Source: OfficialMcLarenVids
Showing posts with label guide. Show all posts
Showing posts with label guide. Show all posts
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Friday, April 2, 2010
Jordan Rally stage guides - Saturday
Saturday's final day of the Jordan Rally takes competitors north of the Dead Sea base.
After restarting at 0730hrs, they face two identical loops of four stages, split by a 30-minute midday service, before returning to the Dead Sea for the final service at 1440hrs.
The finish ceremony on the shores of the Dead Sea takes place at 1530hrs after another 105.50km of competition.
Here are our wrc.com stage notes for Saturday's stages. Under the summaries you'll find our list of essential website links to help you follow the rally via our live results service.
SS14/SS18: Yakrut. 14.16km
Run in the reverse direction to 2008, when it was called Mai'n, this stage provides some of the rally’s most spectacular views and is popular with spectators thanks to its location close to the main highway. The stage runs through small Bedouin settlements at 13km which provide a great local flavour. Most of Yakrut is fast, wide and open with a hard road surface. The second half is particularly fast; the road flows well but there are a few crests and blind bends along the way. There's a tarmac section at the 9.5km point, but the surface is generally hard-packed gravel, covered with a fine dust. This combination means the road will clean a lot.
SS15/SS19: Bahath. 12.53km
Almost all of this section was included in the Erak Alamir stage from 2008. However this time it's run in the opposite direction. It’s a tricky test because the character of the route is so varied that it's impossible to settle into a comfortable driving rhythm. It starts with a really steep downhill section on a thick coating of gravel - with so much loose material on the road it's hard to judge braking points here. After a bridge crossing the road climbs up a hill and becomes very twisty and technical. The twisty nature remains for most of the route, but the surface is constantly changing. At five kilometres it switches to a hard-packed base with a dusting of fine gravel, and later on there are sections of broken asphalt and some evil-looking pot holes to contend with.
SS16/SS20: Shuna. 15.23km
About half of this stage will have been run earlier in the rally so it will be interesting to see if the surface starts to get torn up. Shuna starts tight and twisty then heads down into a gorge. At the bottom, at 1.2km, the road runs over a steeply angled concrete culvert. Then there's a short steep uphill section with some tight back-to-back hairpins and hair-raising drop offs. From 1.8km to 3.3km the road gets faster as it runs along a ridge line then goes downhill - steeply in places - with lots of hairpins and s-bends to the 6.8km point. For the next 3km the road gets faster. It's still twisty but not as tight and it flows a bit better. Between 9.2km and 13.6km the road is up and down like a rollercoaster. There are lots of blind crests and massive drops on the left of the road. It runs along a ridgeline for the last 2km. Generally the route flows fairly well but is tight and technical in places.
SS17/21: Baptism Site - 10.83km
The start is close to the location where Jesus Christ was baptised in the Jordan River. Again, the stage runs through the lowest point on earth and finishes a stone’s throw from the Dead Sea. The stage was run earlier in the event - although in the opposite direction - as Suwayma. It remains to be seen how much the road surface will deteriorate - if at all. The opening 4km are very fast on a combination of gravel and broken asphalt, then there's a complex of tight corners from 3.8km to 4.2km. There's a very fast short asphalt strip a couple of kilometres later. From there to the 11km mark it's very fast. There's not much gravel and the hard packed surface is almost like asphalt, the corners flow well, with minimal crests. There's a watersplash 3km before the finish, then it's a short dash to the line up a fast and twisty road.
Source: WRC
After restarting at 0730hrs, they face two identical loops of four stages, split by a 30-minute midday service, before returning to the Dead Sea for the final service at 1440hrs.
The finish ceremony on the shores of the Dead Sea takes place at 1530hrs after another 105.50km of competition.
Here are our wrc.com stage notes for Saturday's stages. Under the summaries you'll find our list of essential website links to help you follow the rally via our live results service.
SS14/SS18: Yakrut. 14.16km
Run in the reverse direction to 2008, when it was called Mai'n, this stage provides some of the rally’s most spectacular views and is popular with spectators thanks to its location close to the main highway. The stage runs through small Bedouin settlements at 13km which provide a great local flavour. Most of Yakrut is fast, wide and open with a hard road surface. The second half is particularly fast; the road flows well but there are a few crests and blind bends along the way. There's a tarmac section at the 9.5km point, but the surface is generally hard-packed gravel, covered with a fine dust. This combination means the road will clean a lot.
SS15/SS19: Bahath. 12.53km
Almost all of this section was included in the Erak Alamir stage from 2008. However this time it's run in the opposite direction. It’s a tricky test because the character of the route is so varied that it's impossible to settle into a comfortable driving rhythm. It starts with a really steep downhill section on a thick coating of gravel - with so much loose material on the road it's hard to judge braking points here. After a bridge crossing the road climbs up a hill and becomes very twisty and technical. The twisty nature remains for most of the route, but the surface is constantly changing. At five kilometres it switches to a hard-packed base with a dusting of fine gravel, and later on there are sections of broken asphalt and some evil-looking pot holes to contend with.
