2006 FIA WORLD RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP
Monte Carlo Rally, Monte Carlo, 19 - 22 January
The most famous rally of all and the oldest in the championship calendar, this is the event everyone wants to win. Although based among the chic shops and expensive restaurants of Monte Carlo itself, the action takes place on inhospitable asphalt roads in the French Alps. This year's event is again extremely compact, with all servicing in the harbour area alongside the Grand Prix circuit. All three days are located in the mountains directly above Monaco and Nice and some stages have not been used for many years. Drivers will tackle the famous ascent of the Col de Turini three times, twice on the final day. Competitors must expect snow, ice and dry asphalt - often encountering all three on the same stage. Shrewd tyre selection providing the best compromise for frequently changing conditions is the key to success.
Swedish Rally, Karlstad, 2 - 5 February
The only true winter rally in the championship, although mild weather in recent years caused many to question that claim. Most stages lie north of the single service park at Hagfors to improve the likelihood of snow. For a classic Swedish Rally, snowy roads and solid snow banks lining the tracks are vital. Such conditions require a different approach as drivers 'lean' cars on the banks to guide them round corners at maximum speed. Studded tyres are essential and accurate stud selection ensures remarkable grip, making it one of the fastest rallies of the year. However, warmer (around 0°C) weather allows the studs to tear up the gravel, which rips them from the tyres and drivers have little grip. Making the cars (and people!) work properly in temperatures as low as -25°C is one of the major challenges. An event where Nordic drivers will shine.
Rally Mexico, León, 2 - 5 March
A newcomer to the championship in 2004, the rally has quickly made a favourable impression. New for 2006 is a super special stage on the edge of León, which will be run in darkness on Friday and Saturday evenings and as the finale on Sunday morning. It is one of the most compact rallies in the championship. The route through the Sierra de Lobos and Sierra de Guanajuato mountains never moves further than a 50km radius from Leon and 36% of the total distance is competitive. It also tops the championship altitude table, the highest stage climbing through cacti-filled mountains to more than 2737m. The ceremonial start is in Guanajuato, 53km from Leon, considered to be the most beautiful city in the Americas and a UNESCO-designated World Heritage Site. A third of the stages are slow and twisty, half are fast and the remainder very fast, with virtually all the competitive distance on smooth gravel.
Rally Catalunya, Salou, 22 - 26 March
First pure asphalt event of the season. A good route and excellent organisation have made Spain’s championship counter popular with teams and fans. After many years in the Costa Brava resort of Lloret de Mar, organisers moved the whole event south of Barcelona to the Tarragona region in 2005. Last year's event was in October, meaning two Spanish events in five months. The route will focus on Tarragona's asphalt, much of which has been resurfaced since the event used to visit the region for one day several years ago. Two new stages and a new shakedown location are lined up. Rally is again based at Port Aventura theme park, also the location for the single service park.
Rallye de France, Ajaccio, 6 - 9 April
Paired with Rally Catalunya and has also moved forward in the calendar from October. Corsica in early April can be gloriously sunny or unbelievably wet – often both within the space of a few hours making tyre choice incredibly difficult and crucial. Based in Ajaccio, the birthplace of Napoleon Bonaparte, it is very compact, with a greater ratio of stage to road kilometres than any other rally. Renowned for its twisty ribbons of asphalt with cliff faces on one side and sheer drops into the sea or valley on the other, although many of the more dangerous sections have been dropped in recent years. A seemingly never-ending stream of corners earned it the nickname 'The Rally of 10,000 Corners' and while the roads are less bumpy than a few years ago, it is still the ultimate asphalt test. This year marks the 50th anniversary of this classic event.
Rally Argentina, Cordoba, 27 - 30 April
The rally retains its popular set-up with three all-gravel legs of differing character and landscape. The opening day is based in the Punilla Valley while the second morning covers similar territory before heading south to the more flowing tests around Santa Rosa de la Calamuchita. A tough final day comprises the famous El Condor and Giulio Cesare stages, rocky speed tests high in the Traslasierra mountains. The Pro-Racing complex near Villa Carlos Paz has been redeveloped so the rally returns to its former base at Cordoba's Feriar, opposite the city's soccer stadium. The stadium hosts a super special stage to start the event on Thursday evening and to bring it to a close on Sunday lunchtime. Expect it to be packed with a fantastic atmosphere! Huge crowds, incredible enthusiasm from the passionate fans and welcoming locals make it another favourite with the teams.
Rally Italia - Sardinia, Olbia, 18 - 21 May
Gravel tracks on the Mediterranean island of Sardinia replaced asphalt roads in the mountains high above the quaint Riviera town of Sanremo as Italy's WRC counter in 2004. Based in the Costa Smeralda region in the far north of the island, a compact route is based around the town of Olbia. The service park returns to the more spacious port area from the centre of the town. Porto Cervo, one of Europe's most exclusive holiday resorts and owned by the Aga Khan, hosts the finish ceremony this year. The mountain special stages are a mix of rough and smooth roads. Big drops wait to catch the unwary and spectacular mountain scenery will delight the photographers and television cameramen.
