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Tag: Rally Italia Sardegna
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MRF, Gaurav Gill pleased with performance of tyres on WRC debut in Rally Italia Sardegna
Gaurav Gill in action during the Rall Italia Sardegna where he and MRF Tyres made their WRC debut. Alghero, 10 June 2018: It was a successful debut in the World Rally Championship (WRC) for MRF Tyres in the Rally Italia Sardegna held over the weekend. MRF Tyres joined the current World Rally Champions M-Sport outfit to run a Fiesta R5 car on the Italian roads with Indian Gaurav Gill behind the wheel. His co-driver, Australian Glenn Macneall has a long history in the WRC and brought valuable experience to the team.
Gill and Macneall put in a string of fast stage times, finishing inside the top 10 of their class across all the Saturday and Sunday stages.
“It was a tough event – this is the toughest of the WRC events across the season and the MRF Tyres performed well on the rough roads,” Gill said. “I am very happy with where we sit after our first event. We took fourth in our category on stage 13 and today we continued to set very good times. The conditions today were very hot, much warmer than over the rest of the weekend but the roads were a little smoother. It is great to make it to this point and I am looking forward to getting back behind the wheel of the MRF Tyres Ford Fiesta R5 at our next WRC event.”
The MRF Tyres team was happy with the progress with the rally showing development opportunities while showing the tyres are strong and consistent.
“Our tyres were able to withstand the tough demand of the WRC – the toughest motorsport competition in the world. The MRF Tyres were able to withstand rocks, ruts and boulders without a single issue,” he added.
With the data and confidence that MRF Tyres and Gaurav Gill with Glenn Macneall gained from Rally Italia Sardegna, the team are looking forward to future events.
This is the first of four events for MRF Tyres in the WRC this year as the team aims to gain more data, experience and speed for the 2019 season.
MRF Tyres Press Release
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Neuville snatches dramatic win over Ogier to extend WRC title lead
Thierry Neuville reacts after scoring a sensational win over Sebastien Ogier in the Rally Italia Sardegna. Photo: WRC Alghero, 10 June 2018: Thierry Neuville snatched a thrilling Rally Italia Sardegna victory on Sunday afternoon after edging WRC title rival Sebastien Ogier in an electrifying shootout in the final speed test. He trailed Ogier by 0.8sec ahead of the 6.96 kms test, but delivered a daredevil drive in his Hyundai i20 to overhaul the Frenchman and claim his third win of the season by 0.7sec. Neuville extended his championship lead over Ogier to 27 points.
Esapekka Lappi finished third in a Toyota Yaris, a further 1min 51.3sec behind. The results remain provisional after a bizarre incident at the finish of the penultimate stage when Ogier hurriedly departed in his Ford Fiesta without collecting his time card. It was later delivered to him by Ott Tänak. It was a breach of regulations which prohibit the crew receiving items from a third party.After investigating the issue, stewards removed the 22 points Ogier and Ingrassia gained from the rally and the 18 earned by their M-Sport Ford team. The penalty was suspended, meaning it will only be applied if the pair repeat the offence before the end of the season. They were also fined 10,000 Euros. The decision means Ogier remains 27 points adrift of Neuville with six rounds remaining.
Ingrassia admitted his mistake at the hearing. He said they left the stage finish without checking the time card had been returned by marshals and when he realised the error, it was too late to return to the finish line by car or on foot. Stewards accepted it was a genuine mistake which had no effect on the performance of their Ford Fiesta.Neuville won the final live TV Power Stage to claim five bonus points. Ogier took four points for second with Ott Tänak scoring three in third in a Yaris. Andreas Mikkelsen and Elfyn Evans took two and one point respectively.
It was the third smallest winning margin in the WRC’s 45-year history, matching Neuville’s dramatic success in Argentina last year when he performed a similar snatch and grab on Elfyn Evans.
The Belgian started the sun-kissed short final leg along Sardinia’s north-west coast 3.9sec adrift of Ogier. He won the opening three tests before both drivers threw caution to the wind in the finale. Both made mistakes on the dusty, rocky tracks but Neuville emerged on top.