SS16/SS20: Shuna. 15.23km
About half of this stage will have been run earlier in the rally so it will be interesting to see if the surface starts to get torn up. Shuna starts tight and twisty then heads down into a gorge. At the bottom, at 1.2km, the road runs over a steeply angled concrete culvert. Then there's a short steep uphill section with some tight back-to-back hairpins and hair-raising drop offs. From 1.8km to 3.3km the road gets faster as it runs along a ridge line then goes downhill - steeply in places - with lots of hairpins and s-bends to the 6.8km point. For the next 3km the road gets faster. It's still twisty but not as tight and it flows a bit better. Between 9.2km and 13.6km the road is up and down like a rollercoaster. There are lots of blind crests and massive drops on the left of the road. It runs along a ridgeline for the last 2km. Generally the route flows fairly well but is tight and technical in places.
SS17/21: Baptism Site - 10.83km
The start is close to the location where Jesus Christ was baptised in the Jordan River. Again, the stage runs through the lowest point on earth and finishes a stone’s throw from the Dead Sea. The stage was run earlier in the event - although in the opposite direction - as Suwayma. It remains to be seen how much the road surface will deteriorate - if at all. The opening 4km are very fast on a combination of gravel and broken asphalt, then there's a complex of tight corners from 3.8km to 4.2km. There's a very fast short asphalt strip a couple of kilometres later. From there to the 11km mark it's very fast. There's not much gravel and the hard packed surface is almost like asphalt, the corners flow well, with minimal crests. There's a watersplash 3km before the finish, then it's a short dash to the line up a fast and twisty road.
Source: WRC
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Jordan Rally stage guides - Friday
On Friday, teams will tackle just six special stages and a total of 138.28 competitive kilometres, but two of those runs are through the punishing 41.45km Jordan River stage - one of the most difficult in the WRC calendar.
After a 0730hrs restart, drivers tackle two identical loops of three stages, split by a 30-minute midday service, before returning to the Dead Sea for the final overnight halt at 1631hrs.
Here are our wrc.com stage notes for Friday's stages. Under the summaries you'll find our list of essential website links to help you follow the rally via our live results service.
SS8/SS11: Suwayman - 10.49km
Unofficially known as the Dead Sea stage, this is officially the lowest sporting venue on earth. Starting at the banks of the Dead Sea which provides a stunning backdrop, the stage runs through the basin of the Jordan Valley and through the world’s lowest land point at 420m below sea level. It’s mostly flat and fast, with a hard surface and not much gravel to clear. There are a few exceptions, however, and the recent rains have left a few muddy sections. There is a particularly sticky patch at the 7.5km point. After that, there are a few short asphalt sections including one 1.2km stretch just before the finish. This year, organisers have added a little chicane here to slow the cars. Generally, there are lots of corners to cut so the cars further down the order might face some big rocks that have been dragged out onto the road.
SS9/SS12: Kafrain. 17.20km
Kafrain features sections which have been run earlier in the rally - so there could be rocks about here. From the start to the 3.5km mark the road runs alongside a dam, then opens onto a high-speed flat section with long, flowing corners. From 3.5km it tightens, gets twisty and goes uphill before the 4.7km point when it starts to flow better and widen until it hits the top of the hill and some tricky crests. Between 9.2km and 10.7km there's a short, sharp downhill section with lots of adverse camber corners which will be very tricky to brake for because of the amount of loose gravel. At 10.7km the road reaches the bottom of the valley and gets tight and twisty again. There's one more uphill section between 12.5km and 14.5km, before a final downhill sprint to the finish.
SS10/SS13: Jordan River. 41.45km
The extraordinary Jordan Rally stage follows the winding path of the river bed and runs adjacent to the border with Israel and through former battle fields. Traditional farming and Bedouin communities are aplenty and at 41kms, it is the longest stage of the rally and one of the longest in the championship. The road flows well for most of its length but it has a very dirty surface, so the first cars will do a lot of sweeping. The first 2.6km are fast and winds between trees - which makes almost all the corners blind. From there to 9.3km it heads though agricultural land - but with trees still lining the right-hand side of the road. Traction is especially tricky here, as the surface is a mixture of some almost completely clean sections and patches of deep gravel. The corners get tighter until the 10.5km mark, when the road dives back between the tress again and there are more blind bends. At 12.6km the road does a good rollercoaster impression as it heads into the Dolomite Hills, with undulating sections and a mixture of slow and high speed corners. It stays fast between 14.5km and 19.6km when it hits the plateau on top of the range and opens up with mainly fast corners mixed with some small crest and dips to throw the cars around. There is a twisty sector between 19.6km and 26.8km where the road is wide but the corners are blind again with big trees on the apexes. From there to the end it gets faster and more hazardous: there are lots of big rocks by the roadside waiting to be dragged on. The final few kilometres are very, very fast.
Source: WRC
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Jordan Rally stage guides - Thursday
In contrast to most rounds of the World Championship, the Jordan Rally gets underway early, with a full day of competition on Thursday, when drivers would usually be tackling the pre-event Shakedown.
Day one in Jordan starts at 1100hrs, when the first car will drive over the start ramp amid the spectacular Roman ruins of Jerash. Ahead lie 95.70 competitive kilometres arranged over seven special stages.
In the morning, crews will tackle a loop of four consecutive stages in the countryside north of the Dead Sea Service Park, before heading back there for a 30-minute service. In the afternoon crews will repeat three of the stages before a 45-minute end of day service.
