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  • Rally Argentina 2018 Preview – Back to Gravel!

    Rally Argentina 2018 Preview – Back to Gravel!

    FIA WORLD RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP 2017 -WRC Argentina (ARG) – WRC 26/04/2017 to 30/04/2017 – PHOTO : @World

    The WRC heads to Argentina for the fifth round of this year’s championship. Seb Ogier increased his lead over Thierry Neuville last time out with a dominant victory on the tricky roads that make the Tour de Corse. This year’s event features 18 stages and a very interesting twist at the end. El Condor, which is the Power Stage and is one of the most famous stages in the world will be tackled uphill this year.

    FIA WORLD RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP 2017 -WRC Argentina (ARG) – WRC 26/04/2017 to 30/04/2017 – PHOTO : @World

    Here’s the full stage schedule.

    RALLY ARGENTINA SCHEDULE (GMT-3)

    THURSDAY 26 APRIL

    8.00am: Shakedown (Villa Carlos Paz – Cabalango)

    6.30pm: Start (Villa Carlos Paz)

    6.45pm: Regrouping (Villa Carlos Paz – 20 min)

    7.08pm: SS 1 – Villa Carlos Paz (1,90 km)

    7.33pm: Parc fermé (Villa Carlos Paz)

    FRIDAY 27 APRIL

    6.25am: Start and Service A (Villa Carlos Paz – 15 min)

    8.10am: SS 2 – Las Bajadas – Villa Del Dique 1 (16,65 km)

    9.00am: SS 3 – Amboy – Yacanto 1 (33,58 km)

    10.13am: SS 4 – Santa Rosa – San Agustin 1 (23,85 km)

    12.08pm: SS 5 – Super Especial Fernet Branca 1 (6,04 km)

    12.48pm: Service B (Villa Carlos Paz – 30 min)

    2.51pm: SS 6 – Las Bajadas – Villa Del Dique 2 (16,65 km)

    3.38pm: SS 7 – Amboy – Yacanto 2 (33,58 km)

    4.51pm: SS 8 – Santa Rosa – San Agustin 2 (23,85 km)

    6.41pm: Flexi service C (Villa Carlos Paz – 45 min)

    SATURDAY 28 APRIL

    7.30am: Start and Service D (Villa Carlos Paz – 15 min)

    8.23am: SS 9 – Tanti – Mataderos 1 (13,92 km)

    9.08am: SS 10 – Los Gigantes – Cuchilla Nevada 1 (16,02 km)

    9.35am: SS 11 – Cuchilla Nevada – Rio Pintos 1 (40,48 km)

    11.38am: SS 12 – Super Especial Fernet Branca 2 (6,04 km)

    12.15pm: Service E (Villa Carlos Paz – 30 min)

    1.23pm: SS 13 – Tanti – Mataderos 2 (13,92 km)

    2.08pm: SS 14 – Los Gigantes – Cuchilla Nevada 2 (16,02 km)

    2.35pm: SS 15 – Cuchilla Nevada – Rio Pintos 2 (40,8 km)

    4.35pm: Flexi service F (Villa Carlos Paz – 45 min)

    SUNDAY 29 APRIL

    7.45am: Start and Service G (Villa Carlos Paz – 15 min)

    9.08am: SS 16 – Copina – El Condor (16,43 km)

    9.55am: SS 17 – Giulio Cesare – Mina Clavero (22,41 km)

    12.18pm: SS 18 – Copina – El Condor Power Stage (16,43 km)

    2.21pm: Service H (Villa Carlos Paz – 10 min)

    2.31pm: Finish

     

    There’s 358km of stages this year. Last year, we saw welsh wizard Elfyn Evans and Dan Barritt drive brilliantly throughout the event, only to be denied victory after some technical problems by Thierry Neuville who won by just seven tenths of a second.

    Here’s the views from the drivers then.

     

    Hyundai Motorsport

    Thierry Neuville

    “Rally Argentina is a famous event and one that attracts an incredible crowd of passionate rally fans. It creates a fantastic atmosphere that we appreciate during the stages. We have good memories of last year’s rally, which we won in dramatic style in the Power Stage.  I hope we can pull off a similar result this time around. It is a highly demanding event, very tough on the car and the crew, so it’s not one that we can take lightly.”

    2017 FIA World Rally Championship
    Round 05, Rally Argentina
    27-30 April 2017
    Thierry Neuville, Nicolas Gilsoul, Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC
    Photographer: Austral
    Worldwide copyright: Hyundai Motorsport GmbH

    Andreas Mikkelsen

    “Rally Argentina is probably one of my favourite rallies of the entire season. It is a very special type of gravel event because the roads are sandier which suits my driving style a bit more; you can really create an angle, which helps to attack the corner. The stages can get quite rough on the second pass so it’s important to take care of the car, but all in all it is a beautiful rally. El Condor and Mina Clavero are two stages I particularly look forward to.”

