Метка: wrc

Sebastien Ogier declared fit for WRC return in Latvia

Опубликовано от ASPPA IMAGES ANO


Sebastien Ogier will make a return to the World Rally Championship in Latvia after being declared fit to compete following a reconnaissance crash that ruled him out of Poland.

The eight-time world champion and co-driver Vincent Landais escaped serious injury after being involved in road traffic accident while preparing pacenotes ahead of Rally Poland last month.

Ogier spent a night in hospital following the head-on collision with a road car, before being discharged wearing a neck brace. The Frenchman was forced to withdraw from event with his Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 entry being taken over by two-time world champion Kalle Rovanpera, who went on to win the rally.

Ogier has since undergone further medical checks after returning home and on Thursday was back behind the wheel of a Sebastien Ogier edition GR Yaris road car at the Goodwood Festival of Speed.

It was previous unclear if the Frenchman would return for next week’s round in Latvia which was recently added to the 40-year-old’s partial WRC campaign.

However, Toyota has now confirmed that Ogier and co-driver Landais are fit to compete.

Sébastien Ogier, Vincent Landais, Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT Toyota GR Yaris Rally1

Sébastien Ogier, Vincent Landais, Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT Toyota GR Yaris Rally1

Photo by: Toyota Racing

“It was quite unfortunate what happened during our preparations in Poland,” Ogier said.

“Now after some rest, and some good help from my medical team, I could recover pretty quickly and I’m looking forward to being back in a rally car in Latvia. The challenge of a new rally is generally something I like and that’s one of the reasons we added this event to our programme.

“The target for us will be to find the feeling for the very high-speed roads quickly after missing Poland, but I’m always excited for a new challenge and let’s see what we can do.”

Toyota will field a four-car line-up for the WRC’s first visit to Latvia which will include full-time drivers Elfyn Evans and Takamoto Katsuta, and Rovanpera.

A total of 10 Rally1 cars are set to take part with Hyundai represented by championship leader Thierry Neuville, Ott Tanak and Esapekka Lappi. M-Sport will enter three Ford Pumas for Adrien Fourmaux, Gregoire Munster and home hero Martins Sesks.

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The other byproduct of M-Sport’s non-hybrid WRC experiment

Опубликовано от ASPPA IMAGES ANO


M-Sport is hopeful the strong debut of its non-hybrid version of its Ford Puma World Rally Championship car will help stimulate its Rally1 car sales.

The Ford squad took advantage of a new FIA regulation introduced this year that allows teams to enter non-hybrid powered Rally1 cars in WRC events by fielding rising star Martins Sesks in Poland earlier this month.

Without the hybrid, the car produced 130 fewer horsepower and had to carry 100 kilograms of ballast to be located in pace of the hybrid unit and its relevant equipment in the car.

The idea behind the FIA’s regulation tweak was to provide a cheaper Rally1 option at €150,000 less than the €800,000 hybrid version and offer a Rally1 platform to help younger drivers bridge the gap from Rally2 to Rally1.

Its maiden outing in Poland, supported by the WRC Promoter, resulted in an impressive drive from 2023 European Rally Championship Sesks, who finished fifth overall and came within 0.3s of claiming a stage win.

While the project’s main focus was to offer a young driver the experience of Rally1, M-Sport team principal Richard Millener says the rally put the car in the shop window for prospective buyers.

Martins Sesks, Renars Francis, M-Sport Ford World Rally Team Ford Puma Rally1

Martins Sesks, Renars Francis, M-Sport Ford World Rally Team Ford Puma Rally1

Photo by: Tomasz Kaliński

M-Sport bases a core part of its business on building and selling rally cars but has sold only one Puma Rally1 since its introduction in 2022.

“I hope [we can sell some more cars]. That was also part of the goal to showcase it and show that you can still come here and have fun and be in amongst the top guys and more importantly a long way ahead of Rally2,” Millener told Motorsport.com.

“We wanted to prove it can do that and still be competitive and it can give this opportunity to youngsters to come and prove what they can do.

“People were saying if you just remove the hybrid, it is a Rally2 car but if you had watched Martins in a Rally2 car he would never have had the same feeling or feedback. These Rally1 cars are amazing to watch and that is why I always say that we can’t get rid of them. We must have a top category in WRC and something like this to showcase what this is about.”

