Matton believes the thrilling stage action witnessed so far this term can only get better with his French squad and key rival Ford still at loggerheads, despite Citroen topping the manufacturers’ standings and Sebastien Loeb holding the advantage in the drivers’ classification.

“Although we have established a lead in terms of points, this championship is far from over,” said Matton. “The most important point is obviously to lead the drivers’ and manufacturers’ world championship standings. I don’t think, however, that we can come to any definitive conclusions at this stage of the season. After Monte-Carlo, Sweden and Mexico, we thought that in Portugal we would get a clearer idea of the pecking order between the leading contenders. The weather prevented us from seeing a proper contest. In Argentina, our rivals had problems just when our crews began to hit top form. In the end, we still haven’t seen a genuine scrap on a level playing field. I think that we undoubtedly have some stiff competition and I’m certain that we are going to see some very hotly contested rallies in the next few rounds.”

The 2012 WRC season resumes on the Acropolis Rally in Greece from 24-27 May.

Source: http://www.wrc.com/news/matton-wrc-action-will-intensify/?fid=16706

Matton believes the thrilling stage action witnessed so far this term can only get better with his French squad and key rival Ford still at loggerheads, despite Citroen topping the manufacturers’ standings and Sebastien Loeb holding the advantage in the drivers’ classification.

“Although we have established a lead in terms of points, this championship is far from over,” said Matton. “The most important point is obviously to lead the drivers’ and manufacturers’ world championship standings. I don’t think, however, that we can come to any definitive conclusions at this stage of the season. After Monte-Carlo, Sweden and Mexico, we thought that in Portugal we would get a clearer idea of the pecking order between the leading contenders. The weather prevented us from seeing a proper contest. In Argentina, our rivals had problems just when our crews began to hit top form. In the end, we still haven’t seen a genuine scrap on a level playing field. I think that we undoubtedly have some stiff competition and I’m certain that we are going to see some very hotly contested rallies in the next few rounds.”

The 2012 WRC season resumes on the Acropolis Rally in Greece from 24-27 May.

Source: http://www.wrc.com/news/matton-wrc-action-will-intensify/?fid=16706

The Citroen Total World Rally Team ace has claimed victory in Greece on two previous occasions. He points to the need to be consistent over a loop of stages rather than trying to go fastest on every single test as being key to success on the rough and rocky passes located west of the capital Athens.

“Some stages are on very smooth and quick roads,” said Loeb. “Others, however, are littered with rocks which are not kind to the suspension. Depending on the heat, tyre management can have a major impact on the outcome of the race. Often, the time set on a single stage isn’t that significant. You need to look at the result for the entire loop before starting to draw any conclusions. Obviously, I’ll be aiming to win. I had the potential to win in 2011 and I am determined to do so this year.”

Mikko Hirvonen will partner Loeb in a second factory Citroen DS3 WRC. He was third on the Acropolis Rally in 2011 after winning in 2009.

Loeb currently tops the WRC drivers’ standings with Hirvonen in third position, 21 points behind his French team-mate.

Photo: McKlein

Source: http://www.wrc.com/news/loeb-speed-not-key-on-acropolis/?fid=16698

Araujo, from Portugal, and Brazilian Nobre are due to sample their John Cooper Works WRCs on a test road close to the event base in Loutraki in preparation for the Acropolis Rally from 24-27 May.

“We are working hard to be 100 per cent ready for one of the toughest challenges on the WRC calendar,” said team manager Bruno D Pianto. “The rally offers rough gravel roads, high temperatures, many, many stones and some of the most iconic stages in the whole of the WRC. Both crews know the rally from previous years and we’re focused on getting the best result possible.”

After five rounds, double Production Car world champion Araujo is 15th in the WRC drivers’ standings, while Nobre has yet to score.

There will be a total of three MINI John Cooper Works WRCs in action on the Acropolis Rally. In addition to Araujo and Nobre, Abdulaziz Al-Kuwari will make his World Rally Car debut for the Seashore Qatar Rally Team.

