A clean track

It's a pleasure to follow Sebastien Loeb's driving on the most authentic tarmac roads in Spain. He takes so perfectly advantage of the road and doesn't go through the ditches.

Loeb doesn't have to cut the corners anymore because his trust in the car is so solid. Compared to cutters Loeb takes the corner more slowly but he comes out of them the fastest of all.

That's how the differences are born.

A clean tarmac is a great champion's label.

Jari-Matti Latvala has progressed remarkably on tarmac, but the road behind him is still left with stones and trash when Ford's aggressive Finn cuts the corners with a grin on his face.

Latvala's best pleasure was ruined by the last stage on the dark dusting road.

The insane stage ruined the leading position Latvala had so brilliantly built up and he became the chaser on tarmac. As a chaser you can't put pressure on Loeb. The only advantage is that you get to drive right after Loeb when the road is cleanest.

Kimi Räikkönen didn't this time either experience the season's best tarmac roads. They fixed the car late in the night but Räikkönen decided not to continue.

It pretty much looks like Räikkönen's rally career stops this season. At least he isn't looking for more experience at the moment.

Räikkönen shares premises with Petter Solberg. Even Solberg's rally ended short. Like Räikkönen, Solberg's WRC-rallies seem to come to an end also.

I heard that the negotiations about Solberg going to Volkswagen have ended. Solberg outpriced himself from those markets. I doubt he is interested anymore to continue next year with his own private team, since he has had to pay for the last two rallies from his own pockets.

Turun Sanomat, Salou

HEIKKI KULTA

Courtesy: Nicole

Loeb quickest in Finland shakedown

Sebastien Loeb has set the fastest time in shakedown for Neste Oil Rally Finland, round eight of the 2011 World Rally Championship

Driving a Citroen DS3 WRC, the French ace set a benchmark time of 1m35.7s through the 3.19-kilometre Ruuhimaki practice stage this morning.

“It’s important I score some points, that’s the main thing here,” said the seven-time world champion. “Whether this [time in shakedown] is a sign of things to come I do not know.”

Loeb’s Citroen team-mate Sebastien Ogier was second quickest with a time of 1m36.3s. Jari-Matti Latvala, the winner in Finland in 2010, was the leading Ford Fiesta RS WRC driver in third overall with a time of 1m36.6s.

Latvala and fellow factory Ford driver Mikko Hirvonen, who was eighth quickest, are among the favourites to win the gravel event this week. Despite being outpaced by the rival Citroen squad, Ford team boss Malcolm Wilson said the results of shakedown wouldn’t determine the outcome of the rally.

“We’re less than a second off Sebastien so that’s okay,” said Wilson. “Our drivers are really happy with the set-up they’ve got on their cars and didn’t need to do more runs or try and set faster times.”

Ex-Formula One world champion Kimi Räikkönen, who is starting his third Rally Finland, was seventh quickest in his ICE 1 Racing Citroen. The Finn completed six runs in shakedown and co-driver Kaj Lindstrom was satisfied with their performance. “Everything was okay, no problems and we had a good feeling,” he said.

Kris Meeke was 11th fastest in his MINI John Cooper Works WRC. After the shakedown his mechanics had to replace a broken windscreen, which a team representative confirmed had not hampered the Northern Irish ace’s progress.

Priority drivers are required to complete a minimum four runs of shakedown. Russian Evgeny Novikov, who missed out on a pre-event test, completed nine runs to fine-tune the set-up of his M-Sport Stobart-entered Fiesta. He was sixth quickest.

Norwegian Eyvind Brynildsen was the fastest Super 2000 World Rally Championship runner in his PS Engineering Skoda Fabia. Ukrainian driver Oleksandr Saliuk set the Production Car World Rally Championship pace at the wheel of a Mitsubishi Lancer.

