Toyota confirms WRC return in 2017

TOYOTA CONFIRMED TODAY THAT IT WILL RETURN TO THE FIA WORLD RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP WITH A YARIS WORLD RALLY CAR IN 2017.

Toyota Motor Corporation president Akio Toyoda ended months of speculation when he made the announcement during a press conference in Tokyo, at which the Yaris WRC made its public debut in a launch livery.

The programme will be handled by Toyota Motorsport (TMG) in Cologne, Germany, which has already completed a preliminary test programme in Europe with the Yaris WRC on asphalt and gravel.

Frenchman Eric Camilli, who drove a Ford Fiesta R5 in WRC 2 at Rallye Monte-Carlo, has been selected as the first member of Toyota’s junior driver development scheme.

The 27-year-old will carry out the test programme alongside former Subaru driver Stéphane Sarrazin, now a racer in Toyota’s FIA World Endurance Championship squad, and eight-time Finnish champion Sebastian Lindholm.

Toyoda said his visit to last season’s Neste Oil Rally Finland impressed him.

“During my time there many rally fans asked me when Toyota would come back to WRC. People talked about Toyota’s history in WRC, and I was filled with surprise and gratitude that so many people remembered.

“Last time we competed was in 1999. That makes me think we are not announcing a return, but perhaps a start. We must begin again from scratch and carefully prepare both team and cars," he said.

The current Yaris WRC complies with existing regulations, but changes are expected when updated technical rules are introduced to WRC in 2017.

Toyota won four drivers’ and three manufacturers’ world titles in the 1990s with legendary drivers such as Carlos Sainz and Juha Kankkunen.

Toyota’s return was welcomed by WRC Promoter’s managing director, Oliver Ciesla.

“Toyota has a long and distinguished history in motorsport, particularly in world rallying, and we’re delighted to welcome one of the automobile industry’s giants back to WRC,” he said.

source: wrc.com

WRC Rallye Monte Carlo Shakedown

SÉBASTIEN LOEB RETURNED TO THE FIA WORLD RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP IN THE BEST POSSIBLE STYLE WHEN HE WAS FASTEST IN THIS EVENING’S SHAKEDOWN AT RALLYE MONTE-CARLO.

Loeb is the ‘Monte master’ with seven wins to his name over the unpredictable Alpine roads. Despite almost 15 months away from the WRC, the 40-year-old Frenchman was quickly back in the groove through the 3.52km Chateauvieux stage.

His first of five runs through the twisty, hairpin-lined test in a Citroen DS 3 was 0.4sec faster than team-mate Kris Meeke, and 1.1sec quicker than arch-rival Sébastien Ogier.

“It’s not a bad way to come back to WRC!” he said. “I immediately felt comfortable in the car but this won’t be an easy rally. The weather forecast looks tricky and so my low position in the road order could be an advantage or a disadvantage,” said Loeb.

Meeke also completed five passes through the test while Ogier restricted himself to the minimum three.

Fourth was Andreas Mikkelsen, the Norwegian just a tenth of a second behind Volkswagen team-mate Ogier’s Polo R. The Ford Fiesta RS cars of Robert Kubica and Elfyn Evans completed the top six.

The top 10 times were:

1.Sébastien Loeb 2min 21.0sec

2.Kris Meeke + 0.4sec

3.Sébastien Ogier + 1.1sec

4.Andreas Mikkelsen + 1.2sec

5.Robert Kubica + 1.3sec

6.Elfyn Evans + 1.4sec 

7.Mads Østberg + 1.8sec

8.Sebastien Chardonnet + 3.7sec

9=Thierry Neuville + 3.9sec

9=Dani Sordo+ 3.9sec



source: www.wrc.com

WRC : No transmission of performance data

In recent years, thanks to improvements in mobile data and timing systems, WRC drivers have been able to monitor their rivals’ speed during a live stage via a stream of data messages sent from their team. By receiving splits, which were taken from the official timing system, drivers could speed up or ease off if necessary - modifying their strategy on the go.

It was a handy tool, and far superior to the old system that involved team personnel lurking on the roadside with stopwatches and pit boards. But from 2015 the drivers will have to do without it. At its meeting in December, the FIA World Motor Sport Council decided that ‘from 2015, the transmission of performance data or information to or from a competing car, not in relation with safety, is forbidden during special stages to help promote greater competition.’

