2002 FIA World Rally Championship
70th Rally of Monte Carlo
http://www.acm.mc/rallye/
Round 1 of the 2002 FIA World Rally Championship 17 - 20 January 2002
[WRC] Rallye Monte Carlo: Loeb wins!
UNOFFICIAL FINAL RESULTS
OUTRIGHT
1 Loeb Citroen Xsara WRC 3:58:44,8
2 Makinen Subaru Impreza WRC 3:59:30,7
3 Sainz Ford Focus WRC 4:00:46,4
4 McRae Ford Focus WRC 4:01:28,7
5 Gronholm Peugeot 206 WRC 4:01:38,1
6 Solberg Subaru Impreza WRC 4:02:00,3
7 Panizzi Peugeot 206 WRC 4:02:50,8
8 Burns Peugeot 206 WRC 4:03:47,1
9 Delecour Mitsubishi Lancer WRC 4:05:06,4
10 Gardemeister Skoda Octavia WRC 4:06:13,1
JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIP
1 Duval Ford Puma 4:25:06,2
2 Caldani Peugeot 206 XS 4:29:21,1
3 Feghali Ford Puma 4:32:16,8
4 Carlsson Ford Puma 4:32:30,3
5 Doppelreiter Peugeot 206 XS 4:34:54,0
CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS
FIA World Rally Championship for Drivers:
Loeb (F) 10
Makinen (FIN) 6
Sainz (E) 4
C.McRae (GB) 3
Gronholm (FIN) 2
Solberg (N) 1
FIA World Rally Championship for Manufacturers:
Subaru 12
Ford 10
Peugeot 4
FIA Junior World Rally Championship (after 1 of 6 rounds):
Duval (B) 10
Caldani (I) 6
Feghali (RL) 4
Carlsson (S) 3
Doppelreiter (A) 2
Schelle (D) 1
STAGE WINNERS
SS12 - Solberg, SS13 - Loeb, SS14 - Makinen, SS15 - Solberg
SS6 - Solberg, SS7 - Loeb, SS8 - Makinen, SS9 - Makinen, SS10 - Loeb, SS11 - Makinen
SS1 - Sainz, SS2 - cancelled, SS3 - Solberg, SS4 - Loeb, SS5 - Loeb
LEADING RETIREMENTS
SS8 Kresta Skoda Octavia WRC Accident
SS7 Rovanpera Peugeot 206 WRC Accident
SS4 Schwarz Hyundai Accent WRC Accident
SS3 Loix Hyundai Accent WRC Accident
SS1 Auriol Peugeot 206 WRC Engine failure
SS1 Bugalski Citroen Xsara WRC Engine failure
SS1 Radstrom Citroen Xsara WRC Engine failure
Sunday, 20 January 2002
Citroen driver Sebastien Loeb and navigator Daniel Elena sprayed the victory champagne on the opening round of the 2002 FIA World Rally Championship, the Rallye Monte Carlo. But their celebrations could be short-lived, since they will depend on the result of Citroen's appeal against a two-minute penalty for changing tyres in the wrong service area. Depending on the result of the FIA Court of Appeal, victory - and the resulting ten points in the drivers' world championship - could yet be handed to Subaru driver Tommi Mäkinen, who finished second on the timesheets.
Loeb's penalty - incurred at yesterday's final 12-minute service - overshadowed today's action, which took place in clear but cold conditions. Mäkinen backed off by early afternoon, believing that the penalty will stand and that he will thus be promoted to first place. Behind the leading pair, Carlos Sainz finished third for Ford, while his team-mate Colin McRae inched ahead of Peugeot driver Marcus Grönholm to claim fourth.
CITROEN
Technical: The Xsara WRC of Sebastien Loeb has run without major technical problems today.
Sporting: Sebastien Loeb started today's final four stages with a lead of nearly half a minute over Tommi Mäkinen, but he also knew that he had been penalised two minutes after his Citroen service crew broke the regulations by mistakenly changing tyres in yesterday evening's short service. The matter is now under appeal, but Loeb maintained his pace anyway to stay ahead of Mäkinen and - for the time being at least - claim his first ever win at World Rally Championship level.
Quotes: Sebastien Loeb said: "It's an incredible feeling. I don't really know what to say. It was very difficult against Tommi - I had to push very hard all the time. But in my mind I have won this rally. I don't care what happens with the penalty now - in the eyes of the drivers and the spectators the fight is won on the stages, and we won that fight.
Citroen Sport Team Principal Guy Frequelin said: "We made a mistake - I accept responsibility for that. But in my view it was a minor mistake. I am happy for Citroen, for Sebastien and for Daniel.
SUBARU
Technical: The Impreza WRC2002s of Tommi Mäkinen and Petter Solberg have run without problems today, although Solberg in particular struggled to get any heat into his tyres on this morning's second stage.
Sporting: Tommi Mäkinen pinched a few seconds from Sebastien Loeb on this morning's first stage but then backed off, believing that the Frenchman's two-minute penalty will be applied and that he will duly be promoted to first overall. His team-mate Petter Solberg didn't relax until the final corner, though - the young Norwegian was fastest on three of today's four stages as he consolidated his sixth position and by the finish, he was less than half a minute adrift of 2000 world champion Marcus Grönholm.
Quotes: Tommi Mäkinen said: "At the moment it's not a good feeling. We were all prepared this morning to make it difficult for Sebastien - we knew the conditions would be perfect for us and our Pirelli tyres. But then we heard that we didn't need to push any more so we backed off. At the end of the rally they told us that there were no time penalties. It's a big disappointment at the moment. The whole thing is out of my hands - we have to wait and see what's going on.
Petter Solberg said: "I must say I've been quite pleased with my driving here. This morning's first stage was good but the second was really hard - I struggled to get any heat into my tyres. I've also noticed lots of places where I've had too much ice marked in my pacenotes and been too cautious as a result. I know I can come back next year and win this rally.
Subaru World Rally Team Sporting Director George Donaldson said: "I have every confidence in the stewards and the FIA. I believe that the original decision that was posted on the official noticeboard was a sound one, and the FIA Court of Appeal has a very good record of supporting sound decisions.
FORD
Technical: The Focus RS WRC02s of Carlos Sainz, Colin McRae and Markko Martin have been reliable today.
Sporting: Carlos Sainz charged on all four of today's stages, for two reasons. The Spaniard was hoping to build a cushion over fourth placed Marcus Grönholm - a goal that he achieved. But he was also aiming to close to within two minutes of leader Sebastien Loeb, in case Citroen's appeal against the Frenchman's two-minute penalty is unsuccessful. He came close, but by the finish the Spaniard was 2m 01.6s behind his young rival. Colin McRae was another to push hard today, as he tried to pass 2000 world champion Marcus Grönholm and recover to fourth after his engine problems yesterday evening. The Scot managed to pass the Finn with a stage to spare, and he consolidated his position on the last test to score three points on a rally he openly dislikes. Markko Martin, meanwhile, lost time this morning when he picked too soft a tyre compound. The Estonian still complied with his team's instructions to finish, though - he claimed 12th.