Photo: McKlein

Source: http://www.wrc.com/news/mini-aces-in-greece-test/?fid=16699

Araujo, from Portugal, and Brazilian Nobre are due to sample their John Cooper Works WRCs on a test road close to the event base in Loutraki in preparation for the Acropolis Rally from 24-27 May.

“We are working hard to be 100 per cent ready for one of the toughest challenges on the WRC calendar,” said team manager Bruno D Pianto. “The rally offers rough gravel roads, high temperatures, many, many stones and some of the most iconic stages in the whole of the WRC. Both crews know the rally from previous years and we’re focused on getting the best result possible.”

After five rounds, double Production Car world champion Araujo is 15th in the WRC drivers’ standings, while Nobre has yet to score.

There will be a total of three MINI John Cooper Works WRCs in action on the Acropolis Rally. In addition to Araujo and Nobre, Abdulaziz Al-Kuwari will make his World Rally Car debut for the Seashore Qatar Rally Team.

Photo: McKlein

Source: http://www.wrc.com/news/mini-aces-in-greece-test/?fid=16699

The rising star’s countryman Roman Abramovich owns the English Premier League side, which takes on Bayern Munich in the UEFA Champions League final tomorrow (Saturday), and Novikov will carry Chelsea logos on his M-Sport Ford Fiesta RS WRC to underline his backer ALM Rally’s support of the club.

Novikov, currently fifth in the WRC drivers’ standings, is a fan of the Loutraki-based event and has competed in Greece on three previous occasions.

“The Acropolis Rally is one of my favourite rallies,” said the 21-year-old. “It is really challenging and you have to be on the maximum with speed and concentration. The roads are really rough and can be quite hard on the car so you have to know when you can push and when you can’t.”

He continued: “The earlier date this year means that the roads may be much rougher than they have been in the past. We will have to wait and see what to expect. This will be my first time back in the car since Argentina as we will have no pre-event testing, but for sure we will be looking to do our best for another top-five finish.”

Source: http://www.wrc.com/news/novikov-shoots-for-acropolis-top-five/?fid=16697

Organisers of the Loutraki-based contest, round six of the 13-event WRC, have teamed up with Fidusa, a manufacturer of hand-made bicycle frames, to raise funds for the ELEPAP charity in Greece.

Fidusa has produced bikes in the colours of Citroen Total World Rally Team, Ford World Rally Team and WRC Team MINI Portugal. The bikes will be signed by leading team drivers and will be subjected to bids through an online auction at www.ricardo.gr from 24 May when they will also be displayed in the permanent service park in Loutraki.

ELEPAP, the Hellenic Society for Disabled Children, has been helping children with impaired mobility in Greece since 1937. The Acropolis Rally runs from 24-27 May.

Source: http://www.wrc.com/news/wrc-stars-get-on-their-bikes-for-charity/?fid=16691

Kuipers was competing in a Subaru Impreza alongside co-driver Kees Hagman on Rallye Sulinger Land when they crashed into a tree on stage four.

Dutchman Kuipers suffered back injuries and a broken collarbone, while Hagman has undergone two operations on an injured back at hospital in the town of Sulingen.

A spokesperson for the 26-year-old Kuipers said: “Dennis is very happy to be out of hospital and even though it might be a slow recovery process, he is in high spirits. He is having difficulty walking at the moment, but will rest at home and should be back to full strength shortly. Kees is still in hospital, he has had two operations that have gone well and we are expecting his return home by the end of the month.”

Kuipers drove a Ford Fiesta RS WRC for the FERM Power Tools World Rally Team in 2011. He finished 12th in the final standings on the back of a career-best fifth on Rallye de France Alsace. He has made one WRC appearance so far this season when he finished sixth on Vodafone Rally de Portugal.

Source: http://www.wrc.com/news/injured-kuipers-on-road-to-recovery/?fid=16692

Volkswagen will enter a fleet of Polo R WRCs in 2013 as part of a three-year commitment to the sport’s highest echelon. Sebastien Ogier will drive one of the two factory cars, while a programme for a junior driver in a third entry remains a possibility.

