VW Motorsport set for Mexico test

Volkswagen Motorsport is set to test it's new Polo R WRC in the high altitude environment of Mexico this week in what could prove a vital test for the new car.

With testing outside Europe banned for registered WRC teams, VW Motorsport are choosing to get this test completed before they register for next year's WRC. With two rallies taking place in high altitudes, this expensive test will not only give the team valuable data for low-oxygen events, it'll give their drivers some prior experience of their new car in Mexico.

Team leader Sebastian Ogier understands the benefits of testing in Mexico, even with the costs and logistical nightmare involved, he says that finding conditions that mimic Mexico are hard to come by.

“Normally we are not allowed to [test outside of Europe] when we are in the championship so we take the opportunity to do it now. It’s really difficult to find the Mexico conditions out of Mexico so basically to have the altitude and the temperature in the same place means we must go there so that’s why we decide to test in Mexico. It will be expensive and will take a lot of time but I am sure, at the end, it will help us to perform there.” he said.

VW's well documented testing programme, which included testing on all surfaces and in lots of different countries, which included Finland, Portugal and Norway, is a precursor to the firm's unwavering commitment to the WRC.

“If you see what is here, what is built up here and what is coming, then it’s difficult to believe it’s going to be for just three years. VW does things on a long-term and strategic basis, it doesn’t go in and out of [programmes] easily.” said Jost Capito, VW Motorsport boss.

Ogier added: “I knew from the beginning that I have no doubts on this aspect and am sure Volkswagen is doing the best for that. It’s not easy to organise completely a new team coming from a new competition.”

Wilson confirms Ostberg, Qatar for 2013

M-Sport boss Malcolm Wilson has announced that his team will tie up with Qatar in 2013 in the WRC, a move that will see Nasser Al-Attiyah join the team for seven events.

Wilson has been on the lookout for a title sponsor after Ford withdrew their title sponsorship of the team, leaving the works team with an aura of uncertainty, possibly made worse by Jari-Matti Latvala's decision to leave for Volkswagen for next season. Even though Wilson was confident of works Ford representation in the WRC next year, this new deal secures the team's future in the sport.

“We are delighted to welcome such a prestigious partner as Qatar on board for 2013,” said Wilson. “The partnership with Nasser and the Qatari State will enable M-Sport to continue at the pinnacle of the sport and we are looking forward to working together in the future. Since the 2012 season came to a close, work has not stopped and the entire team is working around the clock to ensure we deliver a strong package for next year.”

As part of the deal Al-Attiyah will continue to campaign Ford machinery in the Middle East Rally Championship, namely a Ford Fiesta RRC. The Qatari driver has a sparkling history with the Cumbrian-based squad, having taken a Ford Fiesta S2000 to it's début victory.

“We are looking forward to building on our strong relationship with M-Sport and working with them in 2013. I have a good knowledge of the car having driven the Fiesta S2000 to its debut win in 2010 and [I am] now looking to secure my eighth title in the Middle East with the Fiesta RRC. I am really looking forward to getting behind the wheel of the Fiesta RS WRC and contesting as many WRC events as I can around my other motorsport commitments.” said Al-Attiyah.

It was later announced that Mads Ostberg would be chosen to drive one of the two additional works-blessed Fiesta's on all 13 rounds, the decision coming after the Norwegian impressed team boss Wilson with a spectacular last season in a privateer Fiesta RS WRC. He beat off works driver Petter Solberg (who's future is still unknown) to fourth place in the final drivers standings.

“This is a great opportunity for me. I have had many dreams in my career, but achieving this drive is definitely one of the biggest and I am certainly going to try and make the most of it.”

“I am really happy to have been chosen to join the team and continue working closely with M-Sport next season. We’ve been working with the [Ford Fiesta RS WRC] for two years now - we know the car and we know the team so from the technical side of things, I think we will be in a really good position as there won’t be too much of a change to get used to.” said an elated Ostberg.

However last season's Rallye de Portugal winner understands the challenges that lie ahead, including being up against the might of the Citroen works team plus Volkswagen, who's intensive preparations for 2014 have been well documented.

“But from the other side of things, it will still be a big challenge - albeit a big step in the right direction. This season has been really good for us, and I hope we can continue that into 2013. I can’t wait to get back behind the wheel and start testing with the team in the next couple of weeks.” he added.

As mentioned, 2003 World Rally Champion Petter Solberg's future in the WRC is still unknown as yet. He recently stated he won't pay for a drive however he would drive for free if it guaranteed a spot in a competitive car for him. Solberg endured a good start to the 2012 season but gradually declined towards the final rounds, owing to bad luck as well as driving errors.