Sesks’ pace across Poland’s high-speed gravel stages raised questions surrounding the necessity of the hybrid units in Rally1 cars moving forward, but Millener feels this outing masked the hybrid’s true performance.

“It would be a very different conversation if we were at a different rally,” he added.

“We know on the fast rallies it [the hybrid] is less advantageous, but you can still see that Martins was on the edge everywhere and probably the bits he was missing out on were the bits where people were using the hybrid.

“It definitely goes to show the hybrid is still a requirement to win but he did a fantastic job without it.”

Sesks will pilot a full hybrid version of the Puma when the WRC visits Latvia next week, which marks the final round of his two-rally programme.

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What to look out for at the Goodwood Festival of Speed

Опубликовано от ASPPA IMAGES ANO


One of the highlights of the annual motorsport calendar is upon us, as the great and good of Formula 1, sportscar racing, rallying and more descends on West Sussex for a four-day celebration of the cars and stars that make racing special.

As ever, the Goodwood Festival of Speed will be a spectacle not to be missed. Here’s what to look out for at this year’s event.

1. Horseless to hybrid; pioneers to the present

The Le Mans-winning BMW V12 LMR of 1999 will make a welcome return

The Le Mans-winning BMW V12 LMR of 1999 will make a welcome return

Photo by: JEP / Motorsport Images

The pursuit of performance over 130 years of motorsport provides a vast canvas upon which the Duke of Richmond & Gordon’s team has painted toothsome portraits across five epochs to the present. The contrasts in each window are staggering.

Pioneers of Propulsion features an 1893 Salvesen Steam Wagonette presaging such pacy delights as Darracq 200bhp and Fiat S76 ‘Beast of Turin’, Sunbeam 350bhp, Bugatti T35, Alfa Romeo P3 and Napier-Railton and Auto Unions. Don’t miss the wacky French Leyat Helica.    

Progression of Power focuses on the 1950s and 1960s, spanning BRM V16, Maserati 250F, shark-nose Ferrari 156s, Honda RA272 (driven by RB F1’s Yuki Tsunoda), Lotus-Cosworth 49 and whistling gas turbine Howmet TX sportscar and Lotus 56B, the latter with marque founder Colin Chapman’s son Clive and grandson Magnus up.

Evolution of Revolution showcases Lancia Stratos, Le Mans-winning Matra-Simca 670C, Porsche 936/77 and Alpine-Renault A442B, plus F1 Renault RS10 and Audi Quattro rally cars as the sizzling turbo era advanced. Innovation Unleashed stars McLaren F1 GTR, Audi R8C, BMW V12 LMR and Ferrari 333 SP Le Mans icons, while the Future of Speed showcases the 2022 hill-record-shattering McMurtry Speirling, manufacturer specials and the driverless Indy Autonomous Challenge.  

2. Verstappen tops roster of sporting superstars 

Reigning F1 world champion Verstappen will be reunited with the RB16B in which he won his first title in 2021

Reigning F1 world champion Verstappen will be reunited with the RB16B in which he won his first title in 2021

Photo by: Red Bull Content Pool

World champions have coloured the Festival’s history since 1993. But to have the reigning Formula 1 title holder in attendance – in this case triple champion Max Verstappen – is unprecedented. Currently third in the all-time rankings with 61 GP victories, the 2024 points leader will wow onlookers on Sunday in a 2021 Red Bull Racing-Honda RB16B.

Superstars pepper the entry as ever. NASCAR legend Richard Petty, with 200 stock car wins on his slate, left a huge impression in 2004. At 87 ‘The King’ is back with son Kyle and the bewinged 1970 Plymouth Superbird.

Emerson Fittipaldi, 77, is the earliest F1 world champion in action. Fifty years after he secured his second crown in three years, ‘Emmo’ is reunited with his 1974 Brazilian and Belgian GP-winning McLaren M23-5. Fellow champs Damon Hill and Kimi Raikkonen line up too.

Double world endurance champion and six-time Le Mans winner Jacky Ickx, 79, represents the sportscar speciality, piloting a Porsche 936/77. Swedish rallymeister Stig Blomqvist, 77, commemorates the 40th anniversary of his 1984 WRC victory in an Audi Quattro, and flying Finn Kalle Rovanpera, 23 – champion of 2022-23, fresh from winning Rally Poland from the subs’ bench – exercises a Toyota Yaris Gazoo Racing.