Here are the top 10 times from the Shakedown session:

1. LOEB. Citroen DS3 WRC. 1:35.7
2. OGIER. Citroen DS3 WRC. 1:36.3
3. LATVALA. Ford Fiesta RS WRC. 1:36.6
4. P. SOLBERG. Citroen DS3 WRC. 1:36.8
5. OSTBERG. Ford Fiesta RS WRC. 1:36.9
6. NOVIKOV. Ford Fiesta RS WRC. 1:37.0
7. RÄIKKÖNEN. Citroen DS3 WRC. 1:37.1
8. HIRVONEN. Ford Fiesta RS WRC. 1:37.4
9. WILSON. Ford Fiesta RS WRC. 1:37.4
=10. SORDO. MINI John Cooper Works WRC. 1.37.6
=10. MEEKE. MINI John Cooper Works WRC. 1.37.6

Source: WRC

Photos: Kimi Räikkönen and Sebastien Loeb at Red Bull Show Run Helsinki

Kimi Räikkönen and Sebastien Loeb during Red Bull Show Run in Helsinki today













Source: MTV3 Iltalehti

Räikkönen and Loeb to show drive in downtown Helsinki

Kimi Räikkönen will drive Red Bull's WRC car in downtown Helsinki, Finland on July 24. Sebastian Loeb will be there also, reports the news agency STT. The news paper Metro reported earlier that Räikkönen would be driving an F1 car, however this is not the case.

The car in question will be similar to the one Räikkönen drives in the WRC series. The Esplanade where the show drive will take place will be closed off for the duration of the show which will be about two hours.

- The city's strategy includes guide lines for the enlivenment of downtown Helsinki. This is a handy way to get some sparkle to inner Helsinki, comments Jarmo Nieminen, the chairman of the Public Works Department on Metro.

All the representatives did not quite agree with the need for such sparkle, as the permission for the show was decided by the chairman's vote after 4-4 tie.

Räikkönen drives a Citroën in private team in the WRC series. Red Bull is one of his sponsors.

Source: Racing Newsflash

Interview with Marc Gené: I could race with Kimi and Loeb in 2012

Peugeot have unveiled their team for the 24h of Le Mans. It has the same line-up as last season, a line-up where the Spaniard Marc Gené is one of the main stars

What’s different this season in Le Mans?
Unfortunately, the V12 engines have been banned and now we have 150-200 less horsepower. But we have improved the aerodynamics, chassis and ergonomics, so the car has a very similar behavior to a Formula 1. But Audi will also have a new car and, as always, we will have to take them into consideration. We will also have to see where the “gasoline” Aston Martin will be with the new rules. We would like to forget what happened last year. We were the fastest, but you know what happened.

What about the chance of racing with Räikkönen and Loeb?
It is something very logical, and it could happen in 2012. I had already been told, that if Loeb had raced (in 2011) we would have been team-mates, because we have already worked together in the past, and because he’s out of the ordinary. If Kimi also comes, well, I’m the one who knows him the best. As a matter of fact, he has asked me several times about Le Mans and I have told him that this is the most beautiful race in the world. He’s a very fast driver and he would fit perfectly, as Loeb also would, but we will have to wait until he (Loeb) retires from rallying as rumors say.

What does Alonso think about the new Ferrari?
In the racing world, if you do the best time, that’s indicative. It’s easy to see that the new car was well born, it gives good results and it is reliable. I don’t have much more information about that, but I have a good feeling after what we’ve seen in Valencia.

Source: AS.com
Courtesy: Mar

Citroën Racing enters the third dimension!

The entry of the DS3 WRC in the 2011 World Rally Championship will open a new chapter in the history of the French make. The Citroën Total World Rally Team's aim is win its seventh Manufacturer's World Title, and to achieve this it has entered two crews: Sébastien Loeb-Daniel Elena, gunning for their eighth drivers' world title on the trot, and Sébastien Ogier-Julien Ingrassia who have been promoted to the works outfit full time after scoring two victories in 2010.

Three more Citroën DS3 WRCs will be driven by privateers: Petter Solberg, Kimi Räikkönen and Peter van Merksteijn. Citroën Racing, which has been involved in top-level world rallying for ten years, is about to give its third World Rally car its debut. After the Xsara and the C4, which racked up three world titles each, the DS3 WRC will make its bow on the world stage in the Swedish Rally (10-13 February). The team directed by Olivier Quesnel has fixed itself an aim as simple as it is ambitious for this key season that represents a turning point in the make's history - retain its Manufacturers' and Drivers' titles!

