Rally

The route for last month's Rally Finland was altered significantly to feature twistier, narrower roads that lowered the average speed. Many drivers questioned whether this was genuinely safer. The road changes superseded the chicanes inserted to cut speeds in Finland in 2017 following Kris Meeke's record-breaking 2016 winning run at an average of 78.68mph. This year's average speed was 2.52mph ... ... Keep reading View the full article

The route for last month's Rally Finland was altered significantly to feature twistier, narrower roads that lowered the average speed. Many drivers questioned whether this was genuinely safer. The road changes superseded the chicanes inserted to cut speeds in Finland in 2017 following Kris Meeke's record-breaking 2016 winning run at an average of 78.68mph. This year's average speed was 2.52mph ... ... Keep reading View the full article

Neuville, currently 21 points ahead of reigning champion Sebastien Ogier in the standings, has made it clear that he is keen to stay on at Hyundai into a sixth season, and a new contract is now thought to be a formality. Team manager Alain Penasse has also indicated that Hyundai is working to keep Neuville. "For sure we want to secure Thierry for the future, there's no real secret in that," ... ... Keep reading View the full article

Neuville, currently 21 points ahead of reigning champion Sebastien Ogier in the standings, has made it clear that he is keen to stay on at Hyundai into a sixth season, and a new contract is now thought to be a formality. Team manager Alain Penasse has also indicated that Hyundai is working to keep Neuville. "For sure we want to secure Thierry for the future, there's no real secret in that," ... ... Keep reading View the full article

The British pair crashed into an infamous Rally Germany hinkelstein – designed to stop tanks – on the Baumholder military roads used on the event, coming to an almost instant stop from 120km/h. Petter Solberg suffered one of the most dramatic rally crashes in WRC history on the event in his Subaru Impreza in 2004, similarly hitting a hinkelstein. He and Phil Mills escaped ... ... Keep reading View the full article

The British pair crashed into an infamous Rally Germany hinkelstein – designed to stop tanks – on the Baumholder military roads used on the event, coming to an almost instant stop from 120km/h. Petter Solberg suffered one of the most dramatic rally crashes in WRC history on the event in his Subaru Impreza in 2004, similarly hitting a hinkelstein. He and Phil Mills escaped ... ... Keep reading View the full article

All three Japanese brands competed in the WRC during the 1990s, locking out the top three places in the manufacturers' standings in '98 and '99 before Toyota switched its focus to Formula 1. Mitsubishi then withdrew from the WRC ahead of the 2006 season, and Subaru's decision to pull the plug on its factory effort in '08 meant it was another eight seasons before a Japanese manufacturer took ... ... Keep reading View the full article

All three Japanese brands competed in the WRC during the 1990s, locking out the top three places in the manufacturers' standings in '98 and '99 before Toyota switched its focus to Formula 1. Mitsubishi then withdrew from the WRC ahead of the 2006 season, and Subaru's decision to pull the plug on its factory effort in '08 meant it was another eight seasons before a Japanese manufacturer took ... ... Keep reading View the full article

Ninth on day one, points leader Kristoffersson entered day two with a damage limitation strategy, but fastest time in Q3 and Q4 elevated him to the top of the Intermediate Classification by a single point ahead of overnight leader Sebastien Loeb, who had dropped time in Q3 after post-joker contact with Mattias Ekstrom. Volkswagen driver Kristoffersson then led both the semi-final and final ... ... Keep reading View the full article

Ninth on day one, points leader Kristoffersson entered day two with a damage limitation strategy, but fastest time in Q3 and Q4 elevated him to the top of the Intermediate Classification by a single point ahead of overnight leader Sebastien Loeb, who had dropped time in Q3 after post-joker contact with Mattias Ekstrom. Volkswagen driver Kristoffersson then led both the semi-final and final ... ... Keep reading View the full article

The French marque debuted the heavily revised 208 WRX a month ago in the Swedish round in Holjes, before entering an intensive testing period in the mid-season break, giving the outfit confidence that it could challenge Volkswagen’s championship-leading Polo R Supercar. That work paid dividends on the first day at Trois-Rivieres, as Loeb led both of his races throughout to set a pair of ... ... Keep reading View the full article

The French marque debuted the heavily revised 208 WRX a month ago in the Swedish round in Holjes, before entering an intensive testing period in the mid-season break, giving the outfit confidence that it could challenge Volkswagen’s championship-leading Polo R Supercar. That work paid dividends on the first day at Trois-Rivieres, as Loeb led both of his races throughout to set a pair of ... ... Keep reading View the full article

The French firm wants the five-time world champion back in Versailles seven years after it let him go following an acrimonious season alongside Sebastien Loeb. With his current M-Sport Ford agreement coming to a close at the end of the season, Ogier can expect offers from all four WRC teams. His preferred option is to remain where he is, as he has talked repeatedly of how comfortable he feels ... ... Keep reading View the full article

The French firm wants the five-time world champion back in Versailles seven years after it let him go following an acrimonious season alongside Sebastien Loeb. With his current M-Sport Ford agreement coming to a close at the end of the season, Ogier can expect offers from all four WRC teams. His preferred option is to remain where he is, as he has talked repeatedly of how comfortable he feels ... ... Keep reading View the full article

M-Sport Ford shuffled first Elfyn Evans then Teemu Suninen to move Ogier up the order to fifth place, four ahead of Neuville. Hyundai couldn’t offer the same support, as Andreas Mikkelsen rolled out of contention on the opening day, while Hayden Paddon was too fast to be of any real benefit. The Kiwi was fourth at the finish, and dropping him behind Neuville would have offered Ogier a ... ... Keep reading View the full article

M-Sport Ford shuffled first Elfyn Evans then Teemu Suninen to move Ogier up the order to fifth place, four ahead of Neuville. Hyundai couldn’t offer the same support, as Andreas Mikkelsen rolled out of contention on the opening day, while Hayden Paddon was too fast to be of any real benefit. The Kiwi was fourth at the finish, and dropping him behind Neuville would have offered Ogier a ... ... Keep reading View the full article

Despite only having started three rallies with Citroen this season, the Norwegian was the only man to challenge eventual winner Ott Tanak at the Jyvaskyla-based event. That result drew plenty of praise from around the service park, and Ostberg hopes it will help deliver a contract for 2019.“I would say this is the most important thing I have done in my life,” he said. “I hope this is ... Keep reading View the full article

Ogier could only finish fifth on Rally Finland last weekend, helped by team orders applied to Teemu Suninen and Elfyn Evans, despite M-Sport introducing a new aero package on the champion's car. He was unable to capitalise on championship leader Thierry Neuville's poor weekend and still trails the Belgian by 21 points, with M-Sport 26 behind Hyundai in the manufacturers' standings. Ott Tanak ... ... Keep reading View the full article

Ogier could only finish fifth on Rally Finland last weekend, helped by team orders applied to Teemu Suninen and Elfyn Evans, despite M-Sport introducing a new aero package on the champion's car. He was unable to capitalise on championship leader Thierry Neuville's poor weekend and still trails the Belgian by 21 points, with M-Sport 26 behind Hyundai in the manufacturers' standings. Ott Tanak ... ... Keep reading View the full article

Ogier could only finish fifth on Rally Finland last weekend, helped by team orders applied to Teemu Suninen and Elfyn Evans, despite M-Sport introducing a new aero package on the champion's car.He was unable to capitalise on championship leader Thierry Neuville's poor weekend and still trails the Belgian by 21 points, with M-Sport 26 behind Hyundai in the manufacturers' standings.Ott ... Keep reading View the full article