3. Red Bull 20 reunites alumni for RB17 launch

Original Red Bull drivers from 2005 Klien and Coulthard will be on hand to mark the team's 20 years in F1

Original Red Bull drivers from 2005 Klien and Coulthard will be on hand to mark the team’s 20 years in F1

Photo by: Mark Capilitan

That Red Bull Racing has been in F1 for almost 20 years – snaring seven drivers’ world championships, through Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen, and six constructors’ titles – is an extraordinary record for the team that debuted in 2005.

Almost as telling is that the Austrian-founded energy drink offshoot’s equipe is the ninth longest-serving in F1 history, having surpassed BRM, which spanned three decades, and with Minardi’s and Ligier’s totals set to be swallowed next season.

To celebrate its 20th term in F1, Oracle Red Bull Racing has corralled 18 cars spanning the RB1 of 2005 to last year’s RB19 for inspection in the Cathedral Paddock, showcasing Cosworth, Ferrari, Renault and Honda powerplants.

Seven are set to hit the hill, with Christian Klien (RB1), Mark Webber, Daniel Ricciardo, team chief Christian Horner and David Coulthard in Vettel-era RB6-9 of 2010-13, and current team-mates Verstappen and Sergio Perez in RB16B and RB19 of 2021 and 2022 respectively.

On Friday the wraps will come off design guru Adrian Newey’s two-seat RB17 Hypercar. Powered by a hybrid engine developing more than 1100bhp, a run of only 50 of these technical tours de force will be made by Red Bull Advanced Technologies.

4. Wattie leads Niki Lauda tribute

Watson (left) raced alongside Lauda at Brabham and latterly at McLaren

Watson (left) raced alongside Lauda at Brabham and latterly at McLaren

Photo by: Ercole Colombo

Technically gifted and versatile, three-time F1 world champion Niki Lauda’s career is showcased in a colourful tribute led by Brabham and McLaren team-mate John Watson. BRM’s sleek P160 and P180 and the lumpen March 721X masked the Austrian’s potential initially, but stellar subsequent stints with Ferrari, Brabham and ultimately McLaren bore bountiful fruit.

Wattie drives Niki’s 1978 Swedish GP-winning Brabham-Alfa Romeo BT46B ‘fan car’ for period team owner and F1 ringmaster Bernie Ecclestone. Sonorous Ford Cologne Capri RS3100 and BMW 3.0 CSL ‘Batmobile’ provide contrasting V6 and straight-six soundtracks.

5. WRC legends attack forest stage

Current WRC aces including Rovanpera and Neuville will tackle the forest rally stage

Current WRC aces including Rovanpera and Neuville will tackle the forest rally stage

Photo by: Gary Hawkins

Double world rally champion Kalle Rovanpera (2024 Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 Hybrid) and five-time runner-up Thierry Neuville (2021 Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC) in the house will delight fans on the Forest Rally Stage originated by Hannu Mikkola. Neuville scored his 20th WRC win in Monte Carlo this year and will star in the contemporary class. A sensational range of machinery from Alpine A110 through Group B legends – Audi Quattro, Ford RS200 Evo, Lancia 037 and Delta S4, MG Metro 6R4, Peugeot 205 T16s and Porsche 911 – to Subarus, Mitsubishi, Ford Escort RS Cosworth and Focuses make it a must-see.   

6. Sorcerers and apprentices showcase F1 teams

Bruno Senna will drive the McLaren-Honda MP4/4 in which his uncle Ayrton won his first world title in 1988

Bruno Senna will drive the McLaren-Honda MP4/4 in which his uncle Ayrton won his first world title in 1988

Photo by: James Sutton / Motorsport Images

Formula 1 up the garden path has long been an FoS fan favourite, and the team personnel enjoy putting on a show too, often giving their development programme’s young guns a weekend to remember. 

Alongside Red Bull, McLaren and Williams are strongly represented. Half a century on from his world championship with the Woking team, Emerson Fittipaldi (M23-5) will be joined by Bruno Senna in a magnificently svelte Honda-powered MP4/4, in which uncle Ayrton won the first of his three titles in 1988.

Current Williams racers Alexander Albon and Logan Sargeant sample Cosworth DFV-engined FW08-2, a sister to Keke Rosberg’s 1982 turbo hordes-vanquishing championship winners. Teenaged American F1 Academy racer Lia Block and team principal James Vowles will share it.