The Citroën DS3 WRC is a stunning synthesis of Creative Technology that complies with the new regulations drawn up by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The most visible change is its size. The DS3 WRC is more compact than the C4, which gives it much more spectacular behaviour. The revolution continues under the bonnet as the car is powered by a 1.6-litre turbocharged direct injection 4-cylinder engine designed in-house by Citroën Racing. It is coupled to 4-wheel drive transmission with a manually controlled sequential gearbox and with a constant power sharing system between the front and rear axles.

The Citroën DS3 WRC was unveiled at last year's Paris Motor Show, and it has since undergone multiple test sessions to be ready for a season consisting of thirteen rallies, each one with its own specific characteristics, stretched over a 9-month period. From the polar chill of Sweden to the heat of the Jordanian desert, the World Rally Championship is a huge challenge for men and machines. The technical team managed by Xavier Mestelan-Pinon has reproduced the most extreme conditions during the sessions aimed at testing the reliability of the car and developing its performance.

The Citroën Total World Rally Team that represents the official colours of the make has entered two DS3 WRCs for crews that come from its own nursery, which today consists of the 'Citroën Racing Trophies' organized all over Europe.

Total continues its long-standing partnership with Citroën as title sponsor of the works team. The DS3 WRCs will also carry the famous Red Bull colours as the company pursues an involvement that began in 2008. Three brands will be back among Citroën's partners, Michelin which will supply tyres for the DS3 WRCs, as well as Facom and Alcon.

Three more DS3 WRCs run by Citroën Racing Technologies will be entered for private crews in 2011. Petter Solberg-Chris Patterson will start all thirteen rounds, Kimi Räikkönen-Kaj Lindström will take part in ten rallies while Peter van Merksteijn-Eddy Chevaillier will begin their season at the Portuguese Rally."

Source: kimiraikkonen.com
Courtesy: Acropolis

Loeb and Räikkönen tipped for Le Mans

Seven-time World Rally Champion Sebastien Loeb has been tipped to return to the Le Mans 24 Hours this year: an event that he has already contested twice, with a best result of second place in 2006.

Loeb came close to a Le Mans seat in 2010 with Peugeot, before deciding to prioritise his World Rally Championship campaign and testing commitments with the new Citroën DS3 WRC.

Now though, with Loeb likely to retire from rallying at the end of 2011 – especially if he wins the title again – the 36-year-old is looking at his racing future for 2012 and beyond.

With the Le Mans 24 Hours scheduled for 11-12 June this year, between the rallies of Argentina and Greece, Loeb would have time to take part in the endurance classic – which is not always possible due to the demands of the WRC calendar.

Former Grand Prix Champion Kimi Räikkönen – who will contest 10 rallies this year in a Citroën DS3 WRC – is also keen to race at Le Mans. Discussions have taken place with Citroen’s sponsor Red Bull about the possibility of running a Peugeot 908 in Red Bull colours at Le Mans; with the two rally stars among the driver line-up.

Räikkönen will only miss the rallies of Mexico, Italy and Argentina this year, although more rounds could be forthcoming if extra budget is secured.

Source: MaxRally
Courtesy: sleenster

Friday wrap: Solberg battles illness to lead in Japan

Petter Solberg has not won a round of the world championship since Rally GB in 2005 but all that could be about to change after the Norwegian completed the opening day of Rally Japan with a lead of almost 10 seconds in his privately-run Citroen C4 WRC.

While that might not represent a huge advantage, Solberg has battled a fever throughout the day, which he admits has masked some of his pace.

“It has not been easy at all today,” said Solberg. “I am feeling a lot better than I was but it’s very strange when you don’t feel okay and don’t have the energy you need. Now I need a good night’s sleep to sweat out the last bit [of fever]. The car is working very well and we have had a good pace and a good performance today so I am happy. I know there is more to come from me.”

Mikko Hirvonen completed the opening loop of three stages today in fourth overall but an upturn in pace in the afternoon has enabled the factory Ford Focus driver to leap to second, 9.4s behind Solberg, courtesy of two stage wins.

“It’s worked really for us today,” said Finn Hirvonen. “I didn’t want to go too fast too early so I’ve been building up my speed slowly and it’s starting to be pretty good. We have to see what we can do tomorrow. I didn’t change anything at midday service, I just went for it because the others were doing that too.”

