| myevo.com |
|
|
|
|
|
|
courtesy of Mitsubishi Ralliart... |
|
2002 FIA World Rally Championship Round 12 – Rally New Zealand (3-6 October) Sunday 6 October 2002 News Release #5 MITSUBISHI BUOYED BY GRAVEL PROGRESS The Marlboro Mitsubishi Ralliart crew of François Delecour and Daniel Grataloup finished Rally New Zealand in ninth position after 26 special stages and 411.40 competitive kilometres. Team-mates Jani Paasonen and Arto Kapanen had enjoyed a sensational pace over the weekend, underlining the potential of the Lancer Evolution WRC2, however the Finnish pair were forced onto the sidelines during the second leg. Rally New Zealand was won by Marcus Gronholm who registered his fourth victory of the season in the Peugeot 206WRC. More significantly, the Finn and co-driver Timo Rautiainen have clinched the Drivers' Championship after nearest rivals Richard Burns and Colin McRae crashed out of the event. The Drivers' crown therefore returns to Finland for the 12th time in the 25-year history of the Championship. In another crushing display of domination, Peugeot's Harri Rovanpera finished second, recording the French manufacturers' eighth maximum points haul of the year, assuring them the FIA World Rally Championship for Manufacturers for the third consecutive year. After one of the longest days in the FIA World Rally Championship and one of the shortest overnight halts of the year - courtesy of the clocks moving forward one hour last night - 46 bleary eyed crews left Auckland at 06:00 hrs for the final leg of Rally New Zealand. The route, which was the shortest of the three, was still no cruise to the finish however and the contenders faced eight special stages and 90.16 kilometres of competition. Weather conditions remained dry, clear blue skies and 24 degree temperatures adding to the spectacular scenery around the southern base of Te Kauwhata, 75 kilometres south of the city. The Marlboro Mitsubishi Ralliart crew of François Delecour and Daniel Grataloup maintained position throughout the leg to return to Auckland in ninth position. "There was a lot of loose gravel on the stages this morning and the long one (SS20) was the most difficult stage of the rally because there was so much dust and the roads are very narrow," commented François. "Running just one car back makes a difference, although we were still cleaning the roads of loose gravel. We backed off in the last couple of stages because there was no sense in pushing to the very end. Having looked at the data to analyse Jani's driving style here, we've now learned more about the technique that works best with the Mitsubishi in these conditions." Adding to François' comments, Marlboro Mitsubishi Ralliart team manager Derek Dauncey said: "Jani's performance and his series of exceptional stage times has been the highlight of the season so far. He approached the event with a very mature attitude and did exactly what the team asked of him, and more. His brief was to set competitive stage times and he performed that task perfectly. Obviously it was disappointing to lose him, but we've now shown the car is competitive, with Jani consistently beating the Fords and Subarus. François lacked confidence in his driving in the first leg; he was happy with the car but his stage times didn't reflect that. This meant he was first on the road for leg two, which obviously had a huge effect from there on. However, he used the rest of the event to gain knowledge and experience that he and the team can take forward to Australia." Meanwhile… Just 10 of the FIA World Rally Championship contenders finished Rally New Zealand, some of the event's legendary winners crashing out, including Colin McRae (Ford) and Richard Burns (Peugeot). Marcus Gronholm (Peugeot) however went on to win for the fourth time this year. Team-mate Harri Rovanpera maintained second position but a late scare with hydraulic problems in stage 24 slowed the Finn significantly and he was relieved to make the finish. Third-placed Petter Solberg was forced into a heart-wrenching retirement in the penultimate stage, the engine in the Subaru expiring after the Norwegian was almost guaranteed a podium position for the fourth time this year. Team-mate Tommi Makinen therefore inherited third, notching up his fourth points finish of the season. Carlos Sainz (Ford) too had a scare in stage 24, the Spaniard going off the road, hitting a tree and damaging the suspension. Fortunately repairs were facilitated at the end of the stage and the Madrid-based driver finished fourth overall. Hyundai recorded its best performance of the year, the Korean manufacturer claiming points with Juha Kankkunen and Freddy Loix, both of whom also picked up the last drivers' points. Coming next … The FIA World Rally Championship contenders remain in the Southern Hemisphere for the penultimate round, Rally Australia (31 October-3 November). Based in Perth, the remotest city in the world, the event is one of the highlights of the year, despite the exacting challenge of precision car control over fast narrow stages covered in unique marble-shaped gravel. Rally New Zealand – Final Results 1. Marcus Gronholm/Timo Rautiainen Peugeot 3hr 58min 45.4sec 2. Harri Rovanpera/Voitto Silander Peugeot 4hr 02min 33.0sec 3. Tommi Makinen/Kaj Lindstrom Subaru 4hr 03min 11.7sec 4. Carlos Sainz/Luis Moya Ford 4hr 04min 34.3sec 5. Juha Kankkunen/Juha Repo Hyundai 4hr 05min 55.6sec 6. Freddy Loix/Sven Smeets Hyundai 4hr 06min 37.9sec 7. Gilles Panizzi/Herve Panizzi Peugeot 4hr 07min 09.8sec 8. Toni Gardemeister/Paavo Lukander Skoda 4hr 07min 41.5sec 9. François Delecour/Daniel Grataloup Mitsubishi 4hr 09min 29.0sec 10. Armin Schwarz/Manfred Hiemer Hyundai 4hr 10min 20.2sec 2002 FIA World Rally Championship for Drivers Marcus Gronholm 67 points Richard Burns 34 points Colin McRae 33 points Gilles Panizzi 31 points Carlos Sainz 29 points Harri Rovanpera 24 points Petter Solberg 23 points Tommi Makinen 19 points Sebastien Loeb 18 points Markko Martin 12 points Philippe Bugalski 7 points Thomas Radstrom 4 points Alister McRae 2 points Toni Gardemeister 2 points Bruno Thiry 2 points Juha Kankkunen 2 points Kenneth Eriksson 1 point Jesus Puras 1 point Freddy Loix 1 point 2002 FIA World Rally Championship for Manufacturers Peugeot 147 points Ford 89 points Subaru 50 points Mitsubishi 9 points Hyundai 9 points Skoda 8 points |
|
| 2002 FIA World Rally Championship Round 11 – Rallye Sanremo (19-22 September) Sunday 22 September 2002 DELECOUR SCORES A POINT FOR MITSUBISHI The Marlboro Mitsubishi Ralliart crew of François Delecour and Daniel Grataloup scored a point for Mitsubishi in the 2002 Rallye Sanremo when they brought their Lancer Evolution WRC2 home in 10th position, sixth of the registered crews. Gilles Panizzi notched up his third consecutive victory on Italy's asphalt roads and remarkably Peugeot scored yet another one-two points haul - it's seventh of the season - when Marcus Gronholm finished second. The French manufacturer now holds a commanding 45 point advantage over Ford with 48 points left to claim. In the Drivers' Championship, Marcus Gronholm continues to lead, the Finn 23 points ahead of team-mate Richard Burns. Colin McRae slips to third, just one point behind his fellow countryman, with Gilles Panizzi moving up to fourth. Just 36 of the original 53 crews contesting Rallye Sanremo took the re-start in the Riviera resort early this morning for the final day of competition in the Ligurian mountains. Today's route included two loops of two stages totalling 88.02 kilometres which brought the crews back to Sanremo for the finish at 15:00 hrs (local GMT-2). Weather conditions have, contrary to forecasts earlier in the week, remained dry, clear and sunny, providing a consistent surface for the drivers as they powered over the twisty roads high above the Mediterranean coastline. The Marlboro Mitsubishi Ralliart crew of François Delecour and Daniel Grataloup maintained their 10th position throughout the day, the deficit to rivals ahead too great to overcome in just four stages. "The first stage was quite good, the surface was very smooth with no bumps - very fast, like a circuit," commented François. "We were flat-out in both stages this morning, but we eased off this afternoon since the gap was realistically too big to close and we didn't want to take any risks. It's been a tough rally with so many competitive cars and drivers, and I think if we hadn't lost time on the first leg with the turbo problem we would have had a big fight with Colin (McRae) through most of the event. However, we've definitely seen an improvement with the car, especially from the engine, and although we need to carry on developing it and moving forward, this has given us yet more information and idea of which direction to move. Also I'm really pleased to have got another point for Mitsubishi." Adding to his comments, Marlboro Mitsubishi Ralliart Team Director John Easton said: "With the troubles we had at the beginning of the event and the time lost, to come away with a manufacturer point is very pleasing. The stage times are showing that we've improved the performance of the car, and we're looking forward to continuing this development for the remaining three events of the season." Meanwhile… The face of the leaderboard remained unchanged during the final leg, Gilles Panizzi (Peugeot) maintaining a steady pace to guarantee victory, his third of the season. Team-mate Marcus Gronholm drove with a degree of caution, again to secure maximum points for Peugeot. Petter Solberg (Subaru) was delighted to finish on the podium in third position, his highest-ever finish on an asphalt rally. Having lost the position to the Norwegian yesterday, Richard Burns (Peugeot) maintained his fourth position and the final two points-scoring positions were claimed by Ford's junior driver Markko Martin and Jesus Puras (Citroen). Cedric Robert, a regular S1600 driver in the French Rally Championship, scored an impressive seventh in a semi-works Peugeot 206WRC, finishing ahead of 1995 World Champion, Colin McRae (Ford). Harri Rovanpera finished ninth to fill the top 10 leaderboard with no fewer than six Peugeots and Citroens. Coming next … The FIA World Rally Championship contenders now head to the most southerly event in the series, Rally New Zealand (3-6 October). The fast and flowing roads on the North Island are viewed as some of the best in the world, allowing drivers to exploit their cars' performance to the full. Rallye Sanremo - Final Results 1. Gilles Panizzi/Herve Panizzi Peugeot 4hr 10min 15.6sec 2. Marcus Gronholm/Timo Rautiainen Peugeot 4hr 10min 36.5sec 3. Petter Solberg/Phil Mills Subaru 4hr 11min 22.0sec 4. Richard Burns/Robert Reid Peugeot 4hr 11min 34.5sec 5. Markko Martin/Michael Park Ford 4hr 12min 10.5sec 6. Jesus Puras/Carlos Del Barrio Citroen 4hr 12min 54.9sec 7. Cedric Robert/Gerald Bedon Peugeot 4hr 13min 16.9sec 8. Colin McRae/Nicky Grist Ford 4hr 15min 33.1sec 9. Harri Rovanpera/Voitto Silander Peugeot 4hr 16min 34.5sec 10. François Delecour/Daniel Grataloup Mitsubishi 4hr 17min 40.0sec 2002 FIA World Rally Championship for Drivers Marcus Gronholm 57 points Richard Burns 34 points Colin McRae 33 points Gilles Panizzi 31 points Carlos Sainz 26 points Petter Solberg 23 points Sebastien Loeb 18 points Harri Rovanpera 18 points Tommi Makinen 15 points Markko Martin 12 points Philippe Bugalski 7 points Thomas Radstrom 4 points Alister McRae 2 points Toni Gardemeister 2 points Bruno Thiry 2 points Kenneth Eriksson 1 point Jesus Puras 1 point 2002 FIA World Rally Championship for Manufacturers Peugeot 131 points Ford 86 points Subaru 46 points Mitsubishi 9 points Skoda 8 points Hyundai 6 points |
|
|
