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Rallye De France - Tour De Corse
http://www.rallyedefrance.com/
Round 12 of the FIA World Rally Championship
18-21st October 2001
Extract from Official FIA Press Release
www.fia.com
[WRC] Tour De Corse: Puras Wins!
Sunday 21st October
Citroen driver Jesus Puras has scored his first victory at FIA World Rally Championship level on the 12th round of this year's series, the Tour de Corse, which finished in Ajaccio this afternoon. The multiple Spanish champion maintained a steady but fast pace through today's four stages, held in changeable conditions that kept the crews and teams guessing until the very last corner. His victory was also the first for the Xsara WRC in the FIA World Rally Championship.
With Citroen not registered for manufacturers points, Peugeot drivers Gilles Panizzi and Didier Auriol finished second and third respectively to move the French marque into second in the makes series. But in the drivers' championship, Subaru dropped fourth placed Petter Solberg behind his team-mate Richard Burns to ensure that the Englishman picked up an extra point and moved ahead of Carlos Sainz into third in the series, six points behind joint leaders Colin McRae and Tommi Mäkinen.
CITROEN
Technical: Jesus Puras's Xsara WRC has been reliable today.
Sporting: Overnight leader Jesus Puras adopted a cautious approach on today's opening stage - too cautious, he'd later admit - and he handed six seconds to Gilles Panizzi as a result. But he responded on the second test by setting fastest time and when the weather conditions worsened for the second run over the pair of tests this afternoon, Puras was able to consolidate an advantage of more than half a minute to score his first FIA World Rally Championship victory.
Quotes: Jesus Puras said: "It was so difficult over the final couple of stages but the feeling is unbelievable. When I saw the rain coming I couldn't believe it and I started to get nervous but then I just told myself, 'You have a 30-second lead' and I tried to drive perfectly and not make mistakes. The last stage seemed to last forever - after every corner I wanted it to be the finish but there was always another one! Then eventually I saw the red finish board and I realised then that we've done it. This means a lot to me and it's a fantastic result for Citroen too. Our goal this year was to win one of the four WRC events that we entered and now we've achieved that.
PEUGEOT
Technical: The 206 WRCs of Gilles Panizzi and Didier Auriol have been reliable today.
Sporting: Gilles Panizzi might have had thoughts of victory after he scalped six seconds from Jesus Puras's lead on today's opening stage but once the Spaniard responded on the very next test, the leading 206 WRC driver knew he'd have to settle for second overall and maximum manufacturers' points for Peugeot. His team-mate Didier Auriol started this morning's stages with little more to gain and under no real threat from the Subarus behind, and he measured his pace as the conditions deteriorated to finish in third, securing a maximum manufacturers' points haul for his team.
Quotes: Gilles Panizzi said: "I couldn't really push harder over the last couple of stages because it would have been really stupid of me to put the car into the trees when chasing Jesus. It was a difficult day today, though - just keeping the car on the road was pretty difficult when the heavy rain arrived. There was a lot of standing water and it was going sideways even on the straights. I thought after Sanremo that the Citroen might have a small advantage here and that's been proved correct. I'm glad we got the best possible finish for Peugeot, though.
Didier Auriol said: "If I hadn't had rain when I was sitting on the startline of SS7 yesterday then I think I could have had a fight for second place with Gilles. But I think a victory would have been much more difficult because Jesus and the Citroen were very fast. But our aim here was to score as many manufacturers' points as possible for Peugeot and we've achieved that.
SUBARU
Technical: The Impreza WRC2001s of Petter Solberg and Richard Burns have been reliable today, with Burns pronouncing himself particularly pleased with revised suspension settings. Markko Martin's car suffered from uneven brakes in the first pair of tests but it ran without troubles thereafter.
Sporting: Petter Solberg started today's stages knowing that he'd probably have to fight off François Delecour and his cause wasn't helped by a spin in the opening test. But once the Frenchman hit brake problems, the young Norwegian was able to relax and bring his car back to Ajaccio in fourth. Subaru then told him to check into the final control two minutes early and the resulting penalty dropped him to fifth, allowing his team-mate Richard Burns to score an extra world championship point. Burns had already eased past the third Impreza of Markko Martin earlier in the day and his three points move him ahead of Carlos Sainz in the drivers' championship.
Quotes: Petter Solberg said: "It's been a difficult rally but I'm delighted with my performance and my finish. I really think this has been one of my best drives so far, and I've learnt so much. The car's been very reliable and we've definitely made a big step forward in set-up since Sanremo. I know I still need more experience - it was hard today in the changeable conditions, for starters - but that will come in time.
Richard Burns said: "If you'd said on Friday after I made that mistake and hit the wall that we'd come away from here with fourth place I wouldn't have believed you. It obviously helps us in the championship and I'd like to thank Petter and Phil (Mills, the Norwegian's navigator) for what they've done at the end.
Markko Martin said: "I'm glad just to get to the finish because the conditions at the end were similar to the ones in which I went off in Sanremo. I wasn't too happy when I saw the rain! But it's been good experience for me and I've been fairly happy with my performance.
HYUNDAI
Technical: The Accent WRC2s of Alister McRae and Piero Liatti have been generally reliable today.
Sporting: Piero Liatti and Alister McRae both benefited from the problems that hit François Delecour's Ford, and they duly picked their way through the deteriorating conditions to finish eighth and ninth respectively, earning three points for Hyundai in the manufacturers' championship. The highlight of the day for the team was probably Liatti's time in the last test, where the Italian was third fastest. McRae's sole makes' point was hard earned - the Scot had spent much of last night suffering from illness and a migraine headache.
Quotes: Piero Liatti said: "We knew that if it rained today we could stay in quite a good position because the car's set-up was quite good in changing conditions. Of course it was still very difficult near the end because there was a lot of heavy rain, we were on the wrong tyres and the car was moving everywhere. I'm quite pleased for the team that we have scored some points - it's clear that the car still needs more work on asphalt but it's been very reliable here.
Alister McRae said: "It hasn't been an easy rally but the reliability of the car means that we've come away from here with some points. That's a bit more than I expected after Sanremo. It's Australia next and the Accent was quite good there last year but I'm not sure the new seeding system will do us any favours.
FORD
Technical: François Delecour hit brake problems on both of today's loops of stages (and a puncture on the first slowed him further still), dropping the Frenchman from his overnight fifth place to tenth by the finish. Colin McRae's Focus RS WRC01 performed reliably today.
