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Tag: WRC 2
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ŠKODA at Rally RACC Catalunya-Espana: New WRC 2 champion Kopecký wants to crown season with another win
WRC 2 leaders Jan Kopecký and Pavel Dresler (ŠKODA FABIA R5) want to crown a successful season
with a WRC 2 victory. Photo: Skoda AutoMladá Boleslav, 24 October 2018: ŠKODA’s Jan Kopecký and Pavel Dresler will enter this weekend’s Rally RACC Catalunya-Rally de España as newly crowned WRC 2 champions. With only two rallies left in the 2018 season, the Czech duo is uncatchable in the WRC 2 overall standings. Also, ŠKODA Motorsport already secured the WRC 2 Championship for Teams.
ŠKODA junior Kalle Rovanperä and co-driver Jonne Halttunen (FIN/FIN) compete for the first time in Spain and aim for another top result after their maiden WRC 2 win for ŠKODA at the recent Wales Rally GB.
ŠKODA Motorsport boss Michal Hrabánek is more than happy with his team’s 2018 season: “We saw a fantastic fight between Pontus Tidemand and Jan Kopecký for the WRC 2 championship. We equally granted six rallies to both drivers. Jan is doing his rally number six in Spain. He can’t be caught by Pontus anymore, because he has already done six events.
“We are very proud that we could defend both WRC 2 Championship titles for drivers and teams, ŠKODA crews winning 10 out of 11 rounds of the WRC 2 championship 2018 so far. We warmly welcome Volkswagen entering the R5 competition for the first time with the Polo in Spain.”
For ŠKODA Motorsport, Rally RACC Catalunya-Rally de España marks the end of a successful season. The final round of the FIA World Rally Championship, Rally Australia, never was part of the team’s 2018 program.
Kalle Rovanperä and co-driver Jonne Halttunen aim for another top result in Spain. Photo: Skoda Auto One of the toughest rivals for Kopecký will be Rovanperä who recently won the WRC 2 category at Wales Rally GB right after his 18th birthday. “The victory in Wales was great. Hopefully, we can keep this momentum into the Spanish WRC round to finish the season on a high,” said the young Finn.
Nevertheless, Kopecký also looks forward to Spain’s championship round with optimism. “I have a really fantastic season so far and could win every rally I was competing in, in total five WRC 2 events and six rallies of the Czech Rally Championship. Last year, I missed the victory in Spain. After all the championship pressure is gone now, I will try my best to settle that bill,” emphasized the Czech champion
As 12th round of the FIA World Rally Championship, Rally RACC Catalunya-Rally de España offers a special challenge for the 21 WRC 2 crews, among them nine competing in a ŠKODA FABIA R5. The Spanish WRC round is the championship’s only mixed surface rally.
The first leg on Friday is held on gravel roads with some tarmac sections. On Saturday and Sunday, all stages are entirely run on asphalt. In total, the teams have to face 18 special stages over 331.58 Kms. The winner will reach the podium at the rally’s host town Salou in the south of Catalunya’s capital Barcelona on Sunday.
A few interesting facts about Rally Catalunya-Espana
- The WRC event in Spain/Catalunya is the only one which features a mix of gravel stages during leg one and asphalt stages during legs two and three.
- On Friday evening the service time is 1:15 hours and thus 30 minutes longer than usual, allowing the teams to convert the cars from gravel into tarmac spec.
- The spectacular Barcelona street stage is back as opener of Rally RACC Catalunya-Rally de España on Thursday evening.
- Rally RACC Catalunya-Rally de España was first run in 1957, became a round of the European Rally Championship (ERC) in 1975 and in 1991 for the first time was part of the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC)
- At Rally RACC Catalunya-Rally de España the cars in WRC 2 category are allowed to use a maximum of 10 gravel tyres and 24 asphalt tyres plus an extra of four tyres for shakedown?
- World Theme Park, featuring the spectacular Dragon Khan roller coaster with eight loops and a top speed of more than 110 kph
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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.