“I gave it everything, it was a really great fight and such a small difference at the end,” he said. “We needed to make a decision at the start of the last stage and our decision was to go for the win. We believed strongly and pushed hard.”
Ogier was far from downhearted. “We lost one battle but definitely not the war. It’s not the time to panic. I tried everything I could today but I was always losing a few tenths here and there,” he said.
Kopecky takes third WRC 2 win of the season
Jan Kopecky on a high after enjoying a comfortable win in WRC 2, his third of the season. Photo: WRC A clean run through the final day of the rally enabled Jan Kopecky to seal his third WRC 2 win of the year by more than three minutes. After Stéphane Lefebvre’s retirement on Saturday, the Skoda Motorsport driver knew all he had to do was clear Sunday’s four stages cleanly to claim victory, and that is exactly what he did. He kept his Fabia R5 out of trouble on the rocky and rutted roads to win by 3m 02.6sec.
Twenty-five points for victory keeps Kopecky second in the drivers’ standings, behind team-mate Pontus Tidemand. But with the Swede not participating in Italy, the gap between them slims to 18 points.
“The feeling is really nice because the Czech fans are everywhere here,” Kopecký explained. “The rally didn’t start completely perfect, but we’ve been fast the rest of the weekend and there were no mistakes.”
Ole Christian Veiby…..brilliant run. Photo: WRC Ole Christian Veiby secured runner-up spot in the second Skoda Motorsport Fabia R5. The Norwegian claimed a hat-trick of stage wins to add to his six from Saturday as he overhauled Hyundai i20 driver Nicolas Ciamin on the rally’s penultimate stage.
Ciamin claimed the final podium spot, deciding to focus on bringing the car home in one piece as the gravel tracks got rougher on the second run and rocks were pulled onto the racing line.
Pierre-Louis Loubet was one of the drivers caught out by the rough conditions in his i20 R5, he lost more than two minutes on the second run of the 14.06km Cala Flumini stage. That dropped him from fourth to sixth as Fabio Andolfi and Lukasz Pieniazek both squeezed their Skodas into the top five, despite a stall for the latter on the same stage.
Loubet’s woes were compounded when he was forced to retire at final control. That promoted Benito Guerra to sixth after his retirement yesterday. Kajetan Kajetanowicz and Lefebvre rounded out the finishers – the Frenchman showing strong pace in his Citroën C3 R5 by claiming fastest WRC 2 time in the Sassari-Argentiera Live TV Power Stage.
Toyota development driver Takamoto Katsuta retired on SS17 with a broken driveshaft in his Ford Fiesta R5, while Simone Tempestini was unable to restart after mechanical issues with his Citroën on Saturday.
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Rally Italia Sardegna: Gaurav Gill shows good pace; Ogier, Neuville locked for title
Gaurav Gill with M-Sport team principal Malcolm Wilson, OBE, at the Rally Italia Sardegna. Photo: M-Sport Alghero, 09 June 2018: Having taken a restart after retiring yesterday following a hard nose-dive on SS-5, Indian champion Gaurav Gill showed why his credentials should not be taken lightly as the three times Asia Pacific Rally Champion showed impressive pace to end Leg 2 of the Rally Italia Sardegna in 14th spot among RC2 cars.
Gill, the 36-year old from Delhi, backed by MRF Tyres and with Aussie Glenn Macneall as his co-driver, enjoyed a much better outing in the M-Sport Ford Fiesta R5 today when seven Special Stages were run and despite suffering mechanical problems early in the day.
He was 11th quickest in SS-11, 10th in SS-12, fourth in SS-13, ninth in SS-14, 10th in SS-15 and ninth in SS-16 to finish Leg 2 in 15th position. Having re-started under Super Rally format, but with a heavy time penalty, Gill seemed determined to show that he belonged at this level and his pace on some of the Stages underlined the long-held belief that he could more than hold his own on the World stage.
As a non-priority driver, Gill, participating in WRC 2 is not eligible for points, but will be classified.
World champion Sebastien Ogier looking hot . Photo: WRC Ogier leads Neuville by just 3.9secs in WRC!