Quotes: Colin McRae said: "Obviously it's good to get some points on the opening round of the championship, but I'm also a little disappointed. Third place was looking quite possible until our problems last night (McRae had an engine misfire on the day's last stage) and although the difference is only a point, it could decide a lot by the end of the season. Today we tried to get past Marcus (Grönholm) and we managed that with a stage to go.
Carlos Sainz said: "We're quite happy. At the beginning of the rally we were worried about the French cars because it looked like it was going to be dry and we remember how we suffered on the asphalt last year. But the cars have gone well, the tyres have worked well and we've scored some good points for the team. It's a good start.
PEUGEOT
Technical: The 206 WRCs of Marcus Grönholm, Richard Burns and Gilles Panizzi have run without major problems today.
Sporting: Marcus Grönholm started today's stages knowing that he'd have to fight off a charging Colin McRae if he wanted to hold onto his overnight fourth position. He started badly, ceding more than 15s to his rival in the first pair of stages. Grönholm opted for a safe tyre choice
Quotes: Marcus Grönholm said: "In the end, I was possibly a bit cautious on my tyre choice. I thought it would be slightly damper so I went for a softer compound, but the roads had dried out quite a lot and the car was moving around because of the tyres. I'm not so disappointed, though - Peugeot really wanted to finish this rally this year and even though we can see we have some work to do, we've at least scored a couple of points.
Richard Burns said: "It would have been nice to get a couple of points but it's not a disaster. A disaster would have been retiring on the first day and not learning anything. Instead, we've learnt a hell of a lot and the good thing is that all three of the drivers here have been able to point at what needs to be done.
Gilles Panizzi said: "I don't understand why but even though the car and tyre choice have been better today, I still haven't been able to do the fastest times. I haven't been able to do that all rally, in fact. I think we need to work on a few things on the car on asphalt.
MITSUBISHI
Technical: The Lancer Evolution WRCs of Alister McRae and Francois Delecour have been reliable today, although the Frenchman was not entirely satisfied with his centre differential settings.
Sporting: Francois Delecour and Alister McRae both started today's stages with little to really gain apart from extra mileage and more knowledge of their Lancer WRC's settings. So they concentrated on that, experimenting again with dampers and differentials. Delecour remained unsure of whether his centre differential was locking enough, but he still kept his Lancer in a relatively lonely ninth position. McRae - still annoyed at himself after last night's accident - finished in 14th.
Quotes: Francois Delecour said: "It's been okay today but we do need to work on this car's handling on the bumpier roads. The engine is good and the car itself feels very strong, but we could do with going to Corsica quite soon to find some better settings for the bumps.
Alister McRae said: "It's been a difficult rally. Monte Carlo's not really a nice place to learn a new car, and I'm still disappointed to have gone off last night. But we've got a lot of directions to go in with the car now, and a lot of work to do. There's not a lot of time before Corsica but I'm hopeful we can do some more testing work on asphalt before then. And I think we'll be closer to the pace in Sweden anyway.
SKODA
Technical: Kenneth Eriksson's and Toni Gardemeister's Octavias have not hit any significant mechanical problems today.
Sporting: Toni Gardemeister consolidated his overnight 10th place today, bringing his Octavia to the finish on his first drive for the Czech manufacturer. Kenneth Eriksson believed that his suspension was too hard for this morning's opening pair of stages but the Swede was generally satisfied to finish 13th after a long break from asphalt rallying.
Quotes: Toni Gardemeister said: "I'm quite pleased to finish in the top ten on my first drive for the team. We had a few problems - we lost some power when I flattened the exhaust yesterday - but generally it's gone well. We're still learning more about the car in the changing conditions but it's quite a promising start. I'm looking forward to Sweden now."
Kenneth Eriksson said: "I think our suspension was maybe a bit too stiff this morning. The car felt quite good on the dry roads but as soon as there was a bit of damp, it seemed to be very slippery. I actually felt that I was driving well but at the end of the stages, the times weren't so good. Perhaps that's down to just a general lack of traction. It hasn't been a bad event for us, although it would have been nice to get into the top ten. Our car has been pretty reliable, with only the little gearbox problem on the first day to worry us. And I'm quite out-of-practice rallying on asphalt, too - you have to have a good feeling for the surface if you're going to be quick and committed here in Monte Carlo.
OTHER ENTRIES
Ford Puma driver Francois Duval has scored a comfortable victory in the opening round of the FIA World Junior Rally Championship. The Belgian and his navigator Jean-Marc Fortin grabbed the top spot yesterday evening when leader Gianluigi Galli crashed his Fiat, and the pair consolidated their advantage during today's tests to win the 1600cc, front-wheel drive category by more than four minutes.
Italian Nicola Caldani brought his Peugeot 206 home to claim second place points, ahead of Lebanese driver Roger Feghali.
[WRC] Rallye Monte Carlo: End of Leg 2
END OF LEG 2
OUTRIGHT
1 Loeb Citroen Xsara WRC 2:49:19,5
2 Makinen Subaru Impreza WRC 2:49:47,7
3 Sainz Ford Focus WRC 2:51:36,4
4 Gronholm Peugeot 206 WRC 2:51:40,9
5 McRae Ford Focus WRC 2:52:11,9
6 Solberg Subaru Impreza WRC 2:52:56,6
7 Burns Peugeot 206 WRC 2:53:18,5
8 Panizzi Peugeot 206 WRC 2:53:46,0
9 Delecour Mitsubishi Lancer WRC 2:54:09,5
10 Gardemeister Skoda Octavia WRC 2:55:09,4
JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIP
1 Duval Ford Puma 3:08:29,4
2 Caldani Peugeot 206 XS 3:13:06,7
3 Feghali Ford Puma 3:15:05,1
4 Carlsson Ford Puma 3:15:21,0
5 Schelle Suzuki Ignis 3:16:41,7
STAGE WINNERS
SS6 - Solberg, SS7 - Loeb, SS8 - Makinen, SS9 - Makinen, SS10 - Loeb, SS11 - Makinen
LEADING RETIREMENTS
SS7 Rovanpera Peugeot 206 WRC Accident
SS8 Kresta Skoda Octavia WRC Accident
SS4 Schwarz Hyundai Accent WRC Accident
SS3 Loix Hyundai Accent WRC Accident
SS1 Auriol Peugeot 206 WRC Engine failure
SS1 Bugalski Citroen Xsara WRC Engine failure
SS1 Radstrom Citroen Xsara WRC Engine failure
Saturday, 19 January 2002
Frenchman Sebastien Loeb and Finn Tommi Mäkinen are locked in battle at the front of the opening round of this year's FIA World Rally Championship, the Rallye Monte Carlo, which continued today. Reigning World Junior Champ Loeb, who hit the top of the leaderboard yesterday, extended his advantage this morning with a fastest time on the day's second stage. But as the event moved to more traditional stages, such as the famous run over the Col de Turini, Mäkinen (Rallye Monte Carlo winner for the past three years) began to close the gap between the pair once more. They entered this evening's final two stages separated by less than half a minute.
