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FIA launches probe into World Rally Championship timing

The FIA has launched an investigation into the delivery of timing and tracking in the World Rally Championship.
Previous supplier Stage One Technology was dropped in favour of Spanish firm SIT this year.
The teams, event organisers and drivers have been frustrated from the start of the season by a variety of issues with both the timing and tracking.
The lack of split times, accurate or otherwise, has made it difficult for the teams to track and relay progress of their cars against the competition.
Tracking issues include Volkswagen being unaware of Sebastien Ogier having to stop his car to open a closed gate mid-stage in Mexico, and the system failing to pick up Mads Ostberg's accident in Sardinia.
The Norwegian's M-Sport team was unaware until being telephoned by Ostberg.
The FIA's rally director Jarmo Mahonen said: "We are six months in now and the time has come to deliver a good service. We have met internally in the FIA and now we have launched the investigation."
SIT's Pedro Cieza said his firm had received mixed messages from the sport.
"At the beginning, we were told split times were [a] secondary [concern], but now we know that this is not the case and we have been making times more and more accurate rally through rally," he said.
"I am not making excuses, but our timing system is very high technology for some of the local marshals to use. We expect this to be easier on the next rallies.
"We have run real-time tests in Madrid this week and I need some feedback from my technical department.
"This is a question of time. When we were given the contract in November, we were given one month and a half to get everything ready.
"If we had been told in August we were doing this job then it would have been a different story."

Poland leads race as World Rally Championship plans new 2014 event

Next year's World Rally Championship will include one completely new round, according to FIA rally director Jarmo Mahonen.
Mahonen confirmed that one of the candidate rallies running this season will be included on the 2014 WRC calendar expected in coming weeks.
While Mahonen would not be drawn on the specifics of the calendar and refused to confirm a drop from 13 to 12 rounds for next season, he did say a new event would feature.
Brazil, China and Poland are believed to be the three countries running candidates this season and speculation suggests that Poland is looking increasingly likely to make the grade.
Poland has been included twice before (in 1973 and 2009), with the Mikko Hirvonen-won event of four years ago one of that season's highlights.
There is an increased appetite for rallying in Poland folllowing Robert Kubica's switch to the WRC with Citroen.
This year's Rally Poland runs as a round of the European Rally Championship in September.
Brazil and China are both key markets, however, and the WRC is expected to be running in both countries in the near future.
Mahonen said: "I don't want rallies coming with the asterix [meaning provisional]. That is why we decided to postpone the original announcement.
"We want the calendar to be set and I expect one of the candidate rallies to be included."

FIA announces F1 pitlane clampdown after German GP incident

Formula 1's ruling body, the FIA, has announced an immediate ban on anyone other than marshals and team personnel in the pitlane during qualifying and races following the incident during the German Grand Prix.
Formula One Management cameraman Paul Allen suffered broken ribs, a broken collarbone and concussion after he was hit by a loose tyre from Mark Webber's car which fell off following a botched pitstop. He is expected to make a full recovery.
As well as the new personnel restrictions, with the only exception being approved members of the media allowed on the pit wall, the FIA is also fast-tracking a reduction in pitlane speed limits and the mandatory wearing of helmets for team members involved in pitstops.
A statement issued by the FIA said that its president Jean Todt had requested the World Motor Sport Council approve the changes, which had already been planned for 2014, immediately.
The pitlane speed limit will be reduced from 100km/h to 80km/h, except in Australia, Monaco and Singapore, where it will be 60km/h.
Furthermore the speed limit may be amended by the stewards if the safety delegate recommends it.
The FIA said it is also expecting a written report from Red Bull about the causes of the pit lane incident to be submitted on Wednesday. The details of this will be shared with other teams in order to help improve safety.