Title rivals Sebastien Ogier and Theirry Neuville face a thrilling final day victory showdown after gripping duel in the sun on Saturday. They traded seconds across seven dusty and rocky speed tests in the north of the Mediterranean island before Ogier finished with a slender 3.9sec advantage. Neuville, who heads Ogier in the WRC championship battle by 19 points, claimed three stage victories in his Hyundai i20, compared to Ogier’s two at the wheel of a Ford Fiesta.
Ogier extended his overnight advantage to almost 20sec before an overly-cautious drive through the famous Monte Lerno stage cut his lead to less than 5sec. As temperatures soared this afternoon, in contrast to yesterday’s torrential rain, both had problems. Ogier stalled his engine at the Ittiri stage start while Neuville punctured in the next test. With just one spare tyre onboard, he had no room for error in the final two stages.
“It’s so tight,” said Ogier. “It was a big push for me this afternoon because I was so angry with the last stage this morning. All the time I lost to Thierry was there. There’s pressure but it’s been like that all weekend and if we want to win we’ll have to fight for it.”
Thierry Neuville pushing hard. Photo: WRC Neuville said: “I knew if I had one more puncture I would lose a lot of time but it was our decision to carry on pushing. That was the risk we had to take and we managed it well – there were a couple of stones I had to avoid. The fight is open and tomorrow will be intense.”
There were battles across the leaderboard. Jari-Matti Latvala and Toyota Gazoo team-mate Esapekka Lappi fought tooth and nail for the final podium place. Latvala’s lead never rose above 7.0sec and he ended the final stage with a 5.3sec advantage.
However, his Yaris stopped on the liaison section back to Alghero with an alternator problem, believed to have been caused by an impact with a rock. Despite the efforts of the Finn and co-driver Miikka Anttila, they could not restart the car and retired.
Hayden Paddon and Mads Østberg dueled for what became fourth following Latvala’s exit. Østberg began the day in front in his Citroën C3, but his Kiwi rival moved his i20 ahead and held off the Norwegian’s afternoon pursuit. The gap between them was 2.1sec.
Craig Breen was sixth in another C3 after a frustrating day, ahead of WRC 2 leader Jan Kopecký. Ott Tänak recovered to eighth after yesterday’s engine damage, despite stopping to change a puncture in the final stage. Martin Prokop and Nicolas Ciamin completed the top 10.
Sunday’s short finale comprises two loops of two stages along the coast north of Alghero. They add up to 42.04km, the action ending with a spectacular Power Stage which runs alongside the beach and offers bonus points to the fastest five drivers.
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Gaurav Gill’s debut WRC 2 campaign ends in crash; Ogier takes slender lead in WRC
Sebastien Ogier on a late charge to lead Rally Italia Sardegna. Photo: WRC Alghero, 08 June 2018: Indian champion Gaurav Gill’s WRC 2 debut ended in a disaster as he damaged the M-Sport Ford Fiesta R5 following a heavy nose landing on SS-5 on the second day of the Rally Italia Sardegna on Friday. He was docked a time penalty of seven minutes plus the time of the fastest in the Stage. After Leg 1, the MRF Tyres driver was placed 15th among all the RC2 cars.
Gill’s campaign had begun on a promising note on Saturday night when he was placed ninth in the RC2 category after the 2 Kms Super Special Stage before heading out to the Special Stages today.
Through Friday’s first four Stages, Gill kept himself within sight of top-10, but the heavy nose-landing on SS-5 effectively put an end to his campaign. However, he was still classified under the Super Rally format. In all there were as many 10 retirements after 45 cars took the start early morning.
Meanwhile, in WRC, World champion Sebastien Ogier, driving the M-Sport Ford Fiesta, enjoyed a lead of 18.9 seconds over Thierry Neuville (Hyundai i20) with Jari-Matti Latvala (Toyota Yaris) a further 18.3 seconds adrift.
The turning point for Ogier came in the latter part of the day when he soared from fifth to first but even he found the muddy roads tough to master. “I did no mistakes but it wasn’t possible to push. It was super tricky,” admitted the Ford Fiesta pilot.