There have been clear blue skies over the French mountains again today, but conditions on the roads themselves have ranged from dry asphalt to sheet ice and greasy frost. The tricky Alpine passes caught out a number of crews, including Skoda's Roman Kresta and Peugeot driver Harri Rovanpera. They both retired with suspension and steering damage, but Subaru's Petter Solberg and Carlos Sainz were both able to continue after slight 'offs' this morning.
CITROEN
Technical: The Xsara WRC of Sebastien Loeb has run without major technical problems today.
Sporting: Sebastien Loeb consolidated his overnight advantage on this morning's opening stage, virtually matching nearest challenger Tommi Mäkinen. And then the Frenchman charged again on SS7 - a repeat of the test where he'd done so much damage to his opposition yesterday evening. He scalped another 11s from Mäkinen to arrive at lunchtime service back in Monaco more than half a minute clear. But the afternoon stages were not so kind to the reigning world Junior champion - Mäkinen inched closer over the Col de Turini to bring Loeb's lead down to just under 27s going into today's final two stages.
Quotes: Sebastien Loeb said: "It's been going pretty well today but this afternoon was very difficult for us. I just think that the greasy, wet conditions seem to suit one of the Pirelli tyres very well and that's been the main difference. I'm just trying to keep my concentration, not make a mistake and see what happens. Last night and this morning were good, though - I realised that I could attack at maximum in one particular stage that I drove on a French championship event quite recently, and that allowed me to build a lead.
SUBARU
Technical: Tommi Mäkinen was less than satisfied with his tyre choice on this morning's opening pair of stages, but the four-times world champion's Impreza has been reliable. Petter Solberg's example enjoyed a troublefree morning until the Norwegian slid wide on loose gravel in SS7 and hit a wall. He damaged the car's steering rack and power steering pump, and then picked up 20s of penalties after Subaru mechanics needed 22 minutes in the following service to fix the problem.
Sporting: Any hopes Tommi Mäkinen had of putting young leader Sebastien Loeb under early-morning pressure were hampered when the Finn picked too soft a tyre for today's opening pair of stages. He ended up ceding a further 10s to Loeb before lunchtime service. But an inspired choice of rubber for the following two tests allowed Mäkinen to respond - a pair of fastest times this afternoon moved him back to within half a minute of the lead. Petter Solberg set fastest time on this morning's first stage but in the second, he slid wide on gravel and hit a wall. The Norwegian had to complete 10km with badly damaged steering and he lost almost a minute as a result.
Quotes: Tommi Mäkinen said: "We've been making some silly mistakes here. Last night's tyre choice and this morning's tyre choice should have been the other way round! We went far too soft on tyres this morning. But this afternoon was really good - we went back onto the same tyres I used earlier yesterday and they worked very well. There's still some distance to go and the Col de Turini stage is longer again tomorrow - I think we have a good chance of catching Sebastien.
Petter Solberg said: "I don't think I was pushing too hard on SS7. Perhaps I had too much information in my pacenotes because I just couldn't take it all in. It was really difficult with the steering. Otherwise it's been okay - I had one puncture near the end of SS9 but it didn't slow me too much. And the Pirellis are working really well in these conditions.
FORD
Technical: The Focus RS WRC02s of Carlos Sainz and Markko Martin have been reliable today, although they weren't too pleased with their choice of Pirellis for this morning's opening pair of stages. The Spaniard believed his option was too soft, while the Estonian reckoned his were too hard. Colin McRae's challenge was hampered in SS9 after his seat mounting broke and, in the service after the stage, a gearbox change cost him 10" of penalty.
Sporting: Colin McRae maintained a consistent yet fast approach this morning to stay in touch with the podium positions, although he lost third to Marcus Grönholm in SS7. He claimed that back in SS8 but at the end of that test, his seat mounting broke. He had to cope with the problem throughout SS9 and spun at the Col de Turini, then got a 10" penalty and dropped back behind Grönholm again. Carlos Sainz lost time with two punctures in SS7 after he slid off at the same time as Petter Solberg and hit a wall, but the Spaniard recovered this afternoon to hold fifth entering the final pair of stages. Markko Martin has continued to experiment with settings on his Ford Focus, but the Estonian lies outside of the top ten.
Quotes: Colin McRae said: "We're going as quickly as we want to go, without taking unnecessary risks. Sebastien Loeb knew when to attack last night and he did the same this morning, and I don't really think anyone can match him. He's got the sort of buffer now that he needs. The seat problem was annoying - it cost me more time than the spin.
Carlos Sainz said: "I chose too soft a tyre this morning and then I was caught out by the same gravely corner as Petter (Solberg). We got two punctures - I think it cost us about 15 seconds, because we had to drive on them for about 10km.
PEUGEOT
Technical: The 206 WRCs of Marcus Grönholm, Richard Burns and Gilles Panizzi have run without major problems today, although Burns remains unsure of his car's handling as he continues to learn more about the 206 on dry asphalt.
Sporting: Marcus Grönholm pushed slightly harder in this morning's second stage, and his second-fastest time was enough to move him clear of Colin McRae in third overall. But the 2000 world champion admitted to backing off too much in SS8's slippery sections - that had dropped him back down to fourth before McRae's penalisation. Richard Burns, meanwhile, benefited from Petter Solberg's accident to move into sixth by lunchtime. The reigning world champion remains uncertain about his 206 WRC's handling, though, and he is still uncomfortable with his seating position. Gilles Panizzi set a number of fast times this morning, despite feeling that the reversed road positions meant he was drying the road for rivals running further down the order. He has moved into the top ten today, though - he entered SS10 in ninth overall. Peugeot's fourth regular driver, Harri Rovanpera, crashed out of the event in SS7 when he clipped a wall and broke his car's steering.
Quotes: Marcus Grönholm said: "I'm quite happy with how things are going. We've been able to push a bit harder when we have the second runs through the stage. I was just too cautious in the slippery stuff in SS8, though - I wasn't too satisfied with my own performance there.
