A ROUND THAT MAY ALREADY PROVE DECISIVE
Wales Rally GB usually host to the climax of World Rally Championship season in November has been moved in this years schedule to a mid-September slot. The British round may still prove decisive, however, in determining the winner of the Manufacturers title, which Citron Total World Rally Team can secure if the team enjoys a good result in Wales. Winners of the last five rounds, Sbastien Loeb and Daniel Elena will be looking to equal their own record of six consecutive victories. Among their rivals, they will first and foremost have to hold off their team-mates Mikko Hirvonen and Jarmo Lehtinen, who have been particularly quick here in recent years.
As was the case in 2004 and 2005, the Wales Rally GB will be held at the end of the summer. Conditions at this time of year, therefore, may well be radically different to the 'wind, rain and mud' that usually greet competitors at this event. Given that we even had rain on the Acropolis Rally, however, well need to be prepared for all types of situation, warned Didier Clment, the DS3 WRCs Chief Operations Engineer at Citron Total World Rally Team.
The weather was fairly mild on both occasions when the rally was held around the same time of year, which meant the stages were even quicker than usual. The dry road surfaces were extremely hard on the tyres. For this rally, the crews will however be able to put together their choice of tyres from hard and soft Michelin Latitude Cross tyres, available in sufficient quantities to deal with all eventualities.
Although the date has changed, the route remains more or less the same, except that the rally base has been moved to Cardiff. Like last year, the ceremonial start will be held on Thursday evening in Llandudno, over 300km from the service park. The competitors must then make it through three long days of racing. The only new stage is at Celtic Manor, on roads located close to the course used for the Ryder Cup in 2010.
With five one-two finishes this season, the Citron Total World Rally Team and its crews line up at the start of this, the tenth round of the WRC looking to add an eighth world title to the brands impressive competitive record. To achieve their goal, the Loeb/Elena and Hirvonen/Lehtinen crews must score six points more than their rivals. There are many potential outcomes, but a repeat of the result achieved at the ADAC Rallye Deutschland first and third places would, for example, be enough to secure the title.
Seven-time winners in 2012, Sbastien Loeb and Daniel Elena will also be going for a fourth win in Wales. Its a rally that I like and weve got some good memories from the last few years, confirmed the man from Alsace, who claimed the title in Cardiff last year despite having to retire from the rally following an incident unintentionally caused by spectators on a road section. This year, it would be good to win and secure an eighth world title for the team. That would also make us ideally placed to win a ninth championship at the Rallye de France. However, Im not obsessed bythat, by any means. Ill be approaching this rally just like any other.
Having a chance of winning the Manufacturers title with four rallies to go demonstrates the quality of the work done by the team since the start of the season, confirmed Yves Matton, Citron Racing Team Principal. Having said that, we wont allow ourselves to get too carried away. We are all too aware how strong our rivals are on this kind of surface to do that. We are expecting it to be a difficult race, during which tyre management may well play a key role, depending on what the weather is like.
THREE QUESTIONS FOR MIKKO HIRVONEN
You have already won this event. So, is this somewhere you feelparticularly at ease?
Yes, I like this rally even though it is difficult. The top speeds are extremelyhigh, which is exhilarating for the drivers. All the stages are great, I don'tthink I could even single one out. In the conditions that you usually get heretowards the end of the year, the road surface is so muddy and slippery thatyou can go off on almost any bend. It probably wont be the same at thistime of year. If it stays dry, I think itll be a little bit easier but itll also beeven quicker. Although there are hard tyres available for us to use if the weather is sunny, we'll need to manage theirwear.
Your win here in 2007 enabled your then team to win the Manufacturers World Championship title. Wouldyou like to experience that again?
It is undoubtedly one of the highlights of my career. Since then, I have raced against Sbastien at this rally for theDrivers title, but I havent managed to beat him yet! I would really love it if we can secure the World title for Citron inGreat Britain. It would be a real team effort and it would take some of the pressure off me for the final few rallies
With seven podium finishes out of ten rallies, perhaps you are not far away from your first win?To win, Ill need to have an absolutely flawless rally! If we secure the Manufacturers title for Citron in Great Britain, Iwill no longer need to think about points. That will allow me to relax a bit more, especially on tarmac. We saw inGermany that I really need to make progress on this surface. To do that, I need to take a few more risks so I can drivecloser to the limit.