Sporting: François Delecour's Focus dropped from fifth to tenth today, as the Frenchman lost all of his brakes for each run over the longer 30km stage. Colin McRae's hopes of scoring manufacturers' points after his power steering problems yesterday really depended on front runners hitting problems but they didn't, and the Scot eventually finished 11th.
Quotes: Colin McRae said: "This certainly hasn't been the best rally for us. We haven't really been that competitive at all and the problems yesterday meant that we'd no real chance of points. We just have to regroup and be on better form once we get back onto the gravel in Australia."
François Delecour said: "The brake problems were very bad. I lost them about ten kilometres before the end of the first stage, then had to do the longer stage without any brakes at all. It was really difficult to do that, especially on the second run because the conditions were difficult. I'm very disappointed really, because I knew I could have pushed Petter Solberg today.
MITSUBISHI
Technical: The remaining Lancer WRC of Freddy Loix has been reliable today and the Belgian pronounced himself happier with virtually every run as he experimented with differential settings.
Sporting: Freddy Loix treated today's final four stages as an another extension of his rally-long 'test session' and the Belgian was encouraged by the increased pace and improved handling that the team discovered after differential set-up changes. He eventually finished in 12th.
Quotes: Freddy Loix said: "This has been a really hard event for the whole team, especially after Tommi's accident, but at least we can say that the car we ended the rally with is much better - much easier to drive - than the car with which we started it. We've definitely made a step forward and although there's obviously still a lot of work to be done, we've started to see the right direction for our development work.
OTHER TEAMS
Sebastien Loeb secured the inaugural FIA Super 1600 Cup title today, after he fought off a determined challenge from his championship rival Andrea Dallavilla to secure the category spoils for the fourth time in five rounds. The Citroen Saxo driver watched his overnight lead dwindle to less than 10 seconds by the finish but he held on to cement his status as one of the world championship's men of the future. Cedric Robert's hopes of a top-three finish ended with engine failure this morning, so the battle between Niall McShea and Giandomenico Basso for fourth in the class turned into a scrap for third instead. It was settled in the Italian driver's favour on the penultimate stage.
In the Group N category for more standard machinery, Gustavo Trelles scored a relatively comfortable victory over Jean Marc Sanchez, with Stanislav Griazine's Mitsubishi in third.
The top non-factory World Rally Car was driven by regular Peugeot works driver Harri Rovanperä, since the Finn brought his Grifone-run 206 WRC into seventh overall by the finish. Two other privateer WRC drivers - Achim Mortl and Neil Wearden - crashed out today.
UNOFFICIAL FINAL RESULTS
OUTRIGHT
1 Puras Citroen Xsara WRC 3:58:35,5
2 Panizzi Peugeot 206 WRC 3:58:53,0
3 Auriol Peugeot 206 WRC 3:59:47,4
4 Burns Subaru Impreza WRC 4:03:28,6
5 Solberg Subaru Impreza WRC 4:03:29,4
6 Martin Subaru Impreza WRC 4:03:57,1
7 Rovanpera Peugeot 206 WRC 4:06:02,4
8 Liatti Hyundai Accent WRC 4:06:44,7
9 A.McRae Hyundai Accent WRC 4:07:28,2
10 Delecour Peugeot 206 WRC 4:08:41,6
GROUP N
1 Trelles Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 4:22:51,3
2 Sanchez Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 4:23:43,4
3 Griazine Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 4:28:59,5
SUPER 1600
1 Loeb Citroen Saxo 4:16:16,4
2 Dallavilla Fiat Punto 4:16:24,9
3 Basso Fiat Punto 4:21:25,7
CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS (after 12 of 14 rounds)
FIA World Rally Championship for Drivers:
McRae (GB) 40
Mäkinen (FIN) 40
Burns (GB) 34
Sainz (E) 33
Rovanperä (FIN) 27
Panizzi (F) 22
Auriol (F) 19
Grönholm (FIN) 16
Delecour (F) 15
Solberg (N) 11
FIA World Rally Championship for Manufacturers:
Ford 83
Peugeot 76
Mitsubishi 67
Subaru 55
Skoda 15
Hyundai 13
FIA World Cup for Drivers of Production Cars:
Pozzo (RA) 65
Trelles (ROU) 36
Ligato (RA) 22
Stohl (A) 22
Blomqvist (S) 14
FIA Teams Cup (after 5 of 6 rounds, this event not counting):
Lundgaard (DK) 30
Hagstrom (FIN) 20
Bakhashab (SA) 15
Papadimitriou (GR) 14
Blomqvist (S) 10
FIA Super 1600 Cup (after 5 of 6 rounds):
Loeb (F) 40
Dallavilla (I) 30
Basso (I) 10
Stenshorne (N) 8
Cols (B) 7
STAGE WINNERS
SS13 - Panizzi, SS14 - Puras, SS15 - Panizzi, SS16 - Burns
LEADING RETIREMENTS
SS8 Gronholm Peugeot 206 WRC Accident
SS6 Schwarz Skoda Octavia WRC Mechanical
SS5 Makinen Mitsubishi Lancer WRC Accident
SS4 Thiry Skoda Octavia WRC Transmission
SS2 Sainz Ford Focus WRC Oil Pressure Failure
SS1 Buglaski Citroen Xsara WRC Accident
SS1 Arai Subaru Impreza WRC Accident
SS 13, Coti Chiavari - Pietra Rossa 24.05km
1 Panizzi Peugeot 206 WRC 15:10,6
2 Puras Citroen Xsara WRC 15:16,4
3 Auriol Peugeot 206 WRC 15:23,3
4 Burns Subaru Impreza WRC 15:24,2
5 Rovanpera Peugeot 206 WRC 15:32,3
SS 14, Pont de Calzola - Agosta Plage 31.79km
1 Puras Citroen Xsara WRC 19:10,4
2 Panizzi Peugeot 206 WRC 19:26,4
3 Burns Subaru Impreza WRC 19:37,2
4 Solberg Subaru Impreza WRC 19:40,5
5 Martin Subaru Impreza WRC 19:42,5
SS 15, Coti Chiavari - Pietra Rossa 24.05km
1 Panizzi Peugeot 206 WRC 15:08,2
2 Puras Citroen Xsara WRC 15:10,5
3 Auriol Peugeot 206 WRC 15:10,7
4 Solberg Subaru Impreza WRC 15:16,1
5 Delecour Peugeot 206 WRC 15:38,0
SS 16, Pont de Calzola - Agosta Plage 31.79km
1 Burns Subaru Impreza WRC 20:32,8
2 McRae Ford Focus WRC 20:42,4
3 Liatti Hyundai Accent WRC 20:50,3
4 Rovanpera Peugeot 206 WRC 20:52,2
5 Solberg Subaru Impreza WRC 20:54,3
[WRC] Tour De Corse: End of Leg 2
Saturday, 20 October 2001
Citroen driver Jesus Puras has tightened his grip on the 12th round of the FIA World Rally Championship, the Tour de Corse, which continued today. The Spaniard started today's seven stages with a 10-second cushion over his nearest rival, Gilles Panizzi (Peugeot), but by the time the crews returned to the overnight halt in Ajaccio he'd extended that lead to nearly 24s.
