Rally Report Magazine Argentina 15 años

M-SPORT WORLD RALLY TEAM:MIKKO SIGNS OUT IN STYLE

Published

6 años ago

17. noviembre 2014

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WRC A FULL 2014

MIKKO SIGNS OUT IN STYLE.

M-Sport World Rally Team’s Mikko Hirvonen and Jarmo Lehtinen brought their FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) careers to an end in style today – securing second place at Wales Rally GB.

17 November 2014

The Finns were locked in an intense battle for the final podium positions throughout the weekend. Ultimately however, their speed, experience and determination saw them over-shadow all who threatened to disrupt a near-perfect weekend.

In true Wales Rally GB style, the stages were treacherously slippery but Hirvonen controlled the situation brilliantly. Conserving his pace when necessary and pushing when comfortable, the Ford Fiesta RS WRC driver adopted an effective mix of speed and consistency – setting a string of competitive times including the fastest time through yesterday’s second pass of Clocaenog Main (SS15).

Their podium finish was the perfect way to say goodbye to the championship which has given them so much and the sport which they have given so much to themselves.

Having dedicated thirteen years to the WRC, Hirvonen has secured 15 wins, 69 podiums, and six FIA Champions’ trophies. Ironically however, Lehtinen has picked up one more FIA trophy than his driver – their result this weekend securing third place in the 2014 co-drivers’ standings.

Both men will be greatly missed, not just by the M-Sport family, but by the entire WRC community.

In the sister M-Sport Fiesta RS WRC, Elfyn Evans secured fifth place on his world rally car debut on home soil. The Welshman, who is partnered by co-driver Daniel Barritt, didn’t put a foot wrong all weekend and displayed real strength of character; unwilling to be pressurised into any unnecessary battles.

Concentrating on his own event, Evans upped his pace considerably throughout the weekend to produce what has been one of his best performances on gravel. Securing a joint second fastest time through the second pass of Kinmel Park (SS21), the youngster was reigning in fourth-placed man Thierry Neuville.

Despite having to settle for fifth, Evans goes into 2015 with his confidence high – ready to show more of his true potential.

Mikko Hirvonen (2nd) said:

“I couldn’t really think of a better way to end my career. We had a great fight all through the weekend and to finish with the second place is absolutely fantastic.

“Today it was a bit emotional for sure. Before this morning I manage to be pretty on it and concentrate on the rally, but today it was a bit more difficult!

“I just feel really good about the whole weekend. I really couldn’t have asked for anything better and it was the perfect way to end this very special chapter of our lives.”

Elfyn Evans (5th) said:

“I think we would have taken fifth place at the start of the event for sure. We knew before the rally started that even bettering our result from last year would have been a good achievement given the depth of the entry. To come away in fifth is strong and I think we’ve managed to show some good speed along the way.

“All in all it’s been a good weekend and a good way to finish off the year. I can’t wait to start next season now. We’ve got a lot more experience and I’m looking forward to what I hope will be another successful season at this level.

“Finally, I want to wish Mikko [Hirvonen] all the best. I really couldn’t have wished for a better team mate this year. He and Jarmo [Lehtinen, co-driver] have been so willing to share their experience over the year and if I can achieve anything like his CV at the end of my career then I would be very proud indeed. It was great to see him end such an influential career with such a positive result and I know that the whole team will really miss him and Jarmo next year.”

Team Principal, Malcolm Wilson OBE, said:

“It is such a pleasure to see Mikko [Hirvonen] and Jarmo [Lehtinen] end their careers with such a positive result. It’s hard to put into words, but I can certainly say that they have made a lasting impression on the team. They are liked by everyone and will be dearly missed. All of us were immensely proud to see him take such a result away from what has been a very special weekend.

“Elfyn [Evans] has had a really good weekend too. He did exactly what was asked of him and came away with a strong fifth place. He didn’t let the pressure of being at home get to him at all and showed some really encouraging speed along the way. I think it’s fair to say that this has been one of his best performances on gravel and we’re all looking forward to seeing what he can do with a year of experience under his belt next year.”

