WRC: 2009 General News and Discussion

[Everso Biggyballies]

Ford to stay in WRC in '09.

Ford has announced that it will remain in the World Rally Championship next season fielding an unchanged driver line-up.

The BP Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team will continue to compete in the World Rally Championship in 2009, Ford of Europe motorsport director, Mark Deans announced last night.

Confirmation came on Wednesday at an official team function prior to this weekend's Wales Rally GB, the 15th and final round in the 2008 World Rally Championship.

Mikko Hirvonen will remain as the lead driver for the M-Sport-run outfit in 09, while Jari-Matti Latvala will drive the other car nominated to score manufacturer points. Khalid Al Qassimi also returns.

Speaking to the official WRC website, BP Ford Abu Dhabi team director Malcolm Wilson noted that decision was a real boost.

"At M-Sport we're very privileged to continue with the programme - especially considering the difficult economic conditions. I think it's a real vote of confidence in the WRC and in M-Sport," he told wrc.com

"It's pretty obvious who we're going to use next year - we feel we've got two of the best potential drivers for the future in Mikko and Jari-Matti. They've both proved they can win rallies, they've had a difficult year this year but they've learned a considerable amount.

"Also joining the team again next year will be Khalid - so on the majority of events we will have three BP Ford Abu Dhabi WRC cars. Going into next year I feel we can definitely challenge for both titles."

As for the future of Ford's 'B' team - the Stobart squad, Wilson added that while it is looking promising, a few things still need to be sorted before that programme can be confirmed.

"I have received positive signals," he added in a separate story on rally-magazin.de. "We hope to see a continuation of the commitment by Stobart in the World Rally Championship."

[Mothers Worry]

Gronholm return now unlikely

From autosport.com:

Gronholm return now unlikely

Monday, December 15th 2008, 10:18 GMT

The chances of Marcus Gronholm driving a Subaru Impreza WRC next season appear to have diminished after the Banbury team are reported to have re-structured the potential deal to bring the double world champion out of retirement.

Sources within the Subaru World Rally Team have confirmed there is a desire to employ Gronholm on a rolling four-event agreement rather than a straight season-long deal. Gronholm was unavailable for comment on this, but he is understood not to be interested in what would be a potentially short-term return.

[Mothers Worry]

Grondahl joins Adapta for Norway

From autosport.com:

Grondahl joins Adapta for Norway

Wednesday, January 28th 2009, 11:11 GMT

The Adapta Subaru team have added 24-year-old Norwegian Anders Grondahl to their line-up for next month's Rally Norway.

The squad are continuing in the World Rally Championship despite the withdrawal of the works Subaru team, and have received the ex-factory cars for lead driver Mads Ostberg and Grondahl.

[Mothers Worry]

FIA clarifies commercial rights stance

From autosport.com:

FIA clarifies commercial rights stance

Thursday, October 9th 2008, 11:33 GMT

The FIA has moved to clarify its position on with the World Rally Championship's commercial rights holder, International Sportsworld Communciators (ISC), and the tendering process for the role of global rights holder.

Following the meeting of the World Motor Sport Council on Tuesday, the FIA announced the tendering process for the commercial rights in 2010.

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ISC confirmed as WRC promoter 

From autosport.com:

ISC confirmed as WRC promoter 

Thursday, January 29th 2009, 10:55 GMT

International Sportsworld Communicators has been announced as the global promoter of the World Rally Championship.

The 10-year deal - which officially starts in 2010 - with the sport's governing body, the FIA, was announced this morning upon completion of the final contract details. The tendering process closed last year and the parties have been in negotiation since then.

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Wilson welcomes new ISC deal

From autosport.com:

Wilson welcomes new ISC deal

Thursday, January 29th 2009, 11:54 GMT

Ford World Rally Team boss Malcolm Wilson believes the new deal with the WRC's promoter International Sportsworld Communicators (ISC) will bring immediate improvements to the championship.

The FIA announced the 10-year deal today and Wilson is confident that it will bring revitalised coverage of the WRC.

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Pirelli encouraged by ISC deal

From autosport.com:

Pirelli encouraged by ISC deal

Thursday, January 29th 2009, 15:41 GMT

Pirelli's motorsport director Paul Hembery has praised the FIA's work in the wake of its agreement with the World Rally Championship's new global promoter ISC.

The 10-year deal, agreed this morning, is a first for the WRC and Hembery says it is the first step to putting the WRC at the centre of the sporting world.

[Mothers Worry]

Solberg delighted with own team

From autosport.com:

Solberg delighted with own team

Saturday, February 7th 2009, 10:51 GMT

Petter Solberg said the formation of his own World Rally Championship team is the realisation of a dream - although he admitted that the circumstances were not ideal.