Rising star Ollie Bearman, 19, who finished seventh in March’s Saudi Arabian GP for Ferrari as substitute for Carlos Sainz to become the youngest Briton to score F1 world championship points, is to saddle the Prancing Horse’s 2017 SF70H with FoS veteran Marc Gene.

Alpine is also supporting the event with Australian protege Jack Doohan and Germany’s Sophia Florsch taking turns in a 2012 E20. Dane Frederik Vesti drives a 2021 Mercedes in the marque’s set.

7. Sunday shootout to crown king of the hill 

Pastrana will be out to thrill in his Subaru GL Wagon during Sunday's timed shootout

Pastrana will be out to thrill in his Subaru GL Wagon during Sunday’s timed shootout

Photo by: James Sutton / Motorsport Images

Speed hillclimbs traditionally climax with a run-off to determine which car-and-driver combo can ascend the course quickest against the clock. As a made-for-TV spectacle, Goodwood’s FoS offering has morphed from a pure racing car contest to become a showcase for technology on the 1.1-mile course.

The writing was on the wall for Nick Heidfeld’s outright record of 41.60s, set in a McLaren-Mercedes MP4/13 in 1999, when Frenchman Romain Dumas piloted Volkwagen’s electric I.D. R to 43.86s in 2018 and 42.32s in 2019. When Max Chilton unleashed a 39.08s in an electric McMurtry Speirling prototype in 2023, spectators could barely believe what they had witnessed.

This year’s combatants range from Mark Walker’s 1905 Darracq 200HP Land Speed Record car to the F5000 Eagle-Chevrolet FA74 of Michael Lyons and Joe Twyman’s F1 March 741. BTCC leader Jake Hill (Nissan Skyline GT-R R32) and Le Mans winner Andy Wallace (Bugatti Bolide) will excel.

But watch for the 862bhp Subaru GL Family Wagon Huckster and WRX Airslayer of Travis Pastrana and Scott Speed, the Bridan twins’ sensational Porsche-based Oilstainlab Half11 and the Alpine A110 Pikes Peak to provide the spectacle.

8. Mercedes’ 130 years in racing

The rumbling Sauber-Mercedes C9 of Group C vintage is usually a crowd-pleaser at Goodwood

The rumbling Sauber-Mercedes C9 of Group C vintage is usually a crowd-pleaser at Goodwood

Photo by: JEP

Since the dawn of motor racing in the 1890s to Lewis Hamilton’s British GP victory last weekend, Mercedes has been at the forefront of competition. Its 130-year odyssey is celebrated at Goodwood by a pageant bookended by a 1907 GP car to the current AMG GT3 racers.

Karl Wendlinger drives a 100-year-old Mercedes-Benz Targa Florio, and examples of the W25, W125, W196 and W196 streamliner hark back to the Silver Arrows. Kenneth Acheson pilots his own 1989 Sauber C9 and Nic Minassian a Sauber C11 alongside David Clark’s C-Class DTM car and Frederik Vesti in a 2021 Mercedes-AMG F1 W12 E Performance. 

9. Seventy-five years of grand prix motorcycling

Fans of two-wheeled motorsport will be treated to the sight of past legends including two-time MotoGP champion Stoner in action

Fans of two-wheeled motorsport will be treated to the sight of past legends including two-time MotoGP champion Stoner in action

Photo by: MotoGP

Motorcycle racing has been part of the FoS since its debut in 1993. When Valentino Rossi embraced the 2015 event, the Italian megastar’s following was of almost papal magnitude.

The late seven-time world GP champion John Surtees (1934-2017) was an inspirational godfather to the two-wheeled aces who attended Goodwood events, and they continue to entertain appreciative sell-out audiences as the event celebrates a landmark anniversary.

The inimitable 15-time champion Giacomo Agostini, who at 82 turns back the years every time he straddles an MV Agusta, heads this year’s crop. The Italian is joined by Americans Randy Mamola, Kenny Roberts (Senior and Junior) and ‘Fast Freddie’ Spencer, Australians Mick Doohan and Casey Stoner, and Belgium’s Didier de Radigues.

Home-grown heroes Davey Todd (fresh from his maiden Isle of Man TT victory), Michael Dunlop and Peter Hickman (who both added to their gold tallies last month), John McGuinness, Jeremy McWilliams, Mick Grant and Steve Parrish guarantee fireworks. Watch too for sidecar world champions Todd Ellis/Emmanuelle Clement, who won legions of fans in winning April’s awesome Goodwood Members’ Meeting shootout.

