Rally News

[sleenster]

What kind of "help"? Like the "bump" Solberg gave him in Sweden?

[sleenster]

Whoa that is one seriously dirty car (Mini testing in France):




http://www.rallybuzz.com/mini-wrc-essais-pictures-fr/

[momo]

Whoa that is one seriously dirty car (Mini testing in France):




http://www.rallybuzz.com/mini-wrc-essais-pictures-fr/

Awesome! Thanks, sleenster

[Mar]

Where did they put that car in?
I would force the drivers to wash it so they learn not to cover the car with mud.

[sleenster]

Where did they put that car in?
I would force the drivers to wash it so they learn not to cover the car with mud.

Yeah you're right, it looks like they dipped the car in a mud bath first

[Sébastien Loeb]

Whoa that is one seriously dirty car (Mini testing in France):




http://www.rallybuzz.com/mini-wrc-essais-pictures-fr/

very nice thanks sleenster

[Claudie_Schnaudie]

And I thought that my car is dirty

[sleenster]

More teams register for manufacturer points

The total number of teams eligible for the World Rally Championship for Manufacturers has increased to 11, the sport's world governing body, the FIA, has confirmed.

Eight teams - two fully-fledged manufacturers and six WRC Teams - had registered to chase makes’ championship points ahead of Rally Sweden earlier this month. However, that figure now stands at 11 after the Brazil World Rally Team, the Petter Solberg World Rally Team and Van Merksteijn Motorsport from the Netherlands all signed up.

Although the Brazil World Rally Team will break cover on Vodafone Rally de Portugal in late March using a Super 2000-specification MINI, it won’t be eligible to score manufacturers’ points until Rally d’Italia Sardegna in May when, as expected, lead driver Daniel Oliveira makes his debut in the all-new MINI WRC. That’s because teams must use World Rally Cars to qualify for the manufacturers’ championship.

Petter Solberg’s eponymous squad was in action in Sweden when Solberg scored a fifth-place finish on the back of three outright stage wins in a Citroen DS3 WRC. However, delays firming up Solberg’s deal for 2011 meant he was not registered for the manufacturers’ championship in Scandinavia, although that won’t be the case from Rally Guanajuato Mexico onwards when Solberg will battle it out for makes’ points as well as drivers’ points.

Ken Rees, who runs the Petter Solberg World Rally Team, explained why the squad had registered. “We’re still a self-funded privateer team but very professional at the same time,” said Rees. “The prestige attached to being a manufacturer team is very important for our sponsors. We’ve been playing with the big boys for the last two years now and it’s high time we took that next step and went up against them properly.”

Van Merksteijn Motorsport is the final new addition to the ranks of WRC Teams for 2011, which now stands at nine. The Dutch operation will field a Citroen DS3 WRC for Peter van Merksteijn Jr on 10 rounds starting in Portugal. The car will be run in conjunction with the factory Citroen Racing team, which is based in Versailles on the outskirts of Paris.

With the deadline for registering as a WRC Team not until 26 April, it’s possible that other outfits could yet enter.

http://wrc.com/news/more-teams-register ... ?fid=14186

[luieluv]

More teams register for manufacturer points

The total number of teams eligible for the World Rally Championship for Manufacturers has increased to 11, the sport's world governing body, the FIA, has confirmed.

Eight teams - two fully-fledged manufacturers and six WRC Teams - had registered to chase makes’ championship points ahead of Rally Sweden earlier this month. However, that figure now stands at 11 after the Brazil World Rally Team, the Petter Solberg World Rally Team and Van Merksteijn Motorsport from the Netherlands all signed up.

Although the Brazil World Rally Team will break cover on Vodafone Rally de Portugal in late March using a Super 2000-specification MINI, it won’t be eligible to score manufacturers’ points until Rally d’Italia Sardegna in May when, as expected, lead driver Daniel Oliveira makes his debut in the all-new MINI WRC. That’s because teams must use World Rally Cars to qualify for the manufacturers’ championship.

Petter Solberg’s eponymous squad was in action in Sweden when Solberg scored a fifth-place finish on the back of three outright stage wins in a Citroen DS3 WRC. However, delays firming up Solberg’s deal for 2011 meant he was not registered for the manufacturers’ championship in Scandinavia, although that won’t be the case from Rally Guanajuato Mexico onwards when Solberg will battle it out for makes’ points as well as drivers’ points.

Ken Rees, who runs the Petter Solberg World Rally Team, explained why the squad had registered. “We’re still a self-funded privateer team but very professional at the same time,” said Rees. “The prestige attached to being a manufacturer team is very important for our sponsors. We’ve been playing with the big boys for the last two years now and it’s high time we took that next step and went up against them properly.”

Van Merksteijn Motorsport is the final new addition to the ranks of WRC Teams for 2011, which now stands at nine. The Dutch operation will field a Citroen DS3 WRC for Peter van Merksteijn Jr on 10 rounds starting in Portugal. The car will be run in conjunction with the factory Citroen Racing team, which is based in Versailles on the outskirts of Paris.

With the deadline for registering as a WRC Team not until 26 April, it’s possible that other outfits could yet enter.

http://wrc.com/news/more-teams-register ... ?fid=14186

Brilliant news. More the merrier

[sleenster]

No jokes this time

Wilson gets six-event guarantee

Matthew Wilson's participation in the World Rally Championship has been confirmed up until Acropolis Rally of Greece in June.

The 24-year-old revealed to WRC.com in January that he only had funds in place to contest the season-opening Rally Sweden earlier this month.

However, his programme has now been expanded and he will definitely take in the rounds in Mexico, Portugal, Jordan, Italy and Argentina.

Wilson, who finished ninth on Rally Sweden after dropping four minutes on day one with a steering fault, now hopes that by taking part on rallies he will be able to secure the finances needed to complete the balance of the season for the M-Sport Stobart World Rally Team.