So, although the live split times will continue to be available to teams (and wrc.com users) the drivers will have to rely on their intuition alone to judge their speed. And that’s going to make the familiar Sunday driver quote “I’m just keeping an eye on the pace of the guy behind” a thing of the past. And that’s great news.


*Source - www.wrc.com

WRC : Running Order Revamp

The order in which drivers start WRC stages is controversial because on many rallies the first through will be at a disadvantage. This is most noticeable on loose, dry gravel events, where the first competitor - or competitors - will encounter more slippery conditions than those following. On the other hand, it can be advantageous to be first through some roads - damp asphalt for example - where the surface will tend to get dirtier with each passing car. 

So, what is the fairest way to decide who should go first? Over the years the FIA has tried numerous different systems, from letting the drivers choose their own positions depending on their performance at Shakedown, to the 2014 system of drivers’ championship order for day one and then reverse rally classification order from then on. This year the FIA has revamped the system again so that seeded drivers will start Friday and Saturday’s stages in championship order and only Sunday’s final day in reverse classification order. 

It’s a system that will give the championship leader the worst conditions for the majority of some rallies. Understandably, this hasn’t gone down well with Sebastien Ogier, but others argue that the leading driver should be best able to overcome any disadvantage and this is the best way to level the playing field. Is it a fairer system and will it lead to closer battles? We’ll see soon - but for the full effect we will have to wait until Rally Guanajuato Mexico in March.



*Source - www.wrc.com

WRC : Ogier tests Volkswagen Polo R WRC for Rallye Monte-Carlo 2015

SEBASTIEN OGIER TESTING VOLKSWAGEN POLO R WRC FOR RALLYE MONTE-CARLO 2015

Ogier tests the new Polo R WRC for the 2015 season

Watch Sebastien Ogier testing Volkswagen Polo R WRC for WRC Rallye Monte-Carlo 2015.

I do not miss the atmosphere of Formula One - Kubica

Kubica has no intentions to come back to F1

Robert Kubica has suggested he is close to abandoning the idea of ever returning to Formula One. Now plying his trade as a professional rally driver, the Polish driver has never previously ruled a move back to F1.

Kubica told Ferrari insider Leo Turrini's Quotidiano blog: "I do not miss the atmosphere of Formula One, but I do miss driving the cars."That was the dream of my life. I was born to race on the track and I managed to do it. And then something happened.

"Physically, I can still drive the cars. Last year I participated in some (simulator) tests, and while I cannot say the results were negative, I can't say I achieved the same results as I did in the past.

"As a result, there is no sense to start all over again, so I have focused on the rally."

2015 FIA WRC Calender

All rallies in the 2014 schedule were confirmed for next year by the FIA World Motor Sport Council at its meeting in Beijing, with some significant date changes in the first part of the season.

“We’re delighted to confirm the 2015 calendar and to retain all 13 rounds for next season. The breadth of events geographically ensures a truly global championship,” said WRC Promoter’s managing director, Oliver Ciesla.

“We’ve again blended a mix of classic events that date back to the championship’s origins with newer, but firmly established, rallies. All will offer a challenging variety of roads and conditions to ensure that WRC will provide the ultimate all-round test of driving ability,” Ciesla added.

Here is the schedule for the 2015 FIA World Rally Championship

Round	Rally	Dates
1	Monte-Carlo	22 - 25 January
2	Sweden	12 - 15 February
3	Mexico	05 - 08 March
4	Argentina	16 - 19 April
5	Portugal	21 - 24 May
6	Italy	11 - 15 June
7	Poland	02 - 05 July
8	Finland	30 July - 02 August
9	Germany	20 - 23 August
10	Australia	10 - 13 September
11	France	01 - 04 October
12	Spain	22 - 25 October
13	Great Britain	12 - 15 November

Loeb dominates on his rallying return

Sebastien Loeb began his rallying comeback with a commanding win in the Rally of Var, with his wife Severine in the co-drivers seat.

The nine time WRC Champion who will make his return to WRC in the 2015 Monte Carlo Rally, led from start to finish in the Rally of Var, which is a popular test event for the Monte Carlo Rally.

Driving the Citroen DS3 WRC, Loeb won the event comfortably by over three minutes. David Salanon in his Ford Fiesta RS WRC finished second.

Loeb will test the DS3 again before the Monte, which will be his first WRC appearance since what had been his farewell rally in France last October.