2002 FIA World Rally Championship Round 11 – Rallye Sanremo (19-22 September) Thursday 19 September 2002 News Release #2 MITSUBISHI READY FOR LAST ASPHALT RUN OF THE SEASON Marlboro Mitsubishi Ralliart completed its final preparations for the 2002 Rallye Sanremo today when the team's registered crews ran the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution WRC2s for the final time ahead of tonight's ceremonial start in the centre of the old Riviera resort of Sanremo. A five-day test two weeks ago on representative asphalt roads near Monte Carlo assisted the team in its preparations for the final sealed surface rally of the season and, while there has only been a three week break in the calendar, Marlboro Mitsubishi Ralliart is encouraged by on-going progress with the Lancer Evolution WRC2. Conditions can however be unpredictable at the start of the Mediterranean autumn, making Rallye Sanremo another tough event for the FIA World Rally Championship contenders. "The test was actually quite difficult because conditions were wet and very changeable, but we now have a good set-up for that eventuality and there is always a possibility of rain here in the Italian mountains where conditions can change so quickly," commented Chief Engineer Bernard Lindauer. "Since Germany we have reduced the weight of the car by over 35 kilos and done more engine development work and this, combined with the fine-tuning of the set-up, means the drivers are a bit more confident and the car seems to be more positive." François Delecour and Daniel Grataloup completed just five runs over the two kilometre shakedown road 80 kilometres to the northeast of Sanremo, the French pair satisfied with their preparatory work. "Although the test was wet it gave us a chance to fine-tune the set-up for these conditions, and hopefully these roads should suit the car quite well," commented François. "The engine is feeling very different here with more lower and mid-end torque, which suits my style of driving quite well. The stages are in quite good condition, although maybe we will see them very dirty on the second leg when they are run in reverse. Hopefully we can build on the progress we made in Germany and have a good three days of solid competition." Team-mates Alister McRae and David Senior similarly only completed four runs and the British duo are looking forward to reaping the benefits of the work put in bythe team on the Tarmac-specification Lancer Evolution WRC2. "I never really had a chance to show the potential in Germany after all the development work we'd done, so I'm looking forward to a good clean run and the opportunity to hone the settings further," said Alister. "I am much more confident with the car now and think we keep making small steps forward, which is obviously good." Adding to their comments, Marlboro Mitsubishi Ralliart Team Manager Derek Dauncey said: "Tyres and weather crews are vital here and we've seen in the past that good information from the stages can reap huge rewards. Conditions can change extremely quickly, but we have an experienced team of people and can hopefully look forward to a good weekend of competition." The 44th Rallye Sanremo kicks off tonight with a ceremonial start in the Riviera resort at 20:30 hrs however it is not until early tomorrow following morning that the contenders head into the mountains for high-speed action. The opening leg, run to the north of Sanremo, includes eight special stages over 147.25 kilometres. |
|
4 September 2002 Mitsubishi Motors and Marlboro to part company Mitsubishi Motors Corporation ( " MMC " ) today announces that the Marlboro sponsorship of the Marlboro Mitsubishi Ralliart team would cease at the end of the 2002 FIA World Rally Championship season. The decision was taken mutually between Mitsubishi Motors and Marlboro, both of whom feel the time has come for the two organisations to move in different directions. Marlboro has been the principal sponsor of the team since the beginning of the 1999 season. Commenting on the announcement, Andrew Cowan, Team Chairman, says "Through its WRC team, Mitsubishi Motors and Marlboro have worked together very closely over the last four years and have enjoyed much success during that time. However, we now feel that the time has come to move on and we wish them well for the future ." He adds : "This new direction will give us the possibility to help building further direct awareness for the Brand through motor sports, at a time where it is being revisited and revitalised ". Describing the new spirit and attitude at Mitsubishi Motors through the very motor sports oriented " Speed - Passion – Commitment – Teamwork " analogy, at this year's Geneva Auto Show, Rolf Eckrodt – President and CEO of MMC emphasized indeed the sport as an essential element of MMC's Brand and Corporate Turnaround strategy, be it WRC or Cross Country. Mitsubishi Motors has been involved in motor sports since 1962 and is one of the most successful manufacturers of all time, with four drivers WRC titles and one manufacturer WRC title in the last six years. In Cross Country, Mitsubishi has won Paris-Dakar seven times and four world titles. And with machines like the road legal Lancer Evolution VII or just revealed concept car-turned cross country racer MPR10, it is more than ever committed to success in motor sports. The Marlboro Mitsubishi Ralliart team will continue business as usual for the remainder of the 2002 FIA World Rally Championship, which culminates with the Rally of Great Britain on November 15-17. |
|
|
2002 FIA World Rally Championship Round 10 – Rallye Deutschland (22-25 August) Sunday 25 August 2002 News Release #5 DELECOUR CLAIMS POINT FOR MITSUBISHI The Marlboro Mitsubishi Ralliart crew of François Delecour and Daniel Grataloup claimed a point in the Manufacturers' Championship for Mitsubishi today when they brought their Lancer Evolution WRC2 home in ninth position on Rallye Deutschland, round 10 of the FIA World Rally Championship. The first World Championship round of Rallye Deutschland was won by Citroen's Sebastien Loeb, the 28-year-old Frenchman claiming his first victory at this level and the French manufacturer's only win of the season. While Loeb claims 10 points for himself, Peugeot once again claims maximum points in the Manufacturers' Championship, Richard Burns and Marcus Gronholm finishing second and third of the registered makes. In the series, Peugeot therefore extends its lead to 34 points over second placed Ford. In the Drivers' Championship, Gronholm and Colin McRae remain first and second, with Richard Burns moving ahead of Carlos Sainz into third position. Fifty of the original 86 competitors started the final leg this morning, the crews heading southeast of Trier for seven special stages and 102.93 competitive kilometres. The action was centred around the picturesque city of St. Wendel, near the tranquil Bostalsee, but dramas began early and battles raged throughout the day. François Delecour and Daniel Grataloup fared less well today, the French pair down on power for most of the leg. They managed to maintain eighth position until being overhauled by Ford's Carlos Sainz in stage 21. "At the beginning of the day the engine started to lose boost and therefore power," commented François. "The team couldn't really find the problem and it gradually got worse and felt more like the WRC1 engine because it was less responsive. Overall the feeling from the event has been better. We did some very good times yesterday and have managed to improve the car further, step by step, throughout the event. We've now got some ideas to develop before Sanremo, which hopefully will allow us to show more of the car's potential on an event that should suit us reasonably well." Adding to his comments, co-driver Daniel Grataloup said: "We're happy to have got through the event without making any mistakes, as that would have been costly. We're glad to have scored a point for Mitsubishi, but of course we would like to have got one for ourselves as well." Commenting on the performance of the Lancer Evolution WRC2 in its debut competitive outing on asphalt, Marlboro Mitsubishi Ralliart chief engineer Bernard Lindauer said: "The car has definitely progressed on Tarmac and we're getting closer to the top of the leaderboard. We must also remember that this is still an early stage of development for the WRC2 on this surface and we believe there's more to come for Sanremo. We have a one week test planned beforehand, where we hope we can use the experience gained here to push the car's performance even further forward." Echoing those comments, team manager Derek Dauncey said: "We're very pleased with the car's performance. It's been a difficult event for cars and crews alike, and François' times during leg two, in particular, were very rewarding for the whole team. Overall we've come away from the event very pleased and looking forward to further improvements for Sanremo. Generally, for the first running of Rallye Deutschland in the World Championship, the organisation has coped reasonably well with the challenges." Meanwhile… Few could have imagined the drama that would unfold in the opening stages of the final leg, three of the leading crews hitting problems almost immediately. Armin Kremer, 10th overnight in the Focus, went off the road and into retirement in the opening stage of the day and Harri Rovanpera - who lost the rear wing on the 206WRC in stage 18 - ultimately retired in stage 19, the lack of stability and downforce causing him to go off the road. Carlos Sainz (Ford) also lost two minutes, the Spaniard's Ford refusing to fire-up on the start line of stage 17. Sebastien Loeb claimed a maiden victory, despite some controversy over the route he took on the super special stage at the end of leg two. Richard Burns pushed the Frenchman hard, but the Peugeot driver was ultimately unable to match the pace of the Citroen. Marcus Gronholm claimed third, recording Peugeot's seventh one-two finish of the season in the Manufacturers' Championship. Colin McRaebrought the lead Focus home in fourth, with Makinen and Eriksson, in the sole remaining Subaru and Skoda, seventh and 10th respectively. Coming next … The FIA World Rally Championship remains in Europe but takes a three-week break before heading to north-western Italy for the final asphalt round in the series, Rallye Sanremo (20-22 September). The green wooded mountains above the Riviera resort are criss-crossed by a maze of twisty roads that wind over narrow passes and through tranquil villages, providing spectacular action for the thousands of fans who passionately follow the event. Rallye Deutschland – Provisional Final Results 1. Sebastien Loeb/Daniel Elena Citroen 3hr 47min 17.3sec 2. Richard Burns/Robert Reid Peugeot 3hr 47min 31.6sec 3. Marcus Gronholm/Timo Rautiainen Peugeot 3hr48min 36.4sec 4. Colin McRae/Nicky Grist Ford 3hr 51min 02.6sec 5. Bruno Thiry/Stephane Prevot Peugeot 3hr 52min 36.1sec 6. Markko Martin/Michael Park Ford 3hr 52min 50.3sec 7. Tommi Makinen/Kaj Lindstrom Subaru 3hr52min 56.5sec 8. Carlos Sainz/Luis Moya Ford 3hr 53min 34.3sec 9. François Delecour/Daniel Grataloup Mitsubishi 3hr 53min 53.2sec 10. Kenneth Eriksson/Tina Thorner Skoda 4hr00min 51.5sec 2002 FIA World Rally Championship for Drivers Marcus Gronholm 51 points Colin McRae 33 points Richard Burns 31 points Carlos Sainz 26 points Gilles Panizzi 21 points Petter Solberg 19 points Sebastien Loeb 18 points Harri Rovanpera 18 points Tommi Makinen 15 points Markko Martin 10 points Philippe Bugalski 7 points Thomas Radstrom 4 points Alister McRae 2 points Toni Gardemeister 2 points Bruno Thiry 2 points Kenneth Eriksson 1 point 2002 FIA World Rally Championship for Manufacturers Peugeot 115 points Ford 81 points Subaru 42 points Skoda 8 points Mitsubishi 8 points Hyundai 6 points |
|