Here are our wrc.com stage notes for Thursday's stages. Under the summaries you'll find our list of essential website links to help you follow the rally via our live results service.
SS1: Rumman Forest. 15.34km
The start in Jerash has brought the picturesque northern forest stage of Rumman into play, and it’s the only new stage of this year's rally. Rumman (Arabic for pomegranate) is completely different to the other stages of the event, because it runs through a lush pine forest. It starts off with a downhill section on a chalk road which is covered in a fine dust for the first five kilometres. Soon after it levels off to become narrow and twisty as it snakes between the trees. Between 5km and 9km the gravel gets deeper, but the tight and technical character remains right until the end. In places this stage looks like one from Rally Cyprus.
SS2/SS5: Wadi Shueib. 8.65km
Run in the opposite direction in 2008, the event’s shortest stage runs along the side of a valley and will present a tough mental and physical challenge to the drivers as they pass through sea level towards the lowest point on earth. It’s not a place to make a mistake either, because almost the whole section has a steep drop on the right-hand side. There's lots of gravel pretty much everywhere, so the first cars will have a good deal of sweeping to do. The stage begins with a steep uphill section, and then follows the contours of the hillside before dropping down into the valley for the finish.
SS3/SS6: Mahes. 20.44km
This is the second longest stage of the rally and has some very big drops by the roadside in places. It starts tight and twisty with a steep climb along a high ridge with lots of gravel on the hard-packed surface. The narrow road snakes along the side of the hill with a big drop on the right. After about 4km it drops downhill, with lots of tight, cambered corners until it reaches the bottom of the valley at the midpoint. From there on it’s an undulating piece of road that is open and quick along the top of a ridge line. Sometimes it’s uphill, sometimes downhill but there’s always lots of gravel so it could be slippery. The stage ends alongside a huge dam.
SS4/SS7: Mount Nebo - 11.09km
A location famed by Biblical stories where Moses looked out over the Holy Land. It is now the location of an ancient church which attracts 100,000 visitors annually. The stage starts twisty and fast with a short downhill sequence of hairpins before crossing a concrete bridge with a harsh compression. From there it gets faster, with good grip and lots of good cuts to help the cars stay on the road at speed. There are a couple of blind crests at 2.4km and 4.6km. From 7km there’s a tight twisty downhill section and a lot more gravel on the road and some big rocks on the outside of the corners. There’s a quarry nearby and a lot of sand has been carried onto the stage. From the 7km point to the end the road is fast and scary - the road runs along the side of a hill with a big drop into a gorge on the right-hand side. It’s flowing and fast all the way to the end.
Source: WRC
Day one in Jordan starts at 1100hrs, when the first car will drive over the start ramp amid the spectacular Roman ruins of Jerash. Ahead lie 95.70 competitive kilometres arranged over seven special stages.
In the morning, crews will tackle a loop of four consecutive stages in the countryside north of the Dead Sea Service Park, before heading back there for a 30-minute service. In the afternoon crews will repeat three of the stages before a 45-minute end of day service.
Here are our wrc.com stage notes for Thursday's stages. Under the summaries you'll find our list of essential website links to help you follow the rally via our live results service.
SS1: Rumman Forest. 15.34km
The start in Jerash has brought the picturesque northern forest stage of Rumman into play, and it’s the only new stage of this year's rally. Rumman (Arabic for pomegranate) is completely different to the other stages of the event, because it runs through a lush pine forest. It starts off with a downhill section on a chalk road which is covered in a fine dust for the first five kilometres. Soon after it levels off to become narrow and twisty as it snakes between the trees. Between 5km and 9km the gravel gets deeper, but the tight and technical character remains right until the end. In places this stage looks like one from Rally Cyprus.
SS2/SS5: Wadi Shueib. 8.65km
Run in the opposite direction in 2008, the event’s shortest stage runs along the side of a valley and will present a tough mental and physical challenge to the drivers as they pass through sea level towards the lowest point on earth. It’s not a place to make a mistake either, because almost the whole section has a steep drop on the right-hand side. There's lots of gravel pretty much everywhere, so the first cars will have a good deal of sweeping to do. The stage begins with a steep uphill section, and then follows the contours of the hillside before dropping down into the valley for the finish.
SS3/SS6: Mahes. 20.44km
This is the second longest stage of the rally and has some very big drops by the roadside in places. It starts tight and twisty with a steep climb along a high ridge with lots of gravel on the hard-packed surface. The narrow road snakes along the side of the hill with a big drop on the right. After about 4km it drops downhill, with lots of tight, cambered corners until it reaches the bottom of the valley at the midpoint. From there on it’s an undulating piece of road that is open and quick along the top of a ridge line. Sometimes it’s uphill, sometimes downhill but there’s always lots of gravel so it could be slippery. The stage ends alongside a huge dam.
SS4/SS7: Mount Nebo - 11.09km
A location famed by Biblical stories where Moses looked out over the Holy Land. It is now the location of an ancient church which attracts 100,000 visitors annually. The stage starts twisty and fast with a short downhill sequence of hairpins before crossing a concrete bridge with a harsh compression. From there it gets faster, with good grip and lots of good cuts to help the cars stay on the road at speed. There are a couple of blind crests at 2.4km and 4.6km. From 7km there’s a tight twisty downhill section and a lot more gravel on the road and some big rocks on the outside of the corners. There’s a quarry nearby and a lot of sand has been carried onto the stage. From the 7km point to the end the road is fast and scary - the road runs along the side of a hill with a big drop into a gorge on the right-hand side. It’s flowing and fast all the way to the end.
