Rally – Ford Taps Sordo to Replace Injured Latvala at Rally Argentina
Ford World Rally Team has finalised an agreement for Dani Sordo and Carlos del Barrio to drive for the squad in next week’s Rally Argentina. The Spanish duo will replace regular drivers Jari-Matti Latvala and Miikka Anttila in a Ford Fiesta RS World Rally Car. Latvala was forced to withdraw from the fifth round of the FIA World Rally Championship after breaking his left collarbone in a cross-country ski-ing accident while training in northern... [Read More...]
WRC – Ford Set Fastest Times During Qualifying Stage
The Ford World Rally Team has struck the first blow during Rally Portugal with the Blue Ovals setting the top two times during qualifying. Jari-Matti Latvala led the way with 3m01.884s. That put him clear of second place Petter Solberg by 1.771s. Latvala admitted to taking risks during the 4 kilometer stage in order to take advantage of road conditions. With Portugal being a gravel rally, road position will be tricky to pick. While he could start... [Read More...]
WRC – Sandell Completes Fine Debut in MINI WRC
Patrik Sandell has finished eighth at Rally Sweden today and the highest placed local driver on his debut in the MINI John Cooper Works WRC. The Swedish driver finished the day in the same position he started and extended his lead over the chasing driver, Prokop. It has been a very strong debut for the Swede in his first outing in a World Rally Car with only established and far more experienced WRC drivers ahead of him. Sandell was in eighth position... [Read More...]
WRC – MINI Program Set to Implode
In what is turning out to be a rough start to the 2012 season, it looks as though the MINI program is set to implode on itself as soon as tomorrow. The team that has been run and operated by Prodrive indicated that a board meeting was taking place and that a decision would be announced tomorrow on the future of the operation. This coming after a second place finish at the Monte Carlo rally but a couple weeks ago. There are a number of issues that... [Read More...]
WRC – MINI Final Day from Monte Carlo
Monaco, 22nd January 2012. The MINI WRC Team concluded the fifth and final day of the Monte Carlo Rally by bringing Dani Sordo (ES) and Carlos del Barrio (ES) and Pierre Campana (FR) and Sabrina de Castelli (FR) to the finish on the principality’s harbourside second and seventh respectively. This was only the team’s seventh FIA World Rally Championship event, but it was the third podium for the Spanish crew. The sun was shining and the roads... [Read More...]
Rally – MINI Monte carlo Leg 2 Release
Valence (FR), 19th January 2012. After day two of the Monte Carlo Rally, and another 131.76 kilometres of stages, Dani Sordo (ES) and Carlos del Barrio (ES) were still fighting with Petter Solberg (NO) for the second podium position and had snatched the place back as the cars returned to Valence for the last time. Meanwhile the MINI WRC Team’s French crew, Pierre Campana and Sabrina de Castelli, were still in seventh after a trouble free day. In... [Read More...]
Best of Rally Live – Monte Carlo Leg 2
Rally – MINI World Rally Leg 1 Release
Valence (FR), 18th January 2012. At the end of a challenging day one of the Monte Carlo Rally the MINI WRC Team crews of Dani Sordo (ES) and Carlos del Barrio (ES) and Pierre Campana (FR) and Sabrina de Castelli (FR) were second and eighth respectively after 134.70 kilometres of competition over four stages. The weather was cold and dry with a little snow and some icy patches on the stages. The story of the rally was always going to be about tyre... [Read More...]
WRC – Makinig Sense of MINI
What a whirlwind the last couple of days have been in regards to the MINI/Prodrive WRC team. While the world’s attention was focused on Ford and whether or not they would join again with M-Sport, a situation was developing with the Banbury based team that came to the public eye this past week. Initial reporting had made it out to be a blunder of such when MINI failed to show up on the manufacturer entry list. After all, when the team was announced... [Read More...]
WRC – MINI Fails to Register for 2012
The more things change, the more they stay the same for some people. During Subaru’s dying days in the WRC, Prodrive was the subject of much criticism in how they performed and worked with the Japanese marque. While the prospect of Prodrive leading the BMW backed MINI was almost too good to be true, a major mistake has occurred and MINI are not in the 2012 championship fight at the moment. 19 Dec 2011 was the final day for teams to register.... [Read More...]