Further torrential rain just before the second pass of the 22.12 Kms Tula test made conditions even more treacherous than this morning. The five-time World champion took charge with a stunning time more than 12sec quicker than anyone else.
His joy contrasted with the disappointment of Andreas Mikkelsen. Starting the stage with a 14.0 sec advantage, the Norwegian firstly overshot a junction and then completed the stage having reportedly lost second gear in his Hyundai i20. A half spin towards the end of Castelsardo brought the car to a halt and he retired after being unable to restart.
Tula became increasingly slippery with the passage of every car and the time gaps were big. Neuville lost vital seconds after spinning his i20 but third fastest through Castelsardo, which ironically was dry and dusty in places, kept him second, 10.9sec behind Ogier.
Ott Tänak made changes to his differential at service in a bid to make his Toyota Yaris turn into corners better. The Estonian was third, a further 4.1sec back and still frustrated at being unable to match the pace of those ahead.
Latvala took the day’s last Stage with a stunning drive to ease past Tanak into third place behind Origer and Neuville.
In WRC 2, which saw lead changing hands through the day, Stephane Lefebvre (Citroen C3 R5) firmly in front, enjoying a lead of 14 seconds over Jan Kopecky (Skoda Fabia R5) who in turn led third-placed Nicolas Ciamin (Hyundai i20) by over a minute.
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Rally Italia Sardegna: Gaurav Gill shows his pace in shakedown for 11th in RC2 category
Gaurav Gill. Photo: Anand Philar Bengaluru, 07 June 2018: Indian ace Gaurav Gill (co-driver Glenn Macneall) of Team MRF Tyres, marked his debut in WRC 2 with a best of two minutes, 07.3 seconds in Thursday’s shakedown at the 3.51 Kms Olmeda test in damp conditions ahead of Rally Italia Sardegna which commences tonight with the Super Special Stages before the competitors negotiate the Special Stages over the next three days.
He finished the shakedown session overall 24th out of 41 starters and 11th in the RC2 category (WRC 2, R5 cars), missing the top-10 by a mere 10th of a second.
Gill, the 36-year old Delhi-based triple Asia Pacific Rally Championship winner, started his shakedown with a timing of 02:16.4 in his M-Sport Ford Fiesta R5 and dramatically improved his pace by clocking 02:09.2 in his second run before going even quicker in his third attempt with a 02:07.3.
His best timing put him just outside the top-10 in the RC2 category where his former APRC team-mate Ole Christian Veiby in a Skoda Fabia R5 was among the quickest in 02:03.08. Incidentally, Gill was way quicker than European champion Kajetan Kajetanowicz, the 39-year old from Poland, also in a Ford Fiesta R5 and in his first WRC 2 participation.
The Rally Italia Sardegna will officially start at 5 pm (8.30 pm IST) from the Alghero seafront. Then, SS1 “Ittiri Arena Show” will follow at 6 pm (9.30 pm IST) on live TV on FOX Sports and the national channel RAI Sport.
Over the weekend, the competitors will tackle 20 stages totalling 314.36 Kms of competitive action with 36.51 Kms of the route new for this year.
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Latvala warms up nicely for Rally Italia Sardegna, quickest in shakedown
Jari-Matti Latvala who topped the shakedown on Thursday. Photo: WRC Alghero, 07 June 2018: Jari-Matti Latvala was fastest through an unusually damp shakedown at Rally Italia Sardegna on Thursday morning. He topped the times in the 3.51km Olmeda test in his Toyota Yaris, 0.8sec clear of Hayden Paddon’s Hyundai i20. Thierry Neuville, Esapekka Lappi and Ott Tänak were tied in third, a further tenth behind.
It was the third successive rally in which Latvala has won shakedown, but broken suspension sidelined him early at the last two rounds in Argentina and Portugal after hitting rocks. The Finn has changed his preparations in a bid to avoid an unwanted hat-trick.
“In the recce, I used more time than previously. I stopped at some places to throw the stones away and I walked around and looked at the stones,” he told wrc.com. “I also tried to mark more carefully the bad places or where there was a stone on the ground and rather than going over it, I will go round it.