    Dani Sordo

    “The huge number of spectators really makes this a special rally for everyone. It is always nice to see so many people lining the routes and cheering us on. It gives us a real boost regardless of how we are performing. Of course, our aim is to be fighting towards the front. We have had a couple of solid results in a row, so we want to use the momentum to add another gravel podium to the one we scored in Mexico.”

     

    Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT

    Jari-Matti Latvala

    “Argentina is a place where I have had some very enjoyable moments in the past, including my win there in 2014. It is a really challenging event and that makes it very satisfying when things are going well. There is a nice mixture of different stages over the weekend, from the fast and sandy roads in the valley on Friday to the rougher mountain stages on Sunday, including the famous El Condor, which is the Power Stage again this year. It is always a very spectacular stage with all of the fans up on the hillsides cheering us on. Argentina is a very demanding rally for the cars, and we learned a lot there as a team last year. Together, we are working hard to constantly improve the car, and hopefully we can show some good progress. It would be good to get some more points on the board.”

    Jari-Matti Latvala, Miikka Antilla. Photo credit – Toyota Gazoo Racing

    Ott Tanak

    “Rally Argentina has always been a tough event. There are some nice smooth and fast stages but also some pretty technical roads, so it’s a rally where you get a bit of everything in one weekend. It’s also really demanding on the cars, as the stages can get pretty rough. I finished third there last year, and that gives me confidence that I can perform well this time. I’m also feeling good after our pre-event test in Sardinia: the roads went from wet to dry during the test and the surface can be just as rough there, so I think that we got just the right conditions that we needed for a good test for Argentina. I am pretty happy with the improvements that we were able to make to the car and now I am eager to see how we are going to compare against the others.”

    Esapekka Lappi

    “Although I haven’t competed in Argentina before, I have done the recce twice, so I have some picture of what the rally is like. I have heard that it can be the toughest round of the championship: the surface can get very rough in places, and there are a lot of rocks, so you need to take care sometimes. It looks as though on Friday the roads are going to be a little bit softer than on Saturday, and then on Sunday in the mountains there will be more loose gravel and rocks. I am really confident that we can do much better in Argentina than in our last gravel rally in Mexico, where I think I learnt quite a lot. It is usually a rally where a lot of things can happen, so it might be that my main target will be to just try and stay out of trouble, but let’s see how it goes.”

     

    Citroen Abu Dhabi WRT

    Kris Meeke

    “I come into this fifth round very determined to move back up the championship standings, but this rally is such a challenge, you have to treat it with respect it deserves. I’ll do my very best, as always, but the weather may be a factor. The condition of the roads is often determined by how much rainfall there has been over the previous six months. In any case, it’s a rally that I really love, both for the wide range of difficulties involved and the warm, very enthusiastic welcome we get from the local fans. Added to which, I have always been comfortable here: I’ve finished on the podium twice in my four appearances, including my first WRC win.”

    Craig Breen

    “Having only raced here once before, and even then, only for part of the rally, when the other guys have been driving on these stages for years, I fear that my lack of knowledge may hamper me a bit. But I really enjoyed the brief glimpse of the rally that I got here last season and I can’t wait to get started. Testing went really well. It had been a little while since I had last driven the C3 WRC on gravel and the car has clearly improved on this surface. So, my confidence has been given a serious boost coming into this rally, which is set to be pretty demanding.”

    Craig Breen, Scott Martin. Photo credit Citroen Racing.

    Khalid Al Qassimi

    “I think this rally is going to be a real challenge for me because it has been some time since I last competed here, but I am very much looking forward to it. I’ll have to get my bearings again, review and revise the pace notes for the stages. My sole aim is to make it to the finish and enjoy myself, whilst also supporting the team.”

     

    M-Sport Ford WRT

    Sébastien Ogier

    “We’ve made a great start to the season and come to Argentina with the ambition of continuing this positive start. It’s the only event Julien and I are yet to win and, even though I won’t be fixated on a win this week, I would also love to stand on the top step of the podium in Argentina!

    “We know that the win won’t be easy, but we have made a lot of progress this year and will certainly give it our best. The competition is strong, but if we can limit the time loss on Friday, which will be the key, I’m sure we’ll be in with a chance.

    “The car felt great last time out on gravel, but the surface in Argentina is completely different. The roads are much softer and sandier here, but also quite rough in places meaning that a good result is dependent on a compromise between speed and endurance.

    “We completed a development test in Portugal last week and everything continues to go in the right direction. We’re keen to see what we can do next week, and optimistic of delivering another strong result.”