| Finland 2002 2002 FIA World Rally Championship Round 9 – Rally Finland (8-11 August) Sunday 11 August 2002 News Release #5 STRONG PERFORMANCE BY PAASONEN The Marlboro Mitsubishi Ralliart crew of Jani Paasonen and Arto Kapanen brought their Lancer Evolution WRC2 to the finish of the 2002 Rally Finland in eighth position, narrowly missing out on a point for Mitsubishi in the debut competitive outing of the car. Team-mates Alister McRae and David Senior were forced into retirement in stage 18. Marcus Gronholm took his third consecutive victory on home soil, the flying Finn thrilling his home supporters with a fantastic display of mastery in the Peugeot 206WRC. He takes the maximum 10 points for the third time this season and extends his advantage over second-placed Colin McRae to 17 points. Peugeot also scooped maximum points in the Manufacturers' Championship, Richard Burns picking up six points for second position, rewarding the French make with its fifth maximum points haul this season. It now has a 25 point lead over Ford with five rounds remaining. The third and final day of Rally Finland started early this morning, just 36 of the original 77 crews leaving Paviljonki in Jyvaskyla at 07:20 hrs. The 362.77 kilometre route included six special stages - three run twice - and 94.36 competitive kilometres and while it was the shortest of the three legs, it was no less challenging and the result was never guaranteed until the end of the final stage. Paasonen set a blistering pace in today's opening 11.80 kilometre Keuruu stage, the Finn fourth quickest in the Evolution WRC2 and just 1.1 seconds adrift of stage winner Burns. Consistent times in the remaining stages saw Jani and co-driver Arto Kapanen maintain eighth but, without crews ahead hitting problems, the deficit was simply too great. "The first stage today, that was my stage - everything came together and worked perfectly," said Jani. "I feel good to have finished eighth. We were hoping to be in the points, but ended up just outside them. Overall I'm pleased with the way it's gone though. We had no problems, I didn't really make any mistakes and the car felt perfect all the way through the rally." Team-mates Alister McRae and David Senior retired in stage 18, the British pair out with damaged right rear suspension. While able to continue slowly, the team elected to withdraw the crew, all too aware of speeding cars approaching from behind. "Three kilometres into the second stage this morning I felt something go at the back end," said Alister. "We stopped to have a look, and a stone had obviously hit the rear wishbone mount. Carrying on would have been difficult for us and following crews, so we pulled over. It's a shame for it to end like this; the car is definitely a step forward. Now we're looking to Germany and hopefully we'll see that the development work on the new car can move us forward again." Adding to the drivers' comments, Marlboro Mitsubishi Ralliart Team Director, John Easton said: "We are pleased the car has shown its potential here and that we have made steps forward. This is always going to be a difficult rally to debut a new car, but this is the kind of result we'd hoped for. We were aiming to get into the manufacturer points and finished the event just one position away from that goal. Jani's performance on his home rally was good; he's driven consistently, quickly and caused no damage to the car. Obviously it was disappointing to lose François and Alister, but the event has been encouraging and highlighted some further areas of development for the next gravel rally." Meanwhile… Marcus Gronholm scored victory for Peugeot, its fifth win of the season, and the Finn retains his advantage at the head of the leaderboard. Second position for team-mate Richard Burns also notched up the French manufacturer's fifth maximum points haul of the season, an impressive feat in the face of stiff opposition. Peugeot was however in a league of its own in this rally, the following crews 'the best of the rest'. Colin McRae maintained third position throughout the morning, however the Scot was forced into a disappointing retirement after stage 20 when his Focus caught fire, a heavy landing dislodging a hydraulic pipe and causing a fluid leak. Petter Solberg (Subaru) overhauled Carlos Sainz to take third position once McRae had retired, and Sainz and Martin, who finished fourth and fifth respectively, both claimed points for Ford. A jump-start from Sainz was the first slip-up of this nature for the Spaniard in 15 years and those 10 seconds of penalty ultimately proved decisive. Tommi Makinen (Subaru) finished sixth after a seemingly lacklustre performance. Freddy Loix brought the sole remaining Hyundai back to Jyvaskyla in ninth position and Sebastien Loeb finished 10th for Citroen in its debut outing in Finland. Team-mate Thomas Radstrom ultimately retired, the Swede off the road and into the trees. Coming next… The FIA World Rally Championship now leaves gravel for two consecutive asphalt events in Europe, the first of which is Rallye Deutschland (22-25 August). Formerly a round of the European Rally Championship, this is the first year the German event has qualified for the World Championship, and therefore very few of the teams and drivers have experience of the asphalt roads in the southwest of the country. François Delecour did however contest the event last year, finishing third overall. Rally Finland – Final Results 1. Marcus Gronholm/Timo Rautiainen Peugeot 3hr 17min 52.5sec 2. Richard Burns/Robert Reid Peugeot 3hr 19min 19.8sec 3. Petter Solberg/Phil Mills Subaru 3hr 20min 42.1sec 4. Carlos Sainz/Luis Moya Ford 3hr 20min 46.3sec 5. Markko Martin/Michael Park Ford 3hr 21min 02.5sec 6. Tommi Makinen/Kaj Lindstrom Subaru 3hr 22min 26.6sec 7. Sebastian Lindholm/Timo Hantunen Peugeot 3hr 23min 28.9sec 8. Jani Paasonen/Arto Kapanen Mitsubishi 3hr 23min 47.8sec 9. Freddy Loix/Sven Smeets Hyundai 3hr 24min 00.3sec 10. Sebastien Loeb/Daniel Elena Citroen 3hr 24min 06.1sec 2002 FIA World Rally Championship for Drivers Marcus Gronholm 47 points Colin McRae 30 points Carlos Sainz 26 points Richard Burns 25 points Gilles Panizzi 21 points Petter Solberg 19 points Harri Rovanpera 18 points Tommi Makinen 15 points Markko Martin 9 points Sebastien Loeb 8 points Philippe Bugalski 7 points Thomas Radstrom 4 points Alister McRae 2 points Toni Gardemeister 2 points Kenneth Eriksson 1 point 2002 FIA World Rally Championship for Manufacturers Peugeot 99 points Ford 74 points Subaru 40 points Skoda 8 points Mitsubishi 7 points Hyundai 6 points |
|
|
Cyprus 2002
DELECOUR SURVIVES THE CARNAGE! With a 14 second cushion going into the final nine kilometre stage, Makinen's position was
relatively safe and the Finn finished on the podium in third and got to the finish of a rally for the first time in four events. Harri Rovanpera brought his 206WRC to the finish in fourth position, one minute ahead of Norway's Petter Solberg, the Subaru
driver rolling earlier in the day but still managing to overhaul Armin Schwarz (Hyundai) for fifth position in the closing stages. From his seventh position, Colin |
|
| Rally Catalunya 2002 | |
|
MITSUBISHI LOOKING TO BUILD ON FIRST ASPHALT POINTS Marlboro Mitsubishi Ralliart concluded its final preparations for the 38th Rallye Catalunya-Costa Brava today when François Delecour/Daniel Grataloup and Alister McRae/David Senior ran the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution WRCs for the final time before this evening's ceremonial start. With the full complement of seven FIA World Rally Championship teams contesting this all-asphalt event, the shakedown test - fifty kilometres to the northwest of the coastal town of Lloret de Mar - was swarming with thousands of fanatical supporters, many just out to witness national hero Carlos Sainz. Located under what is now the famous viaduct where fans hang over the bridge to watch the cars, few were disappointed with the world-class action, the 20 degree temperatures and clear blue skies adding to the already warm atmosphere which makes the event one of the most popular in the series. Having undertaken a three-day test earlier in the week, the Marlboro Mitsubishi Ralliart crews used the morning to confirm specifications for the Lancer Evolution WRC, the team having again moved forward despite only a week since the last event in Corsica. "Between them the drivers covered another 700 kilometres at the weekend on roads around Vic and Tarragona which are very representative of what we will see on the rally," commented Spanish team engineer, Roger Estrada. "The car is working better with small improvements to the brakes, differential mappings and general set-up and François and Alister are happy we're making progress all the time." Frenchman Delecour echoed Estrada's comments: "We did a lot of work with the centre and front diffs, the car has a lot less understeer now and is much easier to drive. Sure, it's going to be difficult to match the Peugeots and Citroens, but I think that's the same for many of the teams, but we have certainly made progress since Corsica. At shakedown we just confirmed all our findings and tried three different compounds of tyre, again to check what is working best." Marlboro Yamaha Moto GP rider Carlos Checa also joined the team at shakedown, the Spaniard swapping two wheels for four when he co-drove François for a run through the stage. Despite being used to the power of his Yamaha M1 4-stroke GP bike, Checa couldn't fail to be impressed by the handling of the Lancer Evolution on asphalt. "That was one of the best experiences of my life!" he said. "It's completely impossible to compare the bike and the rally car and I feel like I need to digest the experience before I can say too much. It all happened so fast… one minute the brake the next the throttle and as I was looking at the entry to the corner we were already in the exit! Fantastic, a great experience." Marlboro Mitsubishi Ralliart team-mates Alister McRae and David Senior are also happy with the team's progress amid a string of asphalt rallies early in the season. "Fine-turning the diff mappings has reduced the understeer and allows us to commit much earlier," said Alister. "All the time there is more work to do, but we're in the right direction and making improvements every time." Rallye Catalunya-Costa Brava starts this evening with a ceremonial start in the centre of the seaside resort of Lloret de Mar, but the action begins in earnest on Friday when the crews head west down the coast to Tarragona for six stages and 176 competitive kilometres. For some of the teams the dramas have already started, national hero Carlos Sainz forced to start with a new co-driver in Marc Marti, regular partner Luis Moya out with injuries after a testing accident at the beginning of the week. Their Ford team-mate Colin McRae is also contesting the rally with a broken little finger after his accident in Corsica, and the Hyundai crew of Tomasz Kuchar and Maciej Szczepaniak are also out of the rally after a truck toppled onto their recce car, narrowly avoiding a serious disaster but leaving both Poles shaken and injured. . |
|
|
Corsica 2002 last update: 09 march 2002 |
|
 |
|
| myevo.com was there! | |