The 2003 world champion lost his drive when Subaru withdrew from the WRC in December, but from his home rally in Norway next weekend onwards he will drive a 2006-specification Citroen Xsara under the Petter Solberg World Rally Team banner.

[Everso Biggyballies]

Good Luck to Petter.  He is too good to be on the sidelines.

[Mothers Worry]

Rally GB starts legal action on sponsor 

From autosport.com:

Rally GB starts legal action on sponsor 

Friday, April 17th 2009, 18:50 GMT

Rally Great Britain has begun legal proceedings against the Welsh Assembly Government (WAG) following the WAG's decision to terminate its sponsorship contract for the UK's round of the World Rally Championship.

The action from Rally GB's commercial arm - International Motor Sports Limited - had been expected after WAG pulled the plug on a £2m per season deal which was scheduled to run until the end of 2011. The loss of funding has raised question marks over this October's Cardiff-based event.

[Mothers Worry]

Rally GB back on 2010 WRC schedule 

From autosport.com:

Rally GB back on 2010 WRC schedule 

Wednesday, May 20th 2009, 17:41 GMT

The proposed calendar for next year's World Rally Championship includes Rally Great Britain, despite it originally being dropped for the 2010 schedule due to the event rotation policy.

The loss of candidate rallies in Indonesia and Russia, and Monte Carlo's decision to run as an Intercontinental Rally Challenge event again next year has opened the door for three replacements to step in, one of which is Rally GB.


2010 WRC calendar
Swedish Rally
Rally Mexico
Rally of Portugal
Rally Jordan
Rally Turkey
Rally New Zealand
Rally Bulgaria
Rally Finland
Rally Deutschland
Rally Japan
Tour de Corse
Rally Catalunya
Rally GB
Reserve: Rally Argentina

[Mothers Worry]

Rally GB decision set for Wednesday

From autosport.com:

Rally GB decision set for Wednesday

Monday, June 8th 2009, 17:56 GMT

The future of Rally Great Britain is set to be decided on Wednesday at the MSA's Annual General Meeting in Colnbrook.

The board of British motorsport's governing body is expected to take a decision on whether it will fund this year's Rally Great Britain following the loss of backing from the Welsh Assembly Government for the October event.

So it's on or not? These guys can't seem to make up their mind.

[Mothers Worry]

Rally GB gets go-ahead for 2009 

From autosport.com:

Rally GB gets go-ahead for 2009 

Wednesday, June 10th 2009, 14:00 GMT

British motorsport's governing body, the MSA, met today and agreed to underwrite the £2.2m cost of running the Cardiff-based event - following the onset of a legal case between Rally GB and its sponsor, the Welsh Assembly Government.

[Mothers Worry]

Superally system dropped from 2010 

From autosport.com:

Superally system dropped from 2010 

Thursday, June 25th 2009, 17:01 GMT

One of the World Rally Championship's most controversial regulations will be changed for next season, when the 'superally' system allowing crews who have not completed the entire route to feature in the overall classification will be eliminated.............



In place of superally, the FIA has decided to award bonus points to the fastest crew through a completed day of a WRC event.

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WRC revises 2011 technical rules 

From autosport.com:

WRC revises 2011 technical rules 

Thursday, June 25th 2009, 08:57 GMT

The FIA has announced major revisions to the technical regulations for the all-new 2011 World Rally Car, with the World Motor Sport Council stating that turbocharged 1600cc engines will be used instead of two-litre naturally aspirated rules that had been agreed in March.

[Timbit]

"They will also run more aerodynamics"

Can anyone who has perhaps followed the WRC a bit closer elaborate on this if they can? Or perhaps if this hasn't been discussed, what would this mean exaclty? A greater scope for aerodynamic development? I'm not personally clear on the technical regulations governing WRC designs.

[Oldtony]

Under current regs the car remains basically standard aerodynamicly, with spoilers etc being an approximation of those fitted to a regularly sold model. I would assumed that the "more aerodynamics" allows for the use of additional or very much expande wings. We shall see, but after the cost of aero in F1 getting out of hand you would wonder about moving that way.
Maybe they are just looking for some work for all that F1 wind tunnel down time?

[Mothers Worry]

Rally GB settles Wales dispute

From autosport.com:

Rally GB settles Wales dispute

Thursday, July 16th 2009, 09:15 GMT

This year's Rally Great Britain will be launched in Cardiff next Wednesday, with the event expected to have come to a settlement with the Welsh Assembly Government.