    FIA WORLD RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP 2018 -WRC Mexico (MEX) – WRC 08/03/2018 to 11/03/2018 – PHOTO : @World

    Elfyn Evans

    “It’s great to see Dan fully recovered and back at an event that holds a lot of special memories for the both of us. It’s where we secured our first podium in 2015, and where we came so close to victory last year. That was a hard defeat to take at the time, but it made us stronger and we’ll be hoping to challenge for the top results again this year.

    “It’s fair to say that I’ve not had the best start to the season, but we’re determined to turn that around this week. With a solid result in Corsica, and Dan back by my side in Argentina, we’re looking forward to the challenge and focused on delivering a strong result.

    “You have to take a fairly measured approach to an event like this as there is very little margin for error. There’s the potential for something to catch you out around practically every corner – so you have to have a clean rally and keep mistakes to a minimum.

    “We completed some development testing in the lead-up to this event where we were able to get a feel for driving on gravel again. We will have a fairly good road position for the opening day and the car feels good – so let’s see what we can do.”

    Teemu Suninen

    “Argentina will be an interesting event in that sense that I have not competed here before. We did the recce in 2016 and from what I can remember there are quite a few rhythm changes on the stages – high-speed roads often turning into very narrow tracks with no room to run wide.

    “The rhythm change is the biggest challenge, but the roads are also soft in places and the risk of punctures is increased by small stones bordering the road.

    “We completed a development test in Portugal and got some good kilometres under our belt on gravel. It was really important to have that test. We have trust in the car but I know that the conditions will be a little different in Argentina.

    “My aim this week is to continue to learn, continue to gain experience and continue developing my driving. If we can do that, the good results will come too.”

     

    Well, we are set for a very good rally. All the ingredients are there, with Kris and Thierry who have conquered these very challenging stages in recent years. Also, let’s not forget that Elfyn and Dan led a large portion last year, only to miss out by such a small amount in the end. Perhaps Seb will take his first win here this weekend. He’s come pretty close before, but with him opening the road throughout Friday, he’ll need to ensure that the time loss to the leaders is kept small.

    One driver missing, which is a shame, is 2016 winner Hayden Paddon. I’m surprised that Hyundai didn’t have him in the third i20 this weekend. Still, we’ll see him next time in Rally Portugal.

    Enjoy the rally!

  • Preparing To Win – How Toyota’s World Rally Team Test The WRC Yaris | Mobil 1 The Grid

    Preparing To Win – How Toyota’s World Rally Team Test The WRC Yaris | Mobil 1 The Grid

    Check out the latest Mobil 1 The Grid feature on how Toyota prepare for the championship.

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  • Chinese GP: has Ricciardo ended Bottas’s Mercedes hopes?

    Chinese GP: has Ricciardo ended Bottas’s Mercedes hopes?

    Daniel Ricciardo’s path to victory in Shanghai last Sunday was full of all the precise car placement and late-braking brilliance that F1 has come to expect from its smiling assassin.

    But what was perhaps the most noticeable part of Ricciardo’s win was not the moves he made to achieve it, but who he beat along the way.

    Wolfgang Wilhelm/Mercedes AMG F1

    Fans and pundits alike were quick to point out that the two drivers who trailed Ricciardo onto the podium in China—Valtteri Bottas and Kimi Räikkönen—also happened to be the same drivers under pressure from the Australian for a 2019 seat.

    It was a coincidence sharp enough to be ominous—and judging by the two Finns’ downcast expressions in the post-race press conference, neither appreciated the irony in that result.

    For Bottas, the timing of his defeat by Ricciardo could hardly have been less fortunate. It was only a week ago that the Finn was being criticised for a lack of aggression in his pursuit of Sebastian Vettel for the lead in Bahrain, and it will surely not have escaped his notice that one of those critics was Ricciardo himself.

    After Bahrain, Ricciardo was quoted by Motorsport.com as saying he would have “at least tried” to overtake Vettel were he in Bottas’s position: “For me, the first opportunity you have to take. If it’s for a win, you just can’t [settle].”

    To then have victory snatched away at the very next event, with a decisive move up the inside by the same man posturing to replace you? There’s misfortune, and then there’s misery.

    Getty Images/Red Bull Content Pool

    But what makes matters worse for Bottas is that he didn’t just lose out on victory for himself, he also let slip a victory for Mercedes.

    With Lewis Hamilton struggling to get on the pace across the China weekend, the burden was on Bottas to lead Mercedes’ charge against Ferrari and secure their first win of the season.