The notoriously fickle Corsican weather caught out many of the world's best rally drivers with occasional rain showers today. Didier Auriol saw his hopes of a push towards the lead dampened when heavy rain started as he sat on the start line of SS7, while his team-mate Marcus Grönholm slid wide two stages later and damaged his Peugeot beyond repair. There was also frustration for title hopeful Colin McRae - having moved inside the top ten he lost more than four minutes on today's closing pair of stages, after he hit a rock and damaged his car's power steering.
CITROEN
Technical: Jesus Puras's Xsara WRC has been reliable today.
Sporting: Fastest time on today's opening, long stage gave Jesus Puras's overnight lead a small boost and although he occasionally lost time to both Gilles Panizzi and Didier Auriol, the Spaniard still posted four further fastest times to increase his advantage to nearly 24s by the end of today's action.
Quotes: Jesus Puras said: "It has been a difficult day. The occasionally damp conditions are probably the worst of all, because it becomes impossible to work out which corners have grip and which ones don't. My gravel crew wasn't allowed into stages 11 or 12, which meant we had to go carefully because we weren't totally sure of what conditions lay ahead. But apart from that it's been going fine - the car is superb, exactly how I want it to be. I'm totally focused and I'm very confident that we can give the Xsara WRC its first world championship win tomorrow.
PEUGEOT
Technical: The 206 WRCs of Gilles Panizzi and Didier Auriol have been reliable today, although Panizzi suffered a puncture on today's opening stage. Marcus Grönholm felt less confident than his team mates on worn tyres but his car also ran without trouble until he hit a wall in SS8 and lost a wheel. Although he reached the end of the test the damage was too severe to consider tackling the following, 30km stage.
Sporting: Gilles Panizzi managed to beat Jesus Puras on two of today's seven stages, but the Frenchman has already settled for second overall and maximum manufacturers' points for Peugeot. His main goal has been to keep team-mate Didier Auriol at bay - the 1994 world champion drew level (to the tenth of a second) in SS6, but in SS7 Panizzi got a drier run as a rain shower started just as Auriol left the line. The resulting half-minute loss effectively left Auriol with only a safe third place to defend, and he too has settled for his position and manufacturers' points. The third 206 WRC of Marcus Grönholm dropped time in the opening long stage and then retired after losing a wheel in SS8.
Quotes: Gilles Panizzi said: "I think we basically need rain if we're to stand a chance of catching Jesus tomorrow but to be honest, I won't be taking any big risks because we are in a very good position for Peugeot. The stages have been very difficult today with the surface and grip levels changing all the time. I don't understand our puncture on the first stage today, either
Didier Auriol said: "It's just bad luck that the rain started for me and not for Gilles or Jesus. If you take away the time we lost there then we'd be right there, fighting for the lead. But there's no point to push extra hard - if Gilles and I both give our absolute maximum then it seems we're level, so I can't really close the gap.
Marcus Grönholm said: "The accident was my fault. It was a corner where you take quite a big cut and I didn't take enough! We slid wide, hit a wall and lost the wheel. We got to the end but the damage was just too bad. I'm disappointed because I think I was setting some quite good times and I want more asphalt experience.
SUBARU
Technical: Richard Burns's car has encountered small gearbox problems today, with the gearbox 'slow shifting' in some places. The Imprezas of Petter Solberg and Markko Martin have been reliable, although Martin suffered brake fade in the penultimate test and an EMI mousse break-up in its front-right tyre on the day's final stage.
Sporting: Petter Solberg moved closer to Marcus Grönholm on this morning's first two stages and thus eased into fourth when the world champion crashed in SS8. In particular, a hard push on a softer tyre compound reaped rewards for the young Norwegian in the opening, long test. He fought with Francois Delecour thereafter and although he'd dropped back to fifth entering the day's final stage, the Frenchman's problems meant that Solberg ended the day in fourth and with more than 40s in hand. Markko Martin, meanwhile, suffered from acute back pains in the first loop of three stages and nearly blacked out on more than one occasion. His seat padding was boosted for the final three stages, although his cause there wasn't helped by fading brakes and an EMI mousse break-up in his front-right tyre. He still ended the day in sixth, however. Richard Burns made up five places on today's opening stage and by the end of the leg he'd climbed from 13th to seventh, albeit nearly 40s behind Martin.
Quotes: Petter Solberg said: "Of course I'm delighted with how it's all going. I've got a really good feeling with the car and the time on today's first stage was great - we hadn't much left in our tyres by the end of it, though! It's been a really difficult day with changing conditions and difficult tyre choices. As for tomorrow, I don't think we can do anything about the guys in front unless they have problems.
FORD
Technical: Both Colin McRae and Francois Delecour hit technical problems today. McRae lost his power steering after he clouted a rock in today's penultimate stage, while Delecour lost his brakes completely for the final, 30km test.
Sporting: Colin McRae hit bad luck when he punctured on today's opening stage but the Scot recovered well, relishing the changeable and damp conditions in the first run over the loop of three stages to set a fastest time in SS8. In doing so, he moved up to seventh. But 10km before the end of the penultimate stage, he hit a rock that had been pulled into the middle of the road by an earlier car and shortly afterwards, he lost power steering. By the time he'd completed that test and the 30km stage that followed, he'd lost more than four minutes and dropped back to 12th. Francois Delecour also hit trouble - the Frenchman had moved clear of Petter Solberg in fourth place but a vibration and a loss of brakes for the day's final stage dropped him back to fifth.