| FINAL RESULTS Marlboro Mitsubishi Ralliart drivers François Delecour and co-driver Daniel Grataloup scored their first points with Mitsubishi today when they brought their Lancer Evolution WRC to the finish of the Rallye de France - Tour de Corse in seventh position. Team-mates Alister McRae and David Senior finished tenth. Peugeot claimed an emphatic one-two-three, asphalt expert Gilles Panizzi leading the trio of 206 WRCs back to Ajaccio ahead of team-mates Marcus Gronholm and Richard Burns. As a consequence, Gronholm takes the lead in the Drivers' Championship ahead of Tommi Makinen and Gilles Panizzi both equal second, despite Makinen failing to finish. In the Manufacturers' Championship, maximum points for Peugeot for the second time this season gives it an impressive 16 point advantage over nearest rivals Ford. In contrast to yesterday's wet weather, the third and final leg of the Rallye de France - Tour de Corse dawned bright and sunny, warm weather and drier roads greeting the crews as they left Ajaccio. Forty-three of the original 61 crews remained and while today's route to the south-east covered just four stages, the 112 competitive kilometres took their toll and saw the retirement of no fewer than three of the leading crews. François Delecour and Daniel Grataloup maintained their overnight 8th position after the first group of two stages, the French crew comfortably ahead of their nearest rival, despite a puncture in stage 13. However, following the retirement of Ford's Colin McRae in stage 15, the duo moved up into seventh position, fifth of the registered crews. "The conditions this morning were very slippery and we got a puncture in the first stage, although the ATS mousse worked well," said François. "The tyres we chose were not Michelin's latest construction but despite the puncture, this tyre combined with our suspension worked well. Progress has been made since Monte Carlo but it's not been an easy rally. It's obviously good to get to the end and get points for Mitsubishi, but a shame to be so close in the drivers and not get a point." Team-mates Alister McRae and David Senior also sustained a puncture on the Lancer Evolution WRC in stage 13 but moved up the leaderboard to 11th after François Duval retired his Focus. Benefiting from his brother's retirement in SS15, Alister then slipped into the top ten, despite dropping time when the anti-deflation tyre mousse broke up in stage 16. "We had a bad vibration on the front of the car in the last 10 kilometres of the stage which was making the car understeer and difficult to drive in the twisty stuff," he said. "Overall we've been trying hard throughout the event and have made progress, but there's more to come for the future. It's good to make it to the finish and, apart from the brake problems in the first leg, we've pretty much had a clean run." Adding to their comments, Marlboro Mitsubishi Ralliart team manager Derek Dauncey said: "It's good to get points, which is what we came here for. We've got more experience of the car in changeable conditions and are now looking to use that knowledge to make further improvements for Spain. What is also very heartening is to maintain our one hundred percent finishing record this year." Meanwhile… It may have only covered four stages, but today's leg saw more action and leading retirements than any day of the rally. Colin McRae (Ford) was the biggest name on the list, the Scot hitting a patch of mud in stage 15 that resulted in him going off the road and into a tree. But for the strength of the Focus it could have been a lot worse, but even so, McRae was jammed in the car before being airlifted to hospital in Ajaccio. He is reported to have sustained a broken finger and concussion during his second big accident on the Mediterranean island. Ford's woes were compounded when François Duval went off when a tyre exploded, and Kenneth Eriksson (Skoda) also retired before the start of stage 14 with differential problems. In contrast to Ford's misfortune, Peugeot brought all three of its 206 WRCs to the finish and took a clean-sweep of the podium. Asphalt expert Gilles Panizzi claimed ten points for victory, with 2000 World Champion Marcus Gronholm second and Richard Burns third. Philippe Bugalski snatched fourth position following McRae's retirement, a fine result for the Frenchman in the privately-run Xsara WRC. Petter Solberg (Subaru) got ahead of Carlos Sainz (Ford), the Spaniard claiming the final point in sixth position. Coming next… There's little respite for the FIA World Rally Championship contenders. The fourth round of the series, Rallye Catalunya - Costa Brava, starts in less than two weeks time (22-24 March) and is another fast asphalt rally, the stages twisting their way through the mountains around Girona, Barcelona and Tarragona in north-east Spain. It is also a round of the FIA Junior World Rally Championship. Tour de Corse - Final Results 1 Gilles Panizzi/Herve Panizzi Peugeot 3hr 54min 40.3sec 2 Marcus Gronholm/Timo Rautiainen Peugeot 3hr 55min 20.8sec 3 Richard Burns/Robert Reid Peugeot 3hr 55min 32.7sec 4 Philippe Bugalski/Jean-Paul Chiaroni Citroen 3hr 56min 42.5sec 5 Petter Solberg/Phil Mills Subaru 3hr 57min 08.5sec 6 Carlos Sainz/Luis Moya Ford 3hr 57min 13.1sec 7 François Delecour/Daniel Grataloup Mitsubishi 3hr 59min 48.1sec 8 Markko Martin/Michael Park Ford 4hr 00min 00.3sec 9 Freddy Loix/Sven Smeets Hyundai 4hr 00min 54.1sec 10 Alister McRae/David Senior Mitsubishi 4hr 01min 12.8sec 2002 FIA World Rally Championship for Drivers Marcus Gronholm 18 points Tommi Makinen 10 points Gilles Panizzi 10 points Carlos Sainz 9 points Richard Burns 7 points Sebastien Loeb 6 points Harri Rovanpera 6 points Colin McRae 4 points Petter Solberg 3 point Philippe Bugalski 3 points Alister McRae 2 points 2002 FIA World Rally Championship for Manufacturers Peugeot 36 points Ford 20 points Subaru 16 points Mitsubishi 5 points Hyundai 1 point Skoda 0 points |
|
| 2002 FIA World Rally Championship Round 3 – Rallye de France-Tour de Corse (8-10 March) Saturday 9 March 2002 News Release #4 DELECOUR & McRAE MAKE PROGRESS The Marlboro Mitsubishi Ralliart crew of François Delecour and Daniel Grataloup have powered up the Rallye de France - Tour de Corse leaderboard into eighth position at the end of the second leg. Team-mates Alister McRae and David Senior have also improved in their Lancer Evolution WRC, the British pair slotting into 12th position after 245 competitive kilometres. Yesterday's opening leg saw just 10 competitors retire, but the remaining 51 crews were greeted with very different conditions when they left Ajaccio early this morning. Overnight rain left previously dry roads damp and as rain continued to fall throughout the day, the conditions became more and more of a lottery. Ominous low cloud hung over the distant mountains, making the job of the weather crews all the more important and tyre choice a constant talking point. The leg, with seven stages and 150 competitive kilometres to the north-east of Ajaccio, was the longest of the event and included a repetition of the longest stage (SS6), and two groups of three stages run twice. The Marlboro Mitsubishi Ralliart crew of François Delecour and Daniel Grataloup started the day in 11th position, however the French duo have progressively worked their way up the leaderboard, powering ahead of rivals and also benefiting from the retirement of Finland's Tommi Makinen. Like all the other crews, François has chosen his moments to conserve the tyres over the dry sections and has made adjustments to the Lancer Evolution WRC to improve its handling in wet conditions. Holding eighth overall and sixth of the registered manufacturers, the Frenchman is on course to score his first points with Mitsubishi. "It's been a good day - we've moved from 11th to eighth and that's what we wanted to achieve," he said. "With points for Mitsubishi, our aim is to now get into the top six for drivers' points. We wondered about our tyre choice once we got into the first of the last three stages because it was raining, but it turned out to be right over the whole group of stages and everything worked well." Team-mates Alister McRae and David Senior have also moved up the leaderboard from 18th to 12th and have the potential to fight with no fewer than four rivals ahead of them. With a reasonably comfortable lead over 13th placed Freddy Loix in the Hyundai, the Scot can concentrate on attacking over the final stages tomorrow. "We've climbed six places today which we're pleased about and it'd be nice to do the same again tomorrow!" said Alister. "The car's been working well and we've had no problems other than a broken damper at the start of stage 12, which cost us a bit of time. The stages have been very difficult today and there was a lot of mud and water in stage 10 in particular. Tomorrow we'll push as hard as we can and see what happens." Adding to their comments, Marlboro Mitsubishi Ralliart team manager Derek Dauncey said: "It seems that the car is more competitive in wetter conditions and adjustments we've made throughout the day have resulted in a string of top 10 stage times. On that basis, hopefully the conditions will stay the same tomorrow. As a team, it's good to be in a point-scoring position again." Meanwhile… Peugeot continue to dominate the leaderboard and have staked a claim on the top three positions. Asphalt expert and rally leader Gilles Panizzi has however extended his advantage over second-placed Marcus Gronholm despite brake problems in SS9, but the Finn and reigning World Champion Richard Burns are split by just 21 seconds after 145 kilometres of competition. First of the non-Michelin runners was Tommi Makinen in fourth position, however the Finnish Subaru driver aquaplaned into retirement in stage 10, damaging the front suspension beyond repair. Philippe Bugalski has catapulted up the leaderboard today, the French driver in the non-manufacturer supported Citroen Xsara climbing from eighth to an overnight fourth. Former winner of the Tour de Corse, Colin McRae (Ford), holds fifth, the Scot - like all the other crews - finding it difficult to chose tyres down in the service park on the seafront for stages that are 20 kilometres away in the mountains. Team-mate Carlos Sainz has slipped down the order to sixth this afternoon. The Spaniard's advantage over Petter Solberg (Subaru) is however marginal, despite the Norwegian being the only driver seemingly capable of snatching two stage victories (SS6 and SS10) from one of the Peugeot drivers. Behind François Delecour in eighth, Armin Schwarz has upheld honours for Hyundai, the German posting fourth and fifth fastest times in stages 10 and 11 respectively to move into ninth. François Duval (Ford) holds the last position in the top 10. Subaru was the only manufacturer to have lost a car today and the only other leading retirement was that of Bruno Thiry in a privately-entered Peugeot 206 WRC. Still to come… The third and final leg of the Rallye de France - Tour de Corse starts at 08:20 hrs (local) on Sunday and takes the contenders to the south-east of Ajaccio. It includes just four stages and 56 competitive kilometres, however nothing will be guaranteed until the crews return to Ajaccio for the podium finish at 14:36 hrs (local). Tour de Corse - Leg 2 results 1 Gilles Panizzi/Herve Panizzi Peugeot 2hr 45min 22.2sec 2 Marcus Gronholm/Timo Rautiainen Peugeot 2hr 46min 03.9sec 3 Richard Burns/Robert Reid Peugeot 2hr 46min 24.3sec 4 Philippe Bugalski/Jean-Paul Chiaroni Citroen 2hr 47min 21.7sec 5 Colin McRae/Nicky Grist Ford 2hr 47min 27.2sec 6 Carlos Sainz/Luis Moya Ford 2hr 47min 42.4sec 7 Petter Solberg/Phil Mills Subaru 2hr 47min 46.5sec 8 François Delecour/Daniel Grataloup Mitsubishi 2hr 49min 14.3sec 9 Armin Schwarz/Manfred Hiemer Hyundai 2hr 49min 39.9sec 10 Francois Duval/Jean-Marc Fortin Ford 2hr 49min 56.8sec 12 Alister McRae/David Senior Mitsubishi 2hr 50min 12.9sec
|
|