    And although the Finn’s chances of winning in Shanghai were ruined by the ill-timed safety car, it’s hard not to notice the similarities between this race and Bahrain. Both times Bottas was the lead Mercedes, both times a clever pit strategy put him in a winning position, and both times he finished only second.

    Add that to the qualifying crash in Australia that left Bottas starting 15th on the grid, and Mercedes could be forgiven if their faith in the once-Flying Finn has become a little half-hearted this year.

    And the danger there is that Hamilton, also out of contract this year, has hinted several times that the next deal he signs might well be his last. The driver decisions facing Mercedes this year will therefore be made with that post-Hamilton future in mind—their priority will be to lock in place the driver most capable of leading the team forward once Hamilton departs.

    Given that’s something Ricciardo’s already shown he can do during his Red Bull tenure, Bottas will have a lot of work to do after his early season errors to prove to Mercedes that he is still their best option.

    Steve Etherington/Mercedes AMG F1

    There is still time for Bottas to turn his situation around—although that time is fast running out.

    Ricciardo’s contract renewal talks with Red Bull were due to start this month, and if he decides early not to stay then the Australian could be meeting with Toto Wolff by the time F1 comes round to the European season in May. The uncertainty over Hamilton’s extension might hold up the talks for now—but alternatively, the fear of Ferrari poaching Ricciardo while Mercedes waits may well push Wolff into a swift decision.

    Bottas will need to impress quickly, then, if he is to even remain in the running for his seat. But luckily for the Finn, the next race in Azerbaijan should be one of his stronger events—last year, he came from the back after a first lap crash to steal second from Lance Stroll across the line.

    Another performance like that will go a long way to restoring Mercedes’ confidence in Bottas at this crucial time in the season—and if he can go one step further and take the Silver Arrows’ first 2018 win, then all the better.

    But whatever results Bottas brings from Baku and beyond, he will have to up his game generally, and prove he is capable of taking the fight to Ferrari and Red Bull whenever Hamilton can’t.

    Because as messages go, Ricciardo’s “lick the stamp and send it” jibe on the Shanghai podium couldn’t have been any clearer: if Mercedes wants a driver who will do more than settle for second, they know where to find one.

    Getty Images/Red Bull Content Pool
  • Phil Hall’s Tour de Corse Diary.

    Phil Hall’s Tour de Corse Diary.

    Hello rally fans. This is the first in a series of Rally Diaries that Phil Hall, Co-Driver to Tom Williams will be providing for you to enjoy. Here, Phil shows the whole week dedicated to Tour de Corse. Enjoy!

     

    Reece Day One

    Monday the 4th of April

    Phil Hall – Photo courtesy of M-Sport.

    Recce on Corsica is a challenge in itself. Writing down a seemingly endless stream of pacenotes whilst trying to navigate (including turning pages in the pacenote and road books independently) requires no small amount of multitasking and coordination. Because of the sheer number of corners, I actually use 50% more pages of paper in Corsica than a ‘normal’ rally.

    Today was the first day of recce and saw us cover 3 incredible stages in the north of the island. In Sweden we found Elk, in Mexico we found goats, and today we found a herd of cows. We are certainly discovering plenty of wildlife this year.

    Reece Day Two.

    Tuesday the 5th of April

    This is where we see the full breadth of road types on the island; from race track smooth 2 lane winding up the valleys, to slimy and gravely ‘barely there’ slivers of asphalt clinging to mountain sides.

    The pinnacle of today is a 49km stage that covers everything this rally has to throw at you. And it takes so many pages of pacenotes, I started an entirely new book for this stage just to be sure I had enough.

    You have to really focus on the pacenotes here, there are so many variables. It’s a great challenge.

    Reece day Three.

    Wednesday the 4th of April

    The final day of Recce, on paper, looks simple enough. Just 2 stages. But when one of them is a Monster 55km Corsican legend, the day continues the challenging theme of the event.

    72 pages; concentrating on making quality notes for nearly an hour and a half straight, reading the road and writing it down, page after page. It’s a real team effort.

    FIA WORLD RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP 2018 -WRC Tour de Corse (FRA) – WRC 04/04/2018 to 08/04/2018 – PHOTO : @World

    An incredible stage to (almost) finish the rally, as the penultimate test of the event it will make Sunday an exciting prospect to say the least!

    Friday, 6th of April – Day One of Competition.

    Only two stages repeated sounds quite simple. Except this is Corsica. A 50km monster followed by a fast and flowing test was a true challenge.

    Reading pace notes for 40 minutes nonstop is a work of concentration and endurance. Especially as the car is moving around so much on the twisty roads.

    The conditions today saw a lot of gravel on the roads and some damp and wet patches in places that only added to the difficulty. However, we had a good clean day and I’m looking forward to tomorrow (Saturday).