Quotes: Colin McRae said: "The stone was in the middle of the road and there was no way we could avoid it, but it wasn't even that big and it's very annoying to have lost so much time because of it.
Francois Delecour said: "We lost some time on the harder compound tyres earlier today, because it rained and we were sliding everywhere! Then we recovered and got past Solberg again but about three kilometres into the last stage, we lost all the brakes and got a vibration. I thought for a second that I hadn't tightened the wheel nuts properly after swapping tyres but when I got to the finish, I checked and I had. We hadn't hit anything either, so it's very frustrating.
HYUNDAI
Technical: The Accent WRC2s of Alister McRae and Piero Liatti have been generally reliable today. McRae did suffer from excessive tyre wear in the first loop of three stages, though - this was later attributed to a tracking problem. Liatti also saw the water temperature light flashing during the first, long stage but his engine survived intact.
Sporting: Alister McRae and Piero Liatti have moved up the leaderboard today, thanks to improved handling from the Accent in the changeable conditions and the problems that hit Colin McRae and Marcus Grönholm. Liatti now holds eighth and his team-mate occupies ninth, and the pair are both on course to score manufacturers' points for the Korean marque.
Quotes: Piero Liatti said: "It was a bit strange - the suspension settings seemed to work better when the conditions got damp! I'm fairly happy with the car anyway - I think we have found quite a good balance and I'm quite comfortable at this speed. I don't know if we can improve much more tomorrow but the aim has to be to score some points for Hyundai.
MITSUBISHI
Technical: The sole remaining Lancer WRC of Freddy Loix has been generally reliable today, as the team again played with suspension and differential settings in an attempt to cure understeer.
Sporting: Freddy Loix started today knowing that his Tour de Corse had effectively been turned into an extended test session, but the Belgian and his Ralliart engineers managed to dial out some of the understeer that's plagued his event so far. In doing so, he moved from 32nd to 14th by the close of today's action and posted fifth fastest time on one stage. The Mitsubishi team has also issued an update on the condition of Tommi Mäkinen's navigator Risto Mannisenmaki, who was injured in the Finn's accident yesterday afternoon. He is to undergo an operation for a back injury on Monday morning but his condition is described as 'comfortable'.
Quotes: Freddy Loix said: "The car's handling a bit better now. We've been trying so many things that I'm not even sure what's made the difference, but the understeer exiting corners has been reduced. At least we can take something from this rally because we can say we've made some progress with the car.
SKODA
Technical: The remaining Octavia WRC of Armin Schwarz had to retire in today's fourth stage after it hit power steering problems.
Sporting: Armin Schwarz felt that suspension changes had improved the handling of his Octavia WRC today but on the ninth stage, the car's power steering started to hit glitches and the German elected to retire rather than risk his own safety and that of spectators
Quotes: Armin Schwarz said: "It was like Russian Roulette. The power steering would work for 15 corners but then on the 16th, it wouldn't and there was strong chance of crashing. We had some very dangerous moments and in the end, I just realised that it wasn't safe. We had to retire. I'm disappointed because with the changeable conditions I think there could have been retirements and we still had a reasonable chance of picking up a manufacturers' point or two.
OTHER TEAMS
Sebastien Loeb moved back into the lead of the FIA Super 1600 Cup section on today's opening stage, after overnight leader Andrea Dallavilla had to cope with no power steering for nearly 30km. Tyre choice problems hit many of the category challengers in the first run over the loop of three stages, but Loeb extended his advantage by early afternoon to more than half a minute. Cedric Robert holds third, despite picking up road penalties as his team fought to cure power steering problems.
In the Group N category for more standard machinery, class leader Giovanni Manfrinato crashed out in SS11 and with yesterday's second placed man Jean-Marie Santoni also retiring after he hit a bridge, multiple champion Gustavo Trelles now enjoys a healthy advantage over Jean Marc Sanchez.
END OF LEG 2
OUTRIGHT
1 Puras Citroen Xsara WRC 2:47:24,7
2 Panizzi Peugeot 206 WRC 2:47:48,2
3 Auriol Peugeot 206 WRC 2:48:14,6
4 Solberg Subaru Impreza WRC 2:50:03,1
5 Delecour Peugeot 206 WRC 2:50:47,3
6 Martin Subaru Impreza WRC 2:51:05,1
7 Burns Subaru Impreza WRC 2:51:43,9
8 Rovanpera Peugeot 206 WRC 2:52:49,3
9 Liatti Hyundai Accent WRC 2:52:59,3
10 A.McRae Hyundai Accent WRC 2:53:25,0
GROUP N
1 Trelles Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 3:04:32,4
2 Sanchez Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 3:05:55,0
3 Griazine Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 3:09:22,5
SUPER 1600
1 Loeb Citroen Saxo 3:00:20,2
2 Dallavilla Fiat Punto 3:00:38,2
3 Robert Peugeot 206 3:03:04,0
STAGE WINNERS
SS6 - Puras, SS7 - Panizzi, SS8 - McRae, SS9 - Puras, SS10 - Puras, SS11 - Puras, SS12 - Puras
LEADING RETIREMENTS
SS8 Gronholm Peugeot 206 WRC Accident
SS6 Schwarz Skoda Octavia WRC Mechanical
SS5 Makinen Mitsubishi Lancer WRC Accident
SS4 Thiry Skoda Octavia WRC Transmission
SS2 Sainz Ford Focus WRC Oil Pressure Failure
SS1 Buglaski Citroen Xsara WRC Accident
SS1 Arai Subaru Impreza WRC Accident
SS 6, Sainte Marie Sicche - Petreto 36.73km
1 Puras Citroen Xsara WRC 23:38,2
2 Auriol Peugeot 206 WRC 23:41,1
3 Panizzi Peugeot 206 WRC 23:41,9
4 Solberg Subaru Impreza WRC 23:47,0
5 Gronholm Peugeot 206 WRC 23:54,8
SS 7, Gare de Carbuccia - Gare dâUcciani 10.66km
1 Panizzi Peugeot 206 WRC 7:14,3
2 Puras Citroen Xsara WRC 7:16,4
3 McRae Ford Focus WRC 7:40,0
4 Delecour Peugeot 206 WRC 7:41,0
5 Auriol Peugeot 206 WRC 7:41,2
