Archive for February, 2008

JWRC – Rally Mexico – The Juniors get underway in sunny Mexico

Monday, February 25th, 2008

Last year, Citroën launched the C2 Junior Experience within the framework of the FIA Junior Rally Championship. After a very positive first season, Citroën will repeat the scheme in 2008 but this time with three eligible cars: the C2 Super 1600, the C2-R2 and the new C2-R2 MAX. It is a popular move: five out of the nine cars that have entered the opening round of this year’s Junior series in Mexico are Citroëns.
« When we started the C2 Junior Experience in 2007, a large number of the Junior Championship competitors were already Citroën drivers, » comments Jean-François Liénéré, who is in charge of Citroën Sport’s customer operation. « Now, with more than half the Junior field in a Citroën at the start of Rally Mexico, we’re once again pleased to note that we are clearly responding to our customers’ demands. »

As was the case last year, the Juniors have to nominate six rallies on which to score points. They have the choice of four gravel rounds and three asphalt events, now that the option of a snow rally has been taken off the calendar. Unusually the drivers will spend a lot of time outside Europe this year, as after Mexico the Junior calendar takes in the Jordan Rally as round two.

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WRC – Rally Mexico – Altitude running for Citroën, Loeb and Sordo

Monday, February 25th, 2008

The third round of the 2008 World Rally Championship takes the series to Mexico where the stages twist through the hills near León, in the state of Guanajuato, which is situated at an altitude of 1,800 metres. Citroën Total has entered two C4 WRCs for Sébastien Loeb/Daniel Elena and Dani Sordo/Marc Martí, while the C4 WRC entered by Conrad Rautenbach/David Senior will be run by PH Sport with support from Citroën Sport Technologies technicians.
The WRC regulars look forward to the Mexican fixture and one of the reasons for that is the fact that it is the first outing of the year on gravel, the season’s most frequently encountered surface type (10 rallies from 15). “Mexico tends to be dry and hot, and it is also the year’s first dirt rally,” confirms Citroën Sport’s Technical Manager, Xavier Mestelan-Pinon. “Once the first three events are behind us, we will have a clearer picture of this season’s key players and of the areas in which we will need to improve in our bid to win the Drivers’ and Manufacturers’ titles.”

The route is practically identical to that of 2007, with 354km of against-the-clock action. “The fact that the stages are repeated from one year to the next is something we need to take into account,” continues Xavier Mestelan-Pinon. “The conditions could be rougher this time round and the high altitudes we visit – up to 2,700 metres – will again play a key role. Because of the lower atmospheric pressure, the engines deliver less power and their cooling systems work less efficiently. That said, this is known territory for us now and we took these parameters into account during our test programme for this rally.”

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Gravel roads, new tyres and mountain peaks as SWRT goes West

Friday, February 22nd, 2008

The Subaru World Rally Team will travel west to the Americas for the third event of the season, the Corona Rally Mexico, after its late inclusion in this year’s WRC calendar. The first traditional gravel rally of the year is also the first long-haul event, and the only time the crews will visit the North American continent.

Based in the city of Leon in the Guanajuato region of Mexico’s central highlands, the event promises very different conditions to any seen so far this year in either Monte Carlo or Sweden. On the event where the Impreza WRC2007 was launched last year, crews will compete for the first time on Pirelli’s new Scorpion gravel championship control tyre, available in only one compound and tread pattern. It will be the third different tyre design crews have used in the first three events of the year.

Crews are banned from cutting the tread of their tyres this year, which on gravel typically meant opening up the tread pattern to maximise the tyre’s ability to cut through the loose surface. This will mean road position is crucial as those further down the order will benefit from road cleaning, meaning a smoothing of the loose surface that will afford the standard tread better traction.
The region’s hard-packed gravel roads are some of the highest of the year. Generally fast, they are tricky as they don’t naturally flow through the mountainous terrain. The challenging combination of high and slow-speed sections make it difficult for crews to establish a rhythm along the sometimes narrow and technical tests. Those who are smoothest will improve the life and therefore grip from their tyres on the abrasive surface where tyre wear is very high.

These conditions traditionally suit Subaru very well, and Petter Solberg and Phil Mills won here in 2005 and established an early lead last year before being forced into retirement. Chris Atkinson also held second position last year before running into difficulty and finishing fifth.