Rally GB organisers and the WAG have been locked in dispute since the start of the year, following the WAG's decision to terminate the sponsorship agreement which should have run until the end of 2011.

[Mothers Worry]

WRC wins TV deal in the US

From autosport.com:

WRC wins TV deal in the US

Wednesday, July 15th 2009, 09:51 GMT

The World Rally Championship's promoters have struck a deal to screen the category in the United States.

In what's been seen as a vital move to re-establish the sport in one of the world's key car markets, the WRC promoter International Sportsworld Communicators (ISC) has secured a deal with Discovery Communication channel HD Theater, which has a total audience of 633 million.

[Mothers Worry]

Alister McRae linked to Proton drive

From autosport.com:

Alister McRae linked to Proton drive

Friday, July 17th 2009, 14:14 GMT

Former World Rally Championship star and British Rally champion Alister McRae has been linked to a full-time return to the sport with Proton.

The Scot, who drove for Hyundai and Mitsubishi at the height of his WRC career, is believed to be in line for a drive in the FIA Asia-Pacific Rally Championship in one of the all-new Proton Satria Neo S2000 cars built by British firm MEM.

[Mothers Worry]

Ford commits future to WRC

From autosport.com:

Ford commits future to WRC

Wednesday, July 29th 2009, 16:29 GMT

Ford has confirmed it will continue its World Rally Championship programme next season.

The decision was announced at a press conference in Jyvasklya, Finland this afternoon, ending months of speculation.


Quesnel said: "If [WRC] is here, then Citroen will be also."

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Citroen reaffirms WRC commitment 

From autosport.com:

Citroen reaffirms WRC commitment 

Wednesday, July 29th 2009, 22:10 GMT

The World Rally Championship received a second shot in the arm this evening when Citroen confirmed it would remain in the series - just hours after Ford had announced a new WRC deal for 2010 and 2011.

Citroen matched Ford's commitment, confirming that it will remain in the championship for the next two seasons.

It's great to see some factories showing commitment to the sport, at least for the year or two, in this form of motor racing.

[Mad Maper 13]

http://www.wrc.com/jsp/index.jsp?lnk=101&id=5745&desc=F1%20star%20Sebastian%20Vettel%20considering%20WRC%20drives

F1 star Sebastian Vettel considering WRC drives

Red Bull Racing Formula 1 driver Sebastian Vettel has expressed a desire to follow Kimi Raikkonen's lead and tackle a round of the World Rally Championship.

Vettel travelled to Finland this weekend and met up with Citroen Total World Rally Team drivers Sebastien Loeb and Dani Sordo, before heading out to the stages to witness the action of the fastest round of the WRC.

“This is my first time at the World Rally Championship and it’s been fascinating," said the German. "It is high speed and it’s nice to be out at the stages to watch it, although unfortunately I’m not driving!

“It is nearly as quick as F1, but with no run off and on gravel. I was able to get some advice from Sebastien Loeb, and there is no one better. I have plenty to do in F1, but who knows maybe one day I will compete in the WRC - I wouldn’t mind doing some drives in the future.”

Loeb, meanwhile, said he had been impressed by the performance of Ferrari F1 driver Kimi Raikkonen in Finland, even though he failed to finish after rolling his car into a ditch on Saturday.

"I thought he was really good," said Loeb. "He was only one second per kilometre off the pace of Juho Hanninen, and the best drivers in his category, and to do that here in Finland, on his first time, that's not so much - so I'm sure he was confident.

"It's important if you want to do this kind of rally to have good notes, and he stayed on the road until yesterday when something happened, but it can happen to anybody. I was surprised - he was driving really fast," he added.

[Mad Maper 13]

http://wwos.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=847170

Solberg pulls out of Rally of Australia

The Citroen team says Petter Solberg will not compete in the Rally of Australia next month.

Norway's Petter Solberg will not compete in the Rally of Australia next month, his Citroen team manager says.

"We decided today that we will not attend the Rally Australia," Ken Rees announced on the driver's website.

"It is our opinion that we will not be competitive enough to challenge for a podium, instead we will use the time to prepare in the best way for the two remaining events, Spain and Wales, and also continue working on our plans for next season."

The Citroen Xsara driver, who won the world title with Subaru in 2003, is sixth in the world rally championship series with three events left.

After the Australian rally on September 4 to 6, the season concludes with events in Spain and Britain in October.

[Everso Biggyballies]

Im sure I read somewhere he is driving a Ford somewhere having given up on Citroen coming up with a promised upgraded car that was newer than 5 years old, one of last years works cars.  They have been threatening it for ever, since he podiumed the old dunger he has got.

Maybe Ford were not talking of Australia, but im sure it was for the Welsh / GB rally.