    Saturday, 7th of April- Day Two

    Saturday was a huge day of the rally, an early start and a late finish. Though only covering two loops of 3 stages, the day was a complex challenge. We had three very different stages to contend with; the opening test was long and narrow through mountainous terrain with a lot of bridges and big drops (!), the second was more like a race track, wide and flowing with smooth and consistent tarmac, the final stage was possibly the trickiest with a lot of gravel and dirt on the road whilst still being fast.

    We got a front puncture on the first stage of the day and had to change it, we are well practised at changing the wheels but we still lost quite a lot of time. The rest of the days stages went smoothly, or as smoothly as any Corsican stage can go.

    Sunday, 8th of April- Day Three

    Sunday had only two stages, the first being over 55km in length! We had a really good run over both stages, we had learnt a lot over the rally and were starting to get everything to work really well. Reading pacenotes flat out for nearly 40 minutes is a challenge and shows why co-drivers have to be fit as well as drivers. We had no straight longer than 150m in the whole rally, and corner after corner had to be delivered exactly on time. That’s a lot of processing power being used!

    Tom Williams – Photo courtesy of M-Sport.

    Corsica is one of my favourite rallies, and I can’t wait to be back next year. Our next JWRC event is WRC Portugal.

    Phil Hall and Tom Williams – Junior WRC – Photo courtesy of Phil Hall

    A huge thanks to Tom for a great drive, M-Sport for a great car and team, and my supporters ITSMYMOTORSPORT and the Royal Air Force.

  • Halo Vs. AeroScreen – Max Verstappen, Daniel Ricciardo & Scott Dixon On F1 Cockpit Safety | Mobil 1 The Grid

    Halo Vs. AeroScreen – Max Verstappen, Daniel Ricciardo & Scott Dixon On F1 Cockpit Safety | Mobil 1 The Grid

    Check out the newest video from Mobil 1 The Grid in which Max Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo give their thoughts on what they call an ‘ugly’ Halo design, and the reasons behind its full-scale introduction, while Scott Dixon comments on IndyCar’s Aeroscreen alternative, which has been inspired by jet fighter canopies.

    Max Verstappen on the Halo: “The car is very ugly with it. I’ll keep saying that for the rest of the season, because I really don’t like it. It’s a shame really for Formula 1. It’s a bit safer, but at the end of the day, you can never make it 100% safe anyway.”

    Photographer Credit: Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool

    Daniel Ricciardo on the Halo: “It’s visually not the most pretty thing, but it’s fine. I think people will just get used to it. It’s there for a reason; it’s there for those freak accidents and for head injuries. What the fans and viewers need to not get confused or get misled by is that it doesn’t change anything what we do… racing, attacking, defending, how much you’re willing to put the car on the limit – the Halo doesn’t change any of that. Is it attractive? No. But were the F1 cars in 2009 attractive when they went to the big front wings and skinny rear wings? No, they thought they were ugly as hell. But after a few races your eyes just get used to looking at them. Yeah, they’re ugly, but they’re not as ugly as they were a few months ago. If there’s a crash and a part comes flying in the air, if it is going to land in front of you, it could save a death, that’s really all it is.”

    Scott Dixon on the Aeroscreen: “The Halo wasn’t something that was feasible for us [in IndyCar], mostly because of the ovals sight-line. You’re in a looking up position, so you’d be looking directly at it. I think the Aeroscreen, with the backing of PPG [Industries], with what they’ve done in the past with fighter-jets, they’d already had a good concept and a good idea of what works and what doesn’t work.”

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  • Back-To-Back – Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo Previews The 2018 F1 Bahrain & Chinese Grands Prix | Mobil 1 The Grid

    Back-To-Back – Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo Previews The 2018 F1 Bahrain & Chinese Grands Prix | Mobil 1 The Grid

    Check out the newest video from Mobil 1 The Grid in which Daniel Ricciardo previews the Bahrain & Chinese Grands Prix.

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  • Tour de Corse 2018 Preview- Time for Tarmac!

    Tour de Corse 2018 Preview- Time for Tarmac!

    It’s time for round four, and just four points separate Seb Ogier and Thierry Neuville at the top of the points table!

     

    This year’s edition of this classic event has twelve stages totalling 333.48km over the three days, the longest stage being the 55.17 km for Vero – Sarrola – Carcopino run on Sunday and the shortest being the Piedigriggio – Pont de Castirla 2 13,55 km on Friday afternoon.

     

    Friday sees the crews tackle stages that are in the middle of the island, with four stages, but a mammoth 126 km’s. On Saturday, they head to the northern park of the island and tackle the coastal roads, totalling a huge almost 140km’s of stages and then Sunday sees them head south west and the longest stage run and then the power stage.