10. Joest and Shadow family reunions

Joest's remarkable history at Le Mans will be among the numerous celebrations

Joest’s remarkable history at Le Mans will be among the numerous celebrations

Photo by: James Sutton / Motorsport Images

Reinhold Joest’s team’s fabulous Le Mans history is traced from the 935J of 1980 through Group C 956 and 962 to WSC-95, then to Audis, bisected by a Bentley Speed 8. Le Mans winners Stefan Johansson, Dindo Capello, Emanuele Pirro, Benoit Treluyer and David Brabham are among the celebrants.

Building on the superb gathering of Don Nichols’s Shadow Can-Am cars corralled by super-collector Jim Bartel and Era Motorsport’s Kyle Tilley at April’s Members’ Meeting, the monsters are back, joined by F1 stablemates. Hans-Joachim Stuck reunites with a 1978 DN9 in a set spanning Tony Southgate’s DN1 stunner to a DN11.

After causing a stir at the Members' Meeting, Shadows will be out in force again at the FOS

After causing a stir at the Members’ Meeting, Shadows will be out in force again at the FOS

Photo by: Jeff Bloxham / Motorsport Images



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WRC confident it can keep manufacturers amid Hyundai future rumours

Опубликовано от ASPPA IMAGES ANO


The World Rally Championship is doing “everything” to keep its current manufacturers and create a series that can attract at least one new marque in 2027, according to the championship’s promoter.

Rallying’s top flight has long been striving to broaden its manufacturer base, having operated with three brands – namely Toyota, Hyundai and Ford via M-Sport – represented in the top class since Citroen’s exit at the end of 2019.

However, in Poland earlier this month reports circulated that Hyundai is gearing up to launch a Hypercar programme in the World Endurance Championship, casting doubt over the Korean carmaker’s long-term future in the WRC.

Hyundai Motorsport’s president and team principal Cyril Abiteboul has said that an announcement about its motorsport plans, including WRC, will come in due course – which could arrive in September. 

The news comes just a month after the FIA made a U-turn on its plans to change the technical regulations for next year, after coming under pressure from WRC manufacturers, and instead opted for stability for the next two years, ahead of all-new regulations for 2027.

Asked about the speculation surrounding Hyundai, the WRC Promoter believes the championship can maintain its current manufacturers and add one more in 2027.

“I cannot say I have no doubt [all of our current brands will stay] because it’s not our decision, but I’m confident that we will create such a good championship that it’s worth to be there,” Peter Thul, WRC Promoter’s Senior Director of Sport, told Motorsport.com.

“And on top of that, I also hope if we have good [2027] regulations done by the end of the year to get at least one more manufacturer going into 2027. This is our target.

Hyundai i20 N Rally1

Hyundai i20 N Rally1

Photo by: Fabien Dufour / Hyundai Motorsport

“This is our wish, because we have to move the championship forward. And again, I cannot comment on internal thoughts of manufacturers. But as I said, it has to be so attractive that they want to stay in. This is what we can do, and we have to do.

“We will do everything to keep these three on board and we have had good discussions with them. We are open to any suggestions. I think we have never had so much good discussions, whether it’s regulations or sporting regulations.”

The WRC Promoter has declared the FIA’s push towards stability until the end of 2026 as the “right decision”, but Thul has reiterated a need for the 2027 regulations to be issued this year to help manufacturers understand the championship’s future direction.  

“I’m quite positive, I think [the FIA’s call for stability in technical regulations] is the right decision,” Thul added.

“It was good to discuss about all the kind of things, and what we now have is stability. But for us, even more important is that the regulations for 2027 are now done in a very fast way. That means we need it this year because we have to think about the future – I think that everybody knows that there is a need and there is a lot of work already ongoing.

“Let’s say we are not doing the rules, but we know what’s going on and I’m very confident. It’s getting in the right direction. I think everybody has a common sense how it should look like. The only thing is how much flexibility has to be in for the different kinds of drivetrains, this I don’t know.”

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WRC confident it can keep manufacturers amid Hyundai future rumours

Опубликовано от ASPPA IMAGES ANO


The World Rally Championship is doing “everything” to keep its current manufacturers and create a series that can attract at least one new marque in 2027, according to the championship’s promoter.

