Photo Credit: Volkswagen Motorsport Sebastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia clinched their fourth Wales Rally GB victory in a row, and their first gravel win of 2016 by winning the 2016 Dayinsure Wales Rally GB for Volkswagen Motorsport. Ogier has never not led the British round of the World Championship driving for Volkswagen, but came very close to being beaten in Wales at the weekend thanks to the pace of Ott Tanak. Tanak drove a blinder of a rally, with the damper than expected conditions suiting his DMACK tyres nicely. The Estonian is also very quick in the classic Welsh forests, and was giving his all to topple Volkswagen's four time champion. Ott took countless stage wins, but his challenge was somewhat curtailed by a broken intercom and subsequent puncture late on Friday, whilst Ogier's Polo's driveshaft broke right at the end of the stage. The contrast in their luck was stark, and ultimately Tanak had to settle for second this time, albeit by just 10 seconds. It was a blinding performance from Tanak, who was almost certainly driver of the rally. His performance was even more impressive when you consider his lower starting position in contrast to Ogier's premium position at the front of the field. Thierry Neuville strengthened his grip on second place in the World Championship following a fourth consecutive podium finish in Wales. The Belgian could not match the pace of Ogier or Tanak but a measured performance saw him edge out his team mate Paddon and crucially his rival Andreas Mikkelsen, with Neuville heading to Coffs Harbour in Australia with a 14 point cushion. Hayden Paddon claimed his best ever finish on Wales Rally GB with fourth place but was frustrated not to get onto the podium, having also missed out to Neuville two weeks ago in Spain. The Kiwi's rally was without any major problems, but Hayden who is his own worst critic won't be happy that his more experienced team mate edged him this time. Fifth place was a disappointment for home hero Kris Meeke and co-driver Paul Nagle. Meeke has been the beneficiary of having a low starting position in rallies this year thanks to not doing the full WRC season, but in Wales it worked against him and he knew it right from the first stage. Two slow punctures on Saturday quite literally deflated him but he battled on to send the DS3 WRC out of the WRC with a fifth place. Focus now switches to 2017, where the confidence is high that Meeke and Citroen can deliver a serious challenge. After such a brilliant performance on his home round a fortnight ago, Dani Sordo slipped back into the wilderness in Wales. The Spaniard was never really at one with his Hyundai i20 World Rally Car, so opted for a cautious approach which netted him a fifth place. Jari-Matti Latvala was looking for a strong result on the event he has once twice before for Ford, but a broken driveshaft on Friday with no midday service spoiled all that. He is confident that the 2017 car will suit him down to the ground though, and I hope so too because the Finn is long overdue some success. Mads Ostberg put in another 2016 Mads Ostberg performance, a low end top 10 finish. No real dramas, but no real pace. Readers of This Is Rally will be aware by now that I haven't been impressed with the Norwegian recently, and I think it will be a great shame in many ways if he keeps his seat at M-Sport because on current performance, there are many drivers that deserve a shot more than he does. But his experience will count, and he may prove me wrong. I hope he does. The only really interesting talking point of Ostberg's rally was his co-driver Ola Floene being bitten by a snake. In Wales! Ninth was a respectable result for Stephane Lefebvre who was back in action for the first time after that terrifying accident in Germany back in August, while his compatriot Eric Camilli took a steady and sensible approach en route to tenth place. Andreas Mikkelsen finished outside the points suffering from the same issue as Latvala did in his Polo R, but earlier on in the day. The rally basically became all about the Power Stage for the Norwegian, but even that didn't work out as Tanak surged through to beat his best time, and Neuville took third so Mikkelsen only took 1 point back from his Hyundai rival. Photo Credit: me! Aside from the main WRC event, I want to talk a little bit about the National rally which took on the same stages as the big boys, but only included one run.