“If you see what is here, what is built up here and what is coming, then it’s difficult to believe it’s going to be for just three years,” said Capito, who has recently replaced Kris Nissen at the helm of the German team. “VW does things on a long-term and strategic basis, it doesn’t go in and out of [programmes] easily.”

Capito said the Polo R WRC project was on course with further testing planned this year ahead of the car’s competitive debut in 2013 when Rallye Monte-Carlo is expected to open the new season.

“The plan is to test this year and wait for Monte Carlo [to debut the new car],” said Capito, who confirmed that it would be unlikely for the car to compete any sooner despite accepting it could be beneficial.

Ford ran its new Focus RS WRC on Rally Australia in 2005 ahead of its full debut the following year. Capito was the company’s European motorsport head at the time.

Source: http://www.wrc.com/news/volkswagen-set-for-lengthy-wrc-stay/?fid=16693

The 44-year-old Finn, WRC title winner in 2000 and 2002, will drive a Ford Fiesta for Andreas Eriksson’s Olsberg Motorsport Evolution under the Best Buy Racing Rallycross Team banner. His first event will be at Charlotte on 26 May, while his schedule includes the famous X Games event in Los Angles on 30 June.

“It’s great to be back in business with a full programme and a clear championship to aim at,” said Gronholm, whose last appearance in the WRC was on Rally Sweden back in 2010. “What’s more, there is such a buzz around GRC, I think it is a form of motorsport that is set to explode. It’s great for the stadium audience, great for the TV viewer with 70ft jumps over your competitors and fast and furious racing that delivers results quickly. It’s simply addictive.”

Gronholm has contested selected rallycross events in Europe and the USA in the past. He says he’s expected tough opposition from category regulars as well as converts from other sports including freestyle motorcycling and skateboarding.

“I guess my CV sets me up well for this form of competition, but I am taking nothing for granted,” said Gronholm. “There are all kinds of drivers coming into the series from very different action sport backgrounds, so I while I am 100 per cent clear that our ambition at the Best Buy Racing Rallycross Team is to win, we’ll just see how we get on in Charlotte and take it from there. We’ve tested well, the OMSE-prepared Ford Fiesta feels great and frankly I can’t wait to kick off.”

Source: http://www.wrc.com/news/wrc-legend-gronholm-confirms-rallycross-bid/?fid=16688

Scheduled from 8-11 November, organisers have added more gravel sections to day one (9 November) than in the previous two seasons with Saturday and Sunday’s route covering asphalt-only tests.

Full details of the Salou stage have yet to be released but it will total two kilometres and run on asphalt and gravel in close proximity to the PortAventura permanent service area. It is due to start at 16:40hrs local time on 9 November.

Event organisers have confirmed details of the Qualifying Stage, which starts with a 970-metre stretch on gravel and finishes on a section of asphalt lasting 1970 metres. It will take place in the Emprius de Salou area on 8 November and offers excellent spectating points for fans and ample car parking.

RallyRACC will include 18 stages over a competitive distance of 405.40 kilometres. As well as counting as round 13 of the WRC, the event is also the last of the season for the Super 2000 and Production Car world championships, the FIA WRC Academy and the Rally Class initiative.

Source: http://www.wrc.com/news/mixed-surface-format-for-wrc-finale/?fid=16689

Ahlin is fifth in the chase for the prestigious young-driver crown following the opening round in Portugal in late March. In a bid to get ‘match fit’ for the Loutraki-based event from 24-26 May, Ahlin and co-driver Morten Erik Abrahamsen will contest the South Swedish Rally this weekend in a Ford Fiesta R2, similar to the one used as standard in the WRC Academy.

“My focus is obviously on the WRC Academy and this is an excellent opportunity to drive again before Greece,” said Ahlin, who hasn’t competed in his homeland since Rally Sweden in 2011. “I am pleased and grateful for the help that I and Morten got from friends and sponsors, making it possible for us to run the South Swedish Rally a week before Greece.”

The South Swedish Rally starts in the town of Tingsryd on Friday evening.