Rallying’s top flight has long been striving to broaden its manufacturer base, having operated with three brands – namely Toyota, Hyundai and Ford via M-Sport – represented in the top class since Citroen’s exit at the end of 2019.

However, in Poland earlier this month reports circulated that Hyundai is gearing up to launch a Hypercar programme in the World Endurance Championship, casting doubt over the Korean carmaker’s long-term future in the WRC.

Hyundai Motorsport’s president and team principal Cyril Abiteboul has said that an announcement about its motorsport plans, including WRC, will come in due course – which could arrive in September. 

The news comes just a month after the FIA made a U-turn on its plans to change the technical regulations for next year, after coming under pressure from WRC manufacturers, and instead opted for stability for the next two years, ahead of all-new regulations for 2027.

Asked about the speculation surrounding Hyundai, the WRC Promoter believes the championship can maintain its current manufacturers and add one more in 2027.

“I cannot say I have no doubt [all of our current brands will stay] because it’s not our decision, but I’m confident that we will create such a good championship that it’s worth to be there,” Peter Thul, WRC Promoter’s Senior Director of Sport, told Motorsport.com.

“And on top of that, I also hope if we have good [2027] regulations done by the end of the year to get at least one more manufacturer going into 2027. This is our target.

Hyundai i20 N Rally1

Hyundai i20 N Rally1

Photo by: Fabien Dufour / Hyundai Motorsport

“This is our wish, because we have to move the championship forward. And again, I cannot comment on internal thoughts of manufacturers. But as I said, it has to be so attractive that they want to stay in. This is what we can do, and we have to do.

“We will do everything to keep these three on board and we have had good discussions with them. We are open to any suggestions. I think we have never had so much good discussions, whether it’s regulations or sporting regulations.”

The WRC Promoter has declared the FIA’s push towards stability until the end of 2026 as the “right decision”, but Thul has reiterated a need for the 2027 regulations to be issued this year to help manufacturers understand the championship’s future direction.  

“I’m quite positive, I think [the FIA’s call for stability in technical regulations] is the right decision,” Thul added.

“It was good to discuss about all the kind of things, and what we now have is stability. But for us, even more important is that the regulations for 2027 are now done in a very fast way. That means we need it this year because we have to think about the future – I think that everybody knows that there is a need and there is a lot of work already ongoing.

“Let’s say we are not doing the rules, but we know what’s going on and I’m very confident. It’s getting in the right direction. I think everybody has a common sense how it should look like. The only thing is how much flexibility has to be in for the different kinds of drivetrains, this I don’t know.”

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Kubica keen for rally comeback but only for fun

Опубликовано от ASPPA IMAGES ANO


Robert Kubica says he misses rallying but would only consider a return to the discipline in the future for «fun» rather than competition.

The one-time Formula 1 race winner and now AF Corse Ferrari Hypercar driver in the World Endurance Championship continues to follow the World Rally Championship closely, having competed in the series from 2013-16.

Kubica has long admired rallying before he rose to fame in F1, while he also won the 2013 WRC2 championship before competing in the top class across the next two seasons, driving an M-Sport-built Ford Fiesta, recording 14 stage wins and a best result of sixth in Argentina in 2014.

After making a final start in 2016, Kubica returned to F1 with Williams in 2019 which then led to a spell in the DTM before a move into sportscar racing and the WEC in 2021.

There has been speculation of a rally comeback for Kubica who attended the WRC’s visit to his native Poland earlier this month.

When asked if he would like to make a return in the future, he told Motorsport.com: «Honestly, I miss rallies a bit. I’m a big fan of them. But now I have my own things to do in my racing programme so since I stopped rallying in early 2016, I see the rallies more from a fan perspective, a supporter.

«I follow what’s going on [in WRC]. I follow the rallies more than anything else.

Robert Kubica, Subaru Impreza WRC

Robert Kubica, Subaru Impreza WRC

Photo by: Andre Vor / Sutton Images

«If [a return] could be a bit of fun then yes, but not in the spirit of competition. Of course, there are some rallies on the calendar that I watch, and I think it would be nice to do. But then I remember how much effort and preparation goes into it. But if you go into it for fun, you can be part of a rally without any real pressure.»