Sebastien Ogier is third on his first Rally Japan. He is also the leading works Citroen driver after team-mate and title leader Sebastien Loeb lost significant ground cleaning the road of the loose surface gravel on Friday morning.

Ogier, who held the overnight lead after going quickest on both of Thursday evening’s superspecial stages, said: “To be racing to be in the lead is very good for my first visit to Japan. The road has been very bad this afternoon so it has not been easy. For this reason I am very happy. The car has been perfect but we made some changes to the set-up to adapt it for the rougher stages in the afternoon.”

Loeb, meanwhile, suffered a broken front damper to add to the delay he suffered running first on the road. His road position remained a hindrance for the afternoon tests due to the ruts that had formed following the first pass of the three gravel stages.

Jari-Matti Latvala, who is fourth in the second works Focus, reported making two small mistakes on stage seven. “I just got confused with my notes on a few occasions and ended up braking too early,” he said after completing day one 15.4s off the overall lead.

Dani Sordo completes the top five in his Citroen Junior Team C4 but was left to bemoan a gearbox glitch that struck during the afternoon.

Henning Solberg is seventh with Stobart M-Sport team-mate Matthew Wilson completing the top eight. Federico Villagra is ninth in his Focus, 16.6s clear of ex-Formula One world champion Kimi Räikkönen, who spent the day adapting to the challenging gravel roads around host city Sapporo.


Source: WRC

Rallye Deutschland 2010: Overnight leader Loeb vows tokeep pushing

Sebastien Loeb will take a 9.5-second lead into day two of Rallye Deutschland although the reigning world champion admits the gap might not be enough to keep Citroen team-mate Dani Sordo at bay

The Spaniard has been a consistent threat to Loeb through Friday’s six stages and went faster than the Frenchman on the final stage of the day, the repeat of the 19.92-kilometre Moselland test.

“It’s been a good day for sure but it’s not been easy and I have been really pushing because first Petter was fast and then it was Dani,” said Loeb. “I have to continue this way tomorrow if I am to win.”

Sordo, back in the main Citroen team after contesting Rally Finland with the company’s Junior squad, said he had been full of confidence throughout the day. “My times have been consistent and it’s nice to be close to Sebastien,” said Sordo. “But the most important thing is to take as many points as possible for the manufacturers’ championship.”

Jari-Matti Latvala is the leading works Ford driver in third overall and was satisfied with the progress made since the last asphalt round in Bulgaria back in early July.

“I’ve made progress since Bulgaria and that is important,” said the Rally Finland winner. “I’ve not made any major errors but the small ones have cost some time.”

With the anti-stall problem that slowed him this morning resolved, Sebastien Ogier was able to climb ahead of Mikko Hirvonen for fourth after going faster than the Finn on stage five. Ogier said he was satisfied with his performance but Hirvonen admitted that he needs to find more speed on day two in the second factory Ford.

Francois Duval completes the top six on his return to the WRC for the first time since 2008. The Belgian could have been higher up the leaderboard but for a broken front-right driveshaft five kilometres from the finish of stage two, which left his Focus on rear-wheel drive only.

“It’s good that this is a long rally as it can hopefully allow me to catch up on the others after a bad start,” said Duval, who lost almost a minute on Friday morning.

Matthew Wilson is seventh, 4.7s behind Duval, after overcoming understeer and brake problems earlier in the day.

Ex-Formula One world champion Kimi Raikkonen is eighth in his Citroen Junior Team C4 with Petter Solberg ninth after a fraught day. The Norwegian suffered a deflated tyre on the opening stage and in his efforts to make up the lost time he carried too much speed into a left-hander on stage six and broke his right-rear wheel rim against a kerb, which prompted a second wheel change.

“It’s been an up and down day,” said Solberg. “The car has been very good and we showed our speed by going fastest on stage five. Unfortunately we overshot a junction on stage five and then had the problem with the wheel on stage six.”

Ken Block completes the top 10 in his Monster World Rally Team Focus on only his third asphalt rally and his first at world championship level.

