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MINI WRC @ Wales Rally GB, Day Four in the 13th round FIA World Rally Championship

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The MINI WRC Team’s drivers were fighting to the very end of Wales Rally GB to give the team a great result on the last event of its first year in the World Rally Championship. Kris Meeke (GB) and Paul Nagle (IR) finished the event in fourth, while Dani Sordo (ES) and Carlos del Barrio (ES) set the second fastest time in the final test of the day, the Power Stage at Monument, ending up finishing 20th overall.

That may not sound too impressive, but when you look at the 2011 FIA Drivers’ Championship Standings, we find Sordo in 8th, Meeke in 11th. Co-drivers Carlos del Barrio took 7th and Paul Nagle 15th, not too shabby out of 32 eh?

Let’s not forget Brazil’s entry this year – the Brazil World Rally Team (BWRT) ran 11 events using a Prodrive-developed Super 2000-version of MINI’s Countryman-based World Rally Car, then switching to a MINI WRC on Rally d’Italia Sardegna in May. We don’t know why BMW’s press sites have barely (if any) mention of this or other MINI/Mini rally teams and events, perhaps it was just too much news to cover in one sitting, who knows? Just to be fair, let us recognize MINI Motorsport is still covering the MINI Challenge events along with endurance, Dakar, and some other news, though I didn’t see any info on Brazil’s MINI there, so we had to go direct to the WRC site for that. Yeah okay, they did retire 5 out of the 11 events and finished half of the remaining runs without a top 10 placement, but, I do like to give props that they were driving a beautiful MINI instead of another one of those Citroen eyesores ;-)

Back to our report though..

Meeke left Cardiff in the early hours of the morning 45 seconds behind the third placed Ford of Henning Solberg (NO). From the first stage of the day Meeke was determined to do everything he could to snatch a podium on his home event, and by the start of the final stage of the day the gap was down to 1.8 seconds. Unfortunately (sigh!!!!) he hit a rut, did a half spin, and that was that …

Team Principal David Richards remained optimistic for next year, and said, “This event, like so many others, has had its ups and downs. Kris I am sure will reflect on that half spin on the last stage and what might have been, but there have been so many other occasions on the event when we could have also done a little bit better or had a bit better luck. At the end of the day when I look back on this rally and think where we have come in six months – Dani and Kris have achieved five top five positions in only six events – quite honestly the team has come of age and this is only just the beginning for the MINI WRC Team.”

Head of MINI Motorsport Dirk Hollweg was also pleased by this year’s trial runs, stating, “We are overwhelmed by the success of the team, which is much better than expected. We are very happy with the performance of the whole team and the drivers and we have a great spirit. This is of great benefit to the MINI and the John Cooper Works brand. This is exactly what we wanted.”

Technical Director Dave Wilcock summed up day four’s happenings by saying, “It has been a good day. Kris had a big challenge to make up the ground between himself and Henning Solberg , with 45 seconds to find which averaged to just over half a second a kilometre. He was completely on track with that until the Power Stage when he had to find 1.8secs to match Henning’s time and take a podium..”

( yeh, and we know how that went.. but we still love Kris anyway.. )

“..Still we are very happy with fourth and Kris’ performance on the event. Dani’s very uncharacteristic mistake on Friday meant he was in the SupeRally. We wanted to build his confidence for the future in these conditions and did this, as he was setting competitive times and second on the Power Stage is something we are very pleased with. We got both cars to the finish, they are in reasonable shape, and we have learnt an awful lot. For the drivers it was difficult physically, as there were some very long road sections to contend with, but they came through it very well. It was a tough rally for the car and we are very pleased with its general reliability. This has been a testing year for us, it has been a good rally to finish on and overall we are very happy with the result as the team has worked extremely hard. Also important to what has happened this year has been our partnership with Michelin. It is a very good relationship and we work together very well. We share all our information with them in order to maximise the performance of our tyre, and the results have proven that the partnership is working very well.”

Dani Sordo (MINI John Cooper Works WRC No 37) said, “I was pushing a little bit on the Power Stage but Sébastien Ogier was going really fast. I enjoyed the second run through the stages today. However, after the first day it is difficult to push when you have nothing to fight for. Despite what happened on Friday, I am happy and now I have a lot more confidence in the car, in the conditions we have had here in Wales. Although the sun was shining, today many parts on the tarmac with gravel tyres were slippery. The season has been interesting because the car has become better and better. Obviously we now need to develop it more.”

Kris Meeke (MINI John Cooper Works WRC No 52) agreed, saying “All in all we had a pretty good weekend. We had a few issues during the rally, which perhaps cost us about three minutes. Still I am very disappointed with the Power Stage, as when it came to producing the goods we didn’t, made a mistake and paid the price, but that is the way it goes. Hopefully there is a bigger future for us than fighting for third overall, as in a year’s time we want to be able to fight for a win. I feel very positive about the season, as for a new car and a new team, to be in there challenging for podiums is fantastic.”

We couldn’t agree more, and hope you’ve been enjoying Miniology’s continuous coverage of MINI WRC this year.

 

[Source: BMW Group PressClub Sport, Wales, Wales,13th November 2011.]

MINI WRC takes 5th @ Wales Rally GB (FIA World Rally Championship) Day Three.

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The sun came out in Wales, but it still threw challenges at the Wales Rally GB crews. Kris Meeke (GB) and Paul Nagle (IR) finished day three in their MINI John Cooper Works WRC fifth despite having to battle with a broken engine mount for the first three stages. Dani Sordo (ES) and Carlos del Barrio (ES) re-joined the competitors in the SupeRally and had a trouble free run.

Meeke started the day eighth and his aim was to move up rapidly to sixth and then battle for fifth. His goal was helped by the retirements of Petter Solberg (NO) and Kimi Räikkönen (FI), but not by the broken engine mount. Despite suffering from this he still set some decent stage times on the three stages into mid-day service in Builth Wells. His car was soon as good as new and ready to challenge for fourth in the afternoon. Meanwhile Sordo was feeling much more confident in the car on the low grip conditions, and on Sweet Lamb was fourth quickest first time through and third on the second run.

Dave Wilcock, Technical Director described the day thus, “We had a small issue with Kris on the first loop this morning. There was an engine mounting that had come slightly loose and it had pulled one of the exhaust slip joints off, so we had hot exhaust gas leaking into the engine bay, which melted a couple of items but nothing that cost too much performance. Because of this he took it cautiously for the first loop. We repaired that at lunch time, this afternoon things were back to normal, and we saw some good stage times from Kris. He struggled a little bit in that last stage, which was nearly 28 kilometres in Myherin, and we need to have a look at the data as he thought it felt okay. As for Dani, on the SupeRally today there were stages he knows from previous years. He was looking forward to today and his times have been improving all day long. He is now much more confident in these low grip conditions, and we could clearly see that in his stage times.

For Kris he has 45 seconds to make up to get fourth and we are now looking for a little over half a second a kilometre to leap frog Henning Solberg. It is a tall order, but there are 84 kilometres to go so we shall see how we get on on the first stage. If he is on target at that point then he will continue to push. If not then we shall just consolidate fifth position.”

Dani Sordo (MINI John Cooper Works WRC No 37) shared, “Today was quite good. I like the stages a lot, but at the same time they were very slippery. I particularly liked the Sweet Lamb stage, and this showed in my time. Tomorrow will be quite tricky as we have some parts on tarmac and some new stages. It was good that it did not rain today, but here in Wales even when it is dry the roads are muddy as it has been raining for a long time.”

Our BMW folks covering the events forgot to mention which position Dani Sordo took at the end of the day, so I guess we’ll find out more tomorrow!

Kris Meeke (MINI John Cooper Works WRC No 52) chimed in, “We sorted the engine problem from the morning at lunch time, which was good as every time I changed gear the engine was moving. We just had to drive through and try to get it back here. The second pass today was tricky and very slippery like the surface had been polished. The car is working well on the smooth stuff, but on the ruts we lose a bit of time. We shall see tomorrow what happens, as it will be interesting to see if we can catch Henning. I have done tomorrow’s stages in the other direction, so maybe I should try reversing through them!”

Whether they run dry, wet, muddy, or somewhere in between, we are pleased to see team MINI WRC on the rally circuit, and look forward to tomorrow’s competition as well the full season next year.

Here’s a few more dirty pictures for you to enjoy .. dirty MINIs that is!

[Source: BMW Group PressClub Sport, Wales, Nov 12 2011]

MINI WRC @ Wales Rally GB. 10th-13th November. 13th of 13 rounds of the FIA World Rally Championship. Day Two.

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Miniology’s nearly live WRC coverage continues in Wales, which returned to typical November weather for day two of its World Rally Championship event.

Rain meant the crews were greeted with wet and slippery stages as they left Llandudno this morning. While the MINI John Cooper Works WRC of Kris Meeke (GB) and Paul Nagle (IR) will start day three of Wales Rally GB eighth overall, the sister car of Dani Sordo (ES) and Carlos del Barrio (ES) will be in the SupeRally after crashing out on the second stage of the day.

It wasn’t an easy day for either of the MINI WRC Team crews. On the second stage of the day the Spaniards went off the road after braking too late. Even though they could not get back on the road, the damage was not bad and they will be re-starting from Cardiff tomorrow morning. For Meeke it was a spin that resulted in him losing an alternator belt on stage seven and dropping two and a half minutes. Luckily a spare was carried in the car, so the repairs were carried out by the crew. Even though this dropped Meeke down from sixth to 11th overall, he was soon back in his stride setting the second fastest time on stage eight and the fastest on stage nine. This is the first fastest stage time set on this event by a British driver since 2005.

Today was the longest of the rally in terms of stage distance, with 141.43 kilometres. Tomorrow there are another six stages and 128.06 kilometres of competition. The cars have travelled back to Cardiff tonight from the service park in Builth Wells, and will leave the Welsh capital tomorrow from 06.00 to arrive back at service just before 08.00.

Dave Wilcock, Technical Director reported in saying, “All in all a day of highs and lows. Unfortunately for Dani he went off on the second stage this morning, just missed his braking point and, with the low grip conditions, just dropped the car off the road and into a ditch. Luckily there was not much damage so we shall get that car back and into SupeRally tomorrow. As for Kris, he had a small spin and an alternator belt problem on stage seven, which dropped him back. Then on the final stage he was hampered a bit running in the dark. He set some competitive times this morning, and then this afternoon really started to feel his feet with a stage win and a second fastest. He is still very competitive in eighth, and he looks likely to jump comfortably into sixth after the first couple of stages in the morning. It will be a bit more difficult for him tomorrow as they are stages he has not competed on for many, many years, so the guys who competed here last year have already driven these. Like the early part of the year, he will be on new notes so that will hold him back a little bit. We are pleased with the way he is going at the moment, and he just needs to keep that momentum going.”

Dani Sordo (MINI John Cooper Works WRC No 37) said, “I am disappointed about this. I just braked really late and it was my mistake. The conditions were really slippery, I saw the lines of the first cars and I was a little bit confused, as I thought this was the braking point. As soon as I braked I knew from the first second it was too late. I have to admit that from the beginning of the rally I haven’t felt confident in the stages in these conditions. The car wasn’t badly damaged so I am looking forward to getting back into action tomorrow.”

Kris Meeke (MINI John Cooper Works WRC No 52) summed it up by saying, “It felt simple and easy and I am delighted to have my first fastest time on tarmac in Spain and now here on gravel, so things are heading in the right direction. The car is working really, really well. This afternoon was very good, but I am just a bit frustrated with the problem we had on the first loop. We spun and about a kilometre or a kilometre and a half after that the warning light came on. The alternator belt that controls the water pump had come off, and when the water is not circulating in the engine the temperature goes up. We lost over two minutes in the stage, which was unfortunate, but that is the way it is. It is nice to be able to fight back and now we are only a few seconds off sixth place. My target is fifth, but it is a long, long way to go. We were able to learn a lot about the car on that loop, and the most important thing this weekend is to learn about it on gravel. On this rally all the little things have to work and they are doing that perfectly, which you need in these conditions.”

We wish them better success, even though this year was just a trial run and all, it would be sweet if they ended up with a top placement now wouldn’t it?

We have a selection of similarly sweet photos for your viewing pleasure, here they are:

[Source: BMW Group PressClub Sport, Wales, 11th November 2011.]

MINI WRC saunters in at fifth and sixth place @ Wales Rally GB. 10th-13th November. 13th of 13 rounds of the FIA World Rally Championship. Day One.

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Nearly live from Wales, 10th November 2011:
Day One of Wales Rally GB may only have been made up of three stages and 25.25 kilometres of competition, but it proved tough for some drivers. However, the MINI WRC Team drivers, Kris Meeke (GB) and Paul Nagle (IR) and Dani Sordo (ES) and Carlos del Barrio (ES), took it steadily and at the overnight halt in Llandudno, in the north of Wales, were fifth and sixth respectively.

Right from the word go on the first two stages over Llandudno’s Great Orme tarmac roads Sordo and Meeke were extremely cautious. Even though the weather was bright and sunny, the stage was slippery and caught out Sébastien Ogier (FR) who ripped off a wheel 1.6 kilometres into the stage. On this first stage Sordo was the quicker of the two MINIs by 0.8secs, and then on stage two it was Meeke by 0.9secs. Therefore as they left the tarmac and headed to the first forest stage in Clocaenog Meeke was fifth and Sordo sixth overall with 0.1secs separating them. Then on stage three, run over 15.77 kilometres of gravel, it was Meeke who was quickest, and at the end of the day was 8.6secs ahead of his team-mate.

The two MINI John Cooper Works WRCs were displaying the logos of ‘Paint it Orange’, a campaign being run by the Richard Burns Foundation with all the proceeds benefiting the charity’s work in brain injury and illness. This event marks the tenth anniversary of Richard Burns’ World title.

Dave Wilcock, Technical Director:

“The first part of the rally is over almost before it has begun. I don’t know what was going on at the front on the Great Orme, but there was all sorts of activity and Sébastien Ogier took himself out almost immediately. Our drivers kept it clean and tidy, and put themselves in good positions after those first two stages. Unfortunately, due to the timing of the event, we ran into the darkness, and our road positions really didn’t help us at all. This was not helped by the fact the visibility was getting worse all the time, and the road surface was also getting a lot more slippery with every car. We were a little bit handicapped. Dani was struggling with the foggy patches and general visibility more than Kris. Kris had a blinding run through Clocaenog for his road position, so we were extremely pleased with that. Let’s see how we get on tomorrow when the rally really starts.”

Dani Sordo (MINI John Cooper Works WRC No 37):

“The last stage was quite tricky, but really beautiful. The problem was the visibility was bad with a lot of fog in the middle of the stage. Also it was not completely dark so we could not see very well. We were driving with the lights on as it was getting dark, but it was probably better without them on. After the tarmac stage the Michelin tyres were okay, despite doing two passes of the stage. I am happy with the car as it is getting better and better after each rally we do.”

Kris Meeke (MINI John Cooper Works WRC No 52):

“I am not so bad. The tarmac stages were quite tricky, and when it got a little bit humid then it was quite slippery. We were sitting on the start line and got the information about Sébastien Ogier, so we had to be calm. We had a very good run in the forest stage, but I am not happy that some people were running in the daylight and some in the darkness. I feel the organisers have to think seriously about this. To be fifth is possibly where we expected to be, so I am happy.”

MINI WRC @ Wales Rally GB. 10th-13th November. 13th of 13 rounds of the FIA World Rally Championship. Preview.

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Wales Rally GB. 10th-13th November. 13th of 13 rounds of the FIA World Rally Championship. Preview.

The MINI WRC Team is now heading home for Wales Rally GB and the final round of the FIA World Rally Championship. The UK’s forest stages are famous worldwide and an event including them has been part of the WRC since its inception in 1973. Not only is the team based in the UK, but this is also a home event for Kris Meeke (GB) and Paul Nagle (IR) in their MINI John Cooper Works WRC. Meanwhile for their team-mates, Dani Sordo (ES) and Carlos del Barrio (ES), Wales has proved a happy hunting ground in the past.

Meeke made his WRC debut in Wales back in 2005 and then his last visit to the event was in 2006. Sordo has considerably more experience here, as he has competed on the event every year since 2006 and in 2008 and 2009 was on the podium. Even though this is only the sixth WRC event for the team, the results have exceeded expectations with two podiums and several fastest stage times. This week both drivers have been testing at Walters Arena in South Wales in preparation for the event.

At Rally GB, Bosch is partnering the team as it celebrates its 125th anniversary. The MINI John Cooper Works WRC features several key Bosch components, including the engine’s high pressure direct injection fuelling system; the throttle body; and numerous pressure and temperature sensors around the car. Both the sophisticated high pressure fuel pump and throttle are standard road car parts.

David Richards, Team Principal said, “We have already enjoyed a far better year than anyone could ever have expected but as our focus over the last few months has been on tarmac development, another podium result would be a surprise finish to a year that has far exceeded everyone’s expectation. Yet, I’m certain that both drivers are looking forward to a strong performance on the MINI WRC Team’s British debut in front of our home fans.”

Dani Sordo (MINI John Cooper Works WRC No 37) said, “I like the rally a lot even though it is really difficult. It is usually wet and so the roads are very muddy. Even though I do remember some good weather, there is still the mud. There are a lot of new stages for me so it will be difficult to get the pace notes right, but this is something I shall work on with Carlos. The car should be okay there. We have done some testing which has been good, so I am happy going into the event.”

Kris Meeke (MINI John Cooper Works WRC No 52) said, “Without a rally in Ireland, this is as near to a home event as it gets for me. I did my first ever rally in Wales and grew up doing British championships, so feel very much at home there as it is terrain I felt quite comfortable on. We have to keep our expectations in check, even though I am sure we will have a lot of local support. The good thing is we have a level playing field in Wales, as there are lots of new stages this year and they are even new for the championship regulars. The conditions should be consistent for everyone and this will allow us to assess our car on the event. I would certainly like to finish the season on a high.”

Robert Bosch UK President Peter Fouquet said, “Bosch Original Equipment, Bosch Motorsport and Bosch Engineering are delighted to be celebrating the Bosch 125th anniversary with its BMW/MINI customer at Rally GB. The company has been a long time supplier of technology, components and systems to BMW at its Hams Hall engine plant and the MINI production facility in Oxford. The rally will provide Bosch engineers with an opportunity to gain direct customer feedback on components driven under such testing conditions.”

History and Background:

While the names Clocaenog, Gartheiniog, Dyfi and Myherin may not be the easiest to pronounce for anyone who is not Welsh, they are names that are synonymous with rallying in Wales and therefore well known. However, while some of the famous stages are included in the route of this year’s rally, there are many new ones.

It was in 2000 that this event, previously known as the RAC Rally which visited England, Scotland and Wales, was confined to just the Welsh stages. The one thing that is predictable about the event is that the weather in Wales in November is far from predictable. The competitors could face conditions that range from warm autumnal sunshine to snow and ice, or anything in between.

The rally goes the length and breadth of the country, as the Rally HQ is in Cardiff right down south, the permanent service park is in the Royal Welsh Showground in Builth Wells in mid-Wales, and the start and first stage around the Great Orme are in Llandudno in the north.

The start on Thursday in Llandudno is at 14.30. The crews then complete three stages over 25.25 kilometres before returning to this seaside town for an overnight halt, with the first car due in parc fermé at 18.55. On Friday the first car out of parc fermé is at 05.30. The crews will then complete four stages before arriving for service in Builth Wells at 12.00. In the afternoon there are another four stages before another service halt and then the journey to Cardiff, where the first car is due at 20.47 after 142.87 kilometres of stages. Day three starts from Cardiff at 06.00. The cars then head to Builth Wells for service, and during the day complete another six stages and 128.06 kilometres of stages before arriving back at Cardiff at 19.16. For the final day the first car leaves Cardiff at 04.55 and there are another six stages and 84.04 kilometres of competition, including Monument which is the 4.36 kilometre Power Stage at 12.11. After the final service in Builth Wells the first car is due back in Cardiff at 14.52. In total there are 354.97 kilometres of stages in a total distance of 1860.60 kilometres.

[Source: BMW Group PressClub Sport, Munich, 4th November, 2011.]

MINI WRC – Day 3 in Rally Spain – FIA World Rally Championship, Oct 20th-23rd – 12th of 13 Round Standings

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Miniology reporting direct from Salou, Spain, 23rd October, 2011:

The MINI WRC Team was in a celebratory mood at the end of Rally RACC – Rally of Spain. Not only did Dani Sordo (ES) and Carlos del Barrio (ES) and Kris Meeke (GB) and Paul Nagle (IR) finish fourth and fifth respectively, but the MINI John Cooper Works WRCs were also first and second fastest on the Power Stage. While it was Sordo’s home event, it was Meeke who took the honour and the three points for being fastest on this final stage. This was the first WRC stage win for the Northern Irish driver and, in fact, he has now scored his first ever WRC points.

The result was helped by an inspired tyre choice at the start of the day. The team’s weather forecast showed rain was expected later in the day, and so they chose to ignore what the other works teams were doing and opt for the appropriate Michelin tyres. Both cars left Salou after the mid-morning halt with two soft tyres on the right hand side, two hard tyres on the left hand side and two soft spares. This proved difficult for the drivers on the two long tarmac stages which were held in the dry, but as the first cars arrived at the final Coll de la Teixeta stage the promised rain came. This was vital and gave Meeke the fastest time, Sordo the second and the customer MINI of Daniel Oliveira the fourth. Third quickest was Sébastien Loeb (FR) who assured Citroen of the 2011 Manufacturers’ titlle.

Dave Wilcock, Technical Director said: “Obviously we started the day wanting to maintain our positions and keep Sébastian Ogier behind us. On the morning loop Dani picked up a puncture in one of the stages, and that cost 25 seconds so was really close. On the second loop all the weather forecast were showing various options, and it was a matter of which one you chose to believe. When the cars left no one had any idea what the other teams were running in terms of tyre strategy. Our call at the time was it was going to rain halfway through the second stage of the loop, so we took what we considered at the time a safer option and we went for four soft and two hard. We had the wrong tyres for the first stage, and then realised Ford had taken five hard tyres and Citroen four hard and two soft. They believed it was going to stay dry. After the first stage we took a big hit on time, as we were clearly on the wrong tyres. Going into the second stage Ogier’s engine let go, which was fortunate. Then fortunately our weather forecast came true and the power stage had rain just prior to the stage start. We were on the right tyre at the right time. We were one or two by a country mile. We just picked up and extra five points for the drivers in that stage. Credit has to go to Michelin for the durable tyre, because even with the soft tyre on the drying stages it was not that bad. Impressive as ever.”

I love how they write tyres with a Y in the Euro countries, don’t you?

Dani Sordo (MINI John Cooper Works WRC No 37) was quick to chime in and say, “It is okay to be fourth, but we lost a lot on the first day on the gravel stages and with the dust. We had hoped the rain would have come a little bit earlier today. For the first two stages we had the wrong tyres and the others had the right ones, then in the final stage we had the right ones. It was fun and a little bit slippery in some places. I am quite okay, but not totally happy as I really wanted to finish on the podium on my home rally, but it didn’t happen this time.”

Kris Meeke (MINI John Cooper Works WRC No 52) followed-up by saying, “That was the perfect end to this rally for me. I knew we had made a good start to the stage, but then knew I had messed up on the last roundabout. I had a quiet word with my engineer, Teena (Gade), in service before the last loop and she was saying just get it home as we will be happy with a finish now. I was so frustrated and wanted to go fast, as I loved the power stage the first time through. To be quicker than Dani on the same tyres on his home patch is something pretty special. Over the whole rally I don’t have the experience to compete with the other guys yet, but this shows that when I know where we are going we can be with them.”

Congrats to everyone in the MINI WRC team. We look forward to the final round of rally action, and even though this year is just a “getting our feet wet” trial run for MINI, we know they will do their best and we’re very happy to see MINI back in the rally circuit again! Stay tuned to Miniology.com for all the reports, pictures, and videos from these events! Join our facebook fan page and comment here or there, become part of the community of Miniologists :)

[Source: BMW Group PressClub Sport]

MINI WRC in Spain – Day Two.

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Miniology continues our ongoing MINI WRC coverage to bring you the 12th of 13 rounds in the FIA World Rally Championship (Oct. 20-23), Day Two.

Salou, Spain – 22nd October, 2011.

As the cars returned to the Spanish coastal resort for the end of day two of Rally RACC – Rally of Spain the MINI WRC Team cars of Dani Sordo (ES) and Carlos del Barrio (ES) and Kris Meeke (GB) and Paul Nagle (IR) were lying fourth and sixth respectively. It had been a day when the Citroen of Sébastien Ogier (FR) lost time with a puncture and dropped behind Sordo, while the Spaniard chased after the third placed Ford of Mikko Hirvonen (FI) and set the fastest time on stage 11 in the process. Meeke was again in new territory, but remained on the pace of the front runners while learning the stages without taking unnecessary risks.

The drivers were more than happy to leave the dramas of dust and darkness behind them on day one, for the all tarmac stages of day two. In hot and sunny conditions they completed another 142.54 kilometres over six stages without any major mishaps to the top crews. The biggest test of the day was on the 45.97 kilometre El Priorat stage that, along with the other stages, was run twice, but while Riba-roja d’Ebre and Punta de les Torres at 12.27 kilometres and 13.53 kilometres respectively were much shorter, they were both completely new to all the competitors. Tomorrow they have the final six stages and 102.62 kilometres of competition before an early afternoon finish.

Dave Wilcock, Technical Director: “Generally it has been a good day for us. It was the first day of Tarmac and Dani set off with the intention of catching Mikko Hirvonen. On the first loop of stages it was all looking good and he managed to pull 22 seconds back from him, and the target was to do the same in the afternoon. We nearly had a stage win on the second stage of the morning, and then we finally got it on the second one of the afternoon, so we are very happy with that. We were disappointed to drop some time to Mikko at the end of the day, and it now puts pressure on Dani to pull back 0.37seconds per kilometre on the remaining stages going into tomorrow. As for Kris, he has been neat and tidy and shown he is developing very well. Comparing his times to Mikko, we are very, very pleased with his pace. Clearly he is doing a good job, the obvious intention is to get him to the end of the rally and he is very much focused on that. It’s a big day tomorrow so let’s see what happens.”

Dani Sordo (MINI John Cooper Works WRC No 37): “It has been a really good day, there have been no problems and I am very happy to have a fastest stage time. The battle with Mikko for the podium is very tough, as he is a bit far away in terms of times and the gap is now 37 seconds. However, my plans for the final day are to push Mikko really hard and fight him for the podium. It would be really nice to be on the podium here on my home rally, but I am realistic about what I have to do.”

Kris Meeke (MINI John Cooper Works WRC No 52): “I can’t complain at all about today. Probably the most important thing for me is the times relative to the top guys got a lot better on the second pass through the stages, so I am very happy about that. I wasn’t trying any harder, but it just shows how it comes together when you subconsciously learn the roads. The Michelin tyres were mega consistent, particularly on the long 46 kilometre one, and on the tarmac there was maximum grip.”

And of course, as always, here are a bunch of photos delivered to you fresh from the day’s event:

[Source: BMW Group PressClub Sport]

MINI WRC takes on 12th of 13 rounds of the FIA World Rally Championship, at Rally Spain 20th – 23rd October, Day One.

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Salou, 21st October, 2011.

The MINI WRC Team’s crews of Dani Sordo (ES) and Carlos del Barrio (ES) and Kris Meeke (GB) and Paul Nagle (IR) were lying fifth and sixth respectively at the end of what turned out to be a controversial first day of action for the Rally RACC – Rally of Spain. On a day when running first on the road was more advantageous than ever, bad dust on two of the six stages turned what could have been a good fight into a lottery as the crews battled with visibility that was often no more than a few feet.

Stage one was the first where this problem occurred, and this was not helped by no wind speed at all. Then on the final stage of the day run in the dark the dust was even worse, and many crews were openly critical of running in such conditions. However, Sordo and Meeke also suffered other problems, with intercom issues on stage five for the Spaniard, while for the Brit and co-driver Nagle it was dust getting inside the car and in their eyes. With the gravel stages of the rally out of the way the team is hoping for better results on the all tarmac stages over the next two days. Tomorrow there will be six stages covering a total of 143.54 kilometres.

Dave Wilcock, Technical Director said, “We started the day with great expectations, but clearly from the first split we could see the stages were going to be an issue due to dust. On the first stage our two drivers had notes called for sixth gear and they were having to drive through in third! It was not a level playing field for everybody. The three minute gaps put in by the organisers to combat this didn’t work, and we took the option to take a ten second penalty for Kris for checking in a minute late for stage one. He probably gained around 25 or 30 seconds on the stage time, so it was a 15 second gain. Also on the first loop Kris was carrying a small problem as he dropped into a small hole and slightly damaged the suspension, but was able to get back to service with no problems. When Dani got into service we found he had a small amount of damage that may have affected his handling on the first three stages. On the afternoon loop we hoped to claw something back, and the first stage was okay. Then on the next one Dani had an intermittent intercom problem and lost some seconds, but it was repairable for the final stage by replacing a lead. Going into the last stage the crews had four minute gaps, expecting dust, but like the first stage it was completely horrendous and was a complete lottery. We finished the day two minutes down on the leader and most of that is due to dust. We are not very happy, but tomorrow we start the tarmac rally and we shall try and recover.”

Dani Sordo (driving the MINI John Cooper Works WRC No 37) added, “Today the first stage, like the last one, was where we lost a lot of time – in fact over 40 seconds. On the second pass of the long stage today, which was 35 kilometres, the intercom to the co-driver was broken at the start of the stage and it kept cutting out. I didn’t hear Carlos very well so it was difficult to know where the corners were, and that was bad. Then the final night stage was really bad as we had all the dust and it was impossible to see. Today was really difficult because there were many problems. I need to try and push hard tomorrow to try to show everybody that the MINI is fast on tarmac, so do the same as I did in France. It is a new rally tomorrow, with just tarmac which is good for our car, so perhaps we can make up some positions. It should be an interesting day.”

In the MINI John Cooper Works WRC No 52, Kris Meeke gave his daily report: “I had a challenging day. However, if I had really pushed myself to the limit risking everything maybe I would have been on a similar time to Dani, but then I know he is going to pull away tomorrow as I don’t have the experience of the roads. I said for once use the wise head and try to relax and go out to learn the rally. Certainly the most challenging part of the rally is over and the last stage was the most difficult stage I have ever driven. Tomorrow is all about tarmac driving, finding the rhythm there and trying to find tenths of seconds as the stage times will be separated by a lot less. Today with the dust and the rocks falling onto the road it made it very, very difficult.”

We wish the MINI WRC great success and look forward to giving our readers continuous coverage here at Miniology.com!

[Source: BMW Group PressClub Sport]

Rally RACC – Rally of Spain. 20th – 23rd October. 12th of 13 rounds of the FIA World Rally Championship. Preview.

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For its fifth event of the 2011 World Rally Championship the MINI WRC Team is heading to home turf for Dani Sordo (ES) and Carlos del Barrio (ES) for the Rally RACC – Rally of Spain.  If the Spaniards in MINI John Cooper Works WRC number 37 were happy after Germany, they were delighted after their last event in France as they moved one place higher on the podium to second. This event in the Tarragona region of Spain will be where Kris Meeke (GB) and Paul Nagle (IR) will be looking to finally achieve a good finish in their number 52 MINI.

The team’s Technical Director, Dave Wilcock, is very keen for the drivers to test immediately before every rally, and this tactic has certainly worked well. Therefore on Sunday and Monday both drivers will be testing on roads near to where the rally is being held.

David Richards, Team Principal:

“Germany and France exceeded all our expectations. This early in the development of the new car, we were not expecting to be challenging for a win and I think it is a real testament to the engineering team that they have managed to produce such a fast and reliable car straight out of the box. As for Spain, it is Dani’s home event and I am sure he will be looking for a third straight podium, while I know Kris is determined to finish this rally and I am sure with the pace he has shown, that he too will be in a strong position.”

Dani Sordo:

“This rally is obviously very special for me, as it is my home event. Many friends and fans will be there to watch. That is fun and gives me that extra motivation to get a good result. Since the organisers moved away from driving purely on gravel, the average speed of the rally has increased significantly. Despite this, you have to bear in mind that the weather in this part of Spain can be very variable when the rally is held at the end of October. If it stays dry you can be very quick. If it rains, the speed may drop but you have to remain just as focused, as the surface becomes very slippery.”

Kris Meeke :

“I am looking forward to this rally, especially as it is also a home event for Dani. He is always extremely quick there. The organisers’ decision in 2010 to no longer run the event on the traditional tarmac when the WRC regulations were changed is good for me, as I like gravel stages. I have a lot to learn as the last time I was there was in 2005 in the JWRC and so it is more or less a new event for me so I shall make completely new notes. As it takes place at the end of October, the weather can also play a major role. When it rains, the surface quickly becomes slippery. If it remains dry, you can be very quick here.”

History and Background:

In 2005 the Spanish WRC event moved from the Costa Brava to the Costa Daurada, and its base is now the seaside resort of Salou, with the PortAventura theme park being the location for the permanent service park on an event which has no remote service.

It was in 2010 that the organisers decided to use mixed surfaces on this event, so there is an extra challenge for the crews with some stages being a mixture of both gravel and tarmac. However, this didn’t stop the Sébastien Loeb (FR) steamroller as he won his fifth event in Spain last year.

After a ceremonial start on Thursday at 20.00 the action starts on Friday with the cars leaving the PortAventura service park in Salou at 07.00. There are six stages on day one with stages one and four gravel and two, three, five and six a mixture of gravel and tarmac. The stage mileage the drivers will cover before heading back to Salou, where parc fermé in is 21.53 is 160.36 kilometres. Day two is just tarmac and starts from Salou at 08.30. There are another six stages with numbers seven and ten being the longest of the rally at 45.97 kilometres. The total stage distance before the overnight halt at 18.21 is 143.54 kilometres. On the final day, which is again only tarmac, the cars leave parc fermé at 06.00 and compete on another six stages over 102.62 kilometres before heading back to Salou, where the first car is due in parc fermé at 14.51. The total rally distance is 1589.90 kilometres with 406.52 kilometres being on stages.

[Source: BMW AG, Munich]

Rally France-Alsace. 29th September – 2nd October. 11th of 13 rounds of the FIA World Rally Championship. Day Two.

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Miniology’s nearly live coverage of MINI WRC continues..

Strasbourg, 1st October, 2011. The MINI WRC Team is still fighting for the lead of Rally France-Alsace after Dani Sordo (ES) and Carlos del Barrio (ES) kept Sébastien Ogier (FR) well within their sights on day two of the event. As the cars came into the overnight halt at Strasbourg the number 37 MINI John Cooper Works WRC was just 9.5secs behind the Citroen. Unfortunately the day didn’t go according to plan for Kris Meeke (GB) and Paul Nagle (IR), as their number 52 MINI John Cooper Works WRC left the road on stage 13 and the resulting accident saw them out of the rally with a badly damaged car.

The battle for the top position started from the first stage of the day. Sordo hung onto his lead by 0.3secs, but then on the next Petter Solberg (NO) managed to get in front by 0.6secs. However, this was short lived as on the third stage of the day Solberg had a puncture, but in the meantime Ogier beat Sordo and went in front by 3.3secs. Stage 12 was 24 kilometres long with 17 of these downhill, and here Sordo came back into his own, set the fastest time and at the end of it was 0.2secs in front. Unfortunately all had not gone so well for Meeke as he lost his fourth place here to Jari-Matti Latvala (FI) who moved half a second in front. All was set for a dramatic second loop after remote service in Colmar. Sadly the first drama was for Meeke, who went off on a right hander in SS13 and ended up about 30 feet down a bank. While the crew was okay, the MINI was badly damaged after hitting a tree stump on the co-driver’s side. The battle for the lead continued, but Ogier managed to take some more time out of Sordo, and was leading into the overnight halt in Strasbourg.

For the third and final day there will be six stages and 40.66 kilometres of competition. The final test is the 4.20 kilometre power stage round Haguenau, but unfortunately the most famous person from this town, Sébastien Loeb (FR), will be missing as he did not re-start after his Citroen retired on day one. The first stage of the day will start at 07.18 and the last one at 13.08.

Dave Wilcock, Technical Director:

“The day started really well with Dani on form. It was obvious from the start Sébastien Ogier was on a big push and Dani was just doing his best to match his pace. Dani did a good job and put in a fastest stage time just before the lunch time regroup to keep in P1. Kris had a little issue on the stage just before regroup, which cost him a bit of time and Jari-Matti Latvala just piped him and dropped him down to fifth, but he was doing some very good splits during that first loop. Then at regroup both drivers were very calm and relaxed, the cars were perfect and required very little work. Unfortunately for Kris a couple of kilometres into the first stage of the second loop he just went a bit wide on a high speed fifth gear corner, got onto some gravel, dropped off the road and did some extensive damage to the car. Both Kris and Paul are okay, but a little bit shaken up and sore. For Dani, he is in a dog fight with Ogier right now, who is pushing very, very hard and just edging away from us, but we are still in single digits. It is more than we could have wished for to be in a battle with one of the best drivers and best cars in the championship. We have a few tricks up our sleeves for tomorrow’s more typical vineyard stages. We shall aim to keep pushing and see what comes of it.”

Dani Sordo:

“I suppose I have to admit I am not happy to be second, but if you stop and think about our performance with the car, after having covered so few kilometres and to be fighting for best stage times, then this is great. I think before the rally if we had been speaking about being second it would have been amazing, now people are asking me why I am not leading. It is really great to be just 9.5 seconds behind Sébastien Ogier. Everything is still possible, but tomorrow is a short day with some difficult gravel sections. If he doesn’t make any mistakes he will be difficult to beat, as today we took some small risks and still didn’t beat him.  However, we will still keep trying for the win, but will still be happy to finish second.”

Kris Meeke:

“This afternoon I just got caught out in one corner. I was a little bit faster than before. I had made a small adjustment to the pace note, tried to go a little bit faster in the corner, and that was too fast, so we simply understeered off the road. It was unfortunate, as I was not going out to try any harder. I was just going out to try and improve on this morning and build up my knowledge, but I got caught out. Yes just too fast, as simple as that. I was just a bit ambitious, and it was completely my mistake. I have to take it on the chin. I am probably my own worst enemy some times, as I want to be here competing with these guys. It is hard to just settle and learn, and I have to do that sometimes, but it ended up a bit soon for me this weekend. We have to pick ourselves up. Spain is going to be another learning event, as well as Rally GB, so we are going to have to settle ourselves for a few events and just get the experience before we can run with the guys at the front. ”

 

 

 

[Source: BMW Group PressClub Sport]