No No. 1 driver for Citroen in 2013

Citroen Racing boss Yves Matton says that Citroen won't run a definite No. 1 driver next season as Dani Sordo rejoins the team alongside Mikko Hirvonen.

The record-breaking French team have been seen to favour 9-times World Champion Sebastian Loeb as their No. 1 driver, but with his full-time retirement, Matton believes it will be better for both drivers to fight each other to help Citroen claim a sixth Manufacturers World Title.

“My idea is more we have two drivers and the two drivers have to do their job to bring as much points on each event to have the title at the end of the season. Seb [Loeb] will not be there [full time] next year but Mikko showed he can fight for the first places and I am very optimistic what Mikko will show next year and what he will do for us.” said Matton.

Matton's choice in re-signing Sordo appeared to boil down to the fact that he knew the car and the team, having spent the vast majority of his full-time WRC career there. Another factor in this decision is Citroen's need to expand into the Spanish road car market

“It’s important that he knows the team and the car; the type of team we are and how we work on the set-up of the car. Spain is also an important market for the [Citroen] brand and it’s important for us not to have two drivers from the same part of Europe - with Spain and Finland we are very wide on the European market.” he added.

However it hasn't been announced for how long Sordo will be under contract with Citroen, nor has it been announced how many events he will do in 2013. With Sebastian Loeb only planning on doing two to five events next year, one could expect Sordo to compete on any events Loeb decides not do enter.

What do you get from a 9 times World Champion?

A nice shiny gold watch. Well, not a 24 carat solid gold time-piece, that would be too heavy for rallying.

Instead, 9 times World Rally Champion Sebastian Loeb treated his right-hand man (quite literally, actually), Daniel Elena, to a nice new co-driver's watch, with a gold bezel! Well, a gold-coloured bezel, it would be a shame for a real gold piece to get scratched with all the dust and abuse rallying would throw at it.

Elena was actually gifted two watches by his 'work-mate', so to speak, but, according to Elena, maybe Seb should have kept one for himself!

“Actually it should really be Seb having these watches because he is the one who is always late - especially in the mornings! But thank you - I am very happy to receive these presents, although I’m not retiring yet. We’re already back in Monte Carlo next year, after all...” he said.

A nice semi-retirement present, with a gold watch being traditionally given to a long-standing loyal employee/boss, incorporating quality, consistency and reliability. Three qualities well seen in the Monegasque co-driver.

After all, he's only gotten Seb lost once and missed only one pace-note in their 11 years in the WRC.

Loeb ends full time career on a high

Sebastian Loeb rounded out his career as a full-time works WRC driver with a close win on the Rallye de Espana in Spain, coming home 7 secs ahead of Jari-Matti Latvala.

“For sure I really wanted to win this rally. We were really struggling in the start because it was really tricky on the first day. On the Tarmac I was able to take the lead but today was not easy because we had some strange tyre choice and Jari-Matti was pushing very hard and getting closer.” said the Frenchman.

Mads Ostberg, touted as possibly being the successor to Loeb's coveted DS3 WRC next season, was the revelation of Day 1, leading overnight as the gravel leg threw up some massive surprises. Only 6 stages began the rally, totalling less than 150 kms, but it was a manic beginning to the rally.

Ott Tanak lead after the second stage as the regular winners suffered horrific stage conditions as they ran further down the order, before Mads Ostberg went into the lead heading into the first service. Even these two had problems, Tanak with an overshoot plus an off, Ostberg with a spin and even a poor tyre choice. Even with this, Ostberg held a 27 sec lead overnight.

Latvala had a half of a second over Loeb after the first stage but he couldn't cope with the deteriorating conditions and fell to fifth. His team-mate Petter Solberg caught a rock which put him out (ironically the exact same rock that put him out last season), with Andreas Mikkelsen and Theirry Neuville clipping the same rock. Dani Sordo crashed out on SS3.

Things returned to normal on Day 2 as Loeb hit the tarmac and shot into the lead. Helped by Ostberg going off and losing a minute, Latvala moved into second but conceded that “I can’t catch him”, such is the fear the Frenchman has struck into the hearts of his competitors. He held a 27 sec lead over the Finn at the end of the day.

Latvala won two stages on the final day to slash Loeb's lead to just 7 secs, however it remains to be seen just how much Loeb was cruising. His 76^th career win has fittingly come on the surface on which he has so ruthlessly dominated over the past 10 years, however, even though he won't be in full time competition next season, one can only be sure that he will be adding a couple more wins to that tally.