     

    Last year Kris led until he suffered a mechanical failure with his engine on Saturday afternoon and Thierry came through to take the win.

     

    Seb Loeb is driving again for Citroen, with the second of his outings for this year, but bigger than that is the news that Elfyn Evans’ co-driver Dan Barritt is sitting out this one as he’s still recovering from the high-speed roll that happened in Mexico. Phil Mills’ will be stepping into co-driver seat. Yes, world rally champion co-driver to Mr Hollywood, Petter Solberg. He has been part of Elfyns’ gravel crew for the past five years, which makes him the ideal man for the job!

    Tour de Corse Map 2018- Credit to Tour de Corse

    TOUR DE CORSE SCHEDULE (GMT+2)

     

    THURSDAY 5 APRIL

    8.00am: Shakedown (Sorbo Ocagnano)

    6.30pm: Ceremonial start Bastia – Place Saint Nicolas

     

    FRIDAY 6 APRIL

    8.00am: Start in Bastia – Place Saint Nicolas

    8.40am: Service A (Bastia airport – 15′)

    9.50am: SS 1 – La Porta – Valle di Rostino 1 (49,03 km)

    11.09am: SS 2 – Piedigriggio – Pont de Castirla 1 (13,55 km)

    1.47pm: Service B (Bastia airport – 30′)

    3.12pm: SS 3 – La Porta – Valle di Rostino 2 (49,03 km)

    4.31pm: SS 4 – Piedigriggio – Pont de Castirla 2 (13,55 km)

    7.01pm: Flexi service C (Bastia airport – 45′)

     

    SATURDAY 7 APRIL

    6.10am: Start of day 2 and service D (Bastia airport – 15′)

    7.37am: SS 5 – Cagnano – Pino – Canari 1 (35,61 km)

    9.18am: SS 6 – Désert des Agriates 1 (15,45 km)

    11.08am: SS 7 – Novella 1 (17,39 km)

    1.31pm: Service E (Bastia airport – 30′)

    3.21pm: SS 8 – Cagnano – Pino – Canari 2 (35,61 km)

    5.02pm: SS 9 – Désert des Agriates 2 (15,45 km)

    6.39pm: SS 10 – Novella 2 (17,39 km)

    8.10pm: Flexi service F (Bastia airport – 45′)

     

    SUNDAY 8 APRIL

    7.00am: Start of day 3 and service G (Bastia airport – 15′)

    9.23am: SS 11 – Vero – Sarrola – Carcopino (55,17 km)

    12.18pm: SS 12 – Pénitencier de Coti-Chiavari (16,25 km)

    1.33pm: Finish (Ajaccio, avenue de Paris)

    3.00pm: Podium (Ajaccio, place du Diamant)

    Well, let’s hear from everyone!

     

    M-Sport Ford WRT

    Sébastien Ogier

    “We’ve had a really positive start to the season – three events and two victories already under our belts. It’s great to see the progress we’ve made, and we’re keen to see that continue with the return to asphalt next week.

    “With a lot of mixed conditions in Monte-Carlo, the Tour de Corse is the first proper Tarmac event of the year, and it’s nice to be back. We all know that the competition will be strong, but we completed a good test last week – finding a good feeling and discovering the optimum set-ups to deliver a strong performance

    “As a Frenchman, there is always added motivation to do well at the Tour de Corse. Known as the Rally of 10,000 Corners, the name alone says it all and many sections of this island are made for rallying. A lot of the route is new this year, but the stages remain very technical with corner after corner demanding total focus and precision.

    “It’s a beautiful island that I always look forward to visiting, and it would be fantastic to secure another strong result on French soil.”

    FIA WORLD RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP 2018 -WRC Monte Carlo (FRA) – WRC 24/01/2018 to 28/01/2018 – PHOTO : @World

    Elfyn Evans

    “This is an event that I really enjoy, and we’ll be looking to maximise that next week. The speed is there, but I’ve not had the best start to the year and that’s something I’m determined to put right in Corsica.

    “It won’t be easy without Dan, but his fitness comes first and it’s important that he has the time to make a full recovery for the rest of the season. Phil has stepped in, and I hope that we can push for a good result.

    “Phil certainly knows his stuff. Other than Dan, he knows my pacenotes better than anyone and he’s certainly no stranger when it comes to winning rallies.

    “This year’s route has a lot of new sections, but it’s still a technical challenge which is one of the things I really enjoy here. There’s quite a lot of variation amongst the stages – some are surprisingly smooth, but then there are those which are typically Corsican with abrasive Tarmac that twists through the mountains.