SS 8, Vero - Pont d'Azzana 18.28km
1 McRae Ford Focus WRC 13:06,0
2 Auriol Peugeot 206 WRC 13:16,9
3 Delecour Peugeot 206 WRC 13:17,2
4 Liatti Hyundai Accent WRC 13:26,1
5 Panizzi Peugeot 206 WRC 13:26,7
5 Wearden Peugeot 206 WRC 13:26,7
SS 9, Lopigna - Sarolla 30.11km
1 Puras Citroen Xsara WRC 19:33,8
2 Panizzi Peugeot 206 WRC 19:41,0
3 Auriol Peugeot 206 WRC 19:41,8
4 Delecour Peugeot 206 WRC 19:54,8
5 Burns Subaru Impreza WRC 19:59,9
SS 10, Gare de Carbuccia - Gare dâUcciani 10.66km
1 Panizzi Peugeot 206 WRC 7:17,8
3 Auriol Peugeot 206 WRC 7:19,2
4 Delecour Peugeot 206 WRC 7:21,8
5 Loix Mitsubishi Lancer WRC 7:23,6
SS 11, Vero - Pont d'Azzana 18.28km
1 Puras Citroen Xsara WRC 12:48,1
2 Panizzi Peugeot 206 WRC 12:49,4
3 Auriol Peugeot 206 WRC 12:53,4
4 Solberg Subaru Impreza WRC 12:59,7
5 Burns Subaru Impreza WRC 13:02,5
SS 12, Lopigna - Sarolla 30.11km
1 Puras Citroen Xsara WRC 19:23,4
2 Panizzi Peugeot 206 WRC 19:29,7
3 Auriol Peugeot 206 WRC 19:32,8
4 Burns Subaru Impreza WRC 19:40,3
5 Solberg Subaru Impreza WRC 19:45,8
[WRC] Tour De Corse: End of Leg 1
Friday, 19th October 2001
Citroen driver Jesus Puras holds the upper hand on the 12th round of the FIA World Rally Championship, the Tour de Corse, which started from Ajaccio today. The Spaniard mastered the twisty island roads to eke out a 10-second cushion over Frenchman Gilles Panizzi over the opening four stages. As in Sanremo two weeks ago, French manufacturers and tyre supplier Michelin have dominated the timesheets, with Panizzi's Peugeot team-mates Didier Auriol and Marcus Grönholm in third and fourth respectively at the end of today's action.
The highest-placed championship contender is Colin McRae in 12th, but two of his rivals have already retired. Carlos Sainz damaged his Ford's sump guard and stopped with low oil pressure this morning, while joint series leader Tommi Mäkinen crashed heavily in SS5 and retired on the spot. His accident caused the stage to be cancelled, so today's results were formed from the opening four stages.
CITROEN
Technical: Jesus Puras's Xsara WRC has been reliable today. Philippe Bugalski's example retired with front suspension damage after the Frenchman clipped a wall on today's opening stage.
Sporting: Philippe Bugalski was the first major retirement this morning, when the Frenchman clipped a wall barely one kilometre into the opening stage and retired on the spot with front-end damage. Jesus Puras has fared better - the Spaniard grabbed the lead on the second stage and held it to the fifth, although his hopes of keeping the lead overnight hung in the balance until event stewards decided to completely cancel the fifth stage after Tommi Mäkinen's accident. That means that Puras will start tomorrow's second leg with a 10.5 second lead over Gilles Panizzi.
Quotes: Jesus Puras said: "It's going very well and the car feels absolutely fantastic but I've been in this position before. I know what it feels like to lead a rally - now I want to know what it feels like to win one. It's just about concentrating on the next stage and never thinking about what's just happened. That way you can stay motivated and keep sharp.
PEUGEOT
Technical: The three Peugeot 206 WRCs of Gilles Panizzi, Didier Auriol and Marcus Grönholm have been reliable today, although Auriol and Grönholm both suffered from punctures in the opening stage. Panizzi was far from happy with his car's handling for much of the day, but suspension changes left him more satisfied on the final loop of tests. Grönholm's cause hasn't been helped by a cracked windscreen either.
Sporting: Gilles Panizzi led after today's first stage but the Sanremo winner was soon bumped down to third by Jesus Puras and Didier Auriol, as he struggled to find confidence in his car's handling. He was even less pleased after the day's longer stage but then he recovered, inching past his team-mate into second overall prior to the ill-fated fifth stage. Puncture aside, Auriol has been satisfied with progress as he held third going into SS5, while Grönholm occupied fourth. The world champion was concerned that handling glitches has left him nearly a minute behind Panizzi, though.
Quotes: Gilles Panizzi said: "The times have been good but it's been very difficult. The car in the long stage just wasn't the Peugeot 206 that I know - it was basically 36km of understeer and that wasn't fun. I had to use the handbrake about 10 times just to get the car turned into corners. I think we can take the fight to Jesus Puras a bit more tomorrow but he and Didier are both pushing hard. It's going to be a good fight.
Didier Auriol said: "I can see why so many people have hit problems so far. The stages are very difficult. The puncture we had wasn't such a big problem - I felt the vibration from about six kilometres into the stage and I had to ease off a bit to make sure it didn't get worse.
SUBARU
Technical: Richard Burns's car suffered left-front wheel damage when he hit a rock face on today's second stage. But his Impreza has been reliable otherwise. The cars of Petter Solberg and Markko Martin have both been reliable too.
Sporting: Richard Burns's hopes of challenging for a podium place took a serious knock on today's second stage, when the Englishman mis-heard a pacenote and damaged his Impreza against a rock face. He lost more than a minute as a result, although he subsequently fought back to hold a placing just outside the top ten. Petter Solberg made no such mistake, though, and the young Norwegian posted top-six times to hold five overall going into the fifth stage. Markko Martin has also set strong times, even though the Estonian driver admits that he's been caught out more than once by extra bite in his Impreza's brakes. Toshihiro Arai, meanwhile, retired six kilometres into today's opening stage when he put his Impreza onto its roof.
Quotes: Richard Burns said: "I thought I heard Robert (Reid) call two fourth-gear right-handers but instead, he'd called a fourth-gear tightening into a third-gear. I went wide and hit the rock face. It bent the left-front wheel back into the arch and that made it hard on right-handers.