Mikko Hirvonen took the sister works DS3 WRC to third place after a quiet rally with no major drama's, but Day 1 hero Mads Ostberg was less than 10 secs behind in fourth.

Jarkko Nikara took a fine fifth on his WRC car début in his MINI John Cooper Works WRC, after suffering a failing jack whilst changing a wheel earlier in the rally.

An astounding run from Craig Breen netted him 6^th place, as well as 1^st S-WRC but most importantly the S2000 World Rally Championship. (See below for S-WRC report)

Chris Atkinson took seventh for WRC Team MINI Portugal with P-G Andersson taking eighth and second S-WRC. A resurgent Dani Sordo came back from Rally 2 penalties to take ninth with Evgney Novikov taking tenth after a 10 minute penalty, awarded because his DMACK tyres wore down it's soft compound to under the permitted 1.6mm.

Craig Breen took an emotional and historic win in the S-WRC class to take the S2000 World Rally Championship at his first time of asking, becoming the final World Champion in the class for normally aspirated 2 litre cars before new regulations and classes come into effect next year.

Having commanded a 3 min 30 sec lead at one point, Breen drove well within himself to claim the rally win after all of his competitors came across problems. His chief rival, PROTON's P-G Andersson suffered a broken drive shaft but he also went off the road, adding more to his deficit. Yazeed Al Rajhi had an outside chance to take the title but his hopes ended once his turbo gave up the ghost.

Alastair Fisher was drafted into the second PROTON but he went off on SS5 along with Albert Llovera. Hayden Paddon went off on SS3 and retired. Fisher and Paddon rejoined to take fourth and fifth, respectively.

“This is incredible, it’s beyond my wildest dreams. I really couldn’t have done this without everybody’s support and good wishes so I’d like to take this moment to thank each and everyone of you. It’s the perfect attribute to Gareth too and I am so happy to have won this title for him.” said an elated Breen.

Benito Guerra drove a consistent rally to finish with a massive 5 min 36 sec margin over second placed Marcos Ligato. Ligato lost time with brake problems however he managed to take Subhan Aksa for second place when the Indonesian driver hit problems on SS16.

Guerra, the newly crowned P-WRC World Champion, said at the finish: “I think this is the best day of my life. This is the first FIA title for me and for Mexico and the feeling is like nothing I have experienced before. I think this will also bring me new opportunities and new sponsors, maybe I will even step up to a World Rally Car. Thanks to everyone who helped me win this weekend.”

With the WRC Academy title all sewn up in favour of Elfyn Evans, it was every man for himself in Spain. Jose Suarez went all out, alongside his fellow Academy regulars, and landed his first win in the class. He and co-driver Candido Carrera then dedicated the win to Gareth Roberts, the first WRC Academy Champion co-driver.

A puncture dropped Pontus Tidemand from the lead and he finished in second place with Academy Champion Elfyn Evans in third, his fifth podium finish.

“I am very happy. My driver was fantastic and this [result] is very important for me because it’s in memory of my friend Gareth Roberts.” said Suarez.

Kubica swaps to a Citroen

Former F1 race-winner Robert Kubica is set to campaign a Citroen C4 WRC on two tarmac rallies, the first of which is in just under two weeks time.

Kubica suffered a horrific crash almost two years ago and has been almost totally ruled out of competition since. He has competed on a handful of rallies in a Subaru Impreza S12 WRC in the last couple of months however, winning one of them but crashing out of another after sliding off on a patch of gravel.

“I can’t wait to drive a car that is as quick and has been as successful as the C4 WRC. Rallying is one of my favourite forms of motorsport. After completing a test session so that I can get used to the car, competing in the Rally di Como will above all be an opportunity to get to a feel for the car and learn more about driving it in racing conditions.” he said.

The Citroen C4 has been one of the most successful rally cars ever built, taking a début 1-2 at the hands of Sebastian Loeb and Dani Sordo on the Rallye Monte Carlo 2007. In it's 4 competitive seasons, it scored 36 wins, 4 World Driver's titles and 3 World Manufacturer's titles. It's this winning pedigree Kubica wants to tap into when he contests the Rally du Var, for the fourth time.

“The objective will be different for the Rallye du Var. This will be the third time I have taken part, so it’s a rally with which I am already familiar and where I feel comfortable. And although first and foremost I want to rack up as many miles as possible and improve in the category.” he added.

The Rally di Como takes place 15-17^th November, while the Rally du Var takes place a week later, 2nd-25^th November.