| 2002 FIA World Rally Championship Round 3 – Rallye de France-Tour de Corse (8-10 March) Friday 8 March 2002 News Release #3 MIXED DAY ON CORSICA The Marlboro Mitsubishi Ralliart crews of François Delecour/Daniel Grataloup and Alister McRae/David Senior finished the opening leg of the 46th Rallye de France - Tour de Corse in 11th and 18th positions respectively. Sixty-one crews departed Ajaccio this morning for this third round of the FIA World Rally Championship and the second Tour de Corse in less than five months. Dry and warm conditions greeted them ahead of today's five special stages and 95 competitive kilometres to the north-east of the island's capital, the distance for stages 2/5 having been reduced to avoid the section where Tommi Makinen crashed heavily in 2001. Today's leg also included the longest stage of the rally (SS3) and then as rain fell in the last two stages this afternoon, crews took more or less of an advantage depending on their position on the road. It has however been a relatively incident-free day with no major problems for any of the leading crews and only one retirement between the six competing manufacturers. Marlboro Mitsubishi Ralliart drivers François Delecour and Daniel Grataloup lead the team's assault, the French pair confirming that progress has been made on the Lancer Evolution WRC asphalt specification since Monte Carlo. They were running as high as ninth earlier in the day but as Citroen driver Philippe Bugalski went on the attack, and rain fell this afternoon, François dropped back down the order. "The car is a major step forward from Monte Carlo and we're much closer to the Peugeots, which are obviously the asphalt benchmark, and also on a par with the Fords," said François at the final service in Ajaccio this evening. "In the wet this afternoon the car was a bit of a handful, but our aim is to get towards the top six and points." Team-mates Alister McRae and David Senior have had a frustrating opening leg, losing time this morning with a combination of oversteer and brake problems. "The car is better for sure, but we suffered with a bit of understeer this morning in the longer corners," commented Alister. "Before the start of the long stage the brakes didn't feel quite right and about seven kilometres into the stage, when it started to go downhill, we began to lose them. That meant backing off, and we've had similar problems this afternoon. I reckon we also got the worst of the weather in stage 4; rain starting just as we began the stage and then finishing when we did!" Adding to their comments, Marlboro Mitsubishi Ralliart team manager Derek Dauncey said: "We've taken the data from the test which has given us a good direction to go in, and we've tried a few different options today which has given us useful feedback. The wetter weather this afternoon hindered us a bit though. Looking at the split times in the long stage (SS3), the car is competitive in certain sections and basically we now need to use that information to make sure it's competitive throughout each stage and therefore the whole rally." Meanwhile… Despite rain this afternoon, the Panizzi brothers, Gilles and Herve, established a predictable lead from the outset, the Peugeot 206 crew fastest on all but one of today's stages to pull out a slim three second advantage over team-mate Marcus Gronholm. The French manufacturer is also enjoying a 1-2-3 with reigning World Champion Richard Burns holding third position. Tommi Makinen (Subaru) has had a trouble-free day and holds fourth, although the Finn admits to spending the day getting into the rhythm of the rally, the 36 kilometre stage the longest he has ever contested in the Impreza WRC. His team-mate Petter Solberg was holding a fine third overall until spinning at the start of stage 4 and damaging the rear suspension. The Norwegian dropped around a minute, but after strapping the suspension together for the final stage, went on to set sixth fastest time to end the day sixth overall. Sandwiching the Subarus is Carlos Sainz in the leading Ford, the Spaniard losing a handful of seconds in the opening two stages when he had problems selecting first gear. His team-mate Colin McRae lies seventh, his only problem an engine stall at the start of SS5, while Philippe Bugalski, in the privately run Citroen Xsara WRC, is eighth. Hyundai was the only manufacturer to lose a car today, former Polish Formula 2 Champion Tomasz Kuchar forced out in the first stage when the accelerator jammed open and he burnt out the brakes. Still to come… The second leg of the Tour de Corse takes the remaining contenders to the east and north-east of Ajaccio for a further seven special stages and 150 competitive kilometres. It is the longest leg of the event and starts with an early morning wake-up calls for the crews - a repetition of the 36.73 kilometre run from Petreto to Ampaza, the longest stage of the rally. Tour de Corse - Leg 1 results 1 Gilles Panizzi/Herve Panizzi Peugeot 1hr 02min 28.5sec 2 Marcus Gronholm/Timo Rautiainen Peugeot 1hr 02min 31.5sec 3 Richard Burns/Robert Reid Peugeot 1hr 02min 53.6sec 4 Tommi Makinen/Kaj Lindstrom Subaru 1hr 03min 07.8sec 5 Carlos Sainz/Luis Moya Ford 1hr 03min 17.9sec 6 Petter Solberg/Phil Mills Subaru 1hr 03min 29.0sec 7 Colin McRae/Nicky Grist Ford 1hr 03min 32.2sec 8 Philippe Bugalski/Jean-Paul Chiaroni Citroen 1hr 03min 41.5sec 9 Markko Martin/Michael Park Ford 1hr 03min 42.3sec 10 Harri Rovanpera/Risto Pietilainen Peugeot 1hr 03min 54.5sec 11 François Delecour/Daniel Grataloup Mitsubishi 1hr 03min 55.6sec 18 Alister McRae/David Senior Mitsubishi 1hr 04min 45.4sec |
|
|
San Remo 2001 last update: 07 october 2001 |
|
|
|
| myevo.com was there! | |
|
The
Marlboro Mitsubishi Ralliart crew of Freddy Loix/Sven Smeets finished
12th in Rallye Sanremo,an event dominated by the French manufacturers
who historically excel and develop cars on asphalt. As
predicted, the event was won by one such car, the Peugeot of Gilles
Panizzi, the Frenchman also winning
here last year in similar machinery. Four-times FIA World Rally Champion
Tommi Makinen and co-driver Risto
Mannisenmaki retired in the penultimate stage while in a point-scoring
position for Mitsubishi. Of
the original 73 competing crews, only 47 took the re-start for the final
leg this morning. The route,again
high up in the hills above the coastal town of Sanremo, took the
contenders over four stages
and 87.66 competitive
kilometres and, while it was the shortest of the three legs, there was
no respite
for the crews as they jostled for the final positions. Clouds moved in
today and temperatures
dropped, rain and fog
falling in the mountains making tyre choice critical, visibility
difficult andsurfaces even less predictable. Despite the weather
however, the fanatical Italians revelled in the
high-speed action, cheering
their heroes all the way.
|
more on our SAN REMO pics Gallery and on our fantastic video |
|
Mitsubishi
wins his seventh consecutive World title
Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution driver Gabriel Pozzo claimed the FIA World Cup for Drivers of Production Cars today (subject to FIA confirmation), becoming the first Argentinean driver to command such an accolade. Gustavo Trelles (MRT by Nocentini) and Alex Fiorio (Group N winner) fighted along all the rally stages with enourmous precision and fairness. Sadly, Gustavo went off on the very last kilometers, as unexpected rain and fog caused the exit of Tommi Mäkinen and his brand new Lancer Evo VII WRC. Mirco Virag (MRT by Nocentini) made his debut on the world rally stages and finished with his Lancer Evolution VI enjoying this spectacular rally feeling. > more news coming soon: - the most exilarating myevo VIDEO! - exclusive details on the all new Lancer Evolution VII WRC, Focus WRC, Hyunday WRC... - the pics gallery - many trailers ready to download
|
|
|
Kenya 2001 last update: september 2001 |
|
|
|
| world rally championship | |
| Richard Burns (Subaru) retired in CS1 - front left suspension. Carlos Sainz (Ford) stopped to change a puncture.
Carlos Sainz (Ford) stopped to change a puncture in CS2. Richard Burns (Subaru) is now up in the helicopter acting as spotter for team-mate Petter Solberg. Colin McRae (Ford) retires with clutch failure, following earlier steering problems and an accident (CS3). Freddy Loix (Mitsubishi) lost time when he stopped to change a broken compression strut (CS3) Petter Solberg (Subaru) lost time with damaged right rear suspension (CS3).
Marcus Gronholm (Peugeot) retired - lost a wheel (CS4). Carlos Sainz (Ford) retired - engine (CS5).
CS10 delayed as, due to the weather, the helicopters are unable to fly.
CS11 cancelled to get the rally back on schedule. Freddy Loix (Mitsubishi) got a puncture as he was forced off the road to pass a second car in the section (CS12). Harri Rovanpera (Peugeot) - transmission problems. Bruno Thiry (Skoda) - crashed but unhurt (CS13). |
Mäkinen winns! After kilometers of outragious hard roads Tommi wins with his Lancer Evolution VI Group A the Safari Rally leaving no chance to the other drivers from the beginning of the rally till the end. Loix finish 5th and in the Group N the Lancers of Pozzo and Ligato finish first and second. CS1: Schwarz 55.05; Makinen+4s; McRae+28; Solberg+33; Sainz+1.49; Gronholm+2.07; Rovanpera+3.05; Arai+3.42; Thiry+4.07; Loix+4.25 CS3: Sainz 48.40; Makinen+17; Auriol+18; Delecour+38; Rovanpera+57; Gronholm+2.20; Thiry+4.23; McRae+5.21; Schwarz+6.2 CS4:Sainz 35.42; Makinen+40; Solberg+57; Rovanpera+1.20; Delecour+2.04; Loix+8.19; Schwarz+8.26; Thiry+10.23; Dor+18.31; Pozzo+19.02; CS5: Solberg 1.00.05; Rovanpera+26; Makinen+32; Schwarz+50; Thiry+2.58; Delecour+6.38; Ligato+10.09; Pozzo+10.25; CS6: Makinen 46.23; Rovanpera+29; Schwarz+33; Delecour+1.20; Solberg+2.35; Thiry+3.56; Loix+5.02; Pozzo+8.13; Ligato+9.56; Anwar+11.38 CS7: Solberg 41.16; Rovanpera+5; Delecour+39; Makinen+48; Schwarz+1.18; Loix+2.18; Thiry+6.04; Ligato+6.42; Pozzo+6.56; Anwar+12.06 CS8: Solberg 27.27; Delecour+2; Makinen+11; Rovanpera+16; Schwarz+18; Thiry+1.53; Loix+3.29; Ligato+4.44; Pozzo+7.54; Anwar+9.23 CS9: Makinen 45.40; Rovanpera+1.13; Schwarz+1.30; Loix+2.02; Solberg+2.05; Thiry+3.38; Delecour+4.21; Ligato+10.14; Pozzo+11:30; Green+16.03 CS10: Makinen 1.01.02; Rovanpera+25; Delecour+39; Schwarz+1.07; Thiry+7.12; Ligato+11.44; Pozzo+14.10; Green+15.04; Anwar+16.43; Rose+22.45; Loix+38.54 CS12:Delecour 50.09; Makinen+1.27; Schwarz+1.37; Rovanpera+2.53; Loix+3.59; Thiry+10.45; Pozzo+11.32; Green+13.15; Ligato+14.13; Anwar+14.45 AfterCS12:Makinen 8.19.44; R'pera+8.05; Schwar+18.25; D'cour+21.21; Thiry+53.01; Loix+1.43.17; Pozzo+1.54.25; Ligato+1.56.02; Green+2.40.46; Anwar+3.00.13 Leg 3:Makinen 8.58.37; R'pera+12.37; Schwarz+17.35; D'cour+20.36; Loix+1.44.02; Pozzo+2.07.26; Ligato+2.07.50; Green+2.55.56; Anwar+3.13.03; Stohl+4.41.23 Drivers: Makinen 40; McRae 30; Sainz 26; R'pera 20; Burns 15; D'cour 14; Auriol 10; Loix 9; Solberg 9 Makes: Mitsubishi 66; Ford 60; Subaru 28; Peugeot 26; Skoda 15; Hyundai 10
|
| WRC
Akropolis Rally
Friday 15 June 2001: The world rally battle goes on. In this tremendous rally Colin Mc Rae dominated the race from the beginning. Sainz left on the Leg 3, very disappointing for him. Mäkinen got a 4th place and now leads in the drivers championship togheter with Colin McRae! In the Group N Pozzo and Trelles showed that the time gap between the Group N Mitsubishi Lancers and the WRC cars is a matter of few seconds /kilometer! |
|
|
|
|
Didier Auriol (Peugeot) is reported to have a clutch problem (SS1) Didier Auriol (Peugeot) retired - clutch. Tommi Makinen (Mitsubishi) - left rear puncture. Alister McRae (Hyundai) - lack of turbo boost. Marcus Gronholm (Peugeot) retired - holed sump. Kenneth Eriksson (Hyundai) - no turbo boost or power steering (SS3) Toshi Arai (Subaru) retired - under bonnet fire. SS5 cancelled - spectators. Kenneth Eriksson (Hyundai) retired - turbo. Markko Martin (Subaru) retired - puncture/suspension Francois Delecour (Ford) - power steering failure in SS11
Gilles Panizzi (Peugeot) has stopped in SS14 with a broken suspension arm. Richard Burns (Subaru) went off the road in SS15. Gilles Panizzi (Peugeot) retired - OTL. Freddy Loix (Mitsubishi) - front right puncture (SS18). Richard Burns (Subaru) retired - broken propshaft (SS19). Carlos Sainz (Ford) retired - no oil pressure (SS20). Petter Solberg (Subaru) only has 3rd gear on the road section into service.