Richard Burns said: "I've been changing a few things in the suspension to try to get more confidence in the car. At the moment, I can't commit mid-corner to putting the power on. It still feels nervous under me. I feel like I'm reacting to the car instead of it doing what I want it to. It's more about suspension than transmission, so we're working on things. We've tried to adjust the anti-roll bar but I'm beginning to think it's more fundamental than that - perhaps something that we won't find on this rally.
Gilles Panizzi said: "I'm much happier with the car's suspension settings today than I was yesterday, but I don't think our position on the road is helping us. I think that when the roads were damp, we're actually making a dry line for the guys behind.
MITSUBISHI
Technical: The Lancer Evolution WRC of Alister McRae has been reliable today. François Delecour's example suffered from overheating brakes on this morning's opening pair of stages, though, after a water pump failed. He then hit centre differential problems in SS8 and (more seriously) in SS9.
Sporting: Alister McRae and François Delecour have continued to experiment with suspension and damper settings, as they try to make the Lancer Evolution's handling more progressive. Despite losing time with brake and then differential problems, Delecour held eighth overall as the crews entered the final two stages this evening. McRae has been encouraged by his ability to match Delecour this afternoon - the Scot held 11th overall as he started SS8.
Quotes: François Delecour said: "I can feel a good potential in the car, but we still need to work more on the set-up. We're moving more towards a Corsica-style of setting as the roads are more dry. This morning I had a problem with the brakes - with new pads, they'd be terrific for the first few kilometres and then they'd fade. Then the differential had some problems and I spun because of that. I know we can go quicker.
Alister McRae said: "We've been trying to make the front end of the car behave itself over the bumpy stuff and we're heading in the right direction, but we've started to get a bit of understeer as well so we need to find a solution there too.
SKODA
Technical: Kenneth Eriksson's and Toni Gardemeister's Octavias have not hit any significant mechanical problems today, although Gardemeister lost power when he hit his car off a wall in SS7 and flattened its exhaust. Roman Kresta had to retire his car with suspension damage after he slid off in the same stage.
Sporting: Skoda's third driver Roman Kresta hit problems on this morning's second stage. The young Czech driver slid straight on at a hairpin, hitting a wall and damaging his Octavia's suspension beyond repair. The resulting debris almost caught out Gardemeister, who heard ominous noises from his car's transmission after he ran over some rocks. He was already in trouble by that point anyway, having slid wide at a hairpin and flattened his exhaust. The damage cost him power for around half of SS7. Both Gardemeister and Kenneth Eriksson experimented with harder tyres in SS8 and SS9 to their cost - they failed to get heat into the rubber in the slippery conditions and lost time as a result. Gardemeister still held 10th entering today's final two stages, though. Eriksson was 14th.
Quotes: Toni Gardemeister said: "On SS7 I just went too quickly into a hairpin and we slid the back of the car against something. The exhaust was damaged and we had no power at all until the finish. It was frustrating because the first stage this morning had been okay. But we're just trying to keep the same pace and experiment with the settings.
Kenneth Eriksson said: "It's been going okay but the Octavia does feel like a bigger car than the Hyundai that I used over the last couple of years. The hard tyres were a disaster - I couldn't get any heat into them at all. But I didn't know whether they'd work or not so I had to experiment.
OTHER ENTRIES
Italian Gianluigi Galli continues to lead the FIA Junior World Rally Championship section in his Fiat Punto. Closest rival François Duval (Ford Puma) opted for intermediate tyres for this afternoon's pair of stages but the Belgian's gamble didn't pay off and the gap between the pair stretched to more than two minutes. Last night's third placed driver, Austrian David Doppelreiter lost time with gearbox problems today, allowing Nicola Caldani into the finalpodium placing ahead of Martin Rowe.
[WRC] Rallye Monte Carlo: End of Leg 1
END OF LEG 1
OUTRIGHT
1 Loeb Citroen Xsara WRC 1:17:07,0
2 Makinen Subaru Impreza WRC 1:17:43,7
3 McRae Ford Focus WRC 1:17:51,6
4 Gronholm Peugeot 206 WRC 1:17:58,2
5 Sainz Ford Focus WRC 1:18:05,1
6 Solberg Subaru Impreza WRC 1:18:17,4
7 Burns Peugeot 206 WRC 1:18:53,4
8 Delecour Mitsubishi Lancer WRC 1:19:03,1
9 Rovanpera Peugeot 206 WRC 1:19:16,4
10 Gardemeister Skoda Octavia WRC 1:19:34,2
JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIP
1 Galli Fiat Punto 1:24:44,3
2 Duval Ford Puma 1:26:16,2
3 Doppelreister Peugeot 206 XS 1:29:00,5
4 Caldani Peugeot 206 XS 1:30:02,6
5 Schelle Suzuki Ignis 1:30:51,7
STAGE WINNERS
SS1 - Sainz, SS2 - cancelled, SS3 - Solberg, SS4 - Loeb, SS5 - Loeb
SS4 Schwarz Hyundai Accent WRC Accident
SS3 Loix Hyundai Accent WRC Accident
SS1 Auriol Peugeot 206 WRC Engine failure
SS1 Bugalski Citroen Xsara WRC Engine failure
SS1 Radstrom Citroen Xsara WRC Engine failure
Friday 18th January
French manufacturer Citroen has grabbed the headlines for good and bad reasons on the first round of this year's FIA World Rally Championship, the Rallye Monte Carlo, which started from the Principality today. The team's young driver Sebastien Loeb backed up the form that took him to second overall in Sanremo last year to move into the overall rally lead on the day's fourth stage. But there was disappointment for his team-mates Thomas Radstrom and Philippe Bugalski: neither got to tackle a single stage, after they both succumbed to engine failures on the road section to this morning's service in Digne les Bains.
Loeb's ended today's final test with more than 30sec advantage over the Rallye Monte Carlo winner for the last three years, Tommi Mäkinen. The four-times world champion survived a spin in the longest stage of the day to hold second on his first drive in a Subaru Impreza, and other fancied runners like Colin McRae, Petter Solberg, Marcus Grönholm and Carlos Sainz remain in touch. Others hit trouble in the fickle Monte conditions - Gilles Panizzi picked up penalties after hydraulic problems, while Hyundai drivers Armin Schwarz and Freddy Loix both set encouraging times this morning, only to retire by early afternoon. Loix crashed heavily, sustaining a badly bruised foot, while Schwarz slid off on SS4 and retired with broken suspension.
