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| 2009 Rally Cyprus : WRC Round 3 of 12 : 13th - 15th March In this issue: 1. Event Preview 2. Event Links 3. Other News 4. Team by Team Preview 5. Event statistics 6. Event Schedule 7. Championship Points 8. Subscription Information 1. Event Preview Mastering the art of driving flat out over Cyprus' winding asphalt roads using gravel tyres is the stern challenge facing the teams this weekend. While the Cyprus Rally (12 - 15 March) offers the first opportunity this year for the FIA World Rally Championship contenders to find their feet on gravel, it is the asphalt mountain speed tests that offer a step into the unknown for drivers. The opening day's action takes place on asphalt before switching to boulder-strewn gravel tracks for the final two legs as the Mediterranean holiday island hosts the WRC's first mixed-surface rally since 1996. Add into the mix rules that state drivers must tackle the sealed surface speed tests using Pirelli's gravel tyres rather than asphalt rubber to restrict costs, and it is not difficult to see why this third round of the 12-event championship could be one of the toughest of the campaign. 3. Other News " Meeke takes first IRC win in Brazil " Skoda to compete on Valasska Rally 4. Team by Team Preview BP Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team http://ford.rallye-info.com/teams.asp?sid=2 Sections of the asphalt special stages were tackled in gravel form several years ago but will be new in this format to Ford drivers Mikko Hirvonen and Jarmo Lehtinen, while team-mates Jari-Matti Latvala and Miikka Anttila have never competed in Cyprus. Strength and reliability will be crucial once the rally moves into the Troodos Mountains, high above the rally base in the resort of Limassol, for the second and third legs. The gravel roads there are notoriously rough and cars must be capable of withstanding a heavy battering from rocks. The tracks are also incredibly twisty and speeds are lower than anywhere else in the championship. On its last appearance in the series in 2006, the rally was won at an average of only 67.45kph. The Ford Focus RS World Rally Car they will drive has earned an awesome reputation in arduous conditions with two previous victories in Cyprus to its credit. The rally was previously held later in the season when baking temperatures made conditions even more challenging for man and machine, but early spring, a time when the mountains come alive with colour, should be far more bearable. #3 : Mikko Hirvonen/Jarmo Lehtinen: "I found a good set-up for the gravel stages during the test. The stages in Cyprus are so twisty that there are sections where a driver thinks he's going too slowly. But to push too hard risks the car sliding wide and losing momentum. It's important to be patient and believe that other drivers are having just the same thoughts. It's said a lot, but this rally is unique in the championship," #4 : Jari-Matti Latvala/Miikka Anttila: "Cyprus is the only rally in the WRC calendar on which I've not competed. It's three months since the last gravel event in Britain so my test was a good opportunity to get a feel for the surface again. It's a technical rally and asphalt driving with gravel tyres will be a new challenge, the kind of thing that makes this sport so fascinating. I learned on the test that I must still use my asphalt technique and keep the car straight with precise lines. Too much sideways driving will destroy the tyres," #19 : Khalid Al Qassimi/Michael Orr: "It's a difficult rally that is tough on the cars with so many rocks, so I'm looking forward to the challenge. If I can carry a good pace with no problems and maintain my concentration levels and momentum, I'm confident of doing a good job. The team has prepared well and Mikko and Jari-Matti completed good mileage in testing," Citroen Total World Rally Team http://citroen.rallye-info.com/teams.asp?sid=1 Sébastien Loeb and Daniel Elena, who won this event three times (in 2004, 2005 and 2006) from four starts, will clearly be targeting further success this time round. If they succeed, it will take the five-time World Champions' score to 50 world class wins. #1 : Sebastien Loeb/Daniel Elena: "It's a shame to have only done things by half. We will be competing on asphalt with ill-suited brakes, tyres and suspension. The balance of our C4 WRC is still very good with this set-up, but we are aware that we will need to look after our tyres to avoid punctures. It will probably be nice for the spectators to see the cars sliding, but I don't think it will be all that stimulating for the drivers. The fact that we are starting the weekend on asphalt won't encourage us to attack, either. What will be the point in being first overall on Friday evening. That will mean facing road sweeping duty on the next day's loose stages? That said, this is not a strategy we will be able to afford to adopt because we will be starting the weekend first on the road. Our objective will therefore