Overall:
1. 1 S. LOEB M 1:18:52.5 0.0 0.0
2. 2 D. SORDO M 1:19:02.0 +9.5 +9.5
3. 4 J. LATVALA M 1:19:57.2 +55.2 +1:04.7
4. 7 S. OGIER M 1:20:03.4 +6.2 +1:10.9
5. 3 M. HIRVONEN M 1:20:07.0 +3.6 +1:14.5
6. 6 F. DUVAL M 1:22:02.9 +1:55.9 +3:10.4
7. 5 M. WILSON M 1:22:07.6 +4.7 +3:15.1
8. 8 K. RÄIKKÖNEN M 1:22:15.3 +7.7 +3:22.8
9. 11 P. SOLBERG 1:23:40.2 +1:24.9 +4:47.7
10. 43 K. BLOCK 1:24:34.8 +54.6 +5:42.3

Source: WRC

Citroëns dominate Rally Deutschland Shakedown

Citroen’s bid for an eighth victory on Rally Deutschland got off to a strong start earlier today when C4 World Rally Cars locked out the top four times at the pre-event shakedown

The four hour test - a prelude to this weekend's rally - took place on a 5.80km asphalt road near the villages of Mesenich and Grewenich, 16km west of the Service Park in Trier. Conditions were dry and sunny throughout, with the temperature peaking at 23 degrees Celsius.

Citroen works team driver Dani Sordo shared the joint fastest time with privateer entrant Petter Solberg. Sordo, competing alongside new co-driver Diego Vallejo for the first time, completed four passes through the stage, setting his best time of 3m 39.4s on his final run.

“It felt good,” said Sordo. “Of course it’s a big change having Diego alongside me but we’ve tested for three days [in the rally car] and since then we have been driving together in a road car in Spain. It’s not the same as proper competition but this morning everything is okay. The aim for the rally is to try and get a podium. But running sixth on the road isn’t an ideal position to be in because there will be a lot of dirt on the road. If the weather stays dry that will help.”

Solberg, who started a new co-driving partnership with Chris Patterson six weeks ago, matched Sordo’s time on his fourth run. The Norwegian drove the stage five times after hitting a snag on his first pass. “The handbrake didn’t release after a hairpin and we were stationary for about 15 seconds,” he explained. “Luckily it happened today and we were able to fix it. After that we tried a few different settings, confirming what we found at our pre-event test. In the end the car feels absolutely perfect and we matched Sordo’s time. I’m happy with that.”

Seven-time Rally Deutschland winner Sebastien Loeb was the closest to Sordo and Solberg, in a time 1.3sec adrift. “The test has been okay for me, no problems,” he said. The road was fast and narrow, so always difficult, but the feeling was good and the car is perfect for the moment. We made a little change to the suspension but nothing special.”

Citroen Junior Team driver Kimi Raikkonen set the fourth fastest time, 1.9sec slower than Loeb, while Ford team-leader Mikko Hirvonen rounded off the top five as the first Focus RS WRC pilot.

ADAC Rally Deutschland gets underway on Friday 19 August at 0900hrs when crews leave the Service Park bound for the opening Ruwertal / Fell stage.

Here are the Shakedown times of the leading WRC drivers:

1. SORDO. Citroen C4 WRC. 3:39.4

=1. P. SOLBERG. Citroen C4 WRC. 3:39.4

3. LOEB. Citroen C4 WRC. 3:40.7

4. RÄIKKÖNEN. Citroen C4 WRC. 3:42.6

5. HIRVONEN. Ford Focus RS WRC 09. 3:42.7

6. DUVAL. Ford Focus RS WRC 08. 3:42.8

7. OGIER. Citroen C4 WRC. 3:43.3

8. LATVALA. Ford Focus RS WRC 09. 3:44.4

9. WILSON. Ford Focus RS WRC 08. 3:48.3

10. Al QASSIMI. Ford Focus RS WRC 08. 3:51.4

11. BLOCK. Ford Focus RS WRC 08. 3:52.2

Source: WRC

Kimi Räikkönen Press Conference at Neste Oil Rally Finland 2010

Source: WRC

Kimi, Loeb &Co. relaxing at Savutuvan Apaja - Citroen´s media day - WRC Rally Finland 2010

Source: YLE.fi - amjayes

Kimi didn't care for fish stories* - except for eating

Citroen's rally drivers spent a nice afternoon in traditional Finnish scenery.