Drivers:Makinen/McRae 30; Sainz 26; Burns 15; R'pera 14; Delecour 11; Auriol 10; Solberg 9; Loix 7 In the Group N Pozzo got a first place followed by a superb fighing Gustavo Trelles. 1. G.POZZO |
SS1:Burns 19.14.0; Solberg+0.1; Gronholm+0.2; C.McRae+2.7; Martin+6.6; Sainz+7.3; Eriksson+21.4; Makinen+23.9; Arai+24.8;
Radstrom+27.2; Loix+30.5 SS2:Solberg 8.07.8; Gronholm+0.7; Sainz+2.0; Burns+2.6; Radstrom+4.1; Arai+4.4; Loix+5.8; Eriksson+7.2; Rovanpera+7.2; C.McRae+8.1; Makinen+9.1 After2:Solberg27.21.9; G'holm+0.8; Burns+2.5; Martin+6.9; Sainz+9.2; C.Mc+10.7; Panizzi+25.7; E'son+28.5; Arai+29.1; R'strom+31.2; Makinen+32.9; Loix+36.2 SS3:Martin 18.27.1; Panizzi+4.2; Solberg+4.4; Radstrom+4.8; C.McRae+9.0; Burns+10.3; Sainz+11.0; Delecour+11.5; Bugalski+14.9; Loix+15.9; Makinen+28.7(13) SS4:C.McRae 20.17.2; Delecour+0.1; Panizzi+0.5; Solberg+1.2; Martin+4.1; Radstrom+7.4; Burns+9.3; Sainz+10.8; Loix+15.9; Bugalski+18.1; Makinen+22.9 (12) AfterSS4:S'berg 1.06.11.8; Martin+5.4; C.Mc+14.1; Burns+16.5; P'zi+24.8; Sainz+25.4; R'trom+37.8; Loix+1.02.4; B'ski+1.10.0; R'pera+1.14.8; Makinen+1.18.9 SS6:C.McRae 19.14.2; Sainz+9.8; R'pera+13.6; Makinen+15.2; Loix+19.8; Burns+30.6; D'Cour+38.0; A.McRae+40.1; Schwarz+44.8; Martin+52.3 Leg1:C.McRae 1.25.40.1; Sainz+21.1; Burns+33.0; Martin+43.6; Solberg+58.1; Panizzi+1.05.3; Loix+1.08.1; R'pera+1.14.3; Makinen+1.20.0; Schwarz+1.57.5 SS8: Delecour 12.12.8; Burns+6.7; Makinen+8.7; Rovanpera+8.7; Sainz+10.2; Solberg+10.4; A.McRae+11.8; C.McRae+13.5; Bugalski+14.7; Loix+18.1 SS10: Delecour 1.57.3; Sainz+0.1; Makinen+0.2; C.McRae+0.6; Burns+1.0; Solberg+2.0; Schwarz+3.0; Loix+4.4; Rovanpera+4.9; Panizzi+6.3 SS11: Sainz 13.17.3; Burns+3.0; C.McRae+5.1; Rovanpera+7.5; Makinen+7.6; Bugalski+9.1; Solberg+11.7; Schwarz+15.8; Jean-Joseph+16.0; Loix+21.9
AfterSS11:C.McRae 2.22.54.6; Sainz+13.6; Burns+22.7; Solberg+1.04.0; R'pera+1.10.8; Makinen+1.31.8; Loix+2.18.5; P'zzi+2.40.5; B'ski+2.42.9; D'cour+2.51.6 Leg 2:C.McRae 2.53.22.1; Sainz+9.8; Burns+14.8; Solberg+1.00.7; R'pera+1.13.6; Makinen+2.06.8; D'cour+2.41.8; B'ski+3.01.3; Schwarz+3.42.4; Panizzi+4.14.6 SS14:Burns 4.49.6; C.McRae+2.0; Sainz+2.8; Solberg+4.0; Rovanpera+4.1; Makinen+4.8; Delecour+5.1; A.McRae+9.1; Loix+10.9; Bugalski+11.9 SS15:Solberg 25.37.5; C.McRae+4.9; Delecour+7.1; Sainz+9.1; Rovanpera+18.0; Loix+18.2; Bugalski+19.1; Makinen+21.7; A.McRae+25.9; Jean-Joseph+39.4 SS16:Burns 9.19.2; Sainz+0.2; Rovanpera+1.0; Delecour+1.6; Solberg+2.2; C.McRae+4.6; Makinen+4.7; Bugalski+10.4; Loix+11.5; Schwarz+12.0 SS17: Sainz 1.55.6; Burns+0.3; C.McRae+0.4; Solberg+1.6; Makinen+1.9; Delecour+2.2; Rovanpera+2.4; Loix+2.6; A.McRae+2.8; Bugalski+3.3 SS18: Sainz 13.03.2; Delecour+2.3; C.McRae+2.5; Rovanpera+3.6; Burns+4.5; Solberg+5.5; Makinen+8.0; Bugalski+11.4; A.McRae+13.4; Schwarz+14.0; Loix+3.04.8 After18:McRae 3.48.21.6; Sainz+7.5; S'berg+59.6; R'pera+1.28.3; Mak+2.33.5; D'cour+2.45.7; Burns+2.58.1; B'ski+3.43.0; Sch+4.52.8; J-J+6.38.9; Loix+7.54.3 SS19: Sainz 4.49.2; Makinen+0.3; C.McRae+1.6; Solberg+3.5; Delecour+4.8; Rovanpera+6.3; A.McRae+7.9; Loix+8.8; Thiry+12.1; Bugalski+13.1 SS20: Makinen 25.32.6; Delecour+3.4; Solberg+4.4; Loix+16.3; C.McRae+16.9; Rovanpera+19.6; Bugalski+22.6; Thiry+43.3; Jean-Joseph+47.9; Schwarz+58.8 Leg 3: C.McRae 4.19.01.9; Solberg+49.0; R'pera+1.35.7; Makinen+2.15.3; D'cour+2.35.4; B'ski+4.00.2; Schwarz+5.56.7; J-J+7.27.1; Loix+8.00.9; Thiry+8.35.7 |
| WRC Cyprus Rally |
|
|
The Marlboro Mitsubishi Ralliart crew of Freddy Loix/Sven Smeets upheld Mitsubishi honours by finishing the Rally of Cyprus - the sixth round of the FIA World Rally Championship - in fifth position. Team-mates Katsuhiko Taguchi/Derek Ringer suffered huge disappointment when they were forced to retire in stage 20 after an impressive performance and a potential top ten finish. In a thrilling battle to the end, no fewer than three drivers were in with a chance of victory, however Britain’s Colin McRae powered his Ford Focus to a second successive victory, moving him up the Championship leaderboard into third position. Despite retiring from the event, Marlboro Mitsubishi Ralliart driver Tommi Makinen maintains his lead in the FIA World Rally Championship, such was his advantage, however, despite Freddy’s three points, Mitsubishi slips to second in the manufacturers’ series, trailing Ford by just three points. The Mitsubishi Carisma GT crew of Loix and Smeets started on a charge from the outset and leading stage times enabled them to slash the deficit to Subaru’s Toshi Arai. With the retirement of Peugeot’s World Champion Marcus Gronholm, the pair moved up into fifth but could simply push no harder as a balance between speed and tyre durability was imperative. "I’m very happy with fifth but disappointed to have lost so much time yesterday", said Freddy. "This afternoon we were trying quite a bit but with the rough conditions it was impossible to push too hard. We could have gone quicker on individual stages and perhaps got a fastest time, but we were having to preserve the tyres. Still, we got some points on a very difficult rally, but we still have some work to do for the Acropolis and Kenya".