CITROEN
Technical: Citroen lost two of its Xsara WRCs before they managed to reach this morning's opening service. Thomas Radstrom's example retired about 10km out of Monaco, while Philippe Bugalski travelled a further 60km before his Xsara stopped on the road section. Both cars suffered engine failures that are suspected to relate to the engine block itself. The problem is similar to the one that halted Sebastien Loeb's car at shakedown yesterday, but as a result the young Frenchman's car was fitted with an older-spec engine whose block came from an earlier batch. His car ran without problems today.
Sporting: Thomas Radstrom and Philippe Bugalski were both halted by engine failures on the road section from Monaco to Digne les Bains this morning, and neither managed to drive a single kilometre in anger. Team-mate Sebastien Loeb did, and the young Frenchman put thoughts of a similar problem (and the fact that he now shoulders the team's hopes) to the back of his mind to grab the lead with a very fast time on the day's longest stage.
Quotes: Sebastien Loeb said: "This morning I just wanted not to make any mistakes, after seeing what happened to Philippe and Thomas. But this afternoon I pushed quite hard in the dry conditions, then concentrated on driving neatly in the snow. There's a long way to go but my engine block is from an older batch so I don't think I will have the same problem as the others.
Philippe Bugalski said: "I couldn't believe it. Obviously I saw Thomas parked up and then after a few more kilometres, I heard a bad noise and the engine stopped. I can't understand why it happened but it looks like exactly the same problem as Thomas. I'm very disappointed, of course, but we just have to recover, find out why we've had this problem and learn from that.
SUBARU
Technical: Neither Tommi Mäkinen or Petter Solberg had any major technical problems with their Impreza WRC2001s today. Mäkinen's only glitch was a slow puncture on the day's longest test (SS4).
Sporting: Tommi Mäkinen grabbed the lead on today's opening stage and he looked like building on that advantage when he posted another very fast time in SS3 (SS2 was cancelled due to spectator congestion). But in the day's longest stage, the Finn spun at a hairpin and lost around half a minute as he turned his car around. He dropped to second behind Loeb as a result. Petter Solberg has concentrated on building his experience of the Monte stages but the young Norwegian was still able to push hard - he set fastest time overall on SS3, which was a repeat of the day's first stage, and held fifth entering SS5.
Quotes: Tommi Mäkinen said: "The spin was really silly - I think there was some ice under braking because we arrived 50kph too fast for the corner. Then when I tried to handbrake the car round it hit more ice and just slid forwards, so I had to go backwards and forwards for a while. I'm still learning the car but it feels very easy to drive. I'm enjoying it.
Petter Solberg said: "The fastest time came when I changed some of my notes after the first run through that stage. I'm seriously not taking risks because if I want to challenge for a world title next year, I know I'll have to be able to do well here so I need experience. I have a great feeling with the car, though, and the Pirelli tyres are working well in these conditions.
FORD
Technical: The Focus RS WRC02s of Colin McRae and Markko Martin have been generally reliable today, although the young Estonian has decided to adopt more of his team-mate's set-up ideas to improve his car's handling. Carlos Sainz's Focus lost its power steering 12km into SS3, forcing the Spaniard to complete the day's longest stage without power assistance.
Sporting: Carlos Sainz set fastest time on today's opening stage, but the cancellation of SS2 because of crowd problems denied him the chance to extend his advantage. Power steering problems hampered his effort this afternoon, but he still entered the day's final stage in sixth overall. Colin McRae has posted consistent top-six times Both Colin McRae and Carlos Sainz have posted consistent top-six times today, with the Spaniard leading after the opening stage.
Quotes: Colin McRae said: "This morning was more like a navigational exercise than a rally - we drove for about six hours and did only 28km. But the times have been pretty good. I'm not sure how our tyre choice for the opening stage would have worked out if the following test hadn't been cancelled but it felt good.
Carlos Sainz said: "We tried between SS3 and SS4 to put more fluid into the power steering system but it must have been a pump problem because it didn't really help. I had a little power steering on the fast sections when I didn't need much lock but it was very hard in the twisty sections.
PEUGEOT
Technical: Gilles Panizzi's 206 WRC suffered two major problems even before the start of this morning's first stage. The Frenchman's car had to be pushed out of overnight parc ferme before it would successfully fire up this morning, and then Peugeot engineers found a hydraulic fault that took longer than expected to fix, Panizzi was duly 13 minutes late leaving service. The cars of Richard Burns and Marcus Grönholm, meanwhile, have been basically reliable today.
Sporting: Richard Burns was given a scare on this morning's opening stage (his first for Peugeot) when he landed heavily after a jump and bounced his 206 WRC off the road and into a field. He lost about 15 seconds before he could rejoin the stage. The reigning world champion soon recovered, though, and quickly moved back into the top ten during this afternoon's tests. Marcus Grönholm, meanwhile, posted top-six times to keep his 206 WRC in the points placings. Gilles Panizzi had to push his car out of parc ferme this morning and then he picked up road penalties after hydraulic problems. But the Frenchman has been dissatisfied with his 206's handling all day and he entered the final test this evening outside of the top ten.
Quotes: Richard Burns said: "It was a bit of a fright on the first stage. The car landed quite heavily and we were it bounced us right across the road and into a field. It was a fifth-gear section so it all happened pretty quickly. But I kept the engine running and there was no real damage.
Gilles Panizzi said: "I can't go quickly but I don't understand why. I'm okay but I can't have confidence in the car and its handling at the moment. We have to find a solution.
MITSUBISHI
Technical: The Lancer Evolution WRCs of Francois Delecour and Alister McRae have been reliable today, with both drivers experimenting with suspension settings on their first day of competition in the car.
Sporting: Both Alister McRae and Francois Delecour acknowledge that their Lancer WRCs have been nervous on the bumpy sections today, and they have tried differing solutions to the problem. Engineers were due to make camber changes for today's final stage to see if that helped any further. Delecour held ninth entering the day's last stage with McRae outside the top ten, although the Scot was satisfied to stay within three seconds of his experienced team-mate on the long Sisteron stage.
Quotes: Francois Delecour said: "We have some strange tyre wear so now we change the camber. I wasn't aggressive enough on the ice this morning, so I'm changing the car to allow me to do that. I already think that Loeb will win this rally.
Alister McRae said: "I haven't quite got confidence in the car yet - it still feels nervous over the bumps and like Francois, we need more camber at the front end. But it's all about learning and it's good to get over the stages at full speed.
SKODA
Technical: The Octavia WRCs of Toni Gardemeister and Roman Kresta ran without major problems today until both clouted the same rock in SS4 and damaged their cars' suspension. Kenneth Eriksson's example hit gearbox problems on today's opening stage. The Swede lost fifth and sixth gear by the end of the test, and was duly relieved to see that the following stage was cancelled because of spectator congestion since it allowed him to drive straight to service in Digne les Bains instead.