“We’ll run the car higher which should help with the impacts and I won’t turn so aggressively into corners. There was no time to do any suspension work between Portugal and this rally, but the reality is that I’ve been driving too aggressively.”
Team-mate Lappi set the pace during the first pass of the gravel stage. Paddon was fastest on the next two runs before Latvala moved top of the standings on his fourth and final attempt.
Persistent rain fell in the Alghero service park and while the stage was drier, the obligatory hard compound Michelin rubber was not ideal for the conditions.
Sébastien Ogier and Andreas Mikkelsen were both caught out, swiping a rock during their first runs which caused bodywork damage to the co-driver’s side of their cars.
Leading positions were:
POSITION DRIVER CAR TIME 1 Jari-Matti Latvala Toyota Yaris 1min 53.9sec 2 Hayden Paddon Hyundai i20 +0.8sec 3= Thierry Neuville Hyundai i20 +0.9sec 3= Esapekka Lappi Toyota Yaris +0.9sec 3= Ott Tänak Toyota Yaris +0.9sec 6 Sébastien Ogier Ford Fiesta +1.4sec 7 Elfyn Evans Ford Fiesta +2.2sec 8 Teemu Suninen Ford Fiesta +2.8sec 9 Andreas Mikkelsen Hyundai i20 +3.2sec 10 Craig Breen Citroën C3 +3.6sec -
MRF Tyres and Gaurav Gill set for historic WRC debut in Rally Italia Sardegna
Gaurav Gill (right) and co-driver Glenn Macneall with the M-Sport Ford Fiesta R5 By Anand Philar
Bengaluru, 05 June 2018: Come this weekend, India will be marking her presence on one of motorsport’s biggest stages, the FIA World Rally Championship as MRF Tyres and Gaurav Gill will take the start in Rally Italia Sardegna, albeit in the non-priority WRC2 category.
MRF Tyres have linked up with WRC’s top team, UK-based M-Sport who also manage the reigning World champion Frenchman Sebastien Ogier, to run four gravel rounds this season which will serve as a platform to do some R & D on their tyres before participating in the full season next year.
Gill, along with his long-time co-driver Glenn Macneall with whom he won two of the three FIA Asia Pacific Rally Championship titles, will be piloting the M-Sport R5 Ford Fiesta. The 36-year old Delhi-based Indian did two days of testing in the forests of Cumbria, UK, last week before heading to the island of Sardegna.
MRF, after having won nine APRC titles since their debut in 2002 and as such, the move to WRC was to be expected with Gill as their driver mascot, though it meant loads of preparatory work by way of making tyres to WRC standards and competing against established global brands such as Michelin and D-Mack. Participation in four gravel rounds mean generating data on tyres over 1,200 Kms of Special Stages.
Besides Sardegna, MRF and Gill plan to take part in Rally of Finland (July 26-29), Wales Rally GB (October 4-7) and Rally Australia (November 15-18).
So, what is in store for Gill in Sardegna? First, being a non-priority entry, Gill will start the rally from the last group, behind WRC (priority 1), WRC2 (priority 2) and WRC3 (priority 3), and this could be a disadvantage since the surface would have been chewed up by the cars that preceded him. As per the official list published, Rally Italia has 50 entries of which 28 enjoy “priority” status as mentioned above. The non-priority category has four WRC-spec entries, nine R5 cars and nine more in the RC2/3/4/5, NR4/R3T/R2/R1 class.
Rally Italia Sardegna service park. Photo: Rally Italia website Second, Gill faces another disadvantage of not having sufficient seat time in the Ford Fiesta R5, but he was in similar situation in the APRC too, driving the Skoda Fabia R5. Third, the ecosystem of the WRC takes some getting used to though Gill had taken part in three WRC rounds in the Production (now WRC2) class, back in 2008 and 2009, courtesy Bengaluru-based Sidvin Core-Tech.