The route is much the same as last year with only minor additions to sections of the Ortega and El Cubilete speed tests. Rally Mexico is the most compact route in the WRC, and this year is even more so than last with a total distance of just 830 kilometres. The 354 competitive kilometres of gravel roads traverse the mountains of the Sierra de Lobos and Sierra de Guanajuato to the east of Leon, reaching a peak altitude of just over 2700 metres where the oxygen is thin and engines struggle to develop power.

The event opens with a ceremonial start on Thursday night in front of the Alhondiga de Granaditas, an historic grain storage building which now serves as a regional museum. A change from the first two events, the weather forecast is dry and windy, with temperatures reaching 25 degrees Celsius. Each day is concluded by a 2.21km spectator stage, located 15km south-west of Leon, which will be run a total of five times over the three days to bring the action from the mountains to the local fans.

Entries
The Subaru World Rally Team have entered two Impreza WRC2007s for Rally Mexico. Petter Solberg / Phil Mills will drive car number five and Chris Atkinson / Stéphane Prévot will be in car number six. Solberg and Mills have finished on the podium twice in the last three years. Atkinson finished fifth last year, his best result in Mexico, but this will be his first running of the event alongside Prévot.

Team quotes
David Richards, Subaru World Rally Team Principal: “Mexico is a totally different challenge to that we have seen so far this year. It’s an event on which Subaru have a good record, and it really demonstrates the strength of our engine. Petter and Chris ran strongly on this event last year and, using the same car that we debuted then, I expect our performance to put us firmly towards the top of the timesheets.”

Paul Howarth, Subaru World Rally Team operations director: “We’ve gone well in Mexico in the past and the conditions suit both drivers and our cars. Recent tests with Pirelli’s new Scorpion tyre have been positive, but have shown that tyre wear will be a real factor in what we consider to be an endurance event. The stages will be a lot cleaner for the second passes and road position is important. You will lose time starting first on the road as for those further back there will be more grip as the surface becomes cleaner. The roads do get very abrasive though as the loose surface is swept away, and as grip increases, the tyres have to really work hard.”

Driver quotes
Petter Solberg: “We go to Mexico knowing that we have won here in the past, but we don’t approach it any differently to Monte or Sweden. We made some good steps forward in the test last week, so we go to Mexico with a good setup. We’ll drive our own rally, push as hard as we can and see what happens. I hope we will be strong again here as it’s good for everyone if we can be fighting at the front.”

Chris Atkinson: “It’s a difficult rally with the altitude and the conditions, but we approach it with the same strategy as we have started this year with. Last year we had a good result and good pace on the first day, so if we can maintain consistency throughout the event then I hope we can get a good finish. We have a strong engine in the car that seems to perform well at altitude which I think is one of the reasons we go well here. I like the feeling of the rally as it’s good to have such a variation in speed and conditions that keeps you entertained! Visually it’s appealing and very different, and that’s what rallying is all about.”

Between the rallies
After the Swedish Rally both Impreza WRC2007s travelled straight to Spain for a four day gravel test ahead of Rally Mexico. The duo of Solberg and Mills completed two and a half days, and the pairing of Atkinson and Prévot completed one and a half days to develop a setup for Mexico and the remaining gravel rallies and to test Pirelli’s new gravel tyre. The team also tested suspension and damper components in what was the final test for the WRC2007 as the emphasis shifts to the Impreza WRC2008.

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Championship leader Ford aims to cut loose on Mexican gravel

Friday, February 22nd, 2008

After establishing a strong early season lead in the FIA World Rally Championship on asphalt and snow, BP Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team journeys to North America next week for the first of seven consecutive gravel events. Loose surface roads are the dominant terrain in the series, hosting 10 of the 15 rounds, and so Rally Mexico (28 February – 2 March) will offer the best guideline to date for the season ahead.

The Ford Focus RS World Rally Car claimed a clean sweep of the podium positions in Sweden earlier this month with BP Ford Abu Dhabi on the top two steps. Combined with second place on the season-opener in Monte Carlo in January, the reigning world manufacturers’ champion travels to this third round with a 10-point lead. Mikko Hirvonen and Jarmo Lehtinen are six points clear in the drivers’ table with Sweden winners Jari-Matti Latvala and Miikka Anttila tied in second.

Ford is a major sponsor of the rally, which is based in León in the centre of the country. It is the first of three consecutive rounds outside Europe and is also the highest in the championship. Most speed tests are over 2000m and the first leg climbs to more than 2700m on hillsides awash with cacti and water crossings. The altitude takes its toll on cars as the thinner air means engines ‘run out of breath’ and can lose up to 30 per cent of their usual power.