ADDITIONAL
M-SPORT WRC DRIVERS

Ott Tänak (7th) said:

“I think it’s been a good event for us. The plan was to get used to driving a world rally car again on the first day and then get closer to our best times on day two. That was what we did. Okay we were a bit rusty in the beginning, but we had a good feeling yesterday afternoon. We managed to set some good times and were getting close to the top five. Unfortunately we picked up a puncture this morning so we had to be a bit careful after that as we only had one spare.”

Matthew Wilson (14th / 3rd WRC 2) said:

“It’s been a really good weekend and we’ve thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it. Okay it’s been tricky and we’ve had to contend with some difficult conditions at times, but it’s just been brilliant fun from start to finish.

“This morning we had a real good battle and to finish the last stage with another fastest time was a great way to end the weekend. It’s been spot-on and I want to thank Michelin for their support in bringing this iconic livery back to the stages – the response from the fans has been unbelievable.”

Quentin Gilbert (21st / 8th WRC 2) said:

“We had a difficult start to the weekend without much confidence in the conditions but as the weekend went on we got a lot more comfortable and were able to set some really good times. I’ve been quite happy with the pace although experience counts for a lot here. This was only my second time at this event – my first in a four-wheel-drive car. It was difficult at times but we’ve learnt a lot for sure.”

Nicolas Fuchs (23rd / 9th WRC 2) said:

“Every day it got better and better and I learnt a lot about this rally – mainly about how to set-up the car. I know that if I come back next year I need to do a good test to get the best set-up for the car and to work on my pacenotes because they were not 100 per cent correct for all of the slow corners.”

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED FOR KUBICA IN WALES

It was mission accomplished for RK M-Sport World Rally Team’s Robert Kubica at Wales Rally GB – finishing the event with a controlled drive to gain a wealth of vital knowledge and experience.

The FIA World Rally Championship’s traditional finale is renowned as one of the season’s most daunting tasks. The stages themselves may not be as technically difficult as some, but the conditions make it one of the most challenging events of the season.

This year’s edition was to be no different. The stages were coated with mud which made the gravel tracks treacherously slippery but the Pole adopted a cautious approach that played to his advantage.

Making it through all of the stages unscathed, Robert should be pleased with his driving. Having made a vast improvement in such difficult conditions, he ends the season with the experience that will only aid any future rally ambitions.

Robert Kubica (11th) said:

“It’s been a difficult weekend with very difficult conditions, but I think we drove well with no mistakes and no big moments. I was determined to finish this rally because it is so unique and you don’t get many chances to gain experience from these kinds of conditions, so I am glad that we managed to do that.

“I’ve been really starting to enjoy rallying on gravel. Okay we had some difficult moments towards the beginning of the season, but I think that we have improved a lot throughout the year and I want to thank all of the mechanics who worked on my car. All we need is to be a bit more consistent, and that will come with experience.”

Team Principal, Malcolm Wilson OBE, said:

“We’ve seen a really solid drive from Robert [Kubica] in what were some very challenging conditions this weekend. He adopted a sensible approach and because of that he will be much better placed to progress should we see him here again next year. This is one of those events where experience can count for a lot and I think he can be very pleased with the job he has done. He has progressed a lot – especially on gravel – and I think you can see that from the last couple of events.”

DRIVER STATISTICS
AFTER WALES RALLY GB

OVERALL RESULTS

Anna Rudd
Media M-Sport WRT
https://www.m-sport.co.uk/

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Rally Report Magazine Argentina 15 años

CHINESE RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP (CRC 2015): PRODRIVE MOTORSPORT – ATKINSON WINS AGAIN IN CHINA VW GOLF 7 SCRC

Published

5 años ago

30. septiembre 2015

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CRC A FULL 2015

ATKINSON WINS AGAIN IN CHINA WITH VW GOLF 7 SCRC.