Yet, you can’t put anything past Gill who over the years has, like good wine, matured into a World-class rally driver. “It is not just about raw speed for me today. I have evolved over the years along with the sport itself which I think is the key to where I am now. Moving on to WRC2 will no doubt present fresh challenges, but I take comfort in the fact that I have raced against some of the current top drivers in APRC and also beaten them. However, I do not entertain any high expectations for this season as the focus will also be on tyre R & D. Yes, it will be a steep learning curve for me and also MRF, but I am looking forward to the challenge,” Gill told me during a recent conversation.
To say the obvious, it will be a tough going in Rally Italia Sardegna, but, given the circumstances, if you can bet on one driver to deliver a strong performance, then my man is Gaurav Gill. WRC has been a long time coming, but as Gill agreed, better late than never.
RALLY ITALIA SARDEGNA DETAILS
Rally Italia Sardegna comprises 20 Special Stages totalling over 313 Kms on gravel roads and the temperatures will be high. After the Super Special Stage on Thursday at the rally cross circuit of Ittiri, Friday features four Stages, each run twice. On Saturday, the competitors will do seven Special Stages covering over 146 Kms while Sunday will see four Stages.
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Sebastien Ogier hoping to bounce back in Rally Italia Sardegna this weekend
Sebastien Ogier…..keen to make up for Portugal debacle. Photo: WRC Alghero, 05 June 2018: Reigning champion Sebastien Ogier is looking to put the disappointment at the Vodafone Rally de Portugal behind him as he looks to claim a fourth victory at this weekend’s Rally Italia Sardegna.
The M-Sport Ford driver was forced to retire on the opening day in Portugal after a pace note error caused him to hit a tree stump and break the suspension on his Fiesta, sending him sliding into the trees on the following corner.
His first no-score of the season meant he forfeited his lead in the championship to rally winner Thierry Neuville. Ogier now trails the Hyundai i20 driver by 19 points in the drivers’ standings thanks to the Belgian also claiming four bonus points on the Live TV Power Stage.
“Portugal was a shame as we had the speed to challenge for the win,” Ogier explained. “It was a small mistake with big consequences, but we put it behind us and are now fully focused on giving it everything we’ve got in Sardinia.”
The one silver-lining for the Frenchman is that he won’t be tasked with opening the road on Friday, but he conceded starting second won’t be much of an advantage.
“We won’t be opening the road this year, but we’ll still have something of an uphill battle with many fast drivers benefitting from a cleaner road behind,” Ogier said. “Even so, I’m confident that we can challenge for a good result. If we can keep the lead in sight on Friday night, then we’ll be in with a good chance – and will push for the best possible result.”
The five-time World champion has good form on the Mediterranean island rally, with three previous wins – most recently with VW in 2015 – from seven World Rally Car starts.
Ogier added: “I’ve learned to really enjoy these demanding stages, it’s a beautiful island but not the easiest of rallies with some very rough and abrasive terrain. You need to keep a margin and stay focused from start to finish – which is exactly what we intend to do.”
Sardinia’s beautiful beaches and luscious landscapes attract visitors in their droves, but the island is also prime rally territory – its rugged mountains, ancient forests and unspoilt rural terrain providing some of the year’s most demanding stages.
Lined with car-breaking obstacles, these stages leave no room for error. Fast and narrow, they demand precision driving and note calling from the drivers and co-drivers who must maintain their focus in temperatures as high as 30C.
More than a third of this year’s route is new – countless sections within each of the demanding speed tests offering a different challenge to last year’s encounter.
But the service park remains a familiar affair, hosted by the coastal town of Alghero. The town hosts the ceremonial start as well as the podium ceremony, and its idyllic cafes and mouth-watering selection of Italian gelateria are a must for teams and spectators alike.
Rally Italia Sardegna offers 20 Special Stages totalling more than 313 Kms on rugged and sun-baked gravel roads. Not only the tough gravel roads, but as well the temperatures are a challenge for the crews. While it has 28 Centigrade outside, the temperatures inside the rally cars can easily raise up to 68 degrees.
After the Super Special Stage on Thursday at the rally cross circuit of Ittiri, Friday features four stages in the north of the island, each run twice. Saturday is again the longest day of the rally with seven special stages covering over 146 kilometres. Sunday will bring the final decision with four stages close to the coast north of the host town of Alghero. The event first took place in 1928 as the “Rally of Flowers” and has been a round of the WRC since 1973.