Kubica is now part of the booming WEC scene that has witnessed significant growth in manufacturer interest with nine marques now represented in the Hypercar/LMDh class. This has indirectly resulted in the Pole landing a seat in an AF Corse-run Ferrari Hypercar, following the Italian marque’s return long-awaited return to the championship last year.

Having seen the explosion of manufacturer interest in WEC, Kubica hopes the WRC can experience something similar and believes rallying continues to offer fans and manufacturers «something special».

But as the 12-time F1 podium finisher gears up for WEC’s visit to Brazil this weekend, he admits there is a lot of work required for rallying to enjoy a similar boom period.

«It’s a complex topic and it will require the involvement of different parties,» said Kubica, when asked how the WRC could follow in the WEC’s footsteps.

«I think what is happening now [in WRC] is not something to do with the current days it is a trend that probably started when I was in WRC. Unfortunately, in modern life, people tend to appreciate different kinds of sports and way of racing generally in motorsport.

Andreas Mikkelsen, Torstein Eriksen, Hyundai World Rally Team Hyundai i20 N Rally1

Andreas Mikkelsen, Torstein Eriksen, Hyundai World Rally Team Hyundai i20 N Rally1

Photo by: Tomasz Kalinski

«I still think that rallies offer something special, especially from a fan’s perspective. In the WEC, there has been a big boost in manufacturers in the last two years and the level has gone massively up.

«Manufacturers are attracting other manufacturers, and this is what rallying has struggled to attract new manufacturers and, as I say, this is a complex topic, but fortunately I don’t have to think about it.

«But from a fan’s perspective I would like to see something like what has happened in WEC, it would be very special and beneficial for everyone. This hasn’t happened for a long time. I know people are trying and I think there is not one single silver bullet, but it will require work to try and improve things.»



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Rovanpera overcomes penalty to claim maiden circuit race win

Опубликовано от ASPPA IMAGES ANO


Kalle Rovanpera overcame a jump start penalty to claim a maiden circuit race win in only his fourth start in the Porsche Carrera Cup Benelux series at Imola.

The two-time world rally champion, contesting a partial campaign in the one-make Porsche series, completed an impressive lights-to-flag victory from pole, but was made to work hard for his first circuit race win.

The factory Toyota World Rally Championship driver was handed a five-second penalty for jumping the start after leading the field from pole. However, the 23-year-old reeled off a series of fast laps during the remainer of the 30-minute contest to negate the penalty and take the win by 0.6s from Paul Meijer, with Benjamin Paque in third.

A mistake form Meijer on the penultimate lap gave Rovanpera just enough margin to take a memorable win.

“Today was definitely a really good race for us. We did some small set-up changes, nothing big but just to dial in the car a bit better and I could do my normal driving and the pace was really good,” said Rovanpera.

“The biggest thanks goes to the [Red Ant Racing] team as they have been working very hard pushing and learning with me, so that is really nice.

“It was definitely not easy [with the penalty] I was just trying to hit my marks all of the time and it went quite well but I needed to push even more. It was really good race from us.”

Kalle Rovanperä, Jonne Halttunen, Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT Toyota GR Yaris Rally1

Kalle Rovanperä, Jonne Halttunen, Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT Toyota GR Yaris Rally1

Photo by: McKlein / Motorsport Images

The victory followed a second-place finish in Saturday’s opening race which Rovanpera also started from pole.

Rovanpera led from the start but was overtaken by Meijer at Tosa on lap 3 and was unable to retake the lead despite a safety car intervention.

“It was quite a tricky race but of course when you start from pole you cannot be happy finishing in P2, but then I just have to give it to Paul he was faster on race pace. I couldn’t do much more,” said Rovanpera.

Rovanpera’s success comes just a week after he and co-driver Jonne Halttunen won the seventh round of the WRC in Poland. The pair were drafted in last-minute to replace Sebastien Ogier and Vincent Landais, who were ruled out of the event after being involved in a road traffic accident. 

Rovanpera’s busy schedule continues with the Finn set to head to the Goodwood Festival of Speed next week.



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Tanak unharmed after high-speed crash at Rally Estonia

Опубликовано от ASPPA IMAGES ANO



World Rally Championship title contender Ott Tanak and co-driver Martin Jarveoja have escaped unharmed from a high-speed crash at Rally Estonia.

The pair were driving a WRC-specification Hyundai i20 Rally1 car in the national class of the event, which this weekend is hosting the fourth round of the European Rally Championship. The rally offered a chance for Tanak and Jarveoja to log some extra mileage ahead of WRC rounds on fast gravel in Latvia and Finland.