I was down in Deeside for the event to cover the progress of the ARR Craib MSA Scottish Rally Championship given my press officer role for the series, whilst sneaking away to watch the world's greatest drivers tackle Clocaenog on Sunday morning! (pictured above) Bruce McCombie and Michael Coutts won the event, leading effectively from start to finish in their Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX. You can read all about it here. However their 37 second win over BTRDA driver Luke Francis is a little more significant than meets the eye. And I swear I'm not being biased when I say this, I just have increased knowledge. McCombie and Coutts were setting incredibly quick stage times on a consistent basis, but were suffering with over-heating issues in their Lancer, yet were still setting such quick times. McCombie has been known for his consistency of late, and throughout the SRC in 2015 and 16 he has been consistently quick but has never won an event. It stands to reason that he will have been a little slower due to the problems under the bonnet in Wales, but he still took a fairly comfortable win. And to me that underlines the strength and depth of the SRC. Jock Armstrong, Mike Faulkner and Mark McCulloch have all been as quick or quicker than Bruce in 2016, who managed to defeat one of the BTRDA's fastest drivers. But what a result for the pair from just outside Aberdeen. Great job lads!
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Photo Credit: Citroen Racing The rallies are coming thick and fast, with Rd.12 of the 2016 World Rally Championship, Wales Rally GB, hosting the third rally in five weeks. Sebastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia may have wrapped up the 2016 World Championship last weekend in Catalunya, but there is plenty still to fight for in the final two rallies of the season.
Wales, a traditional curtain closer for the WRC, is one of the toughest and events on the calendars and is one of the true classics. Often characterised by the sodden weather conditions, the rally features tricky technical sections and fast flowing roads, making it a true test of man and machine. Ogier may have just won his fourth consecutive drivers title, but that will not deter his hunger one little bit. The Frenchman loves to win as many rallies as he can, and besides he still has not won a gravel rally in 2016 which is quite hard to believe. On top of that, team boss Sven Smeets will be keen for VW to take a fourth consecutive constructors crown, so will need Ogier to do his part in Wales. Jari-Matti Latvala has been bereft of luck in his fourth season with Volkswagen Motorsport. However, despite a lowly finishing position caused by unlucky suspension damage in Spain, Latvala appeared to rediscover his rhythm and confidence with some great stage times, so hopefully we will see the Finn back to his best on the event he won in 2011 and 2012. Volkswagen's third man, Andreas Mikkelsen, is not able to help VW's push for the manufacturers crown so will be 100% focused on bagging himself second place in the drivers championship. His chances took a literal knock on the Costa Daurada when he overcooked a right hander, clipped the armco barrier and rolled his Polo R WRC. This allowed Hyundai driver Thierry Neuville to draw level with the Norwegian on points in the championship, in what was a partially disappointing rally for the Belgian despite another podium finish. Neuville spun his i20 on Friday's gravel stages, and struggled with understeer on the tarmac, before missing out on the chance to usurp Mikkelsen in the standings after failing to grab any Power Stage points. However, Thierry is in great form so will be one to watch next weekend. Dani Sordo is another who will be one to keep a very close eye on in Wales. The Spaniard sensationally led his home event after the treacherous and muddy gravel stages on Friday, before Ogier ate and ate away at the Hyundai man's advantage on Saturday to take the win on Sunday. However, Sordo's gravel performance bodes well for Rally GB. Let's hope he can prove it wasn't a one off. The third Hyundai will once again be driven by Hayden Paddon and John Kennard, a crew who will be jumping with joy at the sport's return to gravel. Paddon finished Spain's gravel tests just 1.5 seconds from the podium despite no anti-lag in his i20, pointing to an incredibly strong performance. Paddon will have his own eyes on Mikkelsen and Neuville's second place in the championship and could be a real dark horse for a top result in the Welsh forests. M-Sport's challenge is headed by Mads Ostberg, Eric Camilli and Ott Tanak. Ostberg is without a contract for 2017 as yet, but his manager and father Morten Ostberg has claimed Mads has two options on the table, possibly M-Sport and Toyota, and has already dismissed a third deal, so his WRC future looks to be secure for at least another season. Personally, I still want to see an eye-catching performance from the former rally winner, as the Ostberg of old appears to be disappearing into oblivion. Camilli has a 2017 drive for M-Sport confirmed, and will be treating the end of the season as a learning curve, but will still want to prove his mettle on some of rallying's most revered roads. Tanak, driving for the DMACK World Rally Team, is hotly tipped to be joining Eric Camilli at the