just wait until he does win a rally. I fear the world may stop in some sort of end of stage emotion overload. I can't wait.

It still bugs me a little bit that Citroen doesn't seem to fully appreciate what Solberg does for the brand. He's turned Citroen from a deeply dull southern European brand of little – if any – interest to the Scandinavian snow-dwellers into something seriously cool. Norwegians are buying Citroens, and lots of them. And it's thanks to Solberg.

I know, I know, we can't expect Quesnel to buy a driver just because he helps shift a few motors. It would help if he could drive. Well, get this, only Loeb has set more fastest times than Solberg this year. So, yes, this fella can still drive. If only Quesnel could see past Sebastien Ogier for a moment and Ford could see the opportunity staring them straight in the face. Solberg has earned the right to be in a factory car.

And if he's in one next year, he might also find his way into the parking space beneath the Porta Negra in the middle of Trier: the one marked 'S.Loeb – first.'

http://www.autosport.com/features/article.php/id/2997

than you saif, I was just going to ask if somebody maybe had the article!

[luieluv]

Wilson confident for 2011

Matthew Wilson believes that the extended test mileage he is accumulating with the new Ford Fiesta WRC will put him in a strong position next year.

Wilson is due to take the wheel of the Fiesta again at a test between the upcoming World Championship rounds in France and Spain, which is when Ford factory drivers Mikko Hirvonen and Jari-Matti Latvala will also sample their 2011 car for the first time.

So far, Wilson has accumulated more than 2000 kilometres in the new Fiesta, making him almost certainly the driver with the most experience of the new generation of World Rally Car.

Having tested the Fiesta on both gravel and asphalt, the Englishman is convinced that his knowledge will put him in a strong position next year. “It’s definitely going to help in 2011,” he said. “I don’t know what everyone else has been doing, but I’m probably one of the people who has driven the new car most and that’s been really useful. It can only help me for next year.”

So far, Wilson is yet to conclude a deal for 2011, as Stobart has not confirmed its plans. But the 23-year-old, who has driven on the World Rally Championship full-time since 2006, feels confident for the future - particularly after beating ex-Formula One World Champion Kimi Raikkonen to sixth at his last outing on the Rallye Deutschland last week.

“That was a really good experience and I’m definitely looking forward to Japan next,” he said. “At the moment there’s nothing in place for next year yet, but that’s obviously something we’re working on very hard and the testing mileage we’re doing with the Fiesta means that we should be pretty familiar with the car at the start of the season.”

Rally Japan was the scene of Wilson’s best result on the World Rally Championship, when he finished fourth in 2007.

wrc dot com

[Kriss]

More big names to follow MINI?

If there's one thing that history has taught us over the years, it's that everything - from flared trousers to world wars - comes in cycles.
It wasn’t that long ago when the World Rally Championship boasted seven manufacturers, and that time will come again.

But like eating an elephant, everything has to be tackled piece by piece. The first piece, which everyone is still busy digesting, was the arrival of MINI. It’s been a long time coming but it’s worth the wait as this is one of the iconic names in the World Rally Championship: every bit as evocative as Ferrari in single-seater racing.

For everybody - particularly MINI’s competitors - it’s very welcome news and of course success breeds success: now all sorts of other manufacturers are sniffing round the World Rally Championship like tigers at feeding time.

Germany brought a particular flurry of interest. Speculation was sparked by Volkswagen choosing to launch the third evolution of their Race Touareg there (to the surreal background of chariot racing) and also fielding a gas-powered Scirocco as course car, entrusted to the capable hands of Carlos Sainz on Friday and then Nasser Al Attiyah for the rest of the weekend.

Volkswagen motorsport chief Kris Nissen made no secret of his interest in the World Rally Championship, even saying that the model involved could be a Polo, Golf or Scirocco, depending on what suited their marketing department best.

Volkswagen would not come in though until 2013 at the earliest, as they would be forced to build up a rally department from scratch, using very different technology to the current Race Touareg.

Toyota, whose representatives also visited Rallye Deutschland are talking about a much shorter timescale: they have not ruled out the possibility of being there next year, either with the Yaris (which would need a dispensation as it is slightly too short) or the Auris (which however suffers the handicap of being a bit too heavy). Neither situation is a deal-breaker though as clever waivers could be sought and undoubtedly obtained (remember the Peugeot 206 with extra-long bumpers)?