be to build up as big a lead as possible on the opening day." #2 : Daniel Sordo/Marc Marti: "Despite the fact that asphalt is seen as our favourite type of surface, the regulations concerning the specification of the cars is likely to have a big influence. We have tested on asphalt with gravel tyres and our C4 WRC was as strong as ever. We worked on the suspension to adapt it to sealed surfaces, but it's notably the brakes and tyres which stand to suffer the most, especially if the weather is hot." Stobart Ford World Rally Team http://ford.rallye-info.com/teams.asp?sid=2 Stobart VK M-Sport Ford Rally Team drivers Henning Solberg and Matthew Wilson face one of their toughest tests of the season as they aim to build on the foundations of their strong start to the year at the latest round of the FIA World Rally Championship, the Cyprus Rally. The rally is just 14 stages long, compared to 23 at Rally Norway, but those stages are expected to be some of the longest of this year's championship and the drivers will spend around four and a half hours in the driving seat with the low average speed and high number of corners providing a stern test of their fitness. #5: Matthew Wilson/Scott Martin: "This rally will be something different for us and running on two different surfaces during one event is certainly a unique experience. The first day will be difficult, it's quite long and we will be running in very alien conditions; I think there will also be some driving for preferential road position for day 2. I enjoyed this rally in 2006, the slow speeds make it totally different from most other rallies and it will be good to get onto the normal gravel stages on the second day. Fitness will also be important here, maybe not because of the usual high temperature but because of the long, slow stages." #6 : Henning Solberg/Cato Menkerud: "I think this rally will be a big challenge but I really enjoy these stages in Cyprus and I'm up for the challenge. It is good to see the organisers doing something different to spice up the event and I think we will see some tactical driving on the first day. Road position will be important as there aren't many second passes over stages but for sure the long stages will provide a tough test. I'm confident though and will be aiming for a top-five, maybe even a podium if we can stay out of trouble and get a clean run." Citroen Junior Team http://citroen.rallye-info.com/teams.asp?sid=1 The Citroën Junior Team is eagerly looking forward to the Cyprus Rally, the third round of the FIA World Rally Championship. For the first time, all the WRC crews will have to tackle two completely different surfaces on the same rally. This will form a considerable test for the three Citroen C4 WRCs of Conrad Rautenbach/Daniel Barritt, Evgeny Novikov/Dale Moscatt and Sebastien Ogier/Julien Ingrassia. #7: Evgeny Novikov/Dale Moscatt: "I was very pleased with our gravel test. We soon found a good rhythm with the Citroen C4 WRC, and we're obviously delighted by the fantastic opportunity that we have to drive the most competitive car in the championship, run by the Citroen Junior Team. For what's still only our second rally in a WRC machine, we're not fixing any sort of objectives in terms of results. The key thing about this event is that we have the chance to drive on gravel in order to prepare for the rest of the championship. There's no need to focus too much on the opening day though as it's going to be a very long event." #8: Conrad Rautenbach/Daniel Barritt: "It's going to be a very strange experience. We're not going to have anything like the same levels of grip that we are accustomed to and the cars will end up sliding a lot. I'm sure it will be good fun for all the spectators though! Our test went very well and I hope that we can soon find a good feeling when it comes to the actual rally." #12: Sebastien Ogier/Julien Ingrassia: "We're going to start the event by going reasonably carefully…but we'll always be ready to put our foot down!" Thursday 12 March: Ceremonial start Start Palais des Sports, Limassol 20.00 Friday 13 March: Day 1 Limassol - Limassol Start Limassol 08.00 SS1 Panagia 1 30.33km 09.23 SS2 Mylikouri 1 7.37km 10.21 SS3 Gerakies 1 29.40km 10.46 Serv A Limassol (30 mins) 12.41 SS4 Panagia 2 30.33km 14.34 SS5 Mylikouri 2 7.37km 15.32 SS6 Gerakies 2 29.40km 15.57 Serv B Limassol (45 mins) 17.35 Finish Limassol 18.20 Total 134.20km Saturday 14 March: Day 2 Limassol - Limassol Serv C Limassol (15 mins) 07.00 SS7 Anadiou Dam 1 11.70km 08.43 SS8 Pano Panagia 28.17km 09.11 SS9 Orkontas 18.54km 11.19 Serv D Limassol (30 mins) 13.09 SS10 Xyliatos 30.94km 15.17 SS11 Kourdali 26.25km 16.20 Serv E Limassol (45 mins) 18.18 Finish Limassol 19.03 Total 115.60km Sunday 15 March: Day 3 Limassol - Limassol Serv F Limassol (15 mins) 08.00 SS12 Foini 30.03km 09.18 RSZ G Anadiou Dam (15 mins) 10.18 SS13 Anadiou 40.54km 10.49 SS14 Anadiou Dam 2 11.70km 12.02 Serv H Limassol (10 mins) 14.00 Finish Limassol 14.20 Total 82.27km Rally total 332.07km |