main M-Sport squad next season, and the amount of testing the Estonian has conducted in the new 2017 challenger certainly supports the rumours. Either way, Tanak has fallen back down the pack after some blistering pace in Poland and Finland, so a return to form wouldn't go a miss for Ott. The Abu Dhabi Total WRT are making their final WRC appearance of 2016 in Wales, and will run cars for all three of Citroen's 2017 drivers. Kris Meeke heads the charge, and will be undoubtedly vying for a strong result on his home event. The Ulsterman, who won in Portugal and Finland, has had a couple of rallies to forget in Corsica and Spain so will be determined to end his season on a high, and should be in a good position to do so running further down the running order. Craig Breen and Scott Martin are also home heroes in the second DS3, and have impressed significantly this year to earn themselves a factory Citroen drive for 2017 and 2018. Breen has plenty of experience on Wales Rally GB, including an emphatic WRC Academy win back in 2011, so is another who can be seriously considered for a good result. After his horrifying crash in Germany, Stephane Lefebvre makes his WRC return in GB, but without his regular co-driver Gabin Moreau who is still injured. His seat will be filled by Frenchman Gilles De Turckheim. It is unknown how much Lefebvre's high speed accident has affected his confidence, but there is no real pressure for him to perform well as he too has a works drive with Citroen in the bag for next year. The young Frenchman therefore just has to drive to the finish, gain experience and ready himself for the new season. Being a Brit, Wales Rally GB is slightly more significant than the other WRC rounds with it being the closest to my home in Edinburgh, Scotland. Therefore there are a few other drivers I am keen to observe, including the battle between BRC contenders Fredrik Ahlin, David Bogie, Rhys Yates and Drive DMACK Fiesta Trophy contenders Osian Pryce and Gus Greensmith who will both drive R5 Fiestas in Wales instead of the R2's they have campaigned this year. The battle between Vauxhall team mates Chris Ingram and Robert Duggan should also be fascinating. Duggan campaigned a Vauxhall Adam R2 in this year's British Rally Championship and took 5 wins from 7 events, while Ingram drove a works Opel Adam in the Junior European Rally Championship, cruelly missing out on the title due to mechanical issues. The National Rally will also be something worth watching, with plenty of the top drivers from the Scottish Rally Championship taking on BTRDA regulars and each other. I will be down in Wales to cover how the Scottish boys and girls get on, so will be immersed in a world rally for the first time in my life! This may mean my WRC review on This Is Rally will be posted later than usual, but I am hoping to add a little insight as despite my work commitments, I want to try and follow and get in among the main event as much as I can. If you happen to see me around, please do say hello! I can't wait... Photo Credit: Volkswagen Motorsport Round 11 of the 2016 World Rally Championship saw the world's toughest motorsport head to one of its toughest challenges: the mixed surface Rally RACC Catalunya. Friday on gravel, Saturday and Sunday on tarmac, Spain's WRC round challenges the drivers, co-drivers and service crews in equal measure.
Torrential rain made Friday's gravel stages a nightmare, but Saturday and Sunday were predominantly dry, and the sun was certainly shining on one particular Frenchman. Sebastien Ogier headed to Spain with a strong chance of becoming a quadruple World Rally Champion, needing just 16 points from the weekend to take the crown. Friday's rainy stages hampered his cause, but he still came through second overnight behind the charging Dani Sordo who put in a sublime performance to send the home crowd onto cloud nine. However, Ogier began chipping away the seconds stage by stage on Sordo's preferred surface of tarmac, before reeling the Spaniard in and not looking back. Ogier and Ingrassia joined an elusive club containing Juha Kankkunen, Tommi Makinen and Sebastien Loeb in becoming four time champions, and the Volkswagen crew have yet to take the title down to the final round. Quite some achievement. It will be interesting to see if somebody can consistently challenge Ogier in 2017, as we have never seen the now 37-time rally winner in a proper title fight. As for Sordo, despite missing out on a dream home win, second was a strong result and he was the only man who was able to realistically live with Ogier on a consistent basis. With Ogier now wrapping up the drivers title, the focus switches to the battle for second in the championship, and what a battle this could be. Andreas Mikkelsen, who held the position after Corsica, was the only man who could have stopped Ogier taking the title in Spain, but he over-committed himself on SS12 and clipped an armco barrier, rolling his Polo R into retirement. This handed the final spot on the podium to Thierry Neuville, and subsequently with Mikkelsen out and unable to Rally2 handed the Belgian a fantastic shot of overhauling the Norwegian in the championship table. Any Power Stage points would have done the job for the Hyundai man, but he could only manage fourth and is therefore dead level on points with his good