Acropolis Rally, Athens, 1 - 4 June
Gruelling event as rough gravel tracks and high temperatures combine to test man and machine. Not as rough as it once was, but rock strewn roads and strings of hairpin bends keep the pace relatively slow. Much revised for 2006 after the decision to move back to Athens from the city of Lamia. Many classic stages near to the city return to the itinerary having not been used for many years and virtually the entire route has changed from 2005. Spectacular super special stage in Athens' Olympic Stadium in front of 65,000 fans proved the highlight of the 2005 season. It will start the 2006 rally on Thursday night and provides the finale on Sunday. Rally is based at the stadium, which also hosts the single service park. Likely to be the hottest event of the season. Slow speeds and intense heat make engine cooling a problem and high cockpit temperatures ensure regular fluid intake is essential for crews. Voted best rally of 2005.
Rallye Deutschland, Trier, 10 - 13 August Begins the second half of the season. An asphalt event with marked variations in the character of the stages. The narrow vineyards of the Mosel region and the undulating but fast Saarland roads contrast with the daunting concrete tracks of the Baumholder military area, used by German and US soldiers for tank training. Baumholder is treacherous - slippery in both the wet and dry - and huge concrete kerbstones used to keep the tanks on the roads must be avoided at all costs. Traditionally it is not one of the drivers' favourites although its location in central Europe proves a magnet for travelling fans. A ceremonial start in Trier will begin the rally, although the event is based around the single service park at Bostalsee.
Rally Finland, Jyväskylä, 17 - 20 August
Finland is regarded as the spiritual home of rallying. Formerly known as the 1000 Lakes Rally and more affectionately termed the Jyväskylän Grand Prix by locals. Lightning fast, smooth gravel roads and huge ‘yumps’ which launch cars high into the air make this one of the year's classic events – a rally for the brave. Blind entries into corners emphasise the accuracy of pace notes and car positioning and local knowledge gives the Finns a huge advantage. A sprint event in the truest sense of the word and one that the top Finns drive much of by memory alone. Innovative town centre service park in Jyväskylä draws huge crowds. Many highlights but the classic Ouninpohja tests, full of fast sweeping corners and roller-coaster jumps, are rated the best stages in the world by many drivers. Formerly one stage, it has been split into two to reduce speeds.
Rally Japan, Obihiro, 31 August - 3 September
A relative newcomer, entering the championship in 2004. An all gravel-event based on Hokkaido, a remote and the northernmost island of Japan, almost 800km from Tokyo. It is the most popular sight-seeing island in Japan. Roads are smooth, narrow and mainly tree-lined, with deep ditches ready to trap the unwary. Rain is a distinct possibility in September but dry, sunny weather is just as likely. Average stage length is quite short but last year's opening leg included two passes over a 50km stage – the longest in the 2005 season.
Cyprus Rally, Limassol, 21 - 24 September The rough and tough gravel event moves back to September from May but temperatures will still be high and will test the physical abilities of the drivers as well as cooling systems, transmission and suspension on the cars. The route winds up into the Troodos Mountains by day and back to the Mediterranean coast by night, with a service park in Limassol. Tight and twisty roads, which many regard as the roughest and rockiest of the season, keep in check the average speed of the cars which rarely top 70kph. It will again be the slowest round of the season with little opportunity for drivers to develop a rhythm. However, organisers have promised to remove the roughest roads and replace them with smoother sections, without changing the nature of the event. Slow speeds and limited airflow make overheating a serious concern if temperatures soar, while the rocks and countless twists and turns place high demands on tyre wear.
Rally of Turkey, Kemer, +12 - 15 October Cooler temperatures likely this year as the event moves back from the height of the summer in June to October. Based in the small town of Kemer, in the Asian part of Turkey, just along the coast from the much larger and bustling holiday resort of Antalya. But head high into the mountains where the stages are based and the transformation is remarkable. Tiny, no frills villages are dotted across the barren landscape with stunning views to all sides. The gravel roads are a mix of slow, twisty and rough tracks blended with much faster and smoother sections.
Rally Australia, Perth, 26 - 29 October
Innovative organisation, which lifts the rally into an entertainment rather than just a sport, and a warm welcome from Perth’s citizens do much to erase the long hours spent in an aeroplane getting there. It's a hard event for drivers. Gravel roads covered in millions of tiny ball-bearing shaped stones make the stages very slippery while trees positioned right on the edge of the road leave no margin for error. In 2005 the service park reverted to the riverside Langley Park, right on the edge of the city centre, while Gloucester Park trotting track continued to host the super special stage for three nights. The huge jumps in the SOTICO complex are another photographic dream. Likely to be the last Rally Australia on the west of the country as the state government has withdrawn financial backing.
Rally New Zealand, Auckland, 16 - 19 November
The longest trip of the year for the BP-Ford World Rally Team. The fast, flowing and smooth cambered gravel roads are regarded by drivers as the best rally stages in the world, weaving through a green and verdant countryside - a result of the often wet weather. Rally has moved back from New Zealand's autumn into late spring. Route details unknown as organisers are considering basing the whole rally south of Auckland to guarantee a single service park. That would remove the tests in the Northland region, north of the city. The scenic tests on the west coast include the classic Whaanga Coast, perhaps the most picturesque test in the entire championship.
Rally Great Britain, Cardiff, 30 November - 2 December Event has moved from September to its traditional position as the final round of the championship. Expect anything weatherwise - the Welsh forests in December could offer fog, rain, snow or ice. Like the season’s opener, a rally everyone wants to win. Based in the mountain forests of south Wales and contains some of the longest speed tests in the championship. Last year the rally made WRC history by hosting the championship's first indoor special stage at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium, which had its sliding roof closed for the occasion. Event will be based there again and a repeat of the super special stage is lined up. Very compact and a tough event which usually brings plenty of retirements.
