motor

racingfreak · 05-11-2007, 10:34 AM

open...like in between stages...I know, just saying that those people have no regard for the cars...they assume the drivers will avoid them, forgetting that not every driver is a loeb or a gronholm a.k.a the rookies taking part...like the one that hit the spectators. I'm definately not saying that this incident should simply be brushed off like nothing happened...as I assume its going to be, but the spectators should really take more care. The reason I'm on the drivers side...I myself have raced in a couple of rallies (local, not wrc), and in some stages your not only trying to negotiate the roads but also dodging spectators who dont see cars coming and try to cross, stand too close to the road to get a better view or disregard the marshalls along the road...there are reasons why they make specific viewing points, but when you are 50 marshalls against 500000 spectators, the spectators usually get the final say...

redbaron · 05-17-2007, 06:31 PM

Pons joins Subaru:

Former Kronos Citroen driver Xevi Pons will join the Subaru World Rally Team for the second half of the 2007 FIA World Rally Championship starting with Neste Oil Rally Finland (August 3-5). The Spaniard will also contest the entire 2008 world rally season with the Japanese manufacturer.

Pons will drive a third Impreza WRC2007 next to regular drivers Petter Solberg and Chris Atkinson and will have an option to continue in 2009 with the team.

The 27-year-old will be co-driven by Xavier Amigo and will start testing with the Impreza in the middle of July.

"We have worked very hard to make this happen and I'm very happy to be back in the World Rally Championship with a top team. This is a fantastic opportunity to prove myself against the best drivers, and I want to repay the faith the Subaru World Rally Team has shown in me by producing excellent results. It will be a great experience for me to be part of the same team as Petter Solberg and Chris Atkinson, and I can't wait to drive the Impreza WRC2007 for the first time," Pons said.

:arrow: http://www.wrc.com/page/News/Breakin...025796,00.html

The only question that comes to my mind is will he drive for the works team itself or for a SWRT backed M2 team. There were rumours about a Subaru M2 team to appear somewhere this season, but I have not heard anything about it ever since.

Pokiou · 05-17-2007, 10:20 PM

im in love with this suabru

redbaron · 05-18-2007, 06:31 PM

^^
I totally agree on that. I think Subaru can really use the experience of Gardemeister. He helped a lot on developing WRCs.

There are rumours that both Galli and Gardemeister are linked to the Suzuki WRC project. There is also a returning rumour of a Galli/Subaru link, maybe the M2 project I mentioned earlier in this tread.

Top 8 after the first leg of the Rally D'Italia-Sardegna:

Pos. Driver Vehicle Time Diff Ldr Diff Prev
1 LOEB CITROEN 01:42:10.0
2 GRÖNHOLM FORD 01:42:32.4 22.4 22.4
3 HIRVONEN FORD 01:42:39.1 29.1 06.7
4 SOLBERG FORD 01:42:42.9 32.9 03.8
5 SORDO CITROEN 01:43:28.3 01:18.3 45.4
6 SOLBERG SUBARU 01:43:31.0 01:21.0 02.7
7 GARDEMEISTER MITSUBISHI 01:44:14.2 02:04.2 43.2
8 STOHL CITROEN 01:44:45.8 02:35.8 31.6

Too bad that Gronholm has lost the lead because of a broken shock absorber at SS.5 and SS.6

redbaron · 06-01-2007, 02:48 PM

This is great, top 6 almost within 10 seconds. That does not even happen in Formula 1

I can not wait to see the review of leg 1 at Eurosport tonight.

redbaron · 06-04-2007, 10:02 AM

Good to see Gronholm beating Loeb by speed.

Loeb will probably win the 4 asphalt events. So this point advantage hopefully results in a championship which is interesting till the end of the season.

Now the two month wait tilll the next rally has started....

dutchmasterflex · 09-10-2007, 11:36 AM

Finally watched reviews of Finland, Germany and New Zealand.

This amazing season is really heating up. I can't believe how close the battle is between Seb and Marcus.

I placing my bets on Marcus

HeilSvenska · 10-26-2007, 01:47 AM

Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo! That French bastard! Someone should push him off a bike.

redbaron · 10-26-2007, 06:14 AM

This is bad for the championship. I hope that Latvala can catch the second place back tomorrow and Hirvonen can stay in the lead, so they will reduce the number of points of Loeb.

79TA · 10-26-2007, 10:43 AM

aaaahhhh! Dangit, I hope Loeb does something equally disastrous.

Ford Capri 2.8i · 10-26-2007, 12:54 PM

Loeb will no take any risk, and hell finish the race without taking any risks; however, he is able to overtake Latvala or Hirvonnen in the race without any risk; see what happens although IMO Loeb is capable of everything good

Schwalbe · 10-26-2007, 03:20 PM

WTF no Monte Carlo event in 2009. :shock: :roll:

redbaron · 10-27-2007, 07:04 AM

^^
A WRC calender without the Monte and GB is bad news, because I.M.O those two are one of the most famous WRC events. I hope the 2009 calender is unofficial or temporary.

I do like the changes that the FIA has announced:

FIA tweaks sporting regulations

Wednesday, October 24th 2007, 13:58 GMT

The FIA has announced several minor changes that will be made to the World Rally Championship in 2008 and 2009.

The changes for 2009 are more significant, as the length of the events will be extended, and there will be the opportunity for mixed-surface events.

The total length of special stages will be increased from 360 kilometres to 400, while any mixed surface event will have to use one surface on two consecutive days.

The main change for 2008 is that the running order for each day of the event will be determined by the event classification.

Currently, the running order for the entire duration of day one is determined by the championship order prior to the event, with the top 15 drivers being reversed for days two and three.

Other changes for next year include replacing the term "leg" with "day", and allowing a 10-minute final service prior to the finish podium.

In a statement, the FIA explained the extra service period: "It is intended to create the opportunity for the service park to be an attraction until the finish of the event."

:arrow: www.autosport.com

More km and mixed surfaces, a step closer to bringing back the good old days!

redbaron · 10-27-2007, 07:18 AM

Loeb has crashed out of the rally of Japan as well!

Sebastien Loeb has retired from leg two of the Rally Japan after going off the road in stage 13.

The Citroen driver had been on course to usurp Marcus Gronholm at the top of the points table after the Finn crashed out yesterday morning, but Loeb then went off and became stuck in a ditch in the Niueo stage while running second behind Gronholm's teammate Mikko Hirvonen.

Third-placed Jari-Matti Latvala also failed to complete SS13, having reported gearbox problems on his Stobart Ford during the preceding stage.

The retirements have handed Hirvonen a huge lead, with Citroen's Dani Sordo moving up to second and Henning Solberg (Stobart Ford) elevated to third.

With Subaru's Xevi Pons having also retired after beaching his Subaru in the Puray stage this morning, only seven World Rally Cars are still running without delay.

:arrow: www.autosport.com

There are now only 7 WRC drivers left. Hirvonen in the lead followed by Sordo and Henning Solberg. It is quite funny to see Perez Companc on a 4th place overall followed by Mathew Wilson. Villagra has driven to scratches on day two (fastest stage times). Only the strongest drivers survive?

HeilSvenska · 10-27-2007, 10:15 PM

^^ EXCELLENT! As you can tell, I'm in the Grönholm camp.

I think it's too early for the 2009 calendar to be finalized. I'm sure it's incomplete. As for the 2008 season, the Rally Australia's being reworked, isn't it? And I guess Rally Ireland is just a one-off.