Monte Carlo Rally revives Casino Square start for 2014 WRC

One of the most famous start venues in world motorsport will return next year, when the 2014 Monte Carlo Rally gets underway from Casino Square.
The French Alps classic moved out of the principality in 2007 and was centred on Valence in the Drome region.
Next year's route returns what is likely to be the opening round of the World Rally Championship to its more traditional Monaco-Monaco format.
The Casino Square start is late on the afternoon of Tuesday January 14. The location was used for the Volkswagen WRC launch last year (pictured).
Shakedown runs the following morning at an all-new stage close to Gap, while competition proper starts on Thursday January 16 with two loops of Orpierre-Saint Andre de Rosans (15.86 miles), Rosans-Sainte Marie-La Charce (11.18 miles) and Montauban sur l'Ouveze-Col du Perty-Laborel (12.03 miles). Mid-day service will be in Gap.
Friday runs out of Gap as well, starting with Vitrolles-Col D'Espreaux-Faye (30.60 miles) and Selonnet-Col des Garcinets-Breziers (14.13 miles).
After a final service in Gap, the crews will head south for Monaco, returning to Vitrolles on the way. They will also drive the legendary Sisteron-Col de Fontbelle-Thoard (22.80 miles) and Digne-Col de Corobin-Chaudon Norante (12.17 miles) at night.
Saturday will bring its usual break in the morning before two loops of two stages in the evening, the first being the infamous La Bollene Vesubie-Col de Turini-Moulinet (14.67 miles) and the second the new Sospel-Col de Brouis-Breil sur Roya (10.37 miles) stage.
After a late night return to Monaco, the podium celebrations take place outside the palace on Sunday January 19.

Hyundai confirms Juho Hanninen as first test driver for WRC return

Hyundai has confirmed that Juho Hanninen is the first test driver for its World Rally Championship return.
Team boss Michel Nandan underlined that Hanninen was just one of a number of drivers set to work on the Hyundai project this year, and that the 2014 squad would not be revealed for some time yet.
"We're very pleased to welcome Juho on board for our 2013 test programme," he said.
"I'm sure his experience and background will contribute to the project and I'm happy with the job he's done so far.
"We have decided to work with different drivers with unique skills and capabilities this year, which will provide us with valuable feedback for 2014."
Hanninen said his first impressions of the Hyundai i20 were encouraging.
"The first run with the i20 WRC was quite positive for me," he said.
"I'm very impressed with the work the team has done so far in such an incredibly short space of time."
The 31-year-old Finn was a long-time member of the Skoda factory squad, adding the 2011 Super 2000 class WRC crown and the '12 European Rally Championship title to his IRC championship before leaving the Czech marque last winter.
Hanninen then made two WRC starts with M-Sport Ford at the start of this year.

German GP: Sebastian Vettel resists Kimi Raikkonen for home win

Sebastian Vettel finally won his home grand prix in Germany as he resisted big pressure from Lotus's Kimi Raikkonen and Romain Grosjean at the Nurburgring.
As the Lotus duo took turns to hound Vettel for most of the race, it looked unlikely that the Red Bull driver would be able to cling on for victory, but he ultimately managed to after a dogged drive.
Polesitter Lewis Hamilton's Mercedes was swamped by the faster-starting Red Bulls off the line, as Vettel and Mark Webber moved into an immediate one-two.
Webber stayed right with his team-mate until the first pitstops, when he was sent out before his right-rear wheel was fully attached.
The tyre shot off and hit a television cameraman further down the pitlane. The cameraman was taken to hospital for observation.
Hamilton lost ground with heavy tyre wear as the race progressed, but Lotus moved in the opposite direction.
Grosjean ran 13 laps on softs in his first stint - far better than anyone else managed - and that jumped him from fifth to second.
The Frenchman then chased Vettel down, though he could not get closer than two seconds behind.
A safety car just mid-distance closed things up and brought Raikkonen from 12s down into contention.
The caution period was required after Jules Bianchi's Marussia retired in a cloud of smoke and flames, and then began drifting back across the circuit on the chicane approach after its driver had got out.
The leaders made their second stops behind the safety car but could not make it from there to the end.
Grosjean was first to pit, with Vettel reacting on the next lap and staying ahead.
Raikkonen ran 10 laps further then pitted for softs, allowing him to charge back past Grosjean (who obeyed a team order to not delay the Finn) and then catch Vettel.
But the world champion had just enough in hand to hang on and win by a second.
Grosjean resisted a similar late surge from Fernando Alonso to keep third.
Alonso's Ferrari team-mate Felipe Massa spun out at the first corner just four laps in while running sixth.
Hamilton ended up fifth, passing two-stopper Jenson Button's McLaren on the last lap.
Webber was brought back to the Red Bull garage and given a new wheel, then recovered from a distant last to seventh, just ahead of McLaren's Sergio Perez.
Nico Rosberg could make little progress from 11th on the grid and finished ninth ahead of countryman Nico Hulkenberg's Sauber.
Daniel Ricciardo faded from sixth in qualifying to 12th, between the Force Indias.
Williams appeared to have a shot at points for a while, before pitstop delays hampered both its drivers.