friend. Hayden Paddon was expected to shine on Friday's gravel stages, but instead impressed heavily on the race-circuit-esque tarmac roads of Catalunya. Anti-lag issues dogged the Kiwi from the off on the opening leg which prevented challenging at the very front, but when the cars switched from gravel-battering monsters to corner-hugging racers Paddon managed to stay on the coat-tails of his team mate Neuville, who is a fine asphalt driver. By far the best tarmac performance of his career on the event he claimed his first WRC stage win back in 2013 for M-Sport, which all bodes well for the final two rallies of the year. He could yet steal second in the championship from the clutches of Mikkelsen and Neuville. One man who is not in that fight is Mads Ostberg, but the Norwegian did claim his first top five since Rally Argentina in the spring. Mads was adapting his new tarmac driving style in Spain which began to pay dividends on the final day, but once again he was a long way from the leaders pace. Ostberg reminds me of Mikko Hirvonen in the latter part of his career, not as fast as he was but there just to pick up the points. Ostberg's future is far from secure, but he claims he has more than one option for 2017. For me, the 2012 Portugal winner would be a perfect fit for Tommi Makinen's Toyota, with his vast experience, knowledge and solid level of consistency meaning he is incredibly likely to bring the car home in the points. Sixth place in Catalunya went to DMACK driver Ott Tanak, who struggled to match the pace all weekend, even on the gravel, despite getting his rally off to the best possible start on the rain-soaked streets of Barcelona, claiming the stage win and overnight lead. Rumours suggest Tanak has signed a deal to drive for the main M-Sport squad for next season alongside Eric Camilli. Seems like a good decision from Malcolm Wilson. Personally, I hope he sees Elfyn Evans in a third car as the Welshman has done plenty to prove he deserves a seat in a factory World Rally Car. Taking a career best seventh overall on round 11 were Kevin Abbring and Seb Marshall in the 2015 specification Hyundai i20. The Dutchman's rally wasn't without its niggles, but he drove sensibly and consistently to profit when others suffered set backs. He will be hoping he's done enough to convince Hyundai or anyone else he is worthy of a larger WRC campaign as the sport heads into an exciting new era next year. WRC2 winner Jan Kopecky put his name in the mix for that championship with eighth overall, while his Skoda Motorsport team mate Pontus Tidemand behind in ninth overall and second WRC2. Craig Breen and Scott Martin rounded out the top 10 after suffering various setbacks throughout the weekend, chiefly driveshaft issues. But Breen won't be too bothered as he is staring at a 2 year contract with one of the sport's most successful teams. Team mate Kris Meeke, who has been incredibly impressive in 2016, had a fairly quiet and incident-packed event in Spain. The slippery conditions caught him out on SS2, pitching his DS3 into a roll and dropping him over half a minute. Saturday's switch to tarmac saw him on the pace, but a puncture curtailed his progress before an engine failure at the very start of Sunday sidelined the Ulsterman. Jari-Matti Latvala who was another who could count himself unlucky after the WRC's only mixed surface event. The Finn struggled to get into his rhythm at the start of the rally, but he quickly slipped back into it with a couple of stage wins. But a rather innocuous kiss of the barrier on SS5 damaged his VW's front suspension and ended his day prematurely. He once again underlined his tarmac skills with some quick times and a Power Stage win, but it could have been so much better for Finland's finest. Let's hope for pretty much everyone's sake Latvala's confidence stays high, he gets a slice of luck and we can see him involved in a title scrap next year in his fifth year with Volkswagen. Finally, Eric Camilli suffered mechanical issues after driving within himself, firmly in the points on the Spanish roads. He returned on Sunday to gain valuable experience. Up next, the World Rally Championship heads to Deeside, Wales for the penultimate round of the championship and the first full gravel event since July. I fully expect all three VW's, at least two of the Hyundai's in Neuville and Paddon and Kris Meeke to be well in the fight for victory in the classic Welsh forests, and don't discount Craig Breen or Ott Tanak either. I always get excited for a WRC event, but the second to last event for this generation of WRC machinery will be a particularly special one for me as I will be attending my first ever WRC event. I have been asked to travel down to cover the exploits of the Scottish crews in the National rally as part of my Scottish Rally Championship Press Officer role, but I fully intend to get up close and personal with the WRC event. You could say I'm just a little bit excited... Photo Credit: M-Sport Round 11 of the 2016 World Rally Championship sees the series head to the Costa Daurada, Spain for the only mixed surface event of the year. After three days on the gruelling tarmac roads of Corsica, the drivers face the first day of Rally Catalunya on gravel roads, before the cars are lowered and stiffened for the two days of tarmac that conclude the action.