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MRF Tyres unveils M-Sport Ford Fiesta R5 to be driven by Gaurav Gill in WRC 2
Gaurav Gill (right) and co-driver Glenn Macneall pose before their M-Sport Ford Fiesta R5 Bengaluru, 31 May 2018: The MRF Tyres today unveiled their M-Sport Fiesta R5 car that will be driven by Indian champion Gaurav Gill with Australian Glenn Macneall as the co-driver. The pair will take part in four rounds of the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC 2 category) this season, beginning with the Rally Italia Sardegna (June 7-10).
The distinctive red and white livery of the Indian tyre manufacturer has been retained as MRF Tyres moves onto the World stage in the non-priority R5 category.
The Delhi-based 36-year old Gill, a three times FIA Asia Pacific Rally Champion, said: “It is a huge honour for me to represent Team MRF at World Rally Championship level.
“MRF tyres has evolved a lot over the years and being the best tyre manufacturer in the region and the WRC is the best platform to showcase the product development. To achieve what no Indian tyre manufacturer has ever done before and compete in what is considered to be the most difficult motorsport championship in the world, is a huge achievement.”
For Macneall, who has competed in 100 WRC events, Rally Italia Sardegna is a return to MRF after many successful years partnering Gill in the FIA Asia Pacific Rally Championship.
The car will be run by the UK-based WRC World Championship winning M-Sport outfit. The MRF Tyres Fiesta R5 will be one of four cars they service at Rally Italia Sardegna, alongside the three works WRC cars, including the one piloted by World champion Sebastien Ogier.
Besides the Rally Italia Sardegna, the MRF Tyres M-Sport Fiesta will also compete in the Neste Rally Finland (July 26-29), Dayinsure Wales Rally GB (October 4-7) and Kennards Hire Rally Australia (November 15-18).
Prior to joining the WRC, MRF Tyres won nine Asia Pacific Rally Championships and supplies tyres to rally championships across the World.
A side-on view of the MRF Tyres M-Sport Ford Fiesta R5 The M-Sport Ford Fiesta R5 specs:
ENGINE:
M-Sport developed 1.6 Turbo, direct injection powerplant, FIA regulated 32mm restrictor. Life Racing engine control unit and power management systems.
BODYSHELL:
M-Sport designed bespoke roll cage as per FIA R5 regulations. R5 Aero Package
TRANSMISSION:
Sadev 5 Speed Sequential Gearbox mated to Sadev front and rear differential units.
SUSPENSION:
Front and Rear MacPherson struts with Reiger external reservoir dampers, three way adjustable. Front and rear antil roll-bar options.
UPRIGHTS:
Machined Aluminium uprights of a universal design – strengthened suspension links.
INTERIOR:
FIA 8862 Standard Competition Seats with 6 point HANS compatible harnesses. AP Racing ‘fly by wire’ fully adjustable pedal box. Life Racing fully functional drivers display controlled by a membrane switch panel.
FUEL SYSTEM:
ATL 80 Litre competition standard fuel tank, centrally mounted.
BRAKES:
AP Racing Forged 4 piston front and rear calipers. Gravel 300 x 28mm ventilated discs / Asphalt 355 x 32mm ventilated discs. Hydraulic Handbrake.
WHEELS:
7”x15” wheels – Gravel / 8” x 18” wheels – Asphalt.
Esapekka Lappi finished third in a Toyota Yaris, a further 1min 51.3sec behind. The results remain provisional after a bizarre incident at the finish of the penultimate stage when Ogier hurriedly departed in his Ford Fiesta without collecting his time card. It was later delivered to him by Ott Tänak. It was a breach of regulations which prohibit the crew receiving items from a third party.
Ingrassia admitted his mistake at the hearing. He said they left the stage finish without checking the time card had been returned by marshals and when he realised the error, it was too late to return to the finish line by car or on foot. Stewards accepted it was a genuine mistake which had no effect on the performance of their Ford Fiesta.