WALES RALLY GB Round: 10/13 Base and service park: Close to Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff Bay Surface: Gravel Weather: The weather is traditionally unpredictable, but September has a reputation for producing mild conditions, withaverage temperatures reaching around 20C. Sunrise and sunset on the first day of the rally: 6.45am/7.30pm Local time: UTC Currency: Local currency is the pound sterling (1 = 1.26). Website: www.walesrallygb.com Technical information: Spare parts (transmission, subframes, steering racks and turbochargers) are to be shared with theFinland and Italy rallies. Tyres: 35 Michelin Latitude Cross tyres per car (including the shakedown), to be chosen from 22 hard (H1) and 30 soft (S1)tyres. Reconnaissance: Tuesday 11 September, from 7am to 8.10pm and Wednesday 12 September, from 7am to 11.30am. Free practice and qualifying stage: Wednesday 12 September, from 11.30am to 2.30pm on a 4.50km stage at theWalters Arena. Route: 19 special stages (10 different stages). 324.46km of timed sections. Total distance: 1,601.84km.
WALES RALLY GB ITINERARY
WEDNESDAY 12 SEPTEMBER11.30am: Free practice2.00pm: Qualifying Stage
THURSDAY 13 SEPTEMBER10.30am: FIA Pre-Event Press Conference (Media Centre Cardiff)7.00pm: Ceremonial start (Llandudno)
FRIDAY 14 SEPTEMBER6.00am: Start (Llandudno)8.13am: SS1 Dyfnant 1 (20.48km)9.38am: SS2 Hafren 1 (14.87km)10.19am: SS3 Myherin 1 (27.88km)11.58am: Remote Service A (Newtown 15 min)1.13pm: SS4 Dyfnant 1 (20.48km)2.38pm: SS5 Hafren 1 (14.87km)3.19pm: SS6 Myherin 1 (27.88km)7.17pm: Service Park B (Cardiff 45 min)
SATURDAY 15 SEPTEMBER6.30am: Service Park C (Cardiff 15 min)9.00am: SS7 - Crychan 1 (19.56km)9.40am: SS8 - Epynt 1 (8.50km)10.09am: SS9 - Halfway 1 (18.37km)12.33pm: Service Park D (Cardiff 30 min)3.18pm: SS10 - Crychan 2 (19.56km)3.56pm: SS11 - Epynt 2 (8.50km)4.25pm: SS12 - Halfway 2 (18.37km)6.34pm: SS13 - Celtic Manor (3.00km)7.18pm: Service Park E (Cardiff 45 min)
SUNDAY 16 SEPTEMBER6.00am: Service Park D (Cardiff 15 min)7.21am: SS14 Port Talbot 1 (17.40km)8.21am: SS15 Rheola 1 (8.80km)8.39am: SS16 Walters Arena 1 (14.90km)10.29am: Service Park E (Cardiff 30 min)12.05pm: SS17 Port Talbot 2 (17.40km)1.05pm: SS18 Rheola 2 (8.80km)1.23pm: SS19 Walters Arena 2 (14.90km)3.06pm: Service Park F (Cardiff 10 min)3.26pm: Podium4.15pm: FIA Post-Event Press Conference (Media Centre Cardiff)
CREW RECORDS AT WALES RALLY GBSbastien Loeb / Daniel Elena Mikko Hirvonen / Jarmo Lehtinen2011 Retired (DS3 WRC) Retired (Fiesta RS WRC)2010 1st (C4 WRC) 4th (Focus RS WRC)2009 1st (C4 WRC) 2nd (Focus RS WRC)2008 1st (C4 WRC) 8th (Focus RS WRC)2007 3rd (C4 WRC) 1st (Focus RS WRC)2006 - Retired (Focus RS WRC)2005 3rd (Xsara WRC) -2004 2nd (Xsara WRC) 7th (Impreza WRC)2003 2nd (Xsara WRC) Retired (Focus RS WRC)2002 Retired (Xsara WRC) Retired (Impreza gr. A)2001 15th (Saxo S1600) -2000 38th (Saxo gr. A) -