The visit was especially exotic for the French drivers since it looked like using a spinnig rod or a fishing pole isn't everyday action for them. Kimi Räikkönen on the other hand just watched his French colleagues' fishing and seemed amused.

Five-time world champion Sebastien Loeb was eager to grab the spinning rod but unfortunately he didn't catch any fish in the hot weather. Citroen's new super talent Sebastien Ogier had better luck, the fish stole his worm bait several times. Eventually a few centimeter long perch got caught in the hook but it managed to escape before Ogier had time to grab it.

Räikkönen wasn't interested in the fishing equipment and watched the action from the side.

Smoked salmon was on the menu

Loeb got exited over the other available activities as well. He tested his accuracy in throwing both darts and horse shoes.

The afternoon was crowned by smoked salmon whose preparation the rally men got to follow. The French seemed to enjoy the Finnish delicacies. And Kimi especially liked the salmon since he got up for round two before the others had hardly even sat down to eat.

On Monday the drivers still had time to enjoy the beautiful hot weather and Mid-Finland's gorgeous lake scenery but in the end of the week there will be less of that going on since the men will be speeding through gravel routes in Jyväskylä's WRC rally.

Source: MTV3 – Leena Lepistö, Jämsä
Courtesy: Dracaena

Sebastien Loeb wins Rally Bulgaria!

Citroen C4 WRC driver Sebastien Loeb sealed victory on Rally Bulgaria today, round seven of the 2010 World Rally Championship, to extend his lead in the FIA Drivers' standings and head a record breaking formation finish for the French manufacturer.

Loeb, the defending and six-time World Champion, led the rally from beginning to end and finished 29.5sec ahead of his team-mate Dani Sordo who was second in another C4 WRC.

After a tense final day battle for second, Citroen privateer Petter Solberg had to settle for third, 6.8sec behind Sordo. Sebastien Ogier brought his C4 WRC home in fourth place to complete a 1-2-3-4 for Citroen - the best world championship finish for a manufacturer since Toyota scored a similar result on the 1993 Safari Rally.

Today's win was the 58th at World Championship level for Loeb and co-driver Daniel Elena and gives him a total of 151 points in the drivers' championship. Sebastien Ogier is second in the series on a total of 100, while Ford team-leader Mikko Hirvonen is third with 86.

Overall:
Source: WRC

Rally Bulgaria 2010: SS2 - Loeb quickest again, Ogier up to second

SS2 Belmeken Lake 2

Frenchman Sebastien Loeb was the fastest man through stage two in Bulgaria, extending his rally lead to 16 seconds after the opening 59 kilometres of the rally.

Loeb's Citroen stable-mate Sebastien Ogier moved ahead of Dani Sordo into second place in the overall standings, while the closest man to Loeb on the stage was Petter Solberg - tackling his first rally with new co-driver Chris Patterson.

Solberg held fourth place overall, with Kimi Raikkonen rounding off an all-Citroen top five. Ford Focus driver Mikko Hirvonen holds sixth, 41.6 seconds off the lead.

Source: WRC

Rally Bulgaria 2010: SS1 - Loeb leads after the opening stage in Bulgaria

SS1 Batak Lake 1

Defending World Rally Champion Sebastien Loeb moved into an early lead of Rally Bulgaria this morning after setting the fastest time on the opening stage.

The Citroen C4 WRC driver declared himself happy with his car and his driving after completing the 31.77km Batak Lake SS1 - the longest stage of the rally - in a time of 17m 33.8s. Loeb's team-mate Dani Sordo was second fastest, in a time 8.6sec slower, while Sebastien Ogier was third fastest, 9.1sec off Loeb's pace.

Petter Solberg and Kimi Raikkonen were fourth and fifth fastest - completing an all Citroen C4 top five.

Ford team leader Mikko Hirvonen holds sixth, 18 seconds off Loeb's lead. "I can't be too proud of that, hopefully we can improve on the next one," said Hirvonen.

Weather conditions were overcast but dry with just a few damp patches remaining after light overnight rain. The majority of crews elected to run Pirelli's hard compound tyres.