Source: http://www.wrc.com/news/ahlin-to-prepare-for-acropolis-with-home-rally/?fid=16690

Cook, from the United Kingdom, won the Production Car World Rally Championship category on Rallye Monte-Carlo in January in her Ford Fiesta R2. She elected not to include the recent rounds in Mexico and Argentina because of the additional costs associated with competing on the flyaway events.

“We made a decision to take the massive leap to the WRC only a day before the final deadline for the entry of the championship,” explained the 24-year-old. “I purposely nominated my events to be the most logistically economical and also to allow a large enough gap to seek out the massive financial support I need to compete at this level.”

Cook added: “I’ve managed to raise half of my WRC budget but I still have a long way to go. I came up with [my] Promotion50 campaign where companies invest £50 and whilst receiving a small sticker showing support on the rear of her car, there are also winners chosen at random for each round who receive larger places on the rally car. It’s going to be tough, but I am keeping calm and realistic and looking forward to returning to the events in 2013 when things will start becoming a little easier.”

The Acropolis Rally is based in Loutraki from 25-27 May. It will be Cook’s first appearance on the gravel round.

Source: http://www.wrc.com/news/cook-on-course-for-acropolis-debut/?fid=16687

While Loeb has achieved success in sportscar racing before, his win on the tight and twisty street course, similar in character to the famous Monaco Grand Prix circuit, marked his first triumph as a team owner.

“Now that I’m the boss, I suppose I’ve got to do everything – including winning the races!” he joked afterwards.

The first race was held on Saturday evening, while the second race took place during the day on Sunday. To add to Loeb’s delight, his Sebastien Loeb Racing team-mate Jean-Karl Vernay finished runner-up on both occasions.

“I’m sure if I hadn’t been there we would have won anyway, but it’s a special feeling to have won the first race for our team myself,” said Loeb, who started the races from pole position. “I wasn’t scoring championship points, so for me the most important thing was not to hold up Jean-Karl and allow the others to catch him. This means that I had to push very hard: in the second race I had a big lock-up, but I managed to get away with it. I really enjoyed the first race too: there’s something special about racing at night.”

Loeb will be back on duty in the FIA World Rally Championship powered by Nokia on the Acropolis Rally in Greece from 25-27 May in his Citroen DS3 WRC.

Source: http://www.wrc.com/news/double-racing-success-for-loeb-in-france/?fid=16680

More than 100,000 visitors attend the event annually and Volkswagen will carry on a tradition of displaying its latest challenger at the showcase having presented the Scirocco GT40 and Golf24 in the past.

The Austrian event takes place one week prior to the Acropolis Rally in Greece where Volkswagen Motorsport will enter a brace of Skoda Fabia Super 2000s for Sebastien Ogier and Andreas Mikkelsen, who shone on the previous round of the world championship in Argentina last month.

Norwegian Mikkelsen wasn’t originally due to contest the Loutraki-based round but a change to his schedule following a cancelled event means he has now been called up to assist team leader Ogier in carrying out Volkswagen’s ongoing WRC acclimatisation programme. Ogier, from France, was victorious in Greece last year and claimed his maiden WRC podium in the country back in 2009.

Source: http://www.wrc.com/news/new-polo-on-show-in-austria/?fid=16682

Britain’s round of the WRC is switching from its traditional November date to a mid-September slot as it prepares to celebrate its 80th anniversary.

Once again organisers have devised a route stretching from the north of Wales to the south with a return to the Walters Arena venue for the Qualifying Stage on Wednesday 12 September.

Following the ceremonial start in Llandudno on Thursday 13 September, the event begins the trek south the following day with runs through classic stages such as Dyfnant, Hafren and Myherin based around a remote service in Newtown.

On Saturday 15 September, crews head to the Epynt military training range for the Crychan, Epynt and Halfway tests prior to the Celtic Manor Resort stage and overnight service in the capital Cardiff.

Sunday’s action includes visits to Port Talbot, Rheola and Walters Arena followed by the finishing ceremony in Cardiff Bay.

Event chief executive Andrew Coe said: “It’s a real privilege to be able to take Wales Rally GB to Celtic Manor Resort this year, as well as continue last year’s initiative of delivering a truly pan-Welsh route. We made huge strides forward last year in terms of embracing the whole of Wales with our route and we have tried hard to build on that this year, while also bringing more innovation and fresh-thinking to the event.”

