Inside Rally

The WMSC approved for the FIA to proceed with an agreement with The Sportsman Media Group and Red Bull Media House to become the new global Promoter of the FIA World Rally Championship from 2013. The Promoter will be responsible for investing and developing the WRC with a view to increasing its profile, reputation and commercial value. In particular, the Promoter, working in close collaboration with the FIA, will be focused on introducing live television and an innovative digital media strategy in the next years.

As part of a cost-reduction process and to attract greater entries, WRC Teams competing in the 2013 FIA World Rally Championship will now only have to contest one non-European event. WRC Teams must however still nominate and take part in a minimum of seven events.

The structure of the support Championships has been revised to reflect the interests and demands of the competitors. From 2013, the current Championship for S2000 cars will be replaced by the WRC-2 Championship including cars with four-wheel drive (R5, R4 and S2000). A specific cup for cars in the Group N category will also form part of the FIA WRC-2 Championship, and titles for teams, drivers and co-drivers will be awarded to those who have scored the most points in six of the seven events in which they have taken part.

The current Production Car World Rally Championship will be replaced by the FIA WRC-3 Championship, including Group R cars with two-wheel drive (R3, R2 and R1). Titles for teams, drivers and co-drivers will be awarded to those who have scored the most points in five of the six events in which they have taken part.

The current FIA WRC Academy will be re-named the FIA Junior WRC Championship.

For safety reasons and therefore with immediate effect, each crew that is entered with a WRC car is permitted to use a route note car on asphalt events.

To limit costs and encourage participation, from 2013 the use of the latest evolution of parts homologated by manufacturers will not be mandatory for WRC cars entered by drivers not scoring points in the Manufacturers’ Championship. This also applies to all cars in the S2000 category with a 1.6L turbo engine.

The 2013 FIA World Rally Championship calendar is confirmed as follows:

20/01 MCORallye Monte Carlo
10/02 SWE Rally Sweden
10/03 MEX Rally Mexico
14/04 PRT Rallye de Portugal
05/05 ARG Rally Argentina
02/06 GRE Acropolis Rally
23/06 ITA Rally d’Italia
04/08 FIN Rally Finland
TBC DEU Rallye Deutschland
15/09 AUS Rally Australia
06/10 FRA Rallye de France
27/10 ESP Rally de España
17/11 GBR Rally of Great Britain

Note: The finish date given is the Sunday of the rally weekend. Itineraries are however subject to final confirmation by event organisers.

RALLYING

As part of the FIA’s commitment to strengthen the regional rally championships and implement a global strategy for the sport, the WMSC approved the principle of the appointment of Eurosport Events Limited as the Promoter of the FIA European Rally Championship from 2013 for a period of 10 years. Eurosport Events’ commitment will ensure the series is televised and promoted in all mediums.

To encourage more competitors to participate, cars with national homologations will be permitted to take part in FIA African, Asia-Pacific, Middle East, NACAM and CODASUR Championship events. To address safety requirements, National Technical Regulations will be linked to the FIA’s Appendix J and the FIA Technical Department will be responsible for performance equity.

The homologation period for certain cars has been extended to 31 December 2016, subject to safety requirements, and the WMSC has confirmed that Group T3 cars are permitted to participate in the Middle East Rally Championship, with the exception of the rally in Lebanon, the only asphalt rally in the series.

In the interests of safety, the specification of 18” Tarmac tyres used in regional rallies and in international rally series will be modified. From 2013, these tyres, which are closer in specification to road tyres and the same as those used in the FIA World Rally Championship, will have one tread pattern and will provide reduced grip in corners, allowing cars to slide more progressively.

Citroen Racing team principal Yves Matton says Mikko Hirvonen’s talent will vindicate his decision to entrust the Finn to head the make’s assault on next year’s FIA World Rally Championship.

Photo:D.Darrall

Hirvonen, from Finland, joined Citroen for the 2012 season as number two to Sebastien Loeb following a lengthy stint at rival squad Ford. However, with Loeb tackling a partial campaign next year, Hirvonen has been handed the job of team leader alongside co-driver Jarmo Lehtinen.

“Mikko and Jarmo have now been totally incorporated into the team,” said Matton. “They have shown they have the level of performance and experience needed to take this final step and become the natural leaders of our outfit.”

Hirvonen is currently second in the WRC drivers’ standings. Although he has struggled for ultimate pace on the last two rounds, he came close to winning Rally Sweden and finished first on Vodafone Rally de Portugal only to be excluded following post-event technical checks.

The identity of Hirvonen’s team-mate will be announced in due course although Khalid Al-Qassimi will pilot a third DS3 WRC as part of Abu Dhabi’s sponsorship of the factory Citroen outfit, which can claim an eighth manufacturers’ title on Rally de France Alsace next week.

Photo:D.Darrall

Citroën Team principal Yves Matton is welcoming Abu Dahbi’s new link with the
Citroën team, and has confirmed a third car for Khalid Al-Qassimi.

The
team was under enormous pressure to find new sources of support, as Citroën’s
parent PSA grapples with the problems caused by the loss of sales in Europe.
Matton says it’s welcome news: “In this context, we are particularly
proud to welcome Abu Dhabi on board. This partnership will provide us with the
means of continuing our programme and entering three DS3 WRCs in
2013.”

Citroën isn’t saying how many rallies Seebastien Loeb and Daniel
Elena will undertake next year, nor who will take the drives when Loeb is not
available,.

Sebastien Loeb will be a contender for FIA World Rally Championship honours in 2013 although the French legend is unlikely to mount a title push after confirming a reduced programme of events with the factory Citroen team next year.

Loeb’s participation in the WRC beyond this season has been the subject of widespread discussion since he penned an extension to his existing deal with Citroen in August 2011. Although the agreement committed Loeb to a full WRC term in 2012, an option allowed him to do otherwise the following season.

The 38-year-old, who is likely to make it nine WRC titles in succession on next week’s Rallye de France Alsace, is now set to expand his interests in circuit racing alongside what Citroen has described as a “partial programme” in the WRC starting on January’s Rallye Monte-Carlo alongside long-term co-driver Daniel Elena.

Citroen has also confirmed it is “weighing up the possibility of entering” the FIA World Touring Car Championship in 2014 with Loeb as one of its drivers.

Mikko Hirvonen and co-driver Jarmo Lehtinen, currently second in the WRC standings, will get a full campaign in the series next season when Citroen will begin a new partnership with Abu Dhabi.

Loeb’s lighter WRC schedule will pave the way for a new line-up to crew Citroen’s second factory DS3 WRC. Citroen has stated an announcement will be made in “due course”, while also confirming that Emirati Khalid Al-Qassimi will pilot a third DS3 WRC.

Credit:WRC.com

The brand new 208 R5 Peugeot Rally car has been revelaed
at the Paris Motor Show today, the all new 208 will take over where the 207 S2000 left off.

Peugeot says the car will go on sale in the second half of 2013, ” in order to be able to conquer the national and international championships for the following season.”

There’s no indication of any particular rally campaign: the car is powered by a
1.6 turbo engine, with Bernard Vallat, the project leader, saying:

“We are aiming for performance which is slightly higher than that of the S2000. We start with the 1.6-litre THP engine that is already a competition winner. We know that it is both reliable and powerful, and can achieve 280bhp. We have serious foundations with this engine as it is the same as that of the RCZ Racing Cup which currently develops 260 horsepower in its endurance version. We are also aiming for a very high level of durability and reliability in competition with a potential 5000 kilometres (according to the components and conditions), which will also reduce the operating costs.”