Source: WRC

Vodafone Rally de Portugal – Porto Road Show

A success! This is how first edition of Port Road Show can be defined, an event to promote the Vodafone Rally of Portugal that Automóvel Club de Portugal and the Porto City Council, through the municipal company Porto Lazer, appropriately organized in the majestic scenario of Aliados Avenue, in front of an enormous crowd, suitable only for big events

The hot weather also contributed to a nice ambiance to promote the World Rally Championship (WRC), with 13 of the most representative international rally drivers showing all their skills and ability to drive in front of a crowd that never ceased to encourage them. Moreover, the drivers were the first to feel the contagious festive atmosphere.

Sébastien Loeb, the reigning World Champion and official works Citroën driver, said: "It was fantastic to drive with this atmosphere, in a beautiful Porto square, with a enthusiastic audience, always pulling for us. It was above all a great fun and the organization challenge was totally fulfilled."

Mikko Hirvonen, Ford's works driver, said: "It was a great pleasure to drive in front of such a crowd in a unique atmosphere, very motivating for those who are behind the wheel, and a very important day of promotion for the rallies in front of an audience that never stopped to motivate us. For all this, it was worth coming to Porto."

As it was just a demonstration, in which the show rose above any competitive purpose and the times were not important, and the only ranking possible to do was led by Spanish Dani Sordo, with his Citroen.

In the end, Mayor of Porto, Rui Rio, was particularly happy: "It was a huge success in a very hot day. And remember that we only had five days after the Pope's visit to promote the event, but it was possible to have a huge crowd, to demonstrate the strength and popularity of this sport."

Source: RallyBuzz

WRC New Zealand 2010 Final Stage

Source: YouTube - RallyMania

Hirvonen challenges Räikkönen to race in Helsinki

Mikko Hirvonen and other rally drivers will relax in August in a motor race held in Helsinki's Kalasatama.

There will be a real gathering of champions on the first weekend of August in Helsinki's Kalasatama. Of the WRC top drivers in addition to Ford's Mikko Hirvonen and Jari-Matti Latvala also Petter and Henning Solberg and Sebastien Ogier have promised to participate, and so has MotoGP driver Mika Kallio.

Former world champions and other pentioners will be represented by Tommi Mäkinen, Markko Märtin, Juha Kankkunen, Timo Salonen and Markku Alen.

”We're supposed to be driving similar vehicles that were used in China in the race of champions, that is open rear-engine circuit cars, buggys and Legends cars”, Hirvonen, who is one of the organizers, tells STT.

The event, which takes place a week after the WRC rally in Jyväskylä, will climax on a final driven on Sunday. Sebastien Loeb, who leads the championship, is too busy to take part in the event but Kimi Räikkönen's participation is possible.

”An invitation has been sent but we still haven't got a reply”, says Hirvonen.

Hirvonen was in Helsinki on Wednesday to present the event and he will immediately head to New Zealand where the fifth WRC rally of the season will be driven in a week.

Hirvonen is third in the WRC series, 41 points behind the leader Loeb.

Source: Helsingin Sanomat
Courtesy: Dracena and Moominpappa

Raikkonen still not ruling out F1 return

Kimi Raikkonen insists he still has not made a decision about returning to Formula One in 2011.

After agreeing to end his Ferrari contract a year early late in 2009, the Finn signed on with Red Bull and Citroen and then endured a difficult and crash-laden start to his new career in the World Rally Championship.

But early this month in Jordan, 30-year-old Raikkonen became the first driver since Carlos Reutemann to score points in both F1 and world rallying.

And then shortly after declaring he is not missing Formula One, he finished less than 7 minutes behind winner Sebastien Loeb in Turkey for fifth place.

But when asked if his recent results make it more likely he will stick with rallying in 2011, Raikkonen told Turun Sanomat newspaper: "It has not turned in any direction.

"There is no rush for me to make decisions. We'll have to see what are the possibilities and what for me is the most interesting -- what I enjoy the most and what it is I most want to do," he added.

"We will see at a point some time later this year," said Raikkonen.

Famously not fond of F1's off-track activities and pressures, and ruing the lost days of characters like James Hunt, Raikkonen's observers agree that he seems happier in the rallying world.

"If the F1 world could go back 20 years, it would be the same as rallying now," he said. "It (rallying) is still professional but in just a bit more of a relaxed style."

Source: Motosport