PROVISIONAL RACE RESULTS

The German Grand Prix
Nurburgring, Germany;
60 laps; 306.458km;
Weather: Sunny.

Classified:

Pos  Driver        Team        
 1.  Vettel         Red Bull-Renault           
 2.  Raikkonen      Lotus-Renault                        
 3.  Grosjean       Lotus-Renault                        
 4.  Alonso         Ferrari                              
 5.  Hamilton       Mercedes                            
 6.  Button         McLaren-Mercedes                     
 7.  Webber         Red Bull-Renault                     
 8.  Perez          McLaren-Mercedes                     
 9.  Rosberg        Mercedes                             
10.  Hulkenberg     Sauber-Ferrari                       
11.  Di Resta       Force India-Mercedes                 
12.  Ricciardo      Toro Rosso-Ferrari                   
13.  Sutil          Force India-Mercedes                 
14.  Gutierrez      Sauber-Ferrari                       
15.  Maldonado      Williams-Renault                     
16.  Bottas         Williams-Renault                     
17.  Pic            Caterham-Renault                    
18.  van der Garde  Caterham-Renault                     
19.  Chilton        Marussia-Cosworth                    
DNF. Vergne         Toro Rosso-Ferrari                   
DNF. Bianchi        Marussia-Cosworth                    
DNF. Massa          Ferrari                              


World Championship standings, round 9:                

Drivers:                    Constructors:             
 1.  Vettel        157        1.  Red Bull-Renault          250
 2.  Alonso        123        2.  Mercedes                  181
 3.  Raikkonen     118        3.  Ferrari                   180
 4.  Hamilton       97        4.  Lotus-Renault             159
 5.  Webber         93        5.  Force India-Mercedes       59
 6.  Rosberg        84        6.  McLaren-Mercedes           49
 7.  Massa          57        7.  Toro Rosso-Ferrari         24
 8.  Grosjean       41        8.  Sauber-Ferrari              7
 9.  Di Resta       36       
10.  Button         33       
11.  Sutil          23       
12.  Perez          16       
13.  Vergne         13       
14.  Ricciardo      11       
15.  Hulkenberg      7       