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Rally Portugal: ŠKODA’s Pontus Tidemand aiming for hat-trick victory in WRC 2 category
Defending WRC 2 champion Pontus Tidemand seeking a hat-trick of wins. Photos: SKODA Motorsport Mladá Boleslav, 15 May 2018: Reigning WRC 2 Champions Pontus Tidemand and co-driver Jonas Andersson (SWE/SWE) are entering the competition at Rally Portugal to be run this weekend leading the WRC 2 championship standings.
Second placed ŠKODA team-mates Jan Kopecký and co-driver Pavel Dresler (CZE/CZE) will compete at Rallye Český Krumlov at the same weekend instead of travelling to Portugal.
Meanwhile, promising Finnish juniors Juuso Nordgren and co-driver Tapio Suominen will make their 2018 WRC 2 season debut driving another ŠKODA FABIA R5 run by the factory team of ŠKODA Motorsport.
Three years ago, the ŠKODA FABIA R5 started its success story with a strong debut on the gravel roads of Rally Portugal. Homologated on 1 April 2015, the brand-new R5 machine proved right from the start that it will be the car to beat in WRC 2 and currently is the most successful car in the category.
On top of that, Tidemand and Andersson have more good memories of Rally Portugal. “Back in 2015, it was my first rally with the ŠKODA FABIA R5. One year later, we could win there for the first time, and in 2017, we were lucky to be the winners again after a dramatic final on the last stage. I really love to drive the nice gravel stages of Portugal and want to win for a third time in a row,” Tidemand said ahead of the sixth round of the 2018 FIA World Rally Championship (WRC 2).
Juuso Nordgren and Tapio Suominen…2018 WRC 2 season debutants. Nordgren said: “My first rally for ŠKODA Motorsport this year was the second round of Czech Rally Championship, the Rally Šumava Klatovy, where I finished third. It was nearly 100 per cent on tarmac roads with only some small gravel sections. Now I am really looking forward to drive the ŠKODA FABIA R5 on pure gravel roads.”
ŠKODA Motorsport boss Michal Hrabánek is hoping for another great result for the Czech manufacturer. “The competition will be very tense at Rally Portugal. I am happy to see that among the 35 entries in WRC 2 and RC 2 classes, no fewer than 12 crews are competing with a ŠKODA FABIA R5.
“With three starts, Tidemand so far won two of the five 2018 rallies. He can further increase his lead in the WRC 2 Championship. For Juuso, it is all about learning. Last year, he already proved, that he is really fast on gravel.”
After moving back to the north of the country to the region around Porto in 2015, Rally Portugal is one of the most spectator crowded events of the FIA World Rally Championship. The notorious Fafe jump alone every year attracts tens of thousands of spectators.
The rally starts on Thursday (17 May) with a show stage on the rallycross circuit of Lousada. The first full day of action on Friday (18 May) features eight stages in the far north near the border to Spain, covering nearly 150 Kms. Like in 2017, Saturday (19 May) offers the longest leg, running over nearly 155 Kms divided in six special stages with a mixture of sandy roads, rocks and deep ruts during the second pass of the stages.
The right tyre choice between soft compounds for more traction and hard compound in order to manage tyre wear on the long stages is one of the keys to success. On Sunday (20 May), the spectacular Fafe loop with five stages on fast and smooth gravel roads, including the famous jump, is the spectator highlight of the event.
In total, the teams will face 20 special stages of 358.19 Kms before the winner will reach the podium on Sunday in Matosinhos close to the city of Porto.
A FEW SALIENT FEATURES OF RALLY PORTUGAL
The Rally Portugal was first held in 1967, and in 1973, it was one of the founding events of the then new World Rally Championship. Until 1994, the rally traditionally started in Estoril close to Lisbon and the first leg was held on tarmac before it became an all-gravel event in 1995.
In 1996, due to the FIA’s calendar rotating system, Rally Portugal did not count for the World Rally Championship. From 2007 to 2014, the rally was held in the Algarve region before moving back to the north.
The ŠKODA FABIA R5 made its World Rally Championship debut at Rally Portugal in 2015 and up to now, 200 units of this model have been sold to customer teams worldwide. In 2012, Sébastien Ogier won his class with a ŠKODA FABIA S2000, finishing an impressive 7th overall, and again in 2013, Esapekka Lappi won WRC 2 with a ŠKODA FABIA S2000.