Source: WRC
Monday, March 15, 2010
Australian GP Red Bull Racing Guide
The Australian race is popular for all the right reasons. As well as the sports-mad local fans, the city lends itself to everyone having a good time.
As David Coulthard says: “Melbourne is always a popular destination because you’re pretty much in the heart of the city which makes it very easy to access the facilities and really creates a party atmosphere.”
It’s a park circuit used just once a year for racing. Track conditions change a lot, which means it can be difficult to work out how to set up the car for Sunday afternoon’s race, based on what happens in Friday practice. But by the time Qualifying starts on Saturday afternoon, all becomes clear. The track stays ‘green’ (slippery) all the time off the racing line, which means it is not a good circuit for overtaking.
With the race taking place just as the seasons are changing, the temperature can be quite variable, so it can be a struggle to get tyres up to working temperature or a struggle to cool the car. And as well as the Formula One there’s one of the best support programmes seen all season. Even the most seasoned of F1 personnel is impressed by the sound of those V8s…
Here’s our guide to the circuit and track:
Australian Basics
• F1 grands prix in Australia have been run 24 times – in Adelaide from 1985-’95 and then Melbourne, where it’s remained ever since.
• Michael Schumacher has won here more times than any other driver, climbing the top step of the podium four times – in 2000, 2001, 2002 and 2004. The only other man to match that feat was Lex Davison who won four times in the ‘50s and ‘60s when it was a non-championship race.
• Red Bull Racing’s Mark Webber made a memorable F1 debut here in 2002, scoring two points after navigating his uncompetitive Minardi (the precursor to Scuderia Toro Rosso) safely through a series of on-track mishaps to take fifth.
• The 1991 race in Adelaide goes down as the shortest race in F1 history. Torrential rain and concerns over safety, with a number of drivers refusing to race, led to the grand prix being stopped after just 14 laps.
• Melbourne switched to a ‘twilight’ start last year in a bid to boost TV ratings in Europe. It’s the same this year with the race getting underway at 5pm on Sunday.
• Rubens Barrichello will be the only driver on this year’s grid to have raced at every grand prix staged in Melbourne since 1996.
• In Melbourne, the pole to win ratio is at 50 per cent, though in the past three races the pole-winner has taken victory – Jenson Button, Lewis Hamilton and Kimi Raikkonen.
• However, in the first five Melbourne races the pole-winner failed to win on every occasion bar one – Mika Hakkinen in 1998.
• The lap record of 1:24.125 is held by Michael Schumacher (2004).
Albert Park Analysis
• Albert Park is a temporary circuit, so expect plenty of spins and offs in practice as the track ‘rubbers in’. Even on race day it’s tricky and last year most teams opted to keep their stints on the supersoft tyre as short as possible as tyre wear was a continual problem.
• Melbourne has a short pit lane (in past seasons the average entry to exit time is 23-24 seconds) but expect that to drop this year with no refuelling.
• Accidents are commonplace in Melbourne, owing to the slippery track and over eagerness in the first turn. Since 2002, there have been 11 safety car deployments in eight races making the track the most likely on the calendar to see a safety car intervention.
Last Year
• Melbourne, then the traditional season opener, hosted F1’s first ‘twilight race’. But as the light around the circuit dipped it was Jenson Button who shone, his Brawn GP team the unexpected class of the field. The Briton led away from pole and was untroubled throughout the race to take his second career win and set himself on the road to a first title. Behind him, team-mate Rubens Barrichello got involved in all sorts of trouble after a startline near-stall, clipping Mark Webber and having to fight back from midfield to claim an eventual second, his highest finish for four years. It was only achieved, though, after Sebastian Vettel, on course for second, tangled with BMW-Sauber’s Robert Kubica on the final lap, an accident that ruled them both out and allowed Barrichello to seal a Brawn one-two, with Jarno Trulli taking third.
Source: Red Bull
As David Coulthard says: “Melbourne is always a popular destination because you’re pretty much in the heart of the city which makes it very easy to access the facilities and really creates a party atmosphere.”
It’s a park circuit used just once a year for racing. Track conditions change a lot, which means it can be difficult to work out how to set up the car for Sunday afternoon’s race, based on what happens in Friday practice. But by the time Qualifying starts on Saturday afternoon, all becomes clear. The track stays ‘green’ (slippery) all the time off the racing line, which means it is not a good circuit for overtaking.
With the race taking place just as the seasons are changing, the temperature can be quite variable, so it can be a struggle to get tyres up to working temperature or a struggle to cool the car. And as well as the Formula One there’s one of the best support programmes seen all season. Even the most seasoned of F1 personnel is impressed by the sound of those V8s…
Here’s our guide to the circuit and track:
Australian Basics
• F1 grands prix in Australia have been run 24 times – in Adelaide from 1985-’95 and then Melbourne, where it’s remained ever since.
• Michael Schumacher has won here more times than any other driver, climbing the top step of the podium four times – in 2000, 2001, 2002 and 2004. The only other man to match that feat was Lex Davison who won four times in the ‘50s and ‘60s when it was a non-championship race.
• Red Bull Racing’s Mark Webber made a memorable F1 debut here in 2002, scoring two points after navigating his uncompetitive Minardi (the precursor to Scuderia Toro Rosso) safely through a series of on-track mishaps to take fifth.
• The 1991 race in Adelaide goes down as the shortest race in F1 history. Torrential rain and concerns over safety, with a number of drivers refusing to race, led to the grand prix being stopped after just 14 laps.
• Melbourne switched to a ‘twilight’ start last year in a bid to boost TV ratings in Europe. It’s the same this year with the race getting underway at 5pm on Sunday.
• Rubens Barrichello will be the only driver on this year’s grid to have raced at every grand prix staged in Melbourne since 1996.
• In Melbourne, the pole to win ratio is at 50 per cent, though in the past three races the pole-winner has taken victory – Jenson Button, Lewis Hamilton and Kimi Raikkonen.
• However, in the first five Melbourne races the pole-winner failed to win on every occasion bar one – Mika Hakkinen in 1998.
• The lap record of 1:24.125 is held by Michael Schumacher (2004).
Albert Park Analysis
• Albert Park is a temporary circuit, so expect plenty of spins and offs in practice as the track ‘rubbers in’. Even on race day it’s tricky and last year most teams opted to keep their stints on the supersoft tyre as short as possible as tyre wear was a continual problem.
• Melbourne has a short pit lane (in past seasons the average entry to exit time is 23-24 seconds) but expect that to drop this year with no refuelling.
• Accidents are commonplace in Melbourne, owing to the slippery track and over eagerness in the first turn. Since 2002, there have been 11 safety car deployments in eight races making the track the most likely on the calendar to see a safety car intervention.
Last Year
• Melbourne, then the traditional season opener, hosted F1’s first ‘twilight race’. But as the light around the circuit dipped it was Jenson Button who shone, his Brawn GP team the unexpected class of the field. The Briton led away from pole and was untroubled throughout the race to take his second career win and set himself on the road to a first title. Behind him, team-mate Rubens Barrichello got involved in all sorts of trouble after a startline near-stall, clipping Mark Webber and having to fight back from midfield to claim an eventual second, his highest finish for four years. It was only achieved, though, after Sebastian Vettel, on course for second, tangled with BMW-Sauber’s Robert Kubica on the final lap, an accident that ruled them both out and allowed Barrichello to seal a Brawn one-two, with Jarno Trulli taking third.
Source: Red Bull
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Corona Rally Mexico 2010 starts on March 4th
The second round of the 2010 FIA World Rally Championship is Rally Mexico, which takes place from Thursday 4th March until Sunday 7th. This is the first of 5 consecutive gravel rounds, with the crews in Mexico taking on a total of 22 stages covering 354.60km.
After the snow and ice of Sweden, 35 crews will take on the heat and dust of Mexico. Based in the city of Leon, 400km northwest of Mexico City, the rally made its debut on the WRC calendar in 2004 and returns after a year's absence in 2009.
Useful Information
Rally Mexico (round 2/13) (4-7 March)
Surface: gravel
Where: León
World Rally Radio will be broadcasting live from the event each day, with roundup podcasts available at the end of each day.
Host City: León
TimeZone: GMT -6
On air times
Friday 5 March: 0700hrs
Saturday 6 March: 0730hrs
Sunday 7 March: 0730hrs
Practical information: The Service Park and headquarters are in the Poliforum Expo Center. The Media Centre is in the Expo-Feria on the Rally Campus. There is a seven-hour time difference between Mexico (GMT -6) and France (GMT +1). So when it is 1200 in León, it will be 1900 in Paris. On the first day of the rally, Friday 4 March, the sun will rise at 0704 and set at 1852. In March, the temperature ranges between 15°C and 30°C with dry conditions expected. The local currency is the Mexican Peso (MX Peso). 1 € = 20 MX Pesos.
Technical: The engines used in Mexico will be used again in Turkey and Portugal. The spare parts (gearboxes, differentials, front and rear subframes, steering racks and turbos) are shared with the Rally Turkey.
Tyres: Each crew will have a total of 36 hard compound Pirelli Scorpion tyres at their disposal, including six for the shakedown.
Reconnaissance: This will take place on Tuesday 2 March from 0700-1800 and Wednesday 3 March from 0700-1730, with a maximum of two runs through each special stage. The maximum permitted speed is 90kph, except when local signs indicate a lower limit.
Shakedown: Thursday 4 March between 0800 and 1200 at San Juan de Otates, which is located 15.9 kilometres away from the service park on a 5.13-kilometre stage.
Start ceremony: Thursday 4 March in front of the Alhòndiga de Granaditas at Guanajuato from 2000.
Route: The total route length is 884.58 km, of which 354.60 km are competitive. There are 22 special stages (11 different stages in total).
Itinerary (all times are local)
Thursday 4 March:
Ceremonial start: Guanajuato 20.00
Friday 5 March: Day 1
SS1 Alfaro 1 22.96km 07.28
SS2 Ortega 1 23.83km 09.01
SS3 El Cubilete 1 8.87km 09.49
SS4 Coca-Cola Street Stage 1.50km 10.57
Serv A León Poliforum (30 mins) 11.19
SS5 Alfaro 2 22.96km 12.17
SS6 Ortega 2 23.83km 13.50
SS7 El Cubilete 2 18.87km 14.38
SS8 Super Special 1 2.21km 15.53
SS9 Super Special 2 2.21km 15.58
Serv B León Poliforum (45 mins) 16.28
Finish León 17.13
Total 137.24km
Saturday 6 March: Day 2
Serv C León Poliforum (15 mins) 07.00
SS10 Ibarrilla 1 29.90km 07.54
SS11 Duarte 1 23.27km 09.17
SS12 Derramadero 1 23.28km 10.08
SS13 Coca-Cola Street Stage 1.50km 11.21
Serv D León Poliforum (30 mins) 11.43
SS14 Ibarrilla 2 29.90km 12.52
SS15 Duarte 2 23.27km 14.15
SS16 Derramadero 2 23.28km 15.06
SS17 Super Special 3 2.21km 16.21
SS18 Super Special 4 2.21km 16.26
Serv E León Poliforum (45 mins) 16.56
Finish León 17.41
Total 158.82km
Sunday 7 March: Day 3
Serv F León Poliforum (15 mins) 07.45
SS19 Guanajuatito 29.13km 08.43
SS20 Sauz Seco 7.05km 09.34
SS21 Comanjilla 17.94km 10.12
SS22 Super Special 5 4.42km 11.27
Serv G León Poliforum (10 mins) 12.00
Finish León 13.00
Total 58.54km
Rally total 354.60km
Final podium: Sunday 7 March, from 1300.
Source: RallyBuzz
After the snow and ice of Sweden, 35 crews will take on the heat and dust of Mexico. Based in the city of Leon, 400km northwest of Mexico City, the rally made its debut on the WRC calendar in 2004 and returns after a year's absence in 2009.
Useful Information
Rally Mexico (round 2/13) (4-7 March)
Surface: gravel
Where: León
World Rally Radio will be broadcasting live from the event each day, with roundup podcasts available at the end of each day.
Host City: León
TimeZone: GMT -6
On air times
Friday 5 March: 0700hrs
Saturday 6 March: 0730hrs
Sunday 7 March: 0730hrs
Practical information: The Service Park and headquarters are in the Poliforum Expo Center. The Media Centre is in the Expo-Feria on the Rally Campus. There is a seven-hour time difference between Mexico (GMT -6) and France (GMT +1). So when it is 1200 in León, it will be 1900 in Paris. On the first day of the rally, Friday 4 March, the sun will rise at 0704 and set at 1852. In March, the temperature ranges between 15°C and 30°C with dry conditions expected. The local currency is the Mexican Peso (MX Peso). 1 € = 20 MX Pesos.
Technical: The engines used in Mexico will be used again in Turkey and Portugal. The spare parts (gearboxes, differentials, front and rear subframes, steering racks and turbos) are shared with the Rally Turkey.
Tyres: Each crew will have a total of 36 hard compound Pirelli Scorpion tyres at their disposal, including six for the shakedown.
Reconnaissance: This will take place on Tuesday 2 March from 0700-1800 and Wednesday 3 March from 0700-1730, with a maximum of two runs through each special stage. The maximum permitted speed is 90kph, except when local signs indicate a lower limit.
Shakedown: Thursday 4 March between 0800 and 1200 at San Juan de Otates, which is located 15.9 kilometres away from the service park on a 5.13-kilometre stage.
Start ceremony: Thursday 4 March in front of the Alhòndiga de Granaditas at Guanajuato from 2000.
Route: The total route length is 884.58 km, of which 354.60 km are competitive. There are 22 special stages (11 different stages in total).
Itinerary (all times are local)
Thursday 4 March:
Ceremonial start: Guanajuato 20.00
Friday 5 March: Day 1
SS1 Alfaro 1 22.96km 07.28
SS2 Ortega 1 23.83km 09.01
SS3 El Cubilete 1 8.87km 09.49
SS4 Coca-Cola Street Stage 1.50km 10.57
Serv A León Poliforum (30 mins) 11.19
SS5 Alfaro 2 22.96km 12.17
SS6 Ortega 2 23.83km 13.50
SS7 El Cubilete 2 18.87km 14.38
SS8 Super Special 1 2.21km 15.53
SS9 Super Special 2 2.21km 15.58
Serv B León Poliforum (45 mins) 16.28
Finish León 17.13
Total 137.24km
Saturday 6 March: Day 2
Serv C León Poliforum (15 mins) 07.00
SS10 Ibarrilla 1 29.90km 07.54
SS11 Duarte 1 23.27km 09.17
SS12 Derramadero 1 23.28km 10.08
SS13 Coca-Cola Street Stage 1.50km 11.21
Serv D León Poliforum (30 mins) 11.43
SS14 Ibarrilla 2 29.90km 12.52
SS15 Duarte 2 23.27km 14.15
SS16 Derramadero 2 23.28km 15.06
SS17 Super Special 3 2.21km 16.21
SS18 Super Special 4 2.21km 16.26
Serv E León Poliforum (45 mins) 16.56
Finish León 17.41
Total 158.82km
Sunday 7 March: Day 3
Serv F León Poliforum (15 mins) 07.45
SS19 Guanajuatito 29.13km 08.43
SS20 Sauz Seco 7.05km 09.34
SS21 Comanjilla 17.94km 10.12
SS22 Super Special 5 4.42km 11.27
Serv G León Poliforum (10 mins) 12.00
Finish León 13.00
Total 58.54km
Rally total 354.60km
Final podium: Sunday 7 March, from 1300.
Source: RallyBuzz
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Armchair Guide to Rally Sweden 2010
This year's event, which kicks off the 13-round 2010 World Rally Championship season, starts on the 11th February and is based from the central Swedish city of Karlstad. The competitive stages have been moved north around a Service Park 85km away at Hagfors airport. The organisers took this step in an effort to guarantee good snow cover on the gravel roads of the Varmland and Dalarna regions, where the majority of the stages will be based.
Since the 2008 event, 57% of the competitive distance has changed, although many of the new roads are familiar from previous years. The Karlstad Super Special is one of two remaining stages from 2008. The rest are a mixture of brand new routes and tests used in previous years when the rally went further north.
The action begins with a super special stage at Karlstad's trotting track on Thursday evening and the test also ends Friday's opening leg, which journeys to the rally's most northerly point. The second leg includes a short sprint stage on the edge of Hagfors and the final day is based east of the town. In total drivers tackle 21 special stages, covering 345.15km, in a route of 1879.23km.
Who's going to win?
It's the opening round of the season, and an event which traditionally favours Scandinavian snow-driving specialists, so it's an extremely tough one to call. When you factor in five previous WRC snow winners (Loeb, Solberg, Latvala, Hirvonen and Gronholm) and three World Rally Champions (Loeb, Solberg and Gronholm) it gets even more complex.
Going on the pace they showed on the most recent rally in Wales, Hirvonen and Loeb must be the two favourites for victory - with Loeb's win on snow in Norway last season edging him slightly ahead of his Finnish rival. But with minimal changes made to their cars in the off-season, there's every reason to think the pair will start this season as closely matched as they ended last year's.
In identical machinery as their team-leaders, the factory number two drivers Dani Sordo and 2008 Sweden winner Jari-Matti Latvala are both more than capable of challenging for victory too. And at this stage in the season team orders really shouldn't come into play.
Sweden marks the start of Petter Solberg's bid for a second WRC title, and few would doubt the Norwegian's determination to succeed. Will having the same car as six time champion Loeb be enough for him to mount a serious title challenge? He hasn't had a lot of practice in the car, but snow is a surface he's right at home on.
Also in a top car - a Ford Focus RS WRC - is double champion Marcus Gronholm, the Finn tempted out of retirement to drive one of the Stobart team entries. Sweden is a rally Gronholm loves - so much so that he named his restaurant after one of its stages.
With learning the name of the game for WRC newbie Kimi Raikkonen, it's unlikely we'll see any opening round heroics from the 2007 Formula One World Champion. But you never know...
Tyres
Pirelli return to the championship's with the control tyre. The regulations dictate the use of just one pattern for the majority of WRC events, and for Rally Sweden the chosen rubber is Pirelli’s ‘Sottozero’, which runs on a normal 15-inch gravel rim.
Each 205/65R15 tyre is equipped with almost 400 7mm tungsten-tipped studs to penetrate the snow and bite into the ice beneath. Teams are not allowed to hand-carve additional cuts into the rubber in the event of heavy snow and each car can carry two spares.
Event Information
Date: February 12-14, 2010
Round: 1 of 13 FIA World Rally Championship
Based: Karlstad, Sweden
Stage surface: Snow covered gravel
Total stage distance: 345.15kms
Number of stages: 21
Longest stage: 24.63km Vargåsen (SS9/SS13)
Service Park: Hagfors
Time Zones: GMT + 1 hour
Sunrise: Karlstad 11 February 2010: 07:53
Sunset: Karlstad 11 February 2010: 16:48
Engines: The engines used in Sweden will be used again in Jordan and New Zealand.
Titles for which the rally counts
FIA World Rally Championship for Drivers & Co-drivers
FIA World Rally Championship for Manufacturers
FIA WRC Cup for Teams
FIA Production Car World Rally Championship for Drivers & Co-drivers
FIA Super 2000 World Rally Championship for Drivers & Co-drivers
Timetable
Thursday 11/2
SS1 - Karlstad Super Special Stage1 - 20:00
Friday 12/2
SS2 - Likenäs1 - 08:18
SS3 - Viggen1 - 09:41
SS4 - Torntorp1 - 10:51
Service Hagfors 11:40
SS5 - Likenäs2 - 13:33
SS6 - Viggen2 - 14:56
SS7 - Torntorp2 - 16:29
Service Hagfors 17:08
SS8 - Karlstad Super Special Stage2 - 20:00
Saturday 13/2
SS9 - Vargåsen1 - 07:58
SS10 - Sågen1 - 09:46
SS11 - Fredriksberg1 - 10:42
SS12 - Hagfors Sprint1 - 11:58
Service Hagfors - 12:38
SS13 - Vargåsen2 - 13:41
SS14 - Sågen2 - 15:34
SS15 - Fredriksberg2 - 16:30
SS16 - Hagfors Sprint2 - 17:46
Service Hagfors 18:16
Sunday 14/2
SS17 - Rämmen1 - 07:52
SS18 - Värmullsåsen1 - 08:28
Service Hagfors - 09:21
SS19 - Lesjöfors - 10:51
SS20 - Rämmen2 - 11:23
SS21 - Värmullsåsen2 - 12:52
Source: RallyBuzz
Since the 2008 event, 57% of the competitive distance has changed, although many of the new roads are familiar from previous years. The Karlstad Super Special is one of two remaining stages from 2008. The rest are a mixture of brand new routes and tests used in previous years when the rally went further north.
The action begins with a super special stage at Karlstad's trotting track on Thursday evening and the test also ends Friday's opening leg, which journeys to the rally's most northerly point. The second leg includes a short sprint stage on the edge of Hagfors and the final day is based east of the town. In total drivers tackle 21 special stages, covering 345.15km, in a route of 1879.23km.
Who's going to win?
It's the opening round of the season, and an event which traditionally favours Scandinavian snow-driving specialists, so it's an extremely tough one to call. When you factor in five previous WRC snow winners (Loeb, Solberg, Latvala, Hirvonen and Gronholm) and three World Rally Champions (Loeb, Solberg and Gronholm) it gets even more complex.
Going on the pace they showed on the most recent rally in Wales, Hirvonen and Loeb must be the two favourites for victory - with Loeb's win on snow in Norway last season edging him slightly ahead of his Finnish rival. But with minimal changes made to their cars in the off-season, there's every reason to think the pair will start this season as closely matched as they ended last year's.
In identical machinery as their team-leaders, the factory number two drivers Dani Sordo and 2008 Sweden winner Jari-Matti Latvala are both more than capable of challenging for victory too. And at this stage in the season team orders really shouldn't come into play.
Sweden marks the start of Petter Solberg's bid for a second WRC title, and few would doubt the Norwegian's determination to succeed. Will having the same car as six time champion Loeb be enough for him to mount a serious title challenge? He hasn't had a lot of practice in the car, but snow is a surface he's right at home on.
Also in a top car - a Ford Focus RS WRC - is double champion Marcus Gronholm, the Finn tempted out of retirement to drive one of the Stobart team entries. Sweden is a rally Gronholm loves - so much so that he named his restaurant after one of its stages.
With learning the name of the game for WRC newbie Kimi Raikkonen, it's unlikely we'll see any opening round heroics from the 2007 Formula One World Champion. But you never know...
Tyres
Pirelli return to the championship's with the control tyre. The regulations dictate the use of just one pattern for the majority of WRC events, and for Rally Sweden the chosen rubber is Pirelli’s ‘Sottozero’, which runs on a normal 15-inch gravel rim.
Each 205/65R15 tyre is equipped with almost 400 7mm tungsten-tipped studs to penetrate the snow and bite into the ice beneath. Teams are not allowed to hand-carve additional cuts into the rubber in the event of heavy snow and each car can carry two spares.
Event Information
Date: February 12-14, 2010
Round: 1 of 13 FIA World Rally Championship
Based: Karlstad, Sweden
Stage surface: Snow covered gravel
Total stage distance: 345.15kms
Number of stages: 21
Longest stage: 24.63km Vargåsen (SS9/SS13)
Service Park: Hagfors
Time Zones: GMT + 1 hour
Sunrise: Karlstad 11 February 2010: 07:53
Sunset: Karlstad 11 February 2010: 16:48
Engines: The engines used in Sweden will be used again in Jordan and New Zealand.
Titles for which the rally counts
FIA World Rally Championship for Drivers & Co-drivers
FIA World Rally Championship for Manufacturers
FIA WRC Cup for Teams
FIA Production Car World Rally Championship for Drivers & Co-drivers
FIA Super 2000 World Rally Championship for Drivers & Co-drivers
Timetable
Thursday 11/2
SS1 - Karlstad Super Special Stage1 - 20:00
Friday 12/2
SS2 - Likenäs1 - 08:18
SS3 - Viggen1 - 09:41
SS4 - Torntorp1 - 10:51
Service Hagfors 11:40
SS5 - Likenäs2 - 13:33
SS6 - Viggen2 - 14:56
SS7 - Torntorp2 - 16:29
Service Hagfors 17:08
SS8 - Karlstad Super Special Stage2 - 20:00
Saturday 13/2
SS9 - Vargåsen1 - 07:58
SS10 - Sågen1 - 09:46
SS11 - Fredriksberg1 - 10:42
SS12 - Hagfors Sprint1 - 11:58
Service Hagfors - 12:38
SS13 - Vargåsen2 - 13:41
SS14 - Sågen2 - 15:34
SS15 - Fredriksberg2 - 16:30
SS16 - Hagfors Sprint2 - 17:46
Service Hagfors 18:16
Sunday 14/2
SS17 - Rämmen1 - 07:52
SS18 - Värmullsåsen1 - 08:28
Service Hagfors - 09:21
SS19 - Lesjöfors - 10:51
SS20 - Rämmen2 - 11:23
SS21 - Värmullsåsen2 - 12:52
Source: RallyBuzz
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