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FIA RALLY: News and Notes from the 2001 World Rally Championship

23 December 2000

Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel
As usual, the World Rally Championship season starts not on the 1st of January - but within hours of the end of the final round of the season before! First team testing for the next season was Ford, anxious to gain experiences with their new tyre suppliers Pirelli. Their work began less than 48 hours after the end of the Network Q Rally of Great Britain! This year the first major new-driver test was with Peugeot in North Sweden on Wednesday 8th December, when Didier Auriol was seen for the first time in a Peugeot. New-car tests centred around Subaru's four-door car and modifications to the Ford and Mitsubishi cars.

Peugeot Sport

First test was 3-7 December, at Kall north Sweden, when they introduced the 206WRC to Didier Auriol. Then there was a two-part pre-Monte Carlo test in Spain, then near Grenoble in France. Early in January will come another Monte Carlo test, followed in the second week with another test in Sweden. Auriol's experiences sitting in a car adapted for the much taller Marcus Grnhlm were surprisingly straightforward. "They did not have even to adjust the seat position: the only change was to the angle of the pedals". The weather in Kall was however unseasonably warm - plus five degrees. The 1994 FIA World Champion was in good humour. "It is really nice working for the first time in Iberia in 15 years with a French team but there are always surprises. The first person I was working with was the test engineer Mario Fornaris - an Italian!" Meanwhile the first prototype 206 Maxi has been tested for the FIA Super 1600 series.

Ford Martini Racing

Four tests have been held so far! First was run 28th and 29th November at Espinelves, near Vic in Spain, with both Sainz and McRae, as a first experience for the official team cars with Pirelli tyres. Second test 4-7 December near Grasse, two days each driver, the first time with the 2001 specification engine. For the third test near Gap 12-15 December there were high hopes of wintry conditions - but there were none! More Pirelli asphalt test work was carried out instead. On 19th December a four day pre-Swedish test was run at Kall, after original tests planned for Torsby were abandoned because of weather. So far the new team driver Francois Delecour has not driven the car, but this will probably happen during the planned pre-Monte Carlo confirmation test to be be held 10-13 January. Meanwhile engine work on the Super 1600 Puma should enable in-car testing end of January. Development engineer Philip Dunabin explained: "we are progressing straight to the 2002 rules with a 60mm induction chamber rather than avail ourselves of the provisional 2001 rules using individual restrictors. At present it seems the Super 1600cc rules will cost us about 5bhp compared to our 2000 engines."

Subaru World Rally Team

Three days after the end of the Network Q Rally of Great Britain ( 29-30 November) saw Subaru active in Finland, tyre testing in readiness for the Swedish Rally, with Kankkunen and Solberg, with a 2000 series car. From 4-12th December the team tested the 2001 car for the first time, firstly on asphalt with Martin near Barcelona, then in Andorra with Burns and Solberg, later on gravel in the Cardona area with Solberg and Martin. Testing specifically for Monte Carlo began on 14 December on snow and ice in secret locations in France with Solberg, followed (on 18th December) with a three day asphalt test with Burns. The new four door car met with Burns' approval: "the car feels taut and well balanced."

Malboro Mitsubishi Ralliart

Although their team driver line-up is unchanged for 2001, the main development work has been to test the new pieces specifically authorised by the FIA World Council for use from the start of 2001 - notably the lightweight flywheel parts and revised rear wheel arches which allows longer wheel travel. There has so far been no test with the newly authorised lightweight crankshaft engine by Ralliart Europe. Monte Carlo tests were carried out in various locations in France from 4-12 December with firstly test driver Lasse Lampi then they move to a location south of Grenoble, then further south with Loix. Then the team moved to ovaniemi in North Finland for four-day pre-Swedish testing which started on 18th December with Lampi for the first two days, then with Makinen. Note: when the new modifications were allowed by the FIA, two particular conditions were imposed: the same modifications had to appear on the full World Rally Car due to appear later this year, and the team undertook to be active in the World Championship till the end of 2003. For Group N private testing by suppliers has begun with the new gearbox internals for the Lancer Evolution but these have not yet been tested in cars.

