FROM: ABU DHABI FORD WORLD RALLY TEAM: Ford’s all-new Fiesta RS World Rally Car made a perfect debut at Rally Sweden today to hold first and second places after the opening leg. Four of the top five positions in this opening round of the FIA World Rally Championship were owned by the car after an unpredictable start to the 2011 season in the blizzard-hit forests of central Sweden. Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team drivers Mikko Hirvonen and Jarmo Lehtinen are second, just 14.8sec from the lead, with team-mates Jari-Matti…
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Rally – Sweden Day 1
Finally the 2011 season proper has kicked off and what a first leg! Snow had fallen all night and was still roaring in the morning as the cars lined up for the start. Sebastien Loeb would be first on the road due to last year’s title standings. The French ace would suffer massive time loss as his DS3 struggled for grip on the loose powder. Jari-Matti Latvala would set a time over 40secs faster! Biggest loser in the first stage would be P-G Andersson who had been tipped to do…
Read MoreSSP – Kubica, Sandell, and DMACK *Update*
Welcome to this week’s Sunday Service Park and it is with great regret we kick off the column with terrible news. Yet again the motosport world has turned its eyes to rally and not for the right reasons. Lotus Renault F1 driver Robert Kubica suffered a huge accident this morning in Italy competing in the Ronde di Andora rally. The Formula 1 ace and a pre-season favorite has multiple fractures in his right arm and leg. The polish driver was air lifted to the hospital where surgery began on his right…
Read MoreRally – All-new Ford Fiesta RS WRC geared up for Rally Sweden debut
FROM: ABU DHABI FORD After completing more than 12000km of testing, the all-new Ford Fiesta RS World Rally Car will make its debut at Rally Sweden (10 – 13 February) next week. The opening round of the 2011 FIA World Rally Championship will introduce a fresh era to the sport, and the renamed Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team has prepared meticulously in the development of its new-generation WRC challenger. Testing broke through the 12000km barrier last week – the equivalent of more than two seasons of WRC competition –…
Read MoreRally – Tire War in 2012?
It would appear as though a year away from the WRC is all Pirelli needed. The Italian manufacturer has indicated that they would like to rejoin rally’s top flight as soon as 2012 after a one year break. The intent of the return is to attack Michelin and have a battle amongst top teams in 2012. “I want us to be back in the WRC in 2012, once those regulations are out, we will study them carefully and begin – if the conditions are right – to prepare ourselves. We…
Read MoreRally – Ford switches Fiesta RS WRC test plans for Arctic Rally
FROM: FORD Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team has dropped plans to debut its all-new Fiesta RS World Rally Car in Finland’s Arctic Lapland Rally (28 – 29 January) next weekend. Team drivers Mikko Hirvonen and Jarmo Lehtinen and team-mates Jari-Matti Latvala and Miikka Anttila were scheduled to drive a leg each in the two-day snow and ice rally based in Rovaniemi. It was due to be the final part of the squad’s pre-season test programme before next month’s opening round of the FIA World Rally Championship in Sweden. However,…
Read MoreRally – Sunday Service Park 1/23/11
After a brief break, we are back for another Sunday Service Park with just a few things happening…including the Monte Carlo Rally. Not a big deal is it? Team that with a few driver signings and we now present this weeks service park. Monte Carlo The IRC kicked off its season with the centenary edition of the Monte Carlo Rally. The Indy 500 of rally has really become an invitational event since leaving the WRC a couple years ago. Every year we see a couple WRC drivers step outside of…
Read MoreRally – Ford Fiesta RS Breaks Cover in 2011 Color Scheme
FROM: FORD BIRMINGHAM, 13 January 2011 – Ford’s all-new Fiesta RS World Rally Car was revealed in its 2011-specification today when the company unveiled the color scheme that will adorn the car in the FIA World Rally Championship. Team driver Mikko Hirvonen and Ford of Europe motorsport chief Gerard Quinn unveiled the livery for the eye-catching Fiesta RS WRC at the Autosport International Racing Car Show in Birmingham, motorsport’s traditional start-of-season showcase event. Ford’s official WRC squad for 2011 also confirmed its new name and logo – it will compete…
Read MoreRally – Stobart Changes
A number of changes have already occurred in preparations for what experts are calling an amazing 2011 WRC season. More changes have been released today involving the Stobart team this time. The satellite Ford team has made slight changes and added a driver for Sweden to up its chances for a great points haul in the opening round. First, the team that was known as the Stobart M-Sport Ford World Rally Team has changed its name to the M-Sport Stobart Ford Rally Team. Not a huge difference in a name…
Read MoreRally – Citroen Situation Update
The last 24 hours have been full of confusion and questions in regards to exactly what it is Citroen will be doing in the WRC. Heading into yesterday, we already knew that Loeb and Ogier would house the two factory rides. The former Citroen Junior squad was half full. Peter Van Merksteijn had been confirmed for 10 rounds of the championship which was due to start in Sweden for him. Enter Kimi Raikkonen and Petter Solberg. Both were rumored to land a Citroen ride as well but only four cars…
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