Time is short, but Toyota’s championship-winning know-how - not to mention healthy budgets - mean that almost anything is possible for the Japanese manufacturer, which won the makes’ title in 1993, 1994 and 1999.

Another manufacturer with a strong history in the sport is Saab: not surprisingly for a quintessentially Scandinavian car company. Now it is owned by the Dutch Spyker outfit, which has fielded Le Mans cars in the past.

Just like MINI, Saab is trying to reconnect with its heritage, and the new-look World Rally Championship is the perfect way to do that. Details are still sketchy, but it is believed that Saab’s interest is absolutely serious, particularly with the company’s plans to build a MINI-rivalling 9-2 hatchback.

So there we have it. One weekend in Germany and up to three new manufacturers already knocking on the door. Of course it may take some time to get back to the days when Citroen, Ford, Hyundai, Mitsubishi, Peugeot, Skoda and Subaru were all competing together (2002) but there’s a strong argument to say we don’t need that many.

After all; Formula One only has two genuine factory teams (Mercedes and Ferrari, plus arguably Renault). And the last time we looked, Formula One wasn’t faring badly.

http://www.wrc.com/news/features/more-b ... ?fid=13559

[saif]

Tweet from @Becswecsy

2 car entry for Petter's team in France apparently!

[saif]

Solberg still aiming high



Petter Solberg is convinced he has the pace to win a round of the World Rally Championship before the end of this season.

The Norwegian took a great deal of confidence from the recent Rallye Deutschland, where he finished fifth, but was regularly the fastest of the Citroen C4 WRCs. Solberg admitted he came close to withdrawing from the Trier-based event after a troubled opening day.

“I’m glad I didn’t,” said Solberg in the wake of the ninth round of the World Rally Championship. “It was frustrating when we had the problems, but the key was to get back into the event and fight.”

Solberg’s decision to do just that paid dividends, keeping him in touch with the fight for a podium result in the end of year standings. Mathematically, Solberg can still win this year’s World Rally Championship, but second or third is what he’s realistically aiming for.

“The points we got in Germany kept us in the fight,” he said. “And now we have to move on. I set the most number of fastest times behind [Sebastien] Loeb in Germany, which shows what we’re capable of. I think we have the speed to win on any of the rounds coming, if we could just get some better luck. We had the problem with the [tyre] valve on the first loop of stages in Germany, that was really unlucky, but then we went off on the final stage of the day and that was my fault.”

Solberg wouldn’t single out any of the four remaining rallies as one he’s targeting in particular, saying: “I like them all. Obviously, France is new, but apart from that I can go well in Spain, Japan or Britain.”

Britain is the event where he has his best record, taking four straight wins on the Cardiff-based event from 2002 until 2005.

http://www.wrc.com/news/solberg-still-a ... ?fid=13560

[saif]

Petter does not want the Mini-seat

A factory seat in the BMW-owned Mini next season is out of the question for Petter Solberg (35).

Norwegian's old team, Prodrive, makes a comeback in the Rally Championship next season with the Mini. However, full commitment and participation in all World Cup rounds are not applicable until 2012.

- For me it is the full package or nothing next year. It is interesting to go into a project like this, "said Petter Solberg said.

Several other automakers have started their own projects to join the rally tomorrow's World Cup, where the so-called S2000 class takes over.

Next year's cars being performance-tuned, 1.6-liter turbo engines (modern WRC, 2-liter turbocharged). The cars are faster than standard cars in the Group N class. The aim is to reduce costs in the Rally World Championship.

After the NTB experience, has at least one of next year's factory team has been in contact with his little brother Solberg.

The alternative is to gather new tens of million in sponsorship to the table and run on your own private team, so Petter Solberg has done over the last two seasons.

It is approaching five years ago, Petter Solberg won the World Cup round in the last rally. This year, there were two different and two third places as the best.

http://www.dagbladet.no/2010/08/26/spor ... /13126641/

Translated from Norwegian using Google Translator

[saif]

TotalRally saying on Facebook that PG has signed for Mini, and his SWRC team is looking for a new driver for France.