    “It’s all about adapting to the conditions, and that will be the case even more so for us next week. We’ll have a fairly late running order which won’t be ideal, and we’ll need some time to get used to one another in the car as well.

    “We’ll just have to see how it goes and do the best we can. I’ve had some good results here in the past, and I’m keen to see what we can do this year.”

    Bryan Bouffier

    “The Tour de Corse has long been one of my favourite events. The roads are amazing, but so is the island and so are the people who live there. It’s a fantastic rally and one that I look forward to every year.

    “We had a good test last week where I found a good feeling with the balance of the car. Working together with the team, we were able to find some good solutions with the set-up, and I hope that hard work will show on the stages next week.

    “Every time I return the FIA World Rally Championship the level is extremely high, but this year the competition is stronger than ever and there are so many drivers able to push for the top results.

    “The specific challenge in Corsica is to be consistent through the long stages and to avoid mistakes. That is our goal and we hope to deliver some strong times so that I have the chance to do even more kilometres in this amazing car!”

     

    Hyundai Motorsport

    Thierry Neuville

    “Tour de Corse is one of my personal highlights of the season. We have some good memories from this rally across the years; we have won twice, including last year’s WRC victory so I am hoping for another competitive weekend. We had an accident towards the end of the pre-event test but that won’t change our approach to this rally. We know it will be a close contest again, as there are many quick drivers. The long stages that are a particular characteristic of Corsica mean we have to keep focused at all times. It is a really demanding event for crews and teams but we’re determined to strengthen our position in both championships.”

    2017 FIA World Rally Championship
    Round 04, Tour de Corse – Rallye de France
    06-09 April 2017
    Thierry Neuville, Nicolas Gilsoul, Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC
    Photographer: Sarah Vessely
    Worldwide copyright: Hyundai Motorsport GmbH

    Andreas Mikkelsen

    “Corsica is a very special event, and our first true tarmac rally of the season. As a crew, you never really get any break during the stages; it’s a continuous corner-to-corner challenge that requires utmost concentration. It’s equally tough on the car as it is for the driver and co-driver. It is easy for the brakes to get warm so we have to adapt our driving style to save them for the really long stages. Tour de Corse is a beautiful rally and one I really enjoy.”

    Dani Sordo

    “I was pleased with our result in Mexico and I hope we can continue with this level of performance as we move onto the tarmac challenge of Tour de Corse. It is a rally I always enjoy, and which requires a very specific approach. With long stages held in the mountains, Corsica really is a classic tarmac event. It’s corner after corner, so we are always turning the steering wheel during the stages, which makes it a very physical event. Precise pace notes are crucial for a good performance. I can’t wait to get started!”

     

    Toyota Gazoo WRT

    Jari-Matti Latvala

    “I have some good memories of Corsica from my win there in 2015. It is certainly an asphalt rally that I like. There’s a reason they call it the Rally of 10,000 Corners: if you find any straight that is longer than 100 metres, you know you are on the wrong island! You cannot really cut the corners so much and there is not so much gravel on the road, which makes it really enjoyable as you can just focus on the corners and the lines. We had a very, very positive pre-event test. The feeling was extremely good and I am very confident with the car. All of the teams should be quick in Corsica, but I really hope we are up there fighting for the podium places.”

    Jari-Matti Latvala finished fourth last year on the roads around Corsica. Photo credit Toyota Gazoo WRT.

    Ott Tänak

    “We have been competitive on every surface so far this season. The team is working really hard to make sure that we can be reliable too. Now we just need to start taking some points back from our rivals. Last year my feeling in Corsica was quite good, so I want to have a strong result this time. The conditions on Rallye Monte-Carlo were very specific so it was difficult to take a lot, but we still went into our pre-Corsica test with some kind of idea which way we want to go. We had a proper two-day test and I think we went in the right direction: It feels like the car is performing well.”

    Esapekka Lappi

    “I have done Corsica a couple of times in the past in other categories, and I would say that it is completely different to any other rally. It is just corner after corner, without many straights to give us a rest. The schedule is also unique as we don’t have as many stages, but they are quite long. This will be my first time in Corsica in a World Rally Car, but I take confidence from the speed we showed in Monte Carlo. In fact, I am actually more confident this time because we managed to find a better set-up in the pre-event test. We tested in both damp and fully dry conditions so we should be ready whatever the weather.”

     

    Citroen Abu Dhabi WRT

    Kris Meeke

    “The Tour de Corse is one hell of a challenge, with many difficulties, but I’ve always enjoyed racing here. We were very competitive here last year, although we have seen since the start of the season that everyone has made progress, but I hope we can still get among the frontrunners. Our pre-event tests, held on a wide variety of roads, were very productive. I get the feeling that we have progressed further on the dirty and bumpy sections. In any case, I came away from my test sessions pleased with the work done and I can’t wait now to get started!”