30 September 2015

Chris Atkinson has won the latest round of the Chinese Rally Championship in the VW Golf SCRC. Atkinson won comfortably by a minute and 40 seconds from Mark Higgins in the Subaru and Manfred Stohl in a Citroen DS3.

Chen Dean in the second Golf was fifth with Li ninth in the third car.

That makes it three wins from four events for Atkinson as the Championship heads to the next round Longyou at the end of October. Longyou was the debut event for the VW Golf SCRC last year when Atkinson to its maiden win.

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Rally Report Magazine Argentina 15 años

DAKAR RALLY ARGENTINA – BOLIVIA – ARGENTINA 2016: PEUGEOT TOTAL TEAM – LA LEYENDA DEL RALLY SÉBASTIEN LOEB SE UNE AL » DREAM TEAM» DE PEUGEOT TOTAL

Published

5 años ago

29. septiembre 2015

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DAKAR A FULL 2016

La leyenda del rally Sébastien Loeb se une al “Dream Team” de Peugeot-Total.

Sébastien Loeb, el mejor piloto de rally de todos los tiempos, se enfrentará al mayor reto de su carrera al unirse por primera vez al equipo de Peugeot en el legendario Dakar del próximo mes de enero.

29 Septiembre 2015

El nueve veces campeón del WRC y plusmarquista del Pikes Peak se ha unido al equipo de Peugeot 2008DKR junto a Carlos Sainz para el Rally du Maroc del próximo mes (del 3 al 9 de octubre) antes de hacer frente al mayor reto de este deporte, el Dakar, durante 13 días en Argentina y Bolivia en 2016. Junto a él en Sudamérica también estarán Stéphane Peterhansel y Cyril Despres completando así el “dream team” de pilotos de Peugeot-Total.

El francés de 41 años, Sébastien Loeb, uno de los pilotos con más éxito de la historia de los deportes de motor con un porcentaje de victorias sin precedentes del 46,2% en el WRC dijo: “Descubrí los deportes de motor cuando tenía 18 años y empecé a competir en mis primeros rallys. Desde entonces me han interesado todo tipo de deportes de motor y el Dakar es uno de ellos. Creo que es un gran reto competir y conducir en el desierto”.

“El Dakar es completamente diferente a las carreras que hago en este momento. va a ser muy larga, más de dos semanas, y necesitas tener aguante para cuidar del conductor y del coche. Es una carrera con un enfoque distinto pero lo descubriré en enero”.

Hasta entonces, Loeb se unirá a Sainz en Marruecos para su debut en el competitivo Cross Country, aunque ya pilotó el rival de Peugeot a principios de año. Para Loeb ésta será una reunión muy especial pues ya fue compañero de equipo de Sainz durante su primera temporada completa en el Mundial de Rallys del 2003, hasta que el español se tuvo que retirar del WRC de 2004. En Marruecos Sainz pilotará el último Peugeot 2008DKR16 mientras que Loeb pilotará un coche con especificaciones de 2015.

“Cuando probé el PEUGEOT 2008DKR en junio me sorprendió muchísimo y por supuesto ha cambiado mucho desde entonces”, dijo Loeb -que en la actualidad está compitiendo en el Campeonato Mundial de Turismos de la FIA con Citroen.

“Lo que más me impactó fue lo diferente que es conducir el coche del Dakar, era una experiencia completamente nueva para mí. En el WRC acostumbro a rodear obstáculos pero con este coche puedes simplemente pasar por encima, ¡y cuesta tener la suficiente confianza en uno mismo para creer que puedes hacerlo!”

“ También estoy acostumbrado a tener notas de copiloto muy detalladas pero en el Cross Country tienes que abrirte paso e improvisar tu ruta. Esta, además, es la primera vez que he pilotado diferentes tipos de coche diesel en una competición por lo que tengo que aprender mucho pero tengo muchas ganas de hacerlo”.

Además de haber ganado más rallys, etapas especiales y campeonatos que cualquier otro piloto, Sébastien Loeb también se ha convertido en el “Rey del Peak” al batir el record del Pikes Peak Hillclimb con Peugeot y Red Bull hace dos años en América. Un triunfo épico que ya forma parte de la historia legendaria de los deportes de motor.