Wales Rally GB counts as round 10 of the 13-event WRC season from 12-16 September.

Source: http://www.wrc.com/news/exciting-new-stage-venue-for-wales-rally-gb/?fid=16677

Sordo, who has claimed 32 podium finishes since stepping up to the WRC’s top class in 2006, guided his Prodrive-built MINI John Cooper Works S2000 to first place on the Mediterranean island of Corsica alongside co-driver Carlos del Barrio. The event counted as a round of the IRC series.

The MINI S2000 is a slightly less powerful and advanced version of the MINI WRC he uses in the world championship. It ran without fault during the three-day rally, which began in Ajaccio and finished in Bastia.

“I’m really happy to win this rally but it was really hard,” said Sordo. “I had to keep pushing to keep the concentration up and not make any mistakes. The MINI is also a very, very good car.”

Sordo won’t contest the next round of the WRC, the Acropolis Rally in Greece, but will be back for Brother Rally New Zealand, which starts in Auckland on 21 June, when he will be back behind the wheel of a Prodrive WRC Team MINI.

Source: http://www.wrc.com/news/sordo-celebrates-after-winning-in-a-mini/?fid=16678

Having spent two years competing in the Super 2000 world championship, Prokop has made the step up to undertake an 11-event campaign in the WRC this season after making his debut in the World Rally Car class on last year’s Wales Rally GB.

The Czech, however, admits he’s still acclimatising to World Rally Car competition. “The difference from driving a Super 2000 car compared to the Ford Fiesta RS WRC is huge,” he said. “It’s not so different on the fast sections but when it comes to driving on technical, twisty stages you need a totally different driving technique and that’s what I’ve been focusing on recently.”

He continued: “I had a small test in Czech Republic last week where we covered about 100 kilometres and I’ve got another test next weekend. I’m concentrating only on my driving style at the moment and my main aim this year is to improve my times and learn on every rally.”

Prokop will be back in action on the Acropolis Rally in Greece from 25-27 May. “Greece is a round that I know well, I’ve been there a few times now so I know the roads – it’ll be a good rally for me to focus on improving my driving style,” added the 29-year-old.

Former Junior world champion Prokop is currently seventh in the WRC drivers’ standings with 26 points, only two points adrift of factory Ford driver Jari-Matti Latvala who holds sixth.

Source: http://www.wrc.com/news/prokop-pleased-with-world-rally-car-progress/?fid=16679

Araujo is an ever-present in this year’s FIA World Rally Championship powered by Nokia with WRC Team MINI Portugal, which is displaying its two John Cooper Works WRCs at the event.

Patrik Sandell, who drove a MINI on the WRC rounds in Sweden and Portugal earlier this season is attending along with legends Rauno Aaltonen and Paddy Hopkirk, who were synonymous with the brand in the 1960s.

Meeke, meanwhile, who starred for MINI in last year’s world championship but has been without a drive in 2012, is taking part in the MINI Rushour, a one-make cup run in Italy.

The MINI United Festival runs until Sunday evening.

Source: http://www.wrc.com/news/mini-heroes-star-at-fan-festival/?fid=16676

The factory Ford pilot was forced to miss April’s Philips Rally Argentina after breaking his left collarbone training for the South American round.

He has since undergone intensive physiotherapy in his native Finland in his efforts to be fit enough to contest the Acropolis Rally in Greece from 25-27 May. His test in Sardinia, where he covered 435 kilometres, marked another significant stage in his recovery process.

Speaking to Autosport.com, Latvala said: “We took the first day a little easier, to see how the arm will cope and take all the impacts. But on the second day we drove more. Today [day two of the test] we did three 30-kilometre runs. In Greece, the longest stage is 25 kilometres, so I am feeling confident for that.”

“I am feeling very good. I am very happy after the test,” he continued. “I have had the physiotherapist who was working with me in Finland here with me in the test – this has been a good help.”

Photo: McKlein

Source: http://www.wrc.com/news/latvala-back-in-action/?fid=16675