The French encounter marked Ogier's first mathematical shot at the 2016 drivers title, but Spain the most realistic. If the French ace bags his third consecutive win and fifth of the season then he cannot be caught in the title race. It really is a question of if and not when Ogier will take his fourth consecutive title. But despite his return to form, he faces road sweeping duties this weekend for one day, so winning will be more of a challenge for Ogier. And Jari-Matti Latvala will hope to be the man to stop him. The Finn is without a win since Mexico in March, with five other drivers having won a round of the championship since he has. Latvala has never won in Spain, and confidence wise he really could do with it. Spain was the scene of Andreas Mikkelsen's maiden WRC win last year when Ogier sensationally crashed on the Power Stage whilst leading, handing the Norwegian the win. Mikkelsen's tarmac pace has dramatically improved this year, so he will definitely be in the mix for the win. His best mate Thierry Neuville will almost certainly be in the hunt too. The Belgian's form is reaching the impressive levels it did in 2013, and much like back then he has signed himself a new deal with Hyundai, ending that particular rumour mill. Thierry is one to watch as has finished on the podium the last two events. In Germany he was third, in Corsica he was second, could he go all the way in Spain? Another tipped to stop him is home hero Dani Sordo, whose seventh place finish on the Mediterranean island was not a reflection of his pace and performance. The Spaniard is a renowned tarmac expert of this crop of WRC stars, and has come mightily close to winning his home event before. Count him out at your peril. Hayden Paddon wasn't happy with his driving on the Corsican asphalt, but he will be relishing the prospect of a day on his much proffered gravel in Catalunya. If Hayden goes well on the gravel, he may well have increased confidence to keep hold of a potentially good position on the tarmac. Over at M-Sport, things are looking rather uncertain. Eric Camilli has a 2017 contract in his back pocket, and will be looking for another clean run like Corsica, but potentially a little more pace in Spain. However, the supposed team leader Mads Ostberg is in a big spot of bother. He hasn't finished in the top 5 since round 4 in Argentina, and has no deal as of yet for 2017. If I were Mads I would be very worried, and if I were Malcolm Wilson I would not be giving him a drive if he has another lacklustre rally in Spain. In the DMACK corner, Ott Tanak will be another who will be grateful to feel the loose beneath the tyres of his World Rally Car. After the searing speed of Poland and Finland, Tanak and his DMACK tyres have struggled a little on the tar, but we could see a return to form on the gravel roads before hopefully seeing some improvement on the asphalt. The Abu Dhabi Total World Rally Team are back again for what looks to be their penultimate outing of 2016. Kris Meeke and Craig Breen both return, with the former looking for a solid result to build experience and further strike fear into his rivals with his blistering speed, while the latter can relax a little having netted a drive in the new C3 WRC next season. So prediction time. Ogier to seal the drivers title in style with a win, but pushed all the way by Meeke and Neuville among others. What do you think? Be sure to let me know. Photo Credit: Volkswagen Motorsport Round 10 of the 2016 FIA World Rally Championship saw the action take place on one of the most historic, demanding and picturesque rallies in the history of the sport: the Tour de Corse, Rally Corsica, the rally of 10,000 corners.