Hyundai World Rally Team

In addition to making preparation for Monte Carlo and Sweden, there were two particular tasks: firstly introducing Piero Liatti to the Accent WRC, secondly continuing work for development of the second-generation Accent due for mid-season. From 3-6 December the team were at Col de Bleyne and Roquesteron in South France (first two days Alister McRae, last day Liatti), then from 16-20 December at Kall in Sweden (three days Eriksson, two for McRae). Unsatisfactory weather conditions has forced the team to make plans to return to France for three days 4-6 January. At Kall the weather was more representative than for earlier teams - it was down to -13 degrees! On both tests the team not only concentrated on chassis set-up but also testing developements to the engine due to be homologated later on. MSD Team Principal David Whitehead "it was very wet the first time Piero drove the car. He commented that the engine needed more development which is already in hand, but was happy with the chassis. His recent experiences with both Subaru and Ford means he can set useful standards to which we should aim."

Skoda Motorsport

The team started their 2001 activities on 28th November, with a media day in Czech Republic when they gave their new team member Bruno Thiry his first chance to drive a second generation Octavia World Rally Car. First serious testing work for 2001 started 4-8 December at Kall, North Sweden: first half of the week with Armin Schwarz, second part Bruno Thiry. Asphalt testing will be in South France from 16-20 December. Thiry had once rallied an Octavia before - when he finished fourth on the 1999 Network Q Rally of Great Britain, in the first version Octavia. On his first impressions, Bruno commented: "the car has substantially changed since I last drove for Skoda, especially the handling and balance. More improvements still need to be made to the engine!" The team is to return to France Jan 4-8.

Citroen Sport (New Contender)

Latest work with the Citroen T4 World Rally Car was carried out week 12-15 December near Barcelona in Spain on asphalt, to test the aerodynamics affected by the new design of nose. Bugalski and Puras were driving the car. Meanwhile at Chateau Lastours Sebastian Loeb was testing the prototype four-wheel drive Saxo T4, a non-turbocharged car aimed at French championship competition, while engine work is continuing on the Saxo FIA Super 1600 championship car.

The next FIA Rally Update will appear in early January: this will highlight the changes in each World Championship team and their individual programmes. The regular pre-event Updates will then continue, the first one to be issued on Friday 12th January. Happy Christmas, a prosperous and safe New Year.

2001 World Rally Championship Calendar

  • Jan 18-21 Rallye Automobile Monte Carlo
  • Feb 08-11 The International Swedish Rally
  • Mar 08-11 TAP Rallye De Portugal
  • Mar 22-25 Rallye Catalunya Cost Brava - Rallye De Espana
  • May 03-06 Rally Argentina
  • May/Jun 31-03 Cyprus Rally
  • Jun 14-17 Acropolis Rally, Greece
  • Jul 19-22 Safari Rally Kenya
  • Aug 23-26 Neste Rally Finland
  • Sep 20-23 Propecia Rally New Zealand
  • Oct 04-07 Rallye San Remo - Rallye D'Italie
  • Oct 18-21 V-Rally Tour De Corst - Rallye De France
  • Nov 01-04 Telstra Rally Australia
  • Nov 22-25 Network Q Rally of Great Britain

Driver lineup for 2001

Peugeot Sport
- Marcus Gronholm
- Didier Auriol

Ford Martini Racing
- Colin McRae
- Carlos Sainz
- Francois Delecour

Subaru World Rally Team
- Richard Burns
- Petter Solberg
- Markko Martin

Malboro Mitsubishi Ralliart
- Tommi Makinen
- Freddy Loix

Hyundai World Rally Team
- Kenneth Eriksson
- Alister McRae
- Piero Liatti

Skoda Motorsport
- Armin Schwarz
- Bruno Thiry

Citroen Sport
- Philippe Bugalski
- Jesus Puras
- Thomas Radstrom

Text Provided By FIA

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