Sporting: Gearbox problems and ill handling respectively prevented either Kenneth Eriksson or Toni Gardemeister from making much of an impression today, but Czech driver Roman Kresta surprised many onlookers by holding fifth overall after this morning's first stage. He dropped time this afternoon - particularly after damaging his car's suspension on a rock - but still entered SS5 in a top-ten placing.
Quotes: Kenneth Eriksson said: "The gearbox problem was very noisy, so I was pretty glad that SS2 was cancelled. Then this afternoon the 'box was fixed but the gear cut-off didn't work and I had to use the clutch. That cost me a few seconds.
Roman Kresta said: "The first stage today was good - I had the right tyres and I drove carefully, and I was surprised to be in the top six! But then in SS4 I clipped the same rock as Toni. At least I'm still here and still in with a chance to push.
HYUNDAI
Technical: Freddy Loix encountered no major technical problems but he crashed heavily in SS3. Armin Schwarz retired after he hit a rock 5km into SS4 and damaged his suspension beyond repair.
Sporting: Both Hyundai drivers posted top-ten times on today's opening stage, with Armin Schwarz particularly pleased to be fourth overall after Gilles Panizzi's road penalties were taken into account. But it was a tough afternoon for the MSD-run team: Loix slid wide on a fifth-gear right-hander in SS3 and clouted a bridge parapet. His Accent was heavily damaged and the Belgian was taken to hospital with bruised foot. Then Schwarz hit ice in SS4, slid wide and hit a rock hard enough to break his car's suspension. He retired on the spot.
Quotes: Armin Schwarz said: "The car felt good this morning, but then we got caught out on one icy corner. We understeered into a ditch and broke the right-front suspension. We could go no further. It's a pity, because we hadn't really been pushing hard because there were so many tricky places.
OTHER ENTRIES
It's been a thrilling first day in the 2002 FIA Junior World Rally Championship. A different driver led the category after each of the first three stages. Spaniard Daniel Sola's Citroen Saxo held the advantage after SS1, but then he retired with transmission problems in SS3 (SS2 was cancelled). That handed the lead to Francois Duval, only for the Belgian to damage his Ford Puma's suspension in SS4 and drop to second. Gianluigi Galli was thus the top Junior WRC driver entering the day's last stage. Austrian David Doppelreiter was third in his Peugeot 206.
[WRC] Rallye Monte Carlo: Welcome
Just weeks after Richard Burns and Peugeot secured the 2001 FIA World Rally Championship titles, the defence of their respective crowns begins tomorrow morning on the opening round of the 2002 series, the Rallye Monte Carlo. Burns and Peugeot have joined forces for 2002, kick-starting one of the biggest shake-ups of the rally transfer market in recent years. Four-times world champion Tommi Mäkinen moves from Mitsubishi to replace Burns at Subaru, while Francois Delecour and Alister McRae have joined Ralliart to form the team's first brand-new driver line-up in seven years. All seven manufacturer teams will be present on the notoriously fickle mountain passes north of Monaco.
The changes aren't confined to the teams, either. Changes to the starting order rules mean that while the drivers will start tomorrow's first stages in last year's championship classification order, the top 15 at the end of each leg will be reversed for the following morning. And the manufacturers' series has been made more straight forward - instead of having just two nominated entries, manufacturers will be able to score points with the two highest-placed cars from their official entries.
PEUGEOT
Technical: Peugeot's 206 WRCs are essentially the same specification as those which contested Sanremo and Corsica towards the end of last season. All three cars are brand new for this event and they will run three computer-controlled 'active' differentials. Gilles Panizzi's car is also fitted with a hydraulic anti-roll bar.
Sporting: Peugeot has entered three official cars - for reigning world champion Richard Burns, 2000 title-holder Marcus Grönholm and asphalt expert Gilles Panizzi. The team's fourth regular driver, Harri Rovanperä, will drive a 206 WRC run by private team Bozian.
Quotes: Richard Burns said: "It's going to be a tough rally here. The dry weather will probably help me a bit, because it's at least consistent and the conditions are similar to whenever I did my pre-event test. But I think everyone will benefit from drier roads anyway. I've got a pretty good feeling with the car now, but I'll be happy to get a few points to start the season.
Marcus Grönholm said: "It's very difficult to say what will happen in Monte Carlo. There's no obvious favourite here. I only did one day's full testing for this event but the car felt quite good.
Gilles Panizzi said: "I feel quite confident. We did quite a good test for this rally and even though it's Monte Carlo, it looks like the conditions will be pretty dry. We know the 206 WRC is a good car for asphalt, but this rally hasn't been kind to Peugeot in the past few years so I just hope we get a clean run.
FORD
Technical: Ford is the only team to introduce its 2002-specification car in Monte Carlo. The Focus RS WRC02 features a host of revisions over its predecessor, concentrating on the engine. The motor features a revised cylinder head as well as lighter flywheel and crankshaft, and different cooling. The Focus's power steering pump has been moved as well to make it less vulnerable to impact damage on rougher roads. Other changes to the car include a different dashboard layout (with all switches relocated lower in the console) and a repositioned handbrake.
Sporting: Ford has entered three Focus RS WRC02s - for Colin McRae and Carlos Sainz, and for new signing Markko Märtin. The team will field all three drivers on all 14 rounds of this year's FIA World Rally Championship.
Quotes: Colin McRae said: "Monte Carlo's the sort of rally where it's hard to predict any sort of performance or a result. The car's felt encouraging in testing, but that doesn't mean anything until we see the times from the first few stages and even then, so much depends on the conditions here that it's difficult to draw conclusions. I'm just hoping for reliability and a good finish.
Carlos Sainz said: "I'm looking forward to the new season. Testing has been quite good and we have quite a few changes with the car - but we need to wait and see in some consistent conditions before we can see how we are against the rest.
Markko Martin said: "I've had some testing for this event and the car feels quite positive, but even if I'd had ten days' running I'd still have the same aim - I just want to reach the finish here.
MITSUBISHI
Technical: Marlboro Mitsubishi Ralliart engineers have concentrated on improving the set-up of the Lancer Evolution WRC this year, since its debut towards the end of the 2001 season allowed little time for development. Revised suspension geometry and a lower ride height have improved handling, and the team has also trimmed 50kg from the car's weight. That now allows Ralliart to play with ballast to improve the handling further.
Sporting: Mitsubishi has a totally new driver line-up for 2002. Francois Delecour moves from Ford (Mitsubishi is his third team in three years), while Alister McRae has switched from a Hyundai Accent to the Lancer. McRae has changed his back-up crew, too - father Jimmy will now prepare gravel notes for his younger rallying son instead of Ford driver Colin.