Petter Solberg said: "It's going quite well. We seem to have cured almost all of the understeer that was such a problem for me in Sanremo and the car's now handling well. On the longer stage I chose a harder tyre that I'd never used before and I was unsure of it at the start, but I'm basically quite pleased.
FORD
Technical: Carlos Sainz was forced to retire after this morning's second stage when the Spaniard's Focus lost oil pressure. He'd hit a rock near the end of the previous test and cracked the sump guard, and although he used every fluid in the car to try to reach service, the engine stopped about a kilometre short of his destination. Colin McRae's and François Delecour's cars have been reliable, although both have suffered from punctures and mousse break-ups.
Sporting: A puncture on this morning's second stage cost Colin McRae more than a minute and the Scot struggled to recover as he tried different tyre compounds in an attempt to find more grip. He ended the leg in 11th, albeit more than two minutes off the lead. Carlos Sainz's rally ended one kilometre from service after SS2, as his Focus's engine expired with no oil pressure. He'd cracked the sump near the end of the previous stage after hitting a large stone. François Delecour, though, has posted respectable times and despite a mousse break-up into today's longest stage the Frenchman holds sixth overnight.
Quotes: Carlos Sainz said: "It was a left-hand corner and at the exit of the bend there was a big stone. There was no way to avoid it and it actually lifted the wheels off the ground for about 600 metres as it stayed between the sump guard and the road. Then after the stage I saw the oil pressure light on and although we tried to make it here, it wasn't possible.
Colin McRae said: "There's really nothing else that we can try here. All we can do is drive around and hope that enough people hit trouble for us to get a point, and that's not really a very good situation. Roll on Australia!
HYUNDAI
Technical: The Accent WRC2s of Alister McRae and Piero Liatti have been basically reliable today, although McRae suffered a small brake caliper fire at the end of the first stage. Liatti's water injection pump also suffered from glitches in the first loop of stages, although the Italian was later pleased with changes made to the rear suspension set-up.
Sporting: With no testing since Sanremo, Alister McRae and Piero Liatti always knew that it was going to be a struggle to get closer to the French manufacturers. But the Corsican stages appear to suit the Accent better than those in Italy, and McRae has managed to get his car into 11th - ahead of both Skodas, one Mitsubishi and brother Colin's Ford. Liatti's pace improved once he'd become happier with the rear suspension settings and the Italian holds 13th overnight, just ahead of Richard Burns. Both cars are currently in manufacturers' points placings, though.
Quotes: Alister McRae said: "I think the stages are better for us here because the asphalt's more abrasive and the roads are more flowing. So we don't actually need to accelerate and brake as often as we might because we can carry more speed instead. We're under no illusions, though - we need more speed if we're going to fight higher up the leaderboard tomorrow.
MITSUBISHI
Technical: Ralliart had precious little time to develop the Lancer WRC further since its debut in Sanremo, so both Tommi Mäkinen and Freddy Loix played with suspension and differential set-ups this morning. Although both pronounced themselves more satisfied with the rear of the car, each complained of severe understeer. Loix suffered punctures in SS1 and SS4, while Mäkinen crashed out in SS5.
Sporting: Tommi Mäkinen had moved into eighth overall going into today's fifth stage but the Finn clipped a rock face on the inside of a corner and flipped his Lancer onto its roof. It slid along the road and teetered on the edge of a large drop. Co-driver Risto Mannusenmaki was taken to hospital as a precautionary measure. Freddy Loix, meanwhile, has struggled badly with punctures and understeer and the Belgian lies outside the top 30.
Quotes: Tommi Makinen said: "It was a very big accident. It was quite a fast place and the car flipped very quickly. This rally really isn't much more dangerous than others but it's the sort of place where your car has to be 100 percent from the very first corner. It's not possible to develop a car here."
Freddy Loix said: "The puncture on today's first stage was a complete mystery to me, because it happened at the end of a long straight that was basically immediately after the start line. We felt the vibration, then saw smoke and had to change the wheel.
SKODA
Technical: The Octavia WRC of Armin Schwarz has been generally reliable today. Bruno Thiry retired his example after SS4, however, with transmission problems. He'd earlier suffered with fading brakes in the long stage.
Sporting: Armin Schwarz and Bruno Thiry both fought hard to keep their cars near the top ten, although both felt much better equipped to do so once they'd reverted back to older suspension at the first proper service. Schwarz ended the day 15th and optimistic about quicker times tomorrow, but Thiry retired with transmission problems after SS4.
Quotes: Armin Schwarz said: "We tried some new suspension this morning but it went in totally the wrong direction for us and made the car very hard to drive. Since we've gone back to what we knew before it's much better. In the longer stages and in the high temperatures we've seen today it's always going to be hard on tyres and brakes so I've been driving accordingly.
OTHER TEAMS
Three drivers have led the FIA Super 1600 Cup section today. Ford's François Duval held the initial advantage before he retired with engine problems; then Sebastien Loeb was slowed by brake glitches, allowing title rival Andrea Dallavilla to move 7.3s ahead overnight. Giovanni Manfrinato leads the Group N section for more standard machinery in his Mitsubishi Lancer E7.