Christian Horner Q&A: Raikkonen, Ricciardo or Vergne for ‘14

It’s been a busy week for Red Bull team principal Christian Horner, what with Mark Webber’s exit announcement, Sebastian Vettel’s retirement from an explosive British Grand Prix, and the fallout from the race regarding revised rubber. We caught up with Horner at the Nurburgring to discuss tyres, testing, Mercedes, and - of course - Webber’s replacement for 2014…
Q: Christian, after the events of Silverstone, you will now be able to run your two race drivers at the young driver test, while Mercedes sit on the side lines. Is justice now served?
Christian Horner: It is not about justice. I think the right decision was made by the FIA to allow Pirelli a tyre test at the young driver event - and for teams to put experienced drivers in the cars to give experienced feedback. This is a logical and correct solution. There are no winners out of what happened last weekend, so it is important that we work together and find a solution.
Q: How much time will the regular drivers spend in the cars?
CH: Well, it was agreed on Wednesday that the rookies will have the equivalent of two days and the race drivers will be allowed one day. Teams will carve it up as they see fit.
Q: Given the dramatic tyre situation we saw in Silverstone, is it still right that Mercedes stay away?
CH: Absolutely. They’ve already done their three-day test. With both drivers! One thousand kilometres!
Q: Your chief technical officer Adrian Newey was quoted as saying that some teams had previously refused to agree to Pirelli bringing in new tyres that could have prevented the Silverstone incidents because the change may have had a negative impact on their performance. Is that so? Has team success become a greater priority than driver security?
CH: Yes, I think so. We’ve been talking about a certain danger with the tyres since Malaysia, since it became evident that there are issues. This was not performance related, as we had a relatively competitive first half of the season and with the current tyres we lead both championships. So we’ve always focused on safety. It is inevitable in sport that teams will look to protect their competitive position, but after Silverstone all the teams saw that we have to do something on the grounds of safety - and most importantly the FIA have intervened. They are responsible for safety and now have made the right decision.
Q: So it must be a good feeling that everybody can now see that your reasons for complaining about the tyres were honourable and in the interest of safety - and not for selfish reasons…
CH: Ah, that thing with the selfish reasons… but now it’s become clear. We’ve been lucky in Silverstone, but at some point luck runs out, so we now have to see that the teams, together with Pirelli and the FIA, work closely together.
Q: Was what you saw at Silverstone shocking?
CH: It was shocking. When your cars are travelling at up to two hundred miles an hour and big pits of rubber are flying through the air, that can be extremely dangerous. There’ve been one or two drivers who were really lucky not being hit or struck by big pieces of rubber flying through the air. So I understand that [FIA race director] Charlie Whiting came close to stopping the race. It was not at all good to see.
Q: We have seen some other unusual situations this season, the two buzzwords being tyres and testing. Some have questioned whether this is the result of a weak governing body? That they are not acting but reacting…
CH: The FIA is the policeman - they police the rules at the end of the day. They have intervened now, they are taking this matter extremely seriously and they came up with a proposal with Pirelli to move forward and have asked for certain guarantees. It is always very easy to criticize, but the reality is that the right decisions have now been made.
Q: Too late?
CH: It is a difficult one. We’ve been pushing [for tyre changes] since Malaysia, but other teams have been pushing against it, so when you have different voices from different teams it becomes hard to make a judgment.
Q: Red Bull didn’t have any tyre issues at Silverstone, but Sebastian had a gearbox failure. Have you analysed the situation - and hopefully eliminated the glitch?
CH: It was an input shaft in the gearbox. It was a component that was pretty much the same for the last three or four years - and it was frustrating. We worked very hard to find out why it happened and to prevent it from happening again. It is frustrating to have a mechanical failure like that - particularly ten laps away from winning the British Grand Prix!
Q: So it was the first time that this issue had happened?
CH: It is the first time in six years that we had that component fail.
Q: A week on since Mark’s announcement that he’s quitting F1 racing at the end of the year. Any new ideas on when Red Bull will announce his replacement?
CH: We are in the fortunate position not to be short of choice. We’ll take our time to make the right decision.
Q: How much was it Mark’s decision to quit - and how much was he pushed?
CH: It was one hundred percent Mark’s decision to retire.
Q: Wouldn’t the whole philosophy of sister team Toro Rosso nurturing driver talent for you be nullified now if you look outside the Red Bull family for Mark’s replacement?
CH: Red Bull Racing is a world championship-winning team and wants to put the best drivers in our cars. Now if one of these drivers can be of the junior team, that will purely be based on merit. They both have the opportunity to shine, but we are also taking into consideration what other drivers are available. For sure, both of the juniors [Daniel Ricciardo and Jean-Eric Vergne] are contenders, and also one or two drivers that are out of contract at the end of the year.
Q: We already know that one of those two drivers is Kimi Raikkonen, but who is the second?
CH: Well, there are a lot of drivers without contract at the end of the year. But the reality is that it will