A video on social media has captured Tanak losing control of his i20 N at high speed during the Raanitsa stage, which pitched the car into a roll before it appeared to come to rest in a ditch.

 

Images of the car have confirmed the i20 N suffered heavy damage and will be unable to be repaired to continue competing in Estonia.

Tanak and Jarveoja were taken to hospital in the rally’s host city, Tartu, for medical checks. The 2019 world champion declared on social media that he and Martin were ok.

“While participating here at Rally Estonia we had an accident on today’s first stage SS2 Raanitsa,” read a post on Tanak’s social media.

“Due to the nature of the crash, we’ve been taken for medical checks at the hospital in Tartu. Both myself and Martin are feeling well and we’re ok.

“Unfortunately, it will not be possible to participate further on Rally Estonia due to the amount of work needed to repair the car.” 

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The accident continued a run of misfortune for Tanak after crashing out of stage two at last weekend’s Rally Poland when he was unable to avoid a collision with a deer that had jumped out into the road.

Hyundai is set to compete in another national rally next week with Esapekka Lappi entering the Lietuva Rally in Lithuania to prepare for his WRC return in Latvia later this month.



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Toyota expands to five WRC Rally1 entries for Finland, Latvala to drive Rally2

Опубликовано от ASPPA IMAGES ANO


Toyota will field five Rally1 cars when the World Rally Championship heads to Finland next month, while team principal Jari-Matti Latvala will drive a Rally2 car.

Rally Finland has today released an 80-car entry list for the famous gravel rally, which hosts the ninth round of the WRC season from 1-4 August.

The entry list features 10 Rally1 cars with half of those Toyota GR Yaris Rally1s as part of an expanded line-up from the Japanese brand, whose rally team is based in the rally’s host city Jyvaskyla.

Regulars Elfyn Evans and Takamoto Katsuta will be joined by part-time drivers Kalle Rovanpera and Sebastien Ogier, while it has already been announced that Sami Pajari will graduate from Rally2 to make his Rally1 debut at the round.

Confirmation of Ogier’s appearance comes with the team yet to announce if the Frenchman will be fit to compete in Latvia later this month after being ruled out of last weekend’s Rally Poland following a recce crash.

Hyundai’s three-car Rally1 line-up will see Finn Esapekka Lappi join the full-time drivers – championship leader Thierry Neuville and title contender Ott Tanak. M-Sport will field its two full-time entries driven by Adrien Fourmaux and Gregoire Munster.

Finland will also see 18-time WRC rally winner Latvala return to competition behind the wheel of a Rally2 version of the GR Yaris which the Finn played a role in helping develop before the car’s launch this year.

Jari-Matti Latvala, Team principal Toyota Gazoo Racing, Elfyn Evans, Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT Toyota GR Yaris Rally1

Jari-Matti Latvala, Team principal Toyota Gazoo Racing, Elfyn Evans, Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT Toyota GR Yaris Rally1

Photo by: McKlein / Motorsport Images

Latvala will join a Rally2 entry that includes frontrunners Oliver Solberg, Teemu Suninen, Emil Lindholm, Gus Greensmith and Pierre-Louis Loubet.

This will be the second consecutive season Latvala has participated in Rally Finland after finishing fifth in a one-off outing driving a Rally1 GR Yaris last year.

«It’s brilliant to have 10 Rally1 cars on our entry, three of them driven by Finns, which is a good story for us,” said Kai Tarkiainen, Rally Finland clerk of the course.

“Especially Sami Pajari, who in 2019 was the Flying Finn Future Star, drove with a Fiesta Rally4 here and actually ended up in a bush. But he showed his speed and after that, he’s taken huge steps. To go from your first WRC event to a Rally1 car in five years is a Cinderella story.

«To see such a commitment from Toyota, bringing five Rally1 cars to the event, is special, and we’ll have three world champions out on the stages in Kalle Rovanpera, Sébastien Ogier and Ott Tanak who’ll need to push hard to beat defending winner Elfyn Evans.

«Witnessing Latvala jump into a Rally2 car and fight all these hungry youngsters will be a treat for all the spectators, and it’ll be fascinating to see where he slots in against Oliver Solberg and all the others up at the front who’ll be curious how they measure up to Latvala.”

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