END OF LEG 1
OUTRIGHT
1 Puras Citroen Xsara WRC 1:03:56,9
2 Panizzi Peugeot 206 WRC 1:04:07,4
3 Auriol Peugeot 206 WRC 1:04:08,2
4 Gronholm Peugeot 206 WRC 1:04:34,9
5 Solberg Subaru Impreza WRC 1:04:47,4
6 Delecour Peugeot 206 WRC 1:04:59,0
7 Martin Subaru Impreza WRC 1:05:05,8
8 Mortl Subaru Impreza WRC 1:05:44,5
9 Rovanpera Peugeot 206 WRC 1:05:47,0
10 A.McRae Hyundai Accent WRC 1:06:00,2
GROUP N
1 Manfrinato Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 1:10:46,5
2 Santoni Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 1:10:50,9
3 Trelles Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 1:11:01,7
SUPER 1600
1 Dallavilla Fiat Punto 1:08:44,9
2 Loeb Citroen Saxo 1:08:52,2
3 Robert Peugeot 206 1:09:03,1
STAGE WINNERS
SS1 - Panizzi, SS2 - Puras, SS3 - Puras, SS4 - Panizzi, SS5 - cancelled
LEADING RETIREMENTS
SS2 Sainz Ford Focus WRC Oil Pressure Failure
SS5 Makinen Mitsubishi Lancer WRC Accident
SS4 Thiry Skoda Octavia WRC Transmission
SS1 Buglaski Citroen Xsara WRC Accident
SS1 Arai Subaru Impreza WRC Accident
SS 1, Cuttoli - Peri 17.40km
1 Panizzi Peugeot 206 WRC 11:24,6
2 Gronholm Peugeot 206 WRC 11:26,9
3 Puras Citroen Xsara WRC 11:27,3
4 Delecour Peugeot 206 WRC 11:29,9
5 Auriol Peugeot 206 WRC 11:30,2
SS 2, Ocana - Radicale 27.64km
1 Puras Citroen Xsara WRC 17:17,5
2 Auriol Peugeot 206 WRC 17:23,0
3 Gronholm Peugeot 206 WRC 17:28,7
4 Panizzi Peugeot 206 WRC 17:28,9
5 Martin Subaru Impreza WRC 17:33,6
SS 3, Sainte Marie Sicche - Petreto 36.73km
1 Puras Citroen Xsara WRC 23:49,7
2 Auriol Peugeot 206 WRC 23:51,7
3 Panizzi Peugeot 206 WRC 23:52,1
4 Solberg Subaru Impreza WRC 24:07,8
5 Burns Subaru Impreza WRC 24:08,5
SS 4, Cuttoli - Peri 17.40km
1 Panizzi Peugeot 206 WRC 11:21,8
2 Puras Citroen Xsara WRC 11:22,4
3 Auriol Peugeot 206 WRC 11:23,3
4 Gronholm Peugeot 206 WRC 11:28,1
5 Delecour Peugeot 206 WRC 11:30,5
SS 5, Ocana - Radicale 27.64km
Cancelled
[WRC] Tour De Corse: Welcome
FIA World Rally Championship title hopefuls face another scrabble for points on the 12th round of the series, the Tour de Corse, which starts from Ajaccio tomorrow morning. French asphalt specialists like last year's winner Gilles Panizzi (also a victor in Sanremo two weeks ago) and Philippe Bugalski are expected to dominate the timesheets, leaving championship contenders like Colin McRae, Tommi Mäkinen and Carlos Sainz to fight for points placings. McRae and Sainz will both be hoping that their Ford/Pirelli combination is slightly more competitive than it was in Italy, while Mäkinen's title hopes depend on a comprehensive turnaround for his new Mitsubishi Lancer WRC, which struggled on the Sanremo asphalt.
Steeped in rally history, Corsica's event is regarded as one of the most difficult in the entire world championship, as its twisty nature tests driver concentration, experience and the cars' braking ability to the limit.
FORD (1st - 83 points)
Technical: Colin McRae and Carlos Sainz both have brand new cars for this event but Ford has not changed the specification since Sanremo.
Sporting: Carlos Sainz and Colin McRae are nominated for manufacturers' points, with François Delecour eligible for drivers' points only.
Quotes: Colin McRae said: "It's hard not to see the asphalt specialists dominating again. But the asphalt in Corsica is a bit more abrasive than in Sanremo and hopefully that'll suit us a bit better. I still think there are four drivers in with a chance of the title - Tommi and I, of course, but also Carlos (Sainz) and Richard Burns aren't out of it. The aim is to come out of here with at least something so we can move onto the two remaining gravel rallies in a good position.
Carlos Sainz said: "The weather in Corsica can be tricky and the fact that it's later in the year could make it even harder to predict. I still think the championship won't be decided until the Rally GB.
MITSUBISHI (2nd - 67 points)
Technical: Ralliart sends the same two cars that Tommi Mäkinen and Freddy Loix used in Sanremo. The damage sustained on Mäkinen's car in his final-day accident was relatively minor. The Lancer WRCs had an extended 'shakedown test' for this event but lack of time means that the specification has not changed radically since the car's
Sporting: Tommi Mäkinen and Freddy Loix are both nominated for manufacturers' points.
Quotes: Tommi Mäkinen said: "It's going to be difficult to win here, but if we get better reliability than we had in Sanremo then there should be a chance to fight for some points - for me and for Mitsubishi. We're still tied with Colin for the drivers' championship and with two gravel rallies to come, I still think that we can fight for the title
Freddy Loix said: "It was clear from Sanremo that the car is still very new and needs development and work on the set-ups. We haven't had much time between then and now to do anything so I expect this to be a difficult rally.
PEUGEOT (3rd- 60 points)
Technical: Peugeot's drivers will re-use Rally Finland cars on this event. As in Sanremo, Marcus Grönholm, Gilles Panizzi and Didier Auriol will all use five-speed gearboxes. Auriol has opted for mechanical differentials front and rear, while Panizzi and Grönholm's 206s will use 'active' differentials all round.
Sporting: Sanremo Rally winner Gilles Panizzi and Catalunya Rally victor Didier Auriol are nominated for manufacturers' points for Peugeot in Corsica. Marcus Grönholm is eligible for drivers' points only. As in Sanremo, the team's fourth driver Harri Rovanperä will build his experience of asphalt rallies by driving a 206 WRC run by Italian private team Grifone. Peugeot confirmed just before this event that Richard Burns will join its line-up from next season.
Quotes: Gilles Panizzi said: "I'm confident that we can win again here. Of course the competition will be tough but I have a fantastic feeling for the 206 on asphalt and we have a very good set-up. The weather might make a small difference but we showed in Sanremo that it's good in the wet conditions too.
Didier Auriol said: "I still think I will lose a little time because of the five-speed gearbox. I'd prefer the six-speed. I'm using a new tyre from Michelin that's more like a racing tyre and that might make the difference because I can go deeper into corners.
SUBARU (4th- 48 points)
Technical: Subaru has introduced no major technical changes since Sanremo.
Sporting: Richard Burns and Petter Solberg are nominated for manufacturers' points, leaving Markko Martin and Toshihiro Arai eligible for drivers' points only. Subaru confirmed just prior to this event that four-times world champion Tommi Mäkinen has signed a two-year contract, starting in 2002.