    Kris Meeke and Paul Nagle led last year until Saturday afternoon. They’ll want to make the finish this year. Photo credit, Citroen Racing

    Sébastien Loeb

    “Having recently driven the C3 WRC on gravel, I got my bearings very quickly during our tests in Corsica, even though the road surface was different. I started with Kris’ basic set-up and settled upon something very close to his settings pretty quickly, but which suited me. The feeling was pretty good at the end of my testing days. We’ll have to wait and see where we stand in relation to everyone else. After our performance in Mexico, I hope we will be on the pace again, especially as I’ve always been comfortable on tarmac, not least in Corsica. In any case, it’s a place and an event that I have always enjoyed, even if it’s certainly not the easiest rally. The roads are apparently faster than when I last competed here, although there are still plenty of narrow, technical and bumpy stages, but they are all going to be new for me so it won’t be easy to make pace notes for the entire route.”

    As a nice tribute to Henry Hope-Frost, the M-Sport team will be running with the hashtag #Fever and also the names of his sons on their cars.

    Just a few days now then to the start of this iconic event. Who will win this year? Enjoy!

  • PitCrew HQ 2018 F1 Predictions

    PitCrew HQ 2018 F1 Predictions

    Here at the PitCrew HQ we have been busy studying and following all the latest F1 news. And each member has predicted which drivers will be in the top 5 after Abu Dhabi. And here is what we came up with.

    As you can see our predictions.  Lewis Hamilton is our overall favourite. Also everyone picked different predictions barring 2 people who picked the same. Do you agree with our crew. Who would be your top 5?

  • Down Under – Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo & Max Verstappen Preview The 2018 F1 Australian GP | Mobil 1 The Grid

    Down Under – Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo & Max Verstappen Preview The 2018 F1 Australian GP | Mobil 1 The Grid

    Check out the newest preview from Mobil 1 The Grid of the Australian Grand Prix, featuring Max Verstappen & Daniel Ricciardo.

    Make sure that you follow Mobil 1 The Grid:
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  • Tatiana Calderón for International Women’s Day 2018

    Tatiana Calderón for International Women’s Day 2018

    2018 could be a busy year for Tatiana Canderón. The Colombian driver will continue driving in GP3, as well as becoming a member of the FIA Women In Motorsport Commission, which was revealed earlier this year. Also this week she was announced as the Sauber F1 Team’s official Test Driver. As part of International Women’s Day Tatiana answered questions asked by Julia Paradowska.

    Photo: Sam Bloxham/GP3 Series Media Service.

    Julia Paradowska: You became a member of FIA Women In Motorsport Commission. What does it mean for you?
    Tatiana Calderón: It’s an honor for me to be able to represent Women in Motorsport, I love this sport so much and the FiA WIM together with D2BD are doing a great job promoting it that I also want to be part and help out wherever I can.

    JP: Do you want to take a part of the Dakar rally or 24 Hours of Le Mans in the future?
    TC:Absolutely, two of the most demanding races of the sport!

    JP: Lella Lombardi is first and only woman to score points in F1. Do you think in 10 years time a woman driver will have scored in F1?
    TC: Yes! Hopefully I can be next one to be giving a chance.

    JP: What do you like the most in driving a GP3 car?
    TC: I love racing any car really but I think what I love is pushing myself to the limit every lap. Trying to improve and GP3 because of the high level of competition and the peak performance of the tyre pushes you to do find those limits in one perfect lap.

    Photo: Jed Leicester/GP3 Series Media Service.

    JP: You were 9 yeras old when you entered your first karting race. Why did you decide to be a racing driver?
    TC: I love the adrenaline, the competition and the speed and once I tried karting it was like I found my real passion. I’m lucky to have discover what I love doing so early in life.

    JP: What car is your favourite and what car is your dream car?
    My favorite it’s hard to choose, I would for sure would love to have a Ferrari at home and my dream car at the moment the C38
    JP: What are your goals for 2018?
    TC: I want to challenge for wins and podiums wherever I end up racing and of course drive a F1 car.

    JP: What track is your favourite?
    TC: Spa is my favorite track because it has all kind of corners. It has some blind corners that bring your adrenaline levels even higher. I just love to go through Eau Rouge!

    JP: What do you think about US tracks?
    TC: You can’t speak about the US tracks in general because between them they are all different but of course I would like to have more races there. The fans make also a great atmosphere. A great come back to the US tracks could be in Cota hopefully in the near future .

    JP: What advice would you give young girls dreaming of being a part of Motorsport?
    TC: That they should follow they’re passion, no matter what. There are no limits. If you are patient and work hard you’ll get there!