Ahora forma parte del mejor equipo que se haya enfrentado jamás al Dakar. Tal y como dijo el 11 veces campeón del Dakar Stéphane Peterhansel: “Sébastien Loeb es un referente del motor. Hay muy poco que yo o cualquier otro le pueda enseñar”.

El cinco veces campeón de motos Cyril Despres añadió: “Desde que cambié las dos ruedas por cuatro, la experiencia no ha hecho más que mejorar. Y saber que ahora Sébastien se une al equipo la remata aún más”.

El dos veces campeón del WRC y campeón del Dakar en 2010 Carlos Sainz, que será una vez más el compañero de Loeb en Marruecos dijo: “No tengo nada más que decir sobre Sébastien que no haya dicho ya. Por supuesto que el rally raid va a ser una nueva aventura para él, pero va a ser capaz de adaptarse sin problemas. Como yo mismo he podido comprobar aprende muy rápido”.

“El Dakar es algo que me llama, es una gran aventura”, añadió Loeb, quien ya dominó el Pikes Peak y el WTCC. “El rally en Marruecos me mostrará lo que es realmente el Cross Country, así que para mí esta es una oportunidad fantástica para aprender, en especial al lado de unos compañeros tan buenos”.

Tal y como pasó con sus nueve títulos mundiales y sus 78 victorias en el WRC hasta la fecha, Loeb tendrá como copiloto al campeón mundial de deportes de motor monegasco Daniel Elena. Marruecos marcará la vuelta de la pareja con más éxito jamás vista en la historia del motor que emprende una nueva aventura juntos tras 17 gloriosos años en los rallys.

Al igual que Loeb, el copiloto de 42 años Elena nunca ha competido antes en Cross Country, pero se ha preparado a fondo para las exigencias de la navegación más dura del mundo, en la que los equipos tienen que reaccionar rápidamente para conquistar el terreno offroad más sobrecogedor. Cuentan además con la ayuda de un sofisticado sistema de GPS que les guiará de punto a punto.

El director deportivo de Peugeot Bruno Famin comentó: “ Sébastien fue impresionante desde que se sentó en el coche, como ya sabíamos tras haber trabajado con él anteriormente. Adoptó ese enfoque calculado que tanto le caracteriza para entender el coche paso a paso, pero después su habilidad natural se encargó del resto. Tras mejorar diferentes aspectos del coche desde la última vez que estuvimos en el Dakar, el fichaje de Sébastien Loeb es la pieza que le faltaba al puzzle”.

Cécile Estenave
Peugeot Sport France
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Rally Report Magazine Argentina 15 años

DAKAR RALLY ARGENTINA – BOLIVIA – ARGENTINA 2016: PEUGEOT TOTAL TEAM – RALLY LEGEND SÉBASTIEN LOEB JOINS » D-REAM TEAM PEUGEOT – TOTAL

Published

5 años ago

29. septiembre 2015

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DAKAR A FULL 2016

Rally Legend Sébastien Loeb joins “D-ream TEAM Peugeot-Total”.

Sebastien Loeb and Daniel Elena pose for a portrait during the Peugeot test in Erfoud, Morocco on September 16, 2015

29 September 2015

Velizy-Villacoublay, France
Tuesday, 29 September 2015

Sébastien Loeb, the greatest rally driver ever, will take on one of the biggest challenges of his illustrious career when he lines up as part of Peugeot’s dream team at the legendary Dakar in January for the first time.

The nine-time World Rally Championship winner and Pikes Peak record-holder has joined Peugeot’s 2008DKR line-up alongside Carlos Sainz for next month’s Rallye du Maroc (October 3-9) before facing the sport’s toughest challenge, the Dakar, over 13 days in Argentina and Bolivia in 2016. Joining him in South America will also be Stéphane Peterhansel and Cyril Despres, completing Team Peugeot Total’s dream team driver line-up.

