With both championships decided this past weekend in France, we now begin to shift our focus to the 2011 season. The whole face of the WRC is set to change with the launch of the 2011 S2000T cars that occured late last week. I was not able to post the launch videos last week, so here are the launch videos for the Ford Fiesta RS WRC, Citroen DS3, and MINI Countryman WRC. These cars are based on a S2000 chassis and will run a 1.6 litre turbo charged engine. You…
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Rally – Ford Post Event Video
Rally – Loeb Storms to Win and 7th Title
Rally France has ended and was a bit all to predictable as Sebastien Loeb has taken Rally France and his seventh title in as many years. The rally itself was pretty cut and dry as nobody has been able to touch Loeb on the tarmac surface for sometime now. Even the rainy and muddy conditions could not slow down the Citroen ace from achieving what we all knew was eventually going to happen. Notable events from Day 2 that was not covered on the site include Kimi Raikkonen crashing as…
Read MoreRally – Loeb Cruising in France
Sebastian Loeb has started his France homecoming the only way he knows how by coming out and opening a 22sec lead after the first leg. Loeb is in prime position to take home the title this weekend and that has been the aim of Citroen the whole time. Take the C4’s last championship on home soil. Other notable happenings this weekend has been Ken Block’s return too tarmac and the overall Ford implosion that has been 2010. Fortunately for the Ford team, Jari-Matti Latvala was able to take two stage…
Read MoreEpisode 58 – Openpaddock.net Podcast
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadWe said last week that some pretty crazy stuff would have to happen for a podcast and well….you have downloaded it have you not? Mike and Doug fly solo this week (scary) and bring you news about HVM as well as Lotus. Doug feels bad that the new IZOD Indycar Series trophy is stacked..literally! They also cover WRC, Petit Le Mans and a number of other junior open wheel series. So sit back and enjoy the ramblings of Mike and Doug’s excellent adventure!
Read MoreF1 – Renault Excercise Caution…Rightfully So!
Eric Boullier and the Renault Formula 1 team have worked very hard this season with driver Robert Kubica to turn around what was a joke last season. A team that nearly folded shop has seemingly been returned to prominence this year and it has had to be THE feel good story of the year for F1. Kimi Raikkonen is still on the fence for his 2011 plans and Renault said today that they would not mind meeting Kimi face to face in order to understand what Kimi actually wants. I…
Read MoreRally – Citroen DS3 Teaser
Rally – Monster Offers Kimi
Kimi Raikkonen has been all the rage over the last couple of weeks. Is he staying in the WRC or heading back to Formula 1 to race for Renault? The 2007 Formula 1 World Champion has had a rough debut in his rookie WRC season, but many teams see Kimi as a potential regular points scorer and the Monster World Rally team has step forward. Along with the Citroen Junior squad, reports have Kimi getting offers from MINI and potentially Renault F1. However it is the apparent offer from Monster…
Read MoreRally – Loeb set to Retire After Next Year
The age of Seb 2.0 may be upon us after next season. Citroen number one and most successful rally driver of all time Sebastian Loeb is set to walk away from rally after next season. It has not been a secret that Loeb’s time in the WRC was coming to an end soon, and it looks as though 2011 will be it for the French ace. To be honest, what is there left for him to do? He has already smashed every record in the book and done so with…
Read MoreRally – MINI Showing Positive Progress
The Prodrive/MINI project seems to be coming along just fine. The MINI Clubman WRC has undergone its first serious gravel test and is looking to step up to a more intensive program. After last weeks test that saw the likes of Kris Meeke, Marcus Gronholm and Markko Martin driving the car on gravel, the team has indicated their intention to test the car once a month up until Christmas. The team was clear that the level of technical changes and situations would be limited but they would run the car…
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