Quotes: Francois Delecour said: "It's difficult to predict anything about the Monte Carlo Rally, because it's just such a hard event. But during the test in the winter I had a good feeling for the car. I'm not going to say that I am going to win - but I think we have a chance to fight for the victory.
Alister McRae said: "My first impressions of the car are very good. The set-ups we've found in both the snow and the asphalt feel strong. This is still really a learning year for me - when you look at rallies like here, where I've only competed once before, and the Safari, where I've never competed at all, then I need more experience.
SUBARU
Technical: Subaru's Imprezas will run in essentially the same mechanical specification as 2001. The team has concentrated instead on modifying software set-up in the differentials, as well as suspension and damper settings, to 'catch up' with engine and tyre progress over the past few years.
Sporting: The team has entered two Impreza WRC2001s for Monte Carlo, to be driven by new signing Tommi Mäkinen and young Norwegian Petter Solberg. Subaru Team Director David Lapworth confirmed at the team's press launch yesterday afternoon that three Imprezas will be seen on selected rallies this year, but only when necessary. The team has renewed its sponsorship deal with British American Tobacco's 555 brand.
Quotes: Tommi Mäkinen said: "The Impreza is a completely different car to drive than the Lancer. The biggest thing I've noticed so far is the braking - I had to adjust my driving style because I can brake much later into the corners with the Impreza. As for Monte Carlo, I've already won this rally three years in a row, which is quite a good record. But I'd still like to make it four!"
Petter Solberg said: "I feel optimistic for Monte Carlo and the season ahead. We've tested quite a lot for this rally and tried some new stuff with suspension and differentials. I think we've made a big step forward on tarmac. Tommi has done some interesting things to the car already that have made quite a good effect.
SKODA
Technical: All three Octavia WRCs will use a Lehmann-tuned engine that was tried for the first time by Armin Schwarz on last year's Rally of Great Britain. Skoda has confirmed that it intends to launch a new evolution of the Octavia WRC in April.
Sporting: Skoda has entered three Octavia WRCs on this event - for new regular drivers Kenneth Eriksson and Toni Gardemeister, and young Czech driver Roman Kresta. Eriksson has changed his co-driver for the 2002 season - he's now navigated by Tina Thorner.
Quotes: Kenneth Eriksson said: "It's a great challenge for me. I'm in a new car with a new co-driver after many years with Staffan (Parmander). The Octavia's been running well in my early tests, so I'm positive. Anything can happen on the Monte.
Toni Gardemeister said: "Monte Carlo seems to like me - I've had some good results here in the past. So I'm hoping for a points finish here - the Octavia is an easy car to drive and the handling is very predictable.
HYUNDAI
Technical: The Hyundai team has made a few significant changes to the Accent WRC2 over the winter - in particular, the cars now run on Proflex dampers and a revised suspension system. That aside, Hyundai's rally partner Motor Sport Developments has adapted the car's differential settings to new drivers Freddy Loix and Armin Schwarz, while continuing to work on the WRC3 model that will make its debut after the first quarter of the season.
Sporting: Hyundai has completely changed its driver line-up for 2002. Former European champion Armin Schwarz has joined the team after three years at Skoda, while young Belgian Freddy Loix swaps from a Mitsubishi Lancer to the Accent WRC2. Both drivers will tackle the Rallye Monte Carlo. Four-times world champion Juha Kankkunen will contest much of this year's FIA World Rally Championship for Hyundai and Polish driver Tomasz Kuchar will also be present on the asphalt rounds, starting with the Catalunya Rally.
Quotes: Armin Schwarz said: "After my first few tests with the Accent I can say that it has a lot of potential. Of course there is work to be done, and we have been able to put our finger straight to the problems that need to be fixed. Some of those will be fixed now and some will have to wait until the WRC3. I expect the Rallye Monte Carlo to be as tricky as ever - last year I nearly finished on the podium here with the Skoda, so if conditions change then anything is possible.
CITROEN
Technical: The Xsara WRCs are only slightly modified from the specification that won the Tour de Corse last autumn. The Citroen mechanics were forced to change an engine at this morning's shakedown, however, when the motor in Sebastien Loeb's Xsara blew in the Sospel service area.
Sporting: Citroen has entered three Xsara WRCs on the first of the team's seven outings in the 2002 FIA World Rally Championship. Swede Thomas Radstrom (on his first Rallye Monte Carlo) and Frenchmen Sebastien Loeb and Philippe Bugalski will drive the cars. Radstrom is now navigated by Denis Giraudet, although the pair have competed together before.
Quotes: Sebastien Loeb said: "I really want the conditions to stay dry for me here. If that is the case then I am quite hopeful that we can have a good drive here. Testing has been quite positive. I don't know if we can repeat the performance that we showed in Sanremo last year - Monte Carlo's a very hard rally and you need lots of experience here - but I will try, of course.
OTHER ENTRIES
Beyond the manufacturer World Rally Car entries, a number of privateer crews will have hopes of scoring points or better. Former Monte Carlo winner Didier Auriol brings a Toyota Corolla WRC, while last year's Tour de Corse winner Jesus Puras will use a Subaru Impreza.
The Rallye Monte Carlo is the opening round of the 2002 FIA Junior World Rally Championship, and the category has attracted a stunning entry. In total, 28 drivers will start the event and eight different manufacturers will be 'represented' - Citroen, Fiat, Ford, Peugeot, Suzuki, Volkswagen, Opel and MG. Last year's runner-up, Italian Andrea Dallavilla (Citroen Saxo), will probably start as slight favourite, although he can expect stiff opposition from any one of a dozen rivals. Likely challengers include Francois Duval (Ford Puma), Giandomenico Basso (Fiat Puma) and Niall McShea (Opel Corsa).
STAGE ITINERARY
Leg 1, Friday 18th January (704.56km)
06:00 Start from Monaco
08:30 Service
09:48 SS 1 Selonnet - Turriers 28.74km
11:06 SS 2 Sisteron - Thoard 36.73km
12:21 Service
13:39 SS 3 Selonnet - Turriers 28.74km
14:57 SS 4 Sisteron - Thoard 36.73km
16:12 Regroup
16:27 Service
18:25 SS 5 Puget-Theniers - Toudon 26.76km
20:00 End of leg 1 in Monaco
Leg 2, Saturday 19th January (486.50km)
08:13 Start from Monaco
08:13 Service
10:08 SS 6 Pont de Clans - Villars-sur-Var 12.08km
10:51 SS 7 Puget-Theniers - Toudon 26.76km
12:26 Service
13:49 SS 8 Coaraze - Loda 23.05km
14:32 SS 9 La Bollene - Turini - Moulinet 23.47km
15:59 Regroup
16:44 Service
18:09 SS 10 Coaraze - Loda 23.05km
18:56 SS 11 La Bollene - Turini - Moulinet 23.47km
20:23 Service
20:40 End of leg 2 in Monaco
Leg 3, Sunday 20th January (270.22km)
07:33 Start from Monaco
07:33 Service
09:13 SS 12 Sospel - Turini - La Bollene 32.85km
10:08 SS 13 Loda - Luceram 16.55km
11:18 Service
12:33 SS 14 Sospel - Turini - La Bollene 32.85km
13:28 SS 15 Loda - Luceram 16.55km
14:40 Service
15:02 Finish of the rally in Monaco
Welcome to a new season of world rallying.