The event may have only comprised of 10 stages, but the competitive distance was the longest of the entire season, with plenty of narrow, winding stages over 40km it was a supreme test of man and machine. And it was one man and one machine who dominated the opening leg of the French round of the championship, taking all four of the stage wins to earn a comfortable lead of 45 seconds that he was able to control. Yep, you've guessed it, it was Sebastien Ogier and his Volkswagen Polo R WRC. The triple champion had a mathematical chance of lifting his fourth consecutive drivers title and become the fourth man to win four WRC titles, but it was always an outside chance. Following his crushing display however where he yet again demonstrated his incredible ability to preserve his tyres, that fourth title looks something of a formality. The WRC's form man and 2017 question mark Thierry Neuville put in another fine performance on the rally he won five years ago to take second place and his third podium in five events. Neuville is yet to have penned a deal for 2017, so this result can only aid his negotiations. Andreas Mikkelsen continued his fine 2016 season with a third place, which both mathematically kept the title race alive and proved the Norwegian is one that should not be written off on tarmac. It was Mikkelsen's first podium since his win on Rally Poland back in July. Jari-Matti Latvala, the only one of the current crop of drivers to have won the Corsican event in a WRC car heading into the weekend, had a frustrating weekend in what has been a frustrating season for Finland's top rally driver. He changed the set-up of his Polo R but was never quite happy with it, and he couldn't match the pace of his two team mates on numerous occasions. One to forget. Craig Breen made his WR car debut on the isle of Corsica, and turned in a great drive to clinch fifth place, 30 seconds back from last year's winner. The man from Waterford has been seriously impressive when given the chance to drive a DS3 WRC this year, and has put himself right in the frame for a 2017 factory seat at Citroen. Personally, I believe Yves Matton and Citroen would be mad not to sign Craig up and risk losing him to another manufacturer, unless they can secure the services of Belgian Thierry Neuville. One man who is continuing to learn on the black stuff is Hayden Paddon, and he often cut a frustrated figure at stage ends in his i20 WRC as he wasn't turning in the stage times he wanted to. However, it was an error free run and there is one leg on gravel next time out in Spain which will surely cheer the Kiwi up. Seventh was an underwhelming and undeserved result for one of the finest tarmac drivers of this generation, Dani Sordo. Sordo was in the podium fight with team mate Neuville, but a puncture on SS3 put paid to those chances and effectively ruined his weekend. Seventh was the best he could salvage. Home hero Eric Camilli brought his Fiesta RS home eighth, ahead of fellow Fiesta drivers Mads Ostberg and Ott Tanak. Camilli thoroughly enjoyed himself and crucially finished the event error free following a massively disappointing Germany, whilst his Norwegian team mate struggled yet again. I'm not sure how many lacklustre events the usually consistent Ostberg can afford to have before he gets the chop. I can't help but feel Welshman Elfyn Evans, who took 11th overall and won the WRC2 class, would be doing a better job in that seat. Tanak put in a mature drive in his DMACK machine. He and the DMACK tyres are not at their most competitive on this type of event, but instead of trying to overcompensate with too much speed, the Estonian sensibly brought the car home safely to the finish. One man we haven't mentioned yet is Kris Meeke, and what a rally he had. In many ways his performance was reminiscent of his mentor Colin McRae with accidents and blinding speed. What is it they say, the apple doesn't fall too far from the tree... It all started off well, with only a spin costing him the opening stage win. He was on the pace in SS2 too, before a puncture on SS3 plummeted him down the order, literally, as he chased Craig Breen home for 40km. Saturday got off to a fantastic start, as the Northern Irishman claimed the win on SS5 by 17 seconds, prompting him to exclaim his excitement for the 2017 season, and few could argue with Citroen's new C3 expected to be strong and Meeke proving he has all the speed to mix it at the very top. However, an over ambitious pace note ended his day on the very next test, as his DS3 slid wide and rattled into a tree stump. Sunday morning, the longest stage of the rally beckoned, and Kris incredibly went a whole 35 seconds faster than anybody else before also claiming the rally ending Power Stage. It's all up in the air, but Kris could genuinely challenge Ogier on all surfaces next year if Citroen deliver and he keeps up this form. Exciting times beckon for the WRC. And we only have to wait a week and a half until the championship resumes on the mixed surface Rally Catalunya! Bring it on! |
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January 2018
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