|
|
|
|
|
| WRC
Argentina Rally (final results)
. |
|
| Mitsubishi leader in the World Rally Championship with a fantastic Tommi Mäkinen fighting till the last kilometer in order to get the max from this rally event. | |
|
|
|
|
LEG 1 |
SS1:C.McRae 2.27.9; Sainz+2.7; Solberg+3.8; Delecour+4.0; Burns+4.3; Blazquez+5.0; Thiry+5.6; Eriksson+6.3; Loix+6.5; Makinen+6.6 |
| SS2:C.McRae 2.25.1; Sainz+2.6; Solberg+3.8; Burns+4.7; A.McRae+5.4; Makinen+5.6; Blazquez+5.6; Gronholm+5.8; Arai+6.2; Thiry+6.3; Loix+7.0 | |
| Leg 1a:C.McRae 4.53.0; Sainz+5.3; Solberg+7.6; Burns+9.0; D'cour+10.5; Blazquez+10.6; Thiry+11.9; A.McRae+12.0; Makinen+12.2; G'holm+12.6; Loix+13.5 (=11) | |
| Francois Delecour (Ford) rolled on SS3 but is continuing. | |
| SS3:C.McRae 22.34.1; Makinen+17.2; Burns+22.8; Auriol+26.2; Sainz+30.0; A.McRae+31.6; Rovanpera+31.7; Gronholm+34.7; Solberg+35.6; Loix+44.5 | |
| SS4:C.McRae 18.39.9; Auriol+3.6; Sainz+4.0; Makinen+9.9; Burns+10.1; Rovanpera+12.3; Solberg+21.1; A.McRae+22.7; Loix+33.2; Gronholm+34.8 | |
| SS5:C.McRae 17.09.1; Burns+5.6; Gronholm+8.9; Rovanpera+11.4; Makinen+19.8; Auriol+20.2; Solberg+23.4; Sainz+24.3; Delecour+28.2; Loix+30.9 | |
| SS6:Burns 6.33.6; C.McRae+1.1; Rovanpera+2.9; Makinen+3.4; Gronholm+3.5; Sainz+3.7; Delecour+3.8; Solberg+7.8; Loix+8.4; A.McRae+9.1 | |
| After6:C.McRae 1.03.16.1; Burns+47.5; Makinen+59.1; Sainz+1.03.6; Auriol+1.09.6; R'pera+1.14.6; Solberg+1.27.7; G'holm+1.31.0; A.McRae+1.41.7; Loix+2.02.1 |
SS7:Sainz 19.45.8; Makinen+6.7; Delecour+7.5; Burns+10.7; Auriol+14.9; C.McRae+17.2; Gronholm+18.4; Solberg+18.6; A.McRae+32.5; Loix+57.9 |
| SS7:Harri Rovanpera (Peugeot) stopped in a watersplash with a stalled engine - lost 2 minutes. |
|
| SS7:Freddy Loix (Mitsubishi) rolled but is continuing | Harri Rovanpera (Peugeot) retired - suspension |
|
|
SS8:C.McRae 18.24.2; Burns+1.5; Sainz+8.3; Makinen+10.0; Gronholm+10.7; Delecour+13.2; Solberg+14.2; Auriol+18.0; Loix+21.0; Thiry+36.3 |
|
Leg1: C.McRae 1.48.18.0; Burns+41.4; Sainz+57.3; Makinen+1.00.9; Auriol+1.35.0; Gronholm+1.45.3; Solberg+1.50.0; Loix+3.11.1; Delecour+3.34.3; Thiry+4.18.9 |
|
|
LEG 2 |
|
| Tommi Makinen (Mitsubishi) lost drive to one wheel in SS9. |
SS9:Burns 15.22.6; C.McRae+0.2; Gronholm+2.2; Auriol+2.5; Sainz+2.9; Delecour+4.5; Solberg+7.5; A.McRae+12.7; Loix+16.3; Eriksson+19.5; Makinen+37.0 |
| Didier Auriol (Peugeot) has a turbo problem, Both Skodas have been forced to retire having been struck by a firetruck. |
SS10:C.McRae 9.19.2; Burns+1.2; Sainz+3.4; Delecour+4.5; Gronholm+7.5; Solberg+9.3; Loix+13.2; Eriksson+19.3; Arai+24.3; Schwarz+33.5; Makinen+57.3 |
| SS11:Burns 9.13.6; C.McRae+2.7; Makinen+6.7; Gronholm+7.6; Delecour+9.3; Solberg+11.0; Sainz+11.1; Loix+15.6; A.McRae+22.2; Eriksson+22.6 | |
| After11:C.McRae 2.22.16.3; Burns+39.7; Sainz+1.11.8; G'holm+1.59.7; S'berg+2.14.9; Makinen+2.39.0; D'cour+3.49.7; Loix+3.53.3; Auriol+5.45.6; Thiry+5.50.2 | |
| SS12 has been cancelled for safety reasons | |
| SS13:Burns 8.48.3; C.McRae+0.6; Sainz+4.5; Auriol+4.9; Delecour+5.2; Makinen+7.3; Solberg+11.3; Gronholm+11.4; Loix+13.6; Arai+25.9 | |
|
SS14:Burns 9.09.2; C.McRae+5.4; Makinen+7.6; Sainz+8.4; Delecour+8.5; Loix+10.2; Auriol+13.4; Solberg+13.9; A.McRae+17.1; Eriksson+27.7 |
|
| After14: C.McRae 2.55.30.2; Burns+37.5; Sainz+1.25.5; S'berg+2.43.7; Makinen+3.00.3; G'holm+3.51.7; D'cour+4.09.8; Loix+4.27.1; Auriol+6.05.3; Arai+7.21.9 | |
|
Leg 2: C.McRae 2.58.36.3; Burns+37.1; Sainz+1.26.2; Solberg+2.41.9; Makinen+2.58.3; Gronholm+3.54.8; D'cour+4.14.4; Loix+4.27.6; Auriol+6.07.1; |
SS15:Makinen 3.04.1; Solberg+0.2; A.McRae+0.7; Burns+1.6; C.McRae+2.0; Loix+2.5; Sainz+2.7; Auriol+3.8; Eriksson+4.0; Gronholm+5.1 |
| SS16:Makinen 6.43.1; Burns+2.7; Sainz+4.5; Solberg+4.9; Auriol+5.6; Eriksson+8.0; C.McRae+8.2; Loix+11.0; A.McRae+12.2; Gronholm+13.2 | |
Francois Delecour (Ford) lost time with a disconnected turbo pipe Tommi Makinen spun on SS17 |
SS17:Gronholm 11.29.5; C.McRae+5.8; Burns+6.0; Sainz+6.9; Auriol+7.3; A.McRae+9.2; Delecour+10.7; Solberg+12.7; Loix+13.9; Eriksson+14.2 |
| After17:C.McRae 3.17.02.9; Burns+31.8; Sainz+1.23.6; S'berg+2.45.5; Makinen+3.00.9; G'holm+3.54.0; Loix+4.38.5; D'cour+4.55.9; Auriol+6.06.0 E'sson+7.48.1 | |
| SS18 - Marcus Gronholm (Peugeot) went off, damaging the clutch as he tried to get back on the road. He has retired. | |
| SS18: Delecour (Ford) - gearbox/throttle. Arai (Subaru) - power steering. No news on Solberg. | SS18:Burns 17.50.4; Makinen+3.8; C.McRae+6.4; Sainz+10.6; Auriol+16.2; Loix+20.6; A.McRae+30.5; Solberg+33.3; Eriksson+40.7; Delecour+56.6 |
| SS20: Kenneth Eriksson (Hyundai) retired after losing a wheel. Didier Auriol (Peugeot) lost time off the road. | SS19:Burns 11.25.3; Auriol+1.8; C.McRae+3.6; Solberg+6.4; Makinen+6.8; Delecour+7.0; Sainz+8.1; A.McRae+12.0; Loix+12.2; Eriksson+14.3 |
| SS20:C.McRae 18.06.4; Burns+2.5; Sainz+10.9; Makinen+11.0; Delecour+18.8; Loix+22.0; Solberg+23.0; A.McRae+31.4; Arai+41.8; Ligato+1.15.3 | |
| SS21:C.McRae 13.50.3; Makinen+0.1; Burns+2.6; Delecour+2.6; Sainz+3.2; Solberg+8.8; Arai+14.8; Loix+16.8; A.McRae+18.1; Trelles+45.3 | |
| Leg
3:C.McRae 4.18.25.3; Burns+26.9; Sainz+1.46.4; Makinen+3.12.6; S'berg+3.47.0; Loix+5.40.1; D'cour+6.10.9; Arai+10.55.7; A.McRae+13.58
. |
|
| World
Rally Championship
. |
|
| Makes: Mitsubishi 44; Ford 36; Peugeot 20; Subaru 16; Hyundai 8; Skoda 6 | Drivers: Makinen 27; Sainz 22; Rovanpera 10; Auriol 10; C.McRae 10; Delecour 9; Burns 9; Radstrom 6; Panizzi 6; Loix 5; G'meister 5; Gronholm 4 |
| .
|
|
| WRC Catalunya Rally (22-25 march 2001) | |
| Mitsubishi
scores important WRC points with Mäkinen, Loix and leads in the Group N
too.
Didier Auriol won for Peugeot, notching up not only his first points this year, but also his first victory since the China Rally in 1999. However, Tommi Makinen’s four points are enough to extend his lead in the Drivers’ Championship and, with Freddy Loix scoring points as well, Mitsubishi has also pulled out its lead in the Manufacturers’ Championship to 18 points going into the fifth round of the series. |
|
|
|
|
|
. |
|
| . | |
| WRC
Portugal Rally (8.-11. march'01)
. |
|
| MAKINEN WINS HIS 100th WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP RALLY Marlboro Mitsubishi Ralliart driver Tommi Makinen, co-driven by Risto Mannisenmaki, powered his Lancer Evolution to victory today in the closing kilometres of a thrilling Rallye de Portugal. In doing so, the Finn notches up his 22nd win in 100 World Championship rallies, and Mitsubishi reaches a landmark of 25 victories with the Lancer Evolution/Carisma GT. The 2001 Rallye de Portugal has experienced quite atrocious conditions and few can remember a time when the stages have been as bad. This year driving rain, mud and thick fog have changed the face of the event from a spring-like gravel rally to a Safari-spec mudbath! |
|
 |
|
 |
|
| Portugal 2001: extreme weather conditions and a memorable win of Tommi Mäkinen! | |
| "It’s an incredible feeling", said the Finn. "It’s been such a difficult weekend and the last three years in Portugal I’ve had a bad performance and no results. We’ve been leading most of the rally, and up until the last stage, and I can tell you that was more than maximum attack! It’s really something to win my 100th rally and I can’t wait for Spain and the asphalt". | |
| Weather conditions and tyres have been the major talking point on this rally and Makinen and Michelin won the war. Each team has to nominate its two tyre types four weeks in advance of the rally - when predicting weather conditions can be difficult - and, on paper, Marlboro Mitsubishi Ralliart did not look to have the optimum nominations, given this week’s conditions. However, an inspired Makinen sat down with his Michelin technicians at the shakedown and the partners formulated a plan to cut a circumferential groove round the tyres to help directional stability. It undoubtedly helped the Finn establish his lead on the opening leg and set the trend as other teams followed suit. It took two Michelin tyre cutters no less than one hour to cut each set of Makinen’s five tyres for every group of stages, but it was worth the effort! |
|
|
Marlboro Mitsubishi Ralliart Team - news Rally of Sweden
|
|
| Saturday, 10
february 2001
Leg 1: Sainz 1.19.08.7; R'pera+13.2; Peugeot 206 Radstrom+19.3; Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 6
Auriol+32.3; Peugeot 206 Makinen+35.6; Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 6 Erikson+41.6; Hyunday Accent D'cour+49.9; Ford Focus Solberg+1.12.2; Subaru Impreza G'meister+1.18.1; Peugeot 206 Thiry+1.52.4; Skoda Octavia Loix+6.20.9; Mitsubishi Carisma GT |
"The car is very easy to drive, but we are still learning it a bit," said Thomas Radstöm. Makinen 5th in enjoyable conditions, with Loix 25th after turbo problems "There was a big jump about 10 km into the stage and we landed hard so I was a bit worried, but everything was fine," said Mitsubishi's leader, Radstrom a few kilometer later. |
| Leg 2:
Rovanpera 2.33.09.9; Peugeot 206 Makinen+7.3; Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 6 Radstrom+12.4; Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 6
Sainz+28.5;Ford Focus Delecour+1.22.0; Ford Focus Auriol+1.28.6;Peugeot 206 Solberg+1.34.1; Subaru Impreza G'meister+2.00.7;Peugeot 206 Loix+7.14.0 (16th) Mitsubishi Carisma
|
"We lost a bit of time on the last stage going off twice into snowbanks, but otherwise no big problems," commented third placed Tommi Makinen.