Quotes: Richard Burns said: "I'm glad that all of the contract talk is now over, because it allows me to do what I want to do - concentrate on the remainder of this season. I think if we look at the times that Petter and Markko were able to do in Sanremo then it's clear that the car and tyres were working quite well. We're still not entirely sure what happened with my accident but I've just put it out of my mind. I'm just taking each event as it comes but I'm confident that we can fight for points here.
Petter Solberg said: "I'm quite optimistic here. We didn't really think that we'd be able to set fastest times in the dry in Sanremo, so it was a good boost to my confidence to do that. I just want to build on that performance now, set some good times and get more experience of this difficult rally.
SKODA (5th - 15 points)
Technical: Skoda has made no major changes to the Octavia WRC since Sanremo, although the team did test for four days on the island prior to the start of the reconnaissance. Some new front suspension parts have been introduced. As in Italy, Armin Schwarz's car will use a revised centre differential with Bruno Thiry's Octavia sticking to the older-spec unit. Thiry's pre-event shakedown test yesterday was curtailed by a broken propshaft.
Sporting: Armin Schwarz and Bruno Thiry are nominated for manufacturers' points as usual.
Quotes: Armin Schwarz said: "We haven't really been able to test the new suspension fully, because we only really had a chance to use it at the shakedown. It's still hard to say what the feeling is like with the slight revisions but we'll obviously try to make sure it works on the event. It's going to be a tough rally - it's always hard on tyres here because of the abrasive roads and the weather is very unpredictable too.
Bruno Thiry said: "I still don't have complete confidence in the car and its handling, although it's certainly a bit more predictable than it was in Sanremo. The propshaft problem was frustrating because we still had some more things to try and we won't get to look at them until we start the rally now.
HYUNDAI (6th - 10 points)
Technical: Hyundai's Accent WRC2s will run to the same specification as in Sanremo. Piero Liatti's car had to be flown back to England for crash repairs after his first-stage accident in Italy.
Sporting: Alister McRae and Piero Liatti will be nominated for manufacturers' points. Regular team member Kenneth Eriksson will return to replace Liatti for Australia next month.
Quotes: Piero Liatti said: "The rally this year is very short compared to the old Tour de Corse but that doesn't mean it will be easy. The twisty roads here mean that handling has to be good but braking is also important, because the brakes don't really get chance to cool down between corners. It's going to be tough to fight against the top guys here, but all I'm aiming for is a better, longer run than in Sanremo.
Alister McRae said: "I expect things to be pretty much the same as they were in Sanremo, which means it'll be hard for anyone to keep up with the French manufacturers. Our car's in pretty much the same specification as it was there so all I can do is try my best.
CITROEN
Technical: The two Xsara WRCs of Philippe Bugalski and Jesus Puras will run in the same specification as Sanremo. Citroen conducted four days' of testing in Corsica a month ago.
Sporting: Citroen is not eligible for manufacturers' points following an agreement with the FIA and fellow manufacturers earlier this season. With Sebastien Loeb returning to the Super 1600 series, the team's Xsara WRC reverts back to two cars, for Philippe Bugalski and Jesus Puras.
Quotes: Philippe Bugalski said: "Our target at Citroen this year was to win at least one rally, and this is our last chance to do that. The testing went well and I have good knowledge and feeling for the roads in Corsica. I'm quite confident."
Jesus Puras said: "We showed again in Sanremo that we're very competitive on asphalt but when you're fighting at such a high level, mistakes are always possible and unfortunately I made one when I was trying very hard. I just have to keep concentration here in Corsica and work harder to make sure I have the speed without the mistake! Providing I can do that, I'm optimistic we can fight for Citroen's first win with the Xsara WRC.
OTHER TEAMS
Sanremo is the fifth round of the inaugural FIA Super 1600 Cup, a cost-controlled series designed to introduce new, young talent into the world championship. After his starring role in a Xsara WRC in Sanremo, series leader Sebastien Loeb returns to the Super 1600 category to defend his advantage in a Citroen Saxo. A victory for the young Frenchman would clinch the title, but Sanremo S1600 winner Andrea Dallavilla will be aiming to inch closer in his Fiat Punto. Other likely contenders include Patrick Magaud and François Duval (both in Fords), and Cedric Robert (Peugeot 206).
Newly-crowned Group N world champion Gabriel Pozzo has elected to miss this rally, preferring to tackle Rally Australia instead. But his long-time rival Gustavo Trelles will celebrate anyway - the Uruguayan driver is making his 100th rally start at world championship level in Corsica.
TYRE FACTS
The world championship's two tyre suppliers, Michelin and Pirelli, will again have a range of options for their teams in Corsica. Michelin (Peugeot, Mitsubishi, Hyundai and Skoda) offers four possibilities. The N1 is for dry, cool weather, the N22 is more suited to slightly hotter conditions, the N43 will be used in dry, hot weather and the TA03 will be available for rain and damp asphalt. Pirelli (Ford and Subaru) has two basic options - the RS and the RE. The RS (available in several compound options) is for completely dry conditions, while the RE is an intermediate tyre that will be hand-cut and used on damp or wet roads.
ITINERARY
GMT +2
Leg 1, Friday 19th October (331.79km)
SS1 08:56 Cuttoli - Peri 17.40km
SS2 09:44 Ocana - Radicale 27.64km
SS3 11:46 Sainte Marie Sicche - Petreto 36.73km
SS4 14:04 Cuttoli - Peri 17.40km
SS5 14:52 Ocana - Radicale 27.64km
Leg 2, Saturday 20th October (279.31km)
SS6 09:15 Sainte Marie Sicche - Petreto 36.73km
SS7 11:40 Gare de Carbuccia - Gare dâUcciani 10.66km
SS8 11:55 Vero - Pont d'Azzana 18.28km
SS9 12:40 Lopigna - Sarolla 30.11km
SS10 14:31 Gare de Carbuccia - Gare dâUcciani 10.66km
SS11 14:56 Vero - Pont d'Azzana 18.28km
SS12 15:31 Lopigna - Sarolla 30.11km
Leg 3, Sunday 21st Octber (243.49km)
SS13 09:59 Coti Chiavari - Pietra Rossa 24.05km
SS14 10:35 Pont de Calzola - Agosta Plage 31.79km
SS15 12:37 Coti Chiavari - Pietra Rossa 24.05km
SS16 13:13 Pont de Calzola - Agosta Plage 31.79km
14:50 Finish of the rally in Ajaccio
wrc
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