“Everything’s in place up until Greece, which is brilliant really,” said the British driver. “Hopefully by being out on the rallies it will make the job of getting things in place for the rest of the year that bit easier.”

Wilson has been an ever-present in the WRC since 2006 when he embarked on a 16-event programme as a teenager. He has scored points in every season since and counts his best result as fourth overall on Rally Japan in 2007.

As well as driving in the WRC, Wilson has played a key role in developing several rally cars, including the Ford Fiesta S2000 and the new-for-2011 Fiesta RS WRC.

His father Malcolm, who heads up the M-Sport organisation and runs the factory Ford team in the world championship, said confirmation of his son’s programme would help his progress this season.

“Matthew’s programme has now been confirmed until Greece and he should be able to concentrate more on his driving now that his programme for the year has become more secure,” said Wilson Sr. “He had an unfortunate opening round in Sweden with powersteering issues which knocked his confidence. But Mexico should be a promising event as gravel is his preferred surface and he has tested the car extensively on the surface.”

Wilson, who is co-driven by fellow Briton Scott Martin, will be back on WRC duty on the second round of the series, Rally Guanajuato Mexico, next week.

http://www.wrc.com/news/wilson-gets-six ... ?fid=14188

[sleenster]

Solberg team to chase manufacturer points

22nd February 2011
By Giles Wade

Petter Solberg World Rally Team head Ken Rees says the squad’s elevation to WRC Team status for the remainder of 2011 will mark an important next step in the team’s progression.

Formed by Solberg for the second round of the 2009 season, the Petter Solberg World Rally Team has run as a privateer entity ever since and guided Solberg to third place in the drivers’ standings last term.

However, from next week’s Rally Mexico it will be eligible for manufacturers’ championship points along with 10 other outfits following the publication of an updated list of registrations by the FIA, the sport’s world governing body, earlier today.

“We’re still a self-funded privateer team but very professional at the same time,” Rees told WRC.com. “The prestige attached to being a manufacturer team is very important for our sponsors. We’ve been playing with the big boys for the last two years now and it’s high time we took that next step and went up against them properly.”

Solberg is due to begin his preparations for Rally Mexico with a test in France tomorrow (Wednesday). The Norwegian won the event in 2005 and is set to start fifth on the road on the opening day of the gravel event, which could hand him an advantage due to the effect of road cleaning.

http://www.maxrally.com/news/entry/solb ... er_points/

[Julia]

Where did they put that car in?
I would force the drivers to wash it so they learn not to cover the car with mud.

Yeah you're right, it looks like they dipped the car in a mud bath first

well thats a much better livery than the yellow-black they have sported with in the test... the sarcastic me even believes that they did it on purpose to get cooler promo pictures

[Julia]

More teams register for manufacturer points

With the deadline for registering as a WRC Team not until 26 April, it’s possible that other outfits could yet enter.

http://wrc.com/news/more-teams-register ... ?fid=14186

Brilliant news. More the merrier

sounds like they're hoping that for instance even Novikov would register his team... looking good!

[Julia]

sorry if this have been posted before...

Novikov plans big WRC return

Russian driver Evgeny Novikov is lining up a WRC programme that could take in up to 10 rounds this year.

The 20-year-old is best known for two things: becoming the youngest driver ever to set a fastest stage time (on the 2009 Acropolis Rally at the age of 18) and taking a spectacular leap on Rally Finland, immortalised by photography legends McKlein, later that same year.

After spending a year on the sidelines in 2010, he is returning to action with a Ford Fiesta RS WRC in Mexico, having initially planned to start his campaign in Portugal.

“We were thinking of going Portugal, but I reckon you really need to know the stages there and the big drops don’t forgive any mistakes,” he said. “M-Sport were also unable to provide a car for Portugal, as all the Fiestas were allocated when we asked.”

Novikov is hoping to test his red and white Fiesta RS WRC before making the long trip to Mexico. “It will be my first time at Rally Mexico, but the sooner I try the car in action the quicker I can get into a rhythm, making it easier for me in Europe,” he added.

Novikov, whose best World Rally Championship result is fifth overall, will be co-driven by experienced Belgian Stephane Prevot.

http://www.maxrally.com/news/entry/novi ... rc_return/

[Julia]

this was also interesting I think:

Russian billionaire backs WRC promoter

The promoter of the World Rally Championship – North One Sport – is reported to have secured its future with a massive cash injection from Russian billionaire Vladimir Antonov.

British magazine Autosport reported the deal yesterday, with Citroen team principal Olivier Quesnel praising the agreement and its potential to ensure the future promotion of the sport.

Quesnel told Autosport: “My feeling with [North One Sport parent company] North [One] TV [is that] we were not too far from the end, because they don’t have any money for investment. We have been speaking for three years for nothing, so now the Russian guys came. He seems to have some money and a plan. He is going to invest and I’m pretty sure FIA president Jean Todt ask a lot of guarantee [from the investor]. I think we should be okay for the next three or four years. I think we start from nothing because we didn’t do anything.”

Antonov is reported to have close ties with Saab – a manufacturer known to be close to his heart – and his investment in the WRC is said to ensure the arrival of the Spyker-owned manufacturer. Quesnel added that the new car firms coming to the WRC was all good news.

Quesnel added: “Mini is coming, Volkswagen is coming, it seems Saab is coming, so, at the end, each year we say: “Next year it will be okay…” And finally, I think in 2013 everything will be in order.”

http://www.maxrally.com/news/entry/russ ... _promoter/

quesnel seem to have been quite frank to autosport over the situation at the moment... interesting to see what they planning ...

...and are we maybe going to see another snowrally next year ... maybe one in russia? would be cool