"We were incredibly lucky to get out of SS7 after getting the whole car stuck in a snowbank - it'll be interesting to see that on film!" Radstrom |
| . | |
| Leg 3:coming
soon
End:R'pera 3.27.01.1; Peugeot 206 Radstrom+27.9; Lancer Evo VI Sainz+37.0; Ford Focus G'meister+2.05.3;Peugeot 206 D'cour+2.25.2; Ford Focus S'berg+2.48.5; Subaru Impreza Carlsson+3.18.2; E'sson+3.35.8; Hyunday McRae+4.28.8;Ford Focus Loix+7.54.3(13th) |
|
| . |
Tommi ended his race on a snow bank after during the 16th and very last special stage. Very disappointing, then he was fighting for the second position. "The last stage was the most difficult I've ever done on this rally. It was like an ice-hockey rink in parts! I am obviously very pleased." Radstrom World Rally championship: Drivers: Makinen, Sainz, R'pera - 10 points. Radstrom, Delecour - 6 points. G'meister 5 points. Schwarz 3 points. Loix, Solberg - 1 point Makes: Mitsubishi 23; Ford 14; Skoda 6; Hyundai 5; Subaru 4 |
| 2001 FIA World Rally Championship Round 2 - Sweden Rally (9 -11 February) Wednesday, 31 January 2001 News Release #1 MITSUBISHI DRIVERS BID FOR SIXTH VICTORY ON SWEDISH RALLY Marlboro Mitsubishi Ralliart will contest the Swedish Rally, the secondround of the 2001 FIA World Rally Championship held in central Sweden, full of confidence after a brilliant start to the season with Tommi Makinen's win on the Monte Carlo rally. The team, for the first time, will enter a strong three car line up with Makinen driving a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution, Belgium's Freddy Loix and Swede Thomas Radstrom, both driving Mitsubishi Carisma GTs. The Swedish Rally is a unique challenge, distinctly different from the Monte Carlo Rally. The Swedish has always been a sprint event and has long been run in the depths of the Scandinavian winter. There are few hours of daylight and the forests of central Sweden make an inhospitable environment for man and machine. Whereas frozen conditions are always a possibility on the Monte, snow and ice are near-certain in Sweden and temperatures can plunge 20 or 30 degrees below zero. Nevertheless, it is one of the quickest and most spectacular rallies in the World Championship with average speeds regularly in excess of 110 km/h. Although drivers of many nationalities have done well, it remains a Nordic stronghold: in 50 years, only Swedes and Finns have won. Finns Tommi Makinen and Risto Mannisenmaki will certainly be amongst the favourites after their resounding Monte Carlo victory in their Lancer Evolution, for Makinen has already won the Swedish three times. ''I like the Swedish roads very much - it is always good to drive on snow - and our new suspension this year makes the car even better. It is good on bumps and jumps now, so I think we have a good chance. I am looking forward to it,'' Makinen said. ''Risto and I made the best start to the season in Monte and we hope to extend our lead in the Championship next month in Sweden, '' he continued. Belgians Freddy Loix and Sven Smeets are less familiar with Swedish conditions than their team-mates, but Loix demonstrated his potential by setting excellent stage times in icy conditions during the Monte and will be hoping to finish in the points for the second rally in a row. ''The Swedish is always a tough event and an important rally to learn. This year I have no pressure, which is good. We have a good car, rising confidence and I will be aiming for the best result possible,'' Loix commented. Swedes Thomas Radstrom and Tina Thorner are newcomers to the team, but have a considerable reputation, for Radstrom has often led the rally in the past and won it in 1994. They have been nominated by Mitsubishi to score points in the World Championship for Manufacturers. ''I have the capacity of winning the rally, but then you have to be lucky as well. I will be learning the car a little bit and of course, the main thing is to help Mitsubishi in the World Championship. As long as Tommi Makinen is at the top, it is difficult to think of winning,'' Radstrom stated. ''Mitsubishi has a strong record in Sweden and we're hoping for another very good result. Tommi is fantastically well motivated at the moment and we're redoubling our efforts to make sure that everything is just right for him. Thomas has finished on the podium or been fighting very hard for a podium place for the last three or four years and there's no doubt that he's highly competitive in Sweden. He will try the car at our confirmation test and as our suspension people have worked with him before, we should be able to give him what he needs. Freddy will be able to focus on his own performance. He has the same car specification as everyone else and we hope he goes as well as he did on the Col de Turini during the Monte Carlo Rally. It's a question of following up what he managed there,'' Marlboro Mitsubishi Ralliart team manager George Donaldson said. Mitsubishi's tyre partner Michelin will play an important role on the Swedish event. Two centimetre long studs protrude from the tyre giving excellent grip on the snow and ice. Each stud produces more than a kilowatt of energy each time it strikes the surface. As usual, the rally will be based in the lakeside town of Karlstad in central Sweden and will be run in the provinces of Varmland and Dalarna. This year's event, which lasts from February 8-11, will move a little further north than usual in an effort to ensure that there is more snow. It covers 1,924 kilometres, with 17 special stages totalling 380 kilometres. The first leg, centred on Torsby, is potentially decisive. It includes six stages covering 148 kilometres and begins with one of the Swedish Rally's classic tests, Bjalverud, but it also includes a new stage, the longest in the rally's history, Granberget, which covers almost 50 kilometres. The second leg heads further east, towards Falun and Grangesberg, and consists of another six stages, totalling 134 kilometres. There will be five stages in the third and final leg around Hagfors with 98 kilometres of flat out driving. |
|
| 2001 FIA World Rally Championship Portugal Test 29 January 2001 MARLBORO MITSUBISHI RALLIART KEEPS UP THE PACE The word complacency does not feature in the Marlboro Mitsubishi Ralliart dictionary and, despite Tommi Makinen notching up his third consecutive victory in Monte Carlo just over a week ago, the team is neither resting on its laurels nor anticipating an easy ride in this year's FIA World Rally Championship. |
|
| Competition is fiercer than ever, and the team was back out testing the
Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution / Carisma GT within two days of Makinen raising
the prized trophy. With preparations for the forthcoming International Swedish Rally completed during December, the focus was very much on the first true gravel round of the series, the Portugal Rally (9-11 March), an event that will also mark Makinen's 100th entry into a World Championship rally. |
|
|
|
Based in Arganil, 160 kilometres to the south of the rally base in Oporto,
Lasse Lampi and Freddy Loix spent five days testing and setting up the Mitsubishi's suspension which, after months of development work in
conjunction with the new rear wheel arches, proved so successful in Monte Carlo. Despite driving rain and blustery winds, the team could accurately compare its performance over the same test roads used in 2000, and improvements in pace and handling were significant. |
| "The car was much better compared with last year and that was very clear
because we were running on exactly the same roads," commented Freddy. "The
speed is good and we have never had so much suspension travel in the rear -
it is working so well and I feel very happy because the car stays on the road better, especially in downhill sections. From one side you could say we tested in very extreme conditions, but for me this was good because when it was wet it was difficult for me to set some good times. Now, having had two days in very muddy and slippery conditions, I feel much more confident. You never know what the rally will be like, but I think we are very well prepared now. "Monte Carlo was very good for me, especially after a season like last year, and the car is back near the front - Tommi proved that at the end of 2000. Our last two tests have gone well and I hope we can keep up the same level. It'll be difficult because there is a lot of competition, but we will try our hardest," he concluded. |
|
|
Marlboro Mitsubishi Ralliart is now making its final preparations for the
International Swedish Rally (9-11 February), the only true winter rally in
the series. It is an event notoriously dominated by Scandinavian drivers and the team has drafted in 1997 Swedish Rally Champion Thomas Radstrom to bolster its assault in the Manufacturers' Championship. Both he and Makinen will be nominated in this event, allowing Freddy Loix to fight for drivers' points, while fulfilling a vital and tactical supporting role. |
|
| FIA World Rally Championship Lapland/Sweden Rally test 21 December 2000 |
|
| MERRY CHRISTMAS TOMMI | |
|
. |
|
 |
Finnish test driver Lasse Lampi began proceedings, with four-times World Rally Champion Tommi Makinen taking over duties for the last two days of the six day test. Following a successful testing debut for the revised Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution/Carisma GT in France early in December, it was time to focus on adapting the car for the only true snow rally in the Championship - Sweden. The team, led by senior engineer Olivier Maroselli and engineer Phil Roach, has been concentrating on the modifications made to the Mitsubishi's rear wheel arches and suspension. |
|
|
|
| "It is feeling good, especially this new rear suspension," added Tommi. "I cannot really compare the performance with last year's car but it certainly has good balance. I am looking forward to next season very much. We have number seven on the car next year and we will try to make it number one again. That is the only target." | |
|
|
|
|
.
. |
|
| FIA World Rally Championship 2001 Monte Carlo Rally test 13 December 2000 THE FULL MONTE TEST
|
|
|
The FIA World Rally Championship contenders may be taking a well-earned rest
from competition, but testing continues in anger as the start of the 2001 season is just over five weeks away. The Principality of Monaco is chic, stylish and home to the rich and famous, but the Monte Carlo Rally - the season-opener - is one of the most treacherous and unpredictable in the calendar. Snow, ice, wet and dry asphalt all add to the challenge of what is just one of fourteen events that takes the series over some of the most diverse terrain in the world. |
|
| . | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The 2001 car turned its wheels in anger in France last Monday (4 December)
and the team, with Finnish test driver Lasse Lampi and regular Marlboro Mitsubishi Ralliart pilot Freddy Loix, has spent the last nine days honing
the engine specification and suspension settings in preparation for the 69th
Monte Carlo Rally (19-21 January). Although most of Europe should be settling into winter, weather conditions in France have been unseasonably
warm and, despite moving between Grenoble, Nice and St. Maxime, the team,
like all its rivals, has failed to find snow and ice during 900 kilometres
of testing. |
|
"Testing has gone well and I think we have made a very good step," commented
chief engineer Bernard Lindauer. "We have made some wheel arch
modifications to be able to increase the travel on the rear suspension,
because with a four-door car we have been quite restricted in this area. |
|
|
"For us it is not a problem that we haven't found snow and ice because when
we have to work on new developments, it's better to have good base conditions," adds Lindauer. "We can then do the lower grip work required for snow and ice from the optimum dry set-up when we do our final confirmation test in January. With the base settings, we can then do the same for the snow and gravel evolutions in Lapland and Portugal in the coming weeks." Marlboro Mitsubishi Ralliart now heads north, up towards the Arctic Circle and Lapland for its first full snow test with Tommi Makinen (16-21 December). |
|
Adrian Atkinson/PR Manager Marlboro Mitsubishi Ralliart For more information on Marlboro Mitsubishi Ralliart (including live stage
times, editorial photos and quotes) please visit our web site at: |
|
|
courtesy of MMC Switzerland
www.mitsubishi.ch |
|