The special stages are fast and flowing and average speeds last year topped 96kph. They are mostly hard-packed gravel, although some are sandier, and organisers worked closely with local authorities to build stages for the rally that also opened up new link roads for isolated villages.

Hirvonen, whose best finish in his three previous starts was third last year, will be first in the start order on the opening day courtesy of being championship leader for the first time in his career.

“First on the road isn’t the best place to be in Mexico because there will be loose gravel and stones on the road surface,” said the 27-year-old Finn. “It’s better to be further down the order where the roads will be cleaner but I don’t mind putting up with that if it means I lead the championship. I really don’t want to start first on Saturday or Sunday though, and it will be interesting to see if tactics come into play at the end of the first day as drivers try to obtain a better start position for the rest of the weekend.

“Technically the roads are a mix. About 50 per cent is quite straightforward and the rest is more difficult. There are also plenty of stones on the edge of the road. In the past, with puncture-resistant mousse in the tyres, that wouldn’t have been a problem but now it’s something I have to think about more carefully. The altitude is the most difficult aspect because the higher the stages, the less power there is and sometimes when you need the power it isn’t there. I will attack as hard as I can from the start. We had a good test last week and I was pleased with Pirelli’s gravel tyre. I’m not concerned about punctures or tyre wear,” added Hirvonen.

Latvala became the youngest driver in history to win a WRC round in Sweden last month on only his second outing with the BP Ford Abu Dhabi team. The 22-year-old Finn acknowledges that victory imposed demands on him that he had not experienced before. “It was a surprise because I didn’t expect so much media interest and I was very busy handling interviews for a few days after the rally,” he said.

“I don’t have as much experience in Mexico compared to some other rounds and I need to be a bit calmer than in Sweden. Another win isn’t a realistic aim and I would be happy with a top three position. I was very satisfied with last week’s test. Pirelli’s tyres felt strong. I had a couple of impacts with stones but no punctures so I have no concerns.

Latvala was seventh last year, his best result from just two starts, and has learned to be cautious of the water crossings. “In the recce the roads are in good condition but it’s surprising how many big impacts the cars can take during the rally itself. Where the water flows down from the mountains and crosses the roads, the concrete crossings can be deep and after a fast section the car can take quite a hard impact there,” he explained.

Team News

* The team prepared for the rally with a four-day test at Chateau Lastours in France following the Swedish Rally. It was the first opportunity for both Hirvonen and Latvala to test Pirelli’s new gravel tyre. Each drove for two days, concentrating on tyre work and completing about 400km each with no punctures. They also tested some new development parts for the Focus RS.

* As part of the sport’s new regulations, BP Ford Abu Dhabi will have just one tyre pattern from new partner, Pirelli. The Scorpion gravel tyre, which will make its competitive debut in Mexico, will be available in hard compound only. Because anti-deflation mousse is also outlawed this year, the Scorpion includes reinforced sidewalls to offer increased protection against punctures Teams are not allowed to hand-carve additional cuts into the rubber and each car can carry two spares.

* Four other Focus RS cars will start the rally. Gigi Galli / Giovanni Bernacchini and Matthew Wilson / Scott Martin will be nominated for points by the Stobart VK M-Sport team. The Munchi’s Ford World Rally Team will make its season debut with Henning Solberg / Cato Menkerud and Federico Villagra / Jorge Pérez Companc nominated to score. Rally Mexico is not part of the programme for Abu Dhabi’s Khalid Al Qassimi / Michael Orr.

Rally Route

Mexico was a late inclusion in the calendar following the withdrawal of Rally Australia. The route is virtually identical to 2007 with just a few small variations to some stages. It has the shortest route ever for a WRC event, covering just 830.83km with a remarkable 43 per cent of that being competitive. It is based in León, 400km north of Mexico City, with stages to the north and east. It is the highest round in the series, with the opening day’s Ortega test climbing through cacti-filled mountains to a breathtaking 2737m. It begins on Thursday evening with a spectacular ceremonial start in Guanajuato, which last year was packed with more than 60,000 fans. The town is a UNESCO-designated World Heritage Site, famed for its beauty and underground road network. The opening two days comprise two identical loops of three stages before two passes over a super special stage at León’s race circuit. The track also hosts a double run on Sunday morning to bring the rally to a close. Drivers tackle 20 stages covering 353.75km.

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