Tag: Fiesta

WRC – Ford Standoff Maybe Nearing an End

Shaun

As soon as the WRC season ended, it was time to prepare for the short turn around that is the 2012 campaign. However, the future of M-Sport and Ford’s involvement in the World Rally Championship was brought into question as the latest deal between the two came to an end. Mikko Hirvonen left the team to pair with eight times champion Sebastien Loeb and dark days loomed for fans of the blue oval. Recent events in the media have shown that perhaps the standoff between Ford and M-Sport have come…

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Episode 114 – OpenPaddock.net Podcast

Shaun

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Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadJoin Shaun and Mike for all of the hot news this week in motorsport. We talk Ogier going to Citroen and Shaun tries to rationalize the Ford/M-Sport situation. We also look back and talk about the Brazilian Grand Prix. Where will Kimi go? Well we found out today Renault. We talk about it during the show. Join our Mazda Road to Indy editor Doug Patterson as he talks with Accelerace’s very own Ardie Greenamyer. Listen for details in the show about how you can…

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Episode 109 – OpenPaddock.net Podcast

Shaun

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Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadJoin Shaun and Mike as they discuss this week’s motorsport news. This week we look back very briefly at the tragic events of Las Vegas and pay respects to Dan Wheldon and Shaun briefly pays respects to MotoGP star Marco Simoncelli. We also take a look back at Rally Spain and look ahead to Rally GB. Mike also leads us into discussion on Formula 1 and the empty space that is Korea. As always, thank you for the download and we hope you enjoy…

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WRC – Double Podium in Spain Sends Ford’s Title Fight to Final Round

Shaun

Mikko Hirvonen and Jarmo Lehtinen’s quest for a maiden FIA World Rally Championship title will go to a final round shootout after Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team claimed a double podium in Rally de España today. They finished second in a Ford Fiesta RS World Rally Car with team-mates Jari-Matti Latvala and Miikka Anttila in third, ensuring the drivers’ crown will be decided in Britain next month. The 31-year-old Finn’s title challenge was boosted when Latvala sacrificed second position shortly before the finish to ensure his team-mate maximised his…

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WRC – Update After Day 1 for Rally Spain

Shaun

Just a brief recap here of the events of day 1 for Rally Spain. Keep it to OpenPaddock as the teams post indepth reviews of their first day for the penultimate round of the championship. Conditions were the name of the game for the gravel stages today. Loeb would start first on the road and usually that is an issue, but conditions actually favored the French ace as dust would cause the cars running behind massive problems. The gravel stages were very dry and there was not much of a…

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Rally – Ford Fiesta RS WRC Ready for Asphalt Rally Debut in Germany

Shaun

From: Abu Dhabi Ford World Rally TeamThe Ford Fiesta RS World Rally Car makes its asphalt rally debut when Rallye Deutschland (19 – 21 August) signals the opening sealed surface round of this season’s FIA World Rally Championship. The car competed in gravel specification on asphalt in Argentina in May, but this eighth round of the series will be the first opportunity to see the Fiesta RS WRC in action in full asphalt trim. Drivers Mikko Hirvonen and Jarmo Lehtinen and team-mates Jari-Matti Latvala and Miikka Anttila tested the new-for-2011…

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Episode 98 – OpenPaddock.net Podcast

Shaun

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Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadJoin Shaun and Mike this week as they talk everything motorsport. We recap the German Grand Prix as well as Edmonton. Are we harsh this week like we were with the Toronto show? We also prepare for Rally Finland and the high speed/crest a plenty event as Ford looks to rebound and assert themselves back into the title hunt. As always, sit back and enjoy the show….Episode 99 next week….

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Rally – Hirvonen Heads Ford’s Greek Challenge After Day of Attrition

Shaun

Mikko Hirvonen and Jarmo Lehtinen ended today’s gruelling opening leg of the Acropolis Rally in third place for Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team. The Greek encounter is famed as the toughest round of the FIA World Rally Championship, but their Ford Fiesta RS World Rally Car emerged unscathed from the rock-strewn mountain tracks north of Athens to lie 55.3sec from the lead. Team-mates Jari-Matti Latvala and Miikka Anttila were second throughout the day in their Fiesta RS WRC. However, transmission troubles cost almost 3min 30sec during the final speed…

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