The 41-year old Loeb, one of the most successful drivers in the history of motorsports, with an unprecedented 46.2% wins-to-starts ratio in WRC, said: “I only discovered motorsports when I was 18 and I started competing in my first rallies. Since then I have been interested in all types of different motorsports and Dakar is one of them. I think it’s a great challenge to go and compete there and drive in the desert.

“The Dakar is completely different from the racing I’m doing at the moment. It will be very long, over two weeks, and you need to have the endurance to look after the driver and the car. It’s another approach to racing but I’ll discover that in January.” 

Before then, Loeb will line up with Sainz in Morocco next week for his competitive Cross Country debut – although he already tested Peugeot’s Dakar challenger in the country earlier this year. For Loeb, this will be a very special reunion: he was previously team-mates with Sainz for his very first full season in the World Rally Championship in 2003, until the Spaniard decided to end his WRC career at the end of 2004. In Morocco, Sainz will drive the latest PEUGEOT 2008DKR16 whereas Loeb will drive a 2015-specification car.

“When I tried the PEUGEOT 2008DKR out in June, it was immediately very impressive for me – and of course it has changed a lot since then,” said Loeb, who is currently competing in the FIA WTCC with Citroen.

“What struck me most of all is how the Dakar car was a completely new experience: in the WRC I have been used to going round obstacles but with this car you can just drive straight over them, and it takes some time to have the confidence to believe it!

“I’ve also been used to having very detailed pace notes: in Cross Country, you have to find the road for yourself and improvise your route. And this is actually the first time I have driven any type of diesel car in competition too. So there is a lot for me to learn, but I am eager to find out more.”

As well as winning more rallies, special stages and championships than any other driver, Sébastien Loeb also became ‘King of the Peak’ when he pulverised the Pikes Peak hill climb record with Peugeot and Red Bull two years ago in America: an epic feat that is already remembered as a legendary part of motorsport history.

Now he forms part of the greatest team ever to tackle the Dakar. As 11-time Dakar winner Stéphane Peterhansel said: “Sébastien Loeb is a reference in motorsport. There’s very little that I, or anybody else, can teach him.”

Five-time bike winner Cyril Despres added: “Since I made the switch from two wheels to four, the experience has got better and better. And to see Sébastien arrive in the team now, everything is complete.”

Two-time WRC champion and Dakar 2010 winner Carlos Sainz, who will be Loeb’s team-mate once more in Morocco, concluded: “There is nothing more I can say about Sébastien that his career hasn’t said already. Of course rally raid will be a new adventure for him, but he has every capacity to adapt to it with no problem. As I have seen for myself in the past, he is a quick learner in everything he does.

“Dakar is something that appeals to me; it is a huge adventure,” added Loeb, who has already mastered rallying, Pikes Peak and the World Touring Car Championship. “The rally in Morocco will give me a very interesting idea of what Cross Country is all about, so this is a fantastic opportunity for me to learn; particularly alongside such successful team-mates.”

Just as has been the case throughout his nine world titles and 78 WRC victories to date, Loeb will be co-driven by Monaco’s motorsport world champion: Daniel Elena. Morocco will mark the comeback of the most successful pairing ever seen in the history of motorsport, as they start a new adventure together following 17 magnificent years in rallying.

Like Loeb, the 42-year-old Elena has never competed in Cross Country before, but he has undergone intensive training to prepare him for the demands of some of the most challenging navigation in the world, where crews have to think instantly on their feet to conquer the daunting off-road landscape. They are aided by sophisticated GPS equipment, guiding their route from waypoint to waypoint.

Peugeot Sport director Bruno Famin commented: “Sébastien was impressive from the moment he first sat in the car, as we knew would be the case after having had the privilege of working with him before. He took his usual measured approached to understand the car step by step: from there his natural ability took over. Having improved the car in several different areas since we were last at the Dakar, the signing of Sébastien Loeb is the final piece in the puzzle.”

Cécile Estenave
Peugeot Sport France
https://www.Peugeot-sport.com

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