The official launch of the 2002 World Rally Championship was held in
Monte Carlo today and announced some major changes in the promotion of rallying. You can certainly expect to see more rallying on TV where-ever you are in the world.
The first event of the season, the Rallye Monte Carlo starts this Friday.
2002 FIA World Rally Championship Calendar
Jan 17-20 Monte Carlo Rally
Jan-Feb 31-03 Swedish Rally
Mar 08-10 Tour of Corsica
Mar 22-24 Catalonia Rally
Apr 19-21 Cyprus Rally
May 16-19 Rally of Argentina
Jun 13-16 Acropolis Rally
Jul 11-14 Safari Rally
Aug 08-11 Rally Finland
Aug 22-25 Deutschland Rally
Sep 19-22 San Remo Rally
Oct 03-06 Rally of New Zealand
Oct-Nov 31-03 Rally Australia
Nov 14-17 Rally of Great Britain
Extract from Official FIA Press Release
http://www.fia.com
LATEST NEWS
Seven manufacturers' teams have been registered, six of them engaged to enter every event and the seventh (Citroen, who were new to the series in 2001 and entitled to a progressively bigger programme) will enter seven. Taking into account the manufacturers active in the FIA Junior World Rally Championship, no fewer than twelve manufacturers will be involved in the 2002 FIA World Rally Championship, with three of them in both the full and the Junior Championship.
Several important changes have been introduced into the FIA World Championship for 2002:
- Every team must nominate two drivers who are committed t car for a specialist additional driver from event to event. Thus manufacturers can enter either two or three cars to be eligible for manufacturers points on each event, but only the best two crews from each team will score points for manufacturers championship purposes. A third entry to finish however will gain points in the driverâs championship.
- Six of the 14 events will also be the qualifying rounds for the FIA Junior World Rally Championship for Super 1600 cars (results from all six events to count) and the other eight will be for the FIA Production Car World Rally Championship for Drivers (Group N cars). Entrants for this championship had to nominate in advance the six events on which they wish to score points. As previously announced the Teams Cup series will not take place.
- Major technological advances are planned regarding safety measures as well as tracking and timing systems, aimed at more immediate results feedback.
- For promotional as well as logistical reasons, a maximum number of 90 crews is planned for events. This number is to be broken down into 30 championship crews with World Rally Cars, 5 invited drivers, 30 with the Junior World Rally, or Production Championship cars and the others at the discretion of the organisers.
No new FIA World Rally car designs are expected in 2002. The most important debuts will be the FIA Junior Rally Championship cars from Rover-MG and Opel. Suzuki are entering FIA World Championship events for the first time. The only team expected to introduce 2002 evolution versions of their FIA World Rally cars at the start of the season is Ford. In an interesting move, Volvo are to be officially represented in the FIA World Rally Championship as suppliers of the registered reconnaissance and gravel note cars for the M-Sport Ford team.
NEWS FROM THE TEAMS
TEAM PEUGEOT TOTAL
(2001 FIA World Rally Champions, regular drivers in 2002: Richard Burns and Marcus Gronholm. Additional drivers include Gilles Panizzi and Harri Rovanpera)
No new evolution version is due to appear during the season, and there will be few changes of major significance. Changes are to be based on chassis strengthening.
FORD MOTOR COMPANY
(2nd in 2001: Carlos Sainz and Colin McRae. Regular third driver Markko Martin, additional driver Francois Duval)
The 2002 version will feature many changes including revised engine and turbocharger pieces. Main corporate change: new chief engineer is Christian Loriaux (ex Subaru) Ford are due to announce a major new additional sponsor on the 10th January.
TEAM MALBORO MITSUBISHI RALLIART
(3rd in 2001: Francois Delecour and Alister McRae. Additional drivers to include Jani Paasonen)
No date has yet been announced for the debut of 2002 version which will feature revised engine installation and necessary revised transmission casing.
SUBARU WORLD RALLY TEAM
(4th in 2001, Tommi Makinen and Petter Solberg. No additional drivers yet announced)
Corsica is expected to see the debut of the 2002 version, mainly for the engine and turbo while more radical changes are expected for 2003. Corporate move: new chief engineer, Pierre-Yves Genon, replaces Loriaux.
SKODA MOTORSPORT
(5th in 2001, Kenneth Eriksson and Toni Gardemeister. Additional drivers alternate between Stig Blomqvist and Roman Kresta. A supporting fourth car to be run on nine events by David Sutton Cars for Gabriel Pozzo)
Most urgent design changes are expected to concern the engine while active rear differential design is under active consideration. No date has yet been given for debut of 2002 evolution.
HYUNDAI CASTROL WORLD RALLY TEAM
(6th in 2001, Armin Schwarz and Freddy Loix. Additional driver Juha Kankkunen)
Third evolution Accent expected to appear in Corsica with engine changes and active rear differential. The 2002 version is also expected to feature revised suspension geometry. Semi-automatic gearshifts are being considered.
AUTOMOBILES CITROEN
(not classified in 2001, Thomas Radstrom and Sebastien Loeb. Additional driver Philippe Bugalski)
Electronic improvements expected to be the most significant changes to the design of their cars. No 2002 evolution version is anticipated.
JUNIOR AND PRODUCTION CAR NEWS
28 and 26 drivers respectively have been registered for competition in their categories in 2002. In neither series is it necessary to nominate the type of car to be used, but it is known that cars from eight different manufacturers will be active in the FIA Junior Championship. In addition to Citroen, Fiat, Ford and Peugeot used in 2001, there will also be Suzuki (the car as used in the FIA Asia Pacific Championship in 2001), Volkswagen (homologated at the end of 2001 in time for a non-championship appearance on the Network Q) and newly homologated cars from Rover-MG and Opel.
The Peugeot 106 Maxi was homologated retrospectively for the purposes of the British championship, but is still not accepted as an eligible car for use under 2002 rules. The Citroen Saxo however has been homologated with a new flywheel and clutch so as to be fully compliant with the 2002 rules. The next Super 1600 car due to be homologated is the Renault Clio. Mitsubishi cars are to be used by a very high majority of Group N drivers.
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