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RallyeNewsletter 2009 Rally Spain : WRC Round 11 of 12 : 2nd - 4th October In this issue: 1. Event Preview 3. Other News 4. Team by Team Preview 5. Event statistics 6. Event Schedule 7. Championship Points 1. Event Preview As the title race reaches it's final two events, Sebastien Loeb will be looking to back up from his team mates in order to overturn Mikko Hirvonen's championship lead before the season finale in Wales. The rally is based in the holiday resort of Salou, on the Costa Daurada coast, south of Barcelona. The flowing speed tests in the Tarragona! region are fast and can be compared to a race circuit in their characteristics. Although the roads are smooth, they are often abrasive and quickly become slippery as drivers cut the open corners to shave tenths of a second from their times, dragging stones and dirt onto the surface. Conditions will therefore worsen during the repeat afternoon pass of the special stages. 3. Other News * Meeke lifts IRC crown on Sanremo 4. Team by Team Preview BP Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team http://ford.rallye-info.com/teams.asp?sid=2 Hirvonen and co-driver Jarmo Lehtinen take a five-point lead into this 11th round of the campaign after winning the last four rounds in the record-breaking Ford Focus RS World Rally Car. They will be supported by fellow Finns Latvala and Miikka Anttila, whose victory in Italy in May began a five-rally winning streak that is Ford's best-ever in the WRC. Hirvonen visited Britain last week for a day's driving training with former European FIA Endurance Touring Car champion Rob Wilson. He then completed two days' testing on sweeping roads in Catalonia, close to where the rally is based, and has an additional day scheduled on Monday.&nb! sp; Latvala took tuition from ex-Finnish touring car champion Olli Haapalainen before his two-day test this week. The Spanish session was launched by ex-Ford driver Markko Märtin, who won back-to-back asphalt rallies in a Focus RS WRC in France and Spain in 2004. He spent two days with the team last week, using his sealed surface expertise to advise on car set-up and pinpoint minor modifications that could improve the Focus RS WRC's performance even further. The trio completed 1450km in six days. #3 : Mikko Hirvonen/Jarmo Lehtinen: "Preparations have gone well. I did some coaching with Rob Wilson in the UK to focus again on asphalt driving. It's something I've done for the past three years before asphalt rallies. Then my test went well and hopefully I picked up something extra that will add to the experience from previous years. The car felt very good so I'll wait to see how that transfers to the rally roads. ! On just one day I completed 350km, and that's the same distance as the entire three-day rally in Spain." #4 : Jari-Matti Latvala/Miikka Anttila: "After practising on a race circuit in Finland, I was able to work on what I learned on the roads in Spain. Every year there is less and less opportunity to cut corners on this rally because barriers are placed on the inside of bends to prevent it. So the stages have become more and more comparable to a race circuit and the coaching I have done is perfect preparation for that type of road. #19 : Khalid Al Qassimi/Michael Orr: "The asphalt surface is going to present new challenges and I will need to concentrate on a different set of skills to the last few rallies. The stages will be fast and more streamlined, but I'll push with everything I have to try to finish in the points," Citroen Total World Rally Team http://citroen.rallye-info.com/teams.asp?sid=1 The penultimate round of the 2009 FIA World Rally Championship could well turn out to be decisive in more ways than one, and Citroën Total World Rally Team will line up for the start of the 2009 RallyRACC Catalunya with just one objective in mind: a fourth one-two finish in Spain in four years. Indeed, victory for Sébastien Loeb/Daniel Elena ahead of Dani Sordo/Marc Marti would be a positive outcome on two accounts. To begin with, it would put the Franco- Monegasque pair back in the hunt for the Drivers' title, while it would also clinch a fifth Manufacturers' crown for Citroën. #1 : Sebastien Loeb/Daniel Elena: "I've really little alternative than to end the season with a perfect scorecard. Here, more than anywhere else, we will be counting on Dani and Marc's rearguard action, because Mikko Hirvonen only needs to come sec! ond twice to clinch the title. I will do all I can to fulfil my side of the contract. After that, we shall see…" #2 : Daniel Sordo/Marc Marti: "My target is to come second behind Seb. That would be perfect, since it would secure the Manufacturers' title for Citroën. It's a result we have achieved before, and we can do it again. I won't be able to afford to lower my guard, though. Mikko has made good progress on asphalt recently; and I am convinced he will be part of the fight. Stobart Ford World Rally Team http://ford.rallye-info.com/teams.asp?sid=2 Matthew Wilson and Henning Solberg are getting ready to take on the WRC’s first asphalt event since February as they travel to Salou for the Rally de España, the penultimate round of this year’s championship. The Stobart VK M-Sport Ford driver! s are both on course to complete their best ever season in the championship and will be looking to set up a thrilling climax to the season with a strong result in Catalunya.. #5: Matthew Wilson/Scott Martin: “It’s going to be quite interesting doing a full Tarmac rally after so long away rallying on gravel. Unusually the rally is completely identical to last year which is great because it will really allow us to measure our progress since then. It also means that we’ll be able to use the recce to really perfect our pacenotes. We’ve had a bit of Tarmac tuition in preparation for it so I’m really looking forward to getting out there.” #6 : Henning Solberg/Cato Menkerud: “I always find driving on Tarmac a big challenge and usually I start off slow but make really good progress over the weekend. This rally will be difficult as the last time we were on Tarmac was the very first round in Ireland! – and it was very wet. But I’m focused on putting in a strong performance and collecting more championship points. I think it’s good for me that we use the same stages as last year, for sure it will help to make our pacenotes more accurate on the recce.” Citroen Junior Team http://citroen.rallye-info.com/teams.asp?sid=1 The three Citroën Junior Team C4 WRCs of Sébastien Ogier / Julien Ingrassia, Conrad Rautenbach / Daniel Barritt and Evgeny Novikov / Stéphane Prévot are back on asphalt for the Catalunya Rally, round 11 of the 2009 FIA World Rally Championship, which takes place from October 1-4. On this surface, the three crews will concentrate on gaining valuable experience. A full eight months after the WRC got underway on the sodden asphalt of Ireland, the Citroën Junior Team returns to sealed surfaces in Spain. In weather that will hopefully be somewhat more clement, the crews will have to face a new set of conditions. While Citroën boasts an impressive record of four consecutive Catalunya victories, the Junior Team will be out primarily to gain experience. Sébastien Ogier / Julien Ingrassia and Conrad Rautenbach / Daniel Barritt will be the crews nominated to score manufacturer points. Evgeny Novikov, who is now co-driven by Belgium’s Stephane Prevot, is at the wheel of a third Citroën C4 WRC. #7: Evgeny Novikov/Dale Moscatt: "I’m not really sure what we can realistically expect in terms of performance but my objective will be to reach the finish, with the maximum number of kilometres under my belt." #8: Conrad Rautenbach/Daniel Barritt: “After having spent almost the entire season on gravel, we now get back to asp! halt. Luckily, we had a good test session that ensured we’ve got back up to speed on this surface. I hope we can put in a good performance and I hope that like last year we can fight to get into the points.” #12: Sebastien Ogier/Julien Ingrassia: In order to prepare for this event, we’ve just completed a useful test session on asphalt. I’ve been listening carefully to all the advice that the team has given me. Myself and my co-driver Julien really hope to be competitive. The Catalunya Rally is a very important event, but we will approach it with humility. French drivers are often well-known for being strong on asphalt. Nonetheless, I feel more comfortable on gravel these days!” 5. Event Statistics 45 th RallyR! ACC Catalunya-Costa Daurada (October 1-4), round 11 of 12 Surface : asphalt Host town : Salou Thursday 1 October: Ceremonial start Start Passeig Jaume 1, Salou 20.00 Friday 2 October: Day 1 Salou - Salou Start PortAventura 08.00 SS1 La Mussara 1 20.48km 08.46 SS2 Querol 1 21.26km 10.24 SS3 El Montmell 1 24.14km 11.07 Serv A PortAventura (30 mins) 12.38 SS4 La Mussara 2 20.48km 13.54 SS5 Querol 2 21.26km 15.32 SS6 El Montmell 2 24.14km 16.15 Serv B PortAventura (45 mins) 17.36 Finish PortAventura 18.21 Total 131.76km Saturday 3 October: Day 2 Salou - Salou Serv C PortAventura (15 mins) 08.00 SS7 El Priorat / La Ribera d'Ebre 1 38.27km 09.14 SS8 Les Garrigues 1 8.60km 10.27 SS9 La Llena 1 ! 17.12km 10.58 Serv D PortAventura (30 mins) 12.48 SS10 El Priorat / La Ribera d'Ebre 2 38.27km 14.17 SS11 Les Garrigues 2 8.60km 15.30 SS12 La Llena 2 17.12km 16.01 Serv E PortAventura (45 mins) 17.41 Finish PortAventura 18.26 Total 127.98km Sunday 4 October: Day 3 Salou - Salou Serv F PortAventura (15 mins) 07.15 SS13 Riudecanyes 1 16.32km 08.05 SS14 Santa Marina 1 26.51km 09.06 SS15 La Serra d'Almos 1 4.11km 10.02 Serv G PortAventura (30 mins) 10.56 SS16 Riudecanyes 2 16.32km 12.01 SS17 Santa Marina 2 26.51km 13.02 SS18 La Serra d'Almos 2 4.11km 13.58 Serv H PortAventura (10 mins) 14.47 Finish Passeig Jaume 1, Salou 15.07 Total 93.88km Rally total 353.62km 7. Championship Points Full standings http://www.rallye-info.com/points.asp |