Rally

Ahead of its inaugural season scheduled for 2021, the XE off-road electric SUV will first participate in the shakedown ahead of January’s Dakar Rally, which will take place in Saudi Arabia for the first time in 2020. The XE car will then join the full field of competitors in the last stage - which will take place between Haradh and the Qiddiyah finishing point on January 17th. Alejandro ...Keep reading View the full article

But was it that simple? Citroen team principal Pierre Budar spoke exclusively to Motorsport.com about the other factors behind the move. Were the WRC calendar, its profile or the regulations elements in Citroen's decision? For sure it's part of the problem. It's also very important for a brand like Citroen to make sure the situation of the championship is in-line with its marketing ...Keep reading View the full article

The French firm announced its decision on Wednesday, confirming mounting speculation of a withdrawal. Ogier and teammate Esapekka Lappi had a year left to run on their contracts, but the Frenchman’s decision to walk after a difficult season aboard the C3 WRC left Citroen with no lead driver. A statement from Citroen Racing said: “Citroen decided to withdraw from its WRC programme in 2020 ...Keep reading View the full article

Paddon Rallysport Group took delivery of a TCR-spec i30 earlier this year, the Kiwi using it to help sharpen his tarmac skills as he looked to work his way back to into a regular WRC seat. With testing miles at Highlands Motorsport Park, where PRG is based, under his belt, Paddon has now elected to enter the Hyundai for the first three rounds of the new TCR NZ season. It's PRG's second ...Keep reading View the full article

The WRC will make the switch to hybrid machinery for 2022 - but while Citroen has previously taken a sabbatical from the WRC to prepare for new regulations, a PSA Motorsport spokesperson has confirmed it won’t enter the series’ next generation. “PSA Motorsport has confirmed Peugeot’s World Endurance Championship programme,” said the spokesperson. “Our Formula E commitment [with DS] ...Keep reading View the full article

Toyota team principal Tommi Makinen has dismissed speculation he has signed both drivers, but has told Motorsport.com his driver line-up could be confirmed by the end of next week. Toyota Gazoo Racing has been forced to review its driver line-up following Ott Tanak’s surprise departure for Hyundai. Evans visited TGR’s Puuppola base at the end of last month and is understood to have ...Keep reading View the full article

The French marque returned to the WRC in 2017 after a year away from the sport was spent developing the C3 WRC, but its latest car has been, by some distance, the least successful of the four World Rally Cars it has produced. Motorsport.com contacted Citroen Racing and parent company PSA Motorsport, but neither was available for comment. Motorsport.com understands Citroen Racing team ...Keep reading View the full article

While Rally Australia was officially cancelled on Tuesday, a number of drivers have stayed in Coffs Harbour to offer support to the community as it continues to battle the fires. A big part of that has been signing and auctioning off merchandise, Craig Breen, Dani Sordo, Teemu Suninen and Elfyn Evans on-hand today to donate $11,000 to Red Cross for its relief efforts. "It's been a real sign ...Keep reading View the full article

The UK’s World RX round moved from Lydden Hill to Silverstone in 2018, when the Northamptonshire circuit’s owners and World RX promotor IMG jointly promoted the Speedmachine Festival, which included live music and street food. For the second Speedmachine Festival this year, IMG promoted the event itself, but says it won’t run the event again next year. “One of the reasons we went to ...Keep reading View the full article

The organisers of the final round of this year’s World Rally Championship put together a revised and shortened route on Monday, but the decision to cancel was taken on Tuesday morning. Official confirmation of the decision is expected from Rally Australia is expected imminently. Motorsport.com has seen email confirmation from the organisers to the FIA and WRC Promoter confirming the ...Keep reading View the full article

Rally Australia organisers are set to meet with the FIA, WRC Promoter and the teams at 1600 Australian time (0500 London) to discuss the situation. Privately, the teams are insisting the event has to be called off. Travel to Coffs Harbour is increasingly difficult with flights out of Sydney delayed amid speculation the airport in Coffs will be closed. The Pacific Highway, the main road north ...Keep reading View the full article

The route for the Coffs Harbour-based event has been hit by bushfires raging up and down the east coast of New South Wales. A bulletin issued by clerk of the course Wayne Kenny outlines a new itinerary pending approval from the FIA. The new timetable includes four stages, two of which are superspecial stages – one in the centre of Coffs Harbour and the other at Raleigh International ...Keep reading View the full article

Hansen started on the front row of the title-deciding final having won semi-final two, with title rival Andreas Bakkerud alongside. The Norwegian had beaten polesitter Gronholm to the first corner in semi-final one and taken victory to lift him to the front row of the grid. By finishing one place ahead of Bakkerud in the Intermediate Classification, Hansen increased his points lead to two ...Keep reading View the full article

Alonso and co-driver Marc Coma contested this week's Al Ula-Neom Cross-Country Rally in Saudi Arabia, where the Dakar is being held for the first time in 2020. They were fourth on the opening stage, having taken a cautious approach, then suffered a puncture on the second day and lost time. But they recovered to third place overall by the end of the event, despite some navigation difficulties ...Keep reading View the full article

Bush fires have been burning for days in New South Wales and worsening weather conditions – including strengthening winds set to run into Tuesday – are making it impossible for the organisers to get into the stages to set them up for the start of the recce on Tuesday morning. The national rally, which follows the main WRC field, has been cancelled. The entrants have been invited to ...Keep reading View the full article

Because of the fires, the roads being used for the final round of the World Rally Championship are currently closed to all traffic – including event officials hoping to set stages up for the recce which starts on Tuesday. Clerk of the course of the Coffs Harbour-based event, Wayne Kenny, has issued the following communication: “Currently there are many significant bush fires in various ...Keep reading View the full article

Outside of the fight to become the 2019 champion, Gronholm was third fastest in Q1 by winning the first race of the weekend, then despite the randomly reversed race order for Q2 where the fastest drivers from Q1 raced first, Gronholm again won on track and set a time that wouldn’t be bettered. Timmy Hansen had been fastest in Q1 and took an early joker in the Q2 encounter after he dropped to ...Keep reading View the full article

This is Alonso’s first event since a troubled outing in the recent Morocco Rally left him with a "bittersweet" feeling – which included a heavy crash into a ditch. Alonso ended the first stage in fourth place, 7m43s off leader Yasir Bin Seaidan’s Mini. “It was a trouble-free stage for us,” said Alonso. “We didn’t have any issues this time, we completed the 210km. We still have ...Keep reading View the full article

Motorsport.com revealed before Rally Spain two weeks ago that Tanak would make a shock switch to Hyundai, leaving the Toyota Gazoo Racing team with which he sealed the 2019 drivers' championship for the first time days after the news of his departure from the squad broke. Speculation about who will drive for Toyota next year reached fever pitch last week, when current Hyundai driver Thierry ...Keep reading View the full article

Toyota revealed Alonso as part of its four-strong factory line-up for the 2020 Dakar Rally last month, although the Spaniard had begun his preparations for the legendary rally-raid in earnest back in August and contested the Morocco Rally in early October. This week, the two-time Formula 1 champion will take part in the Ula Neom Rally, a round of the Saudi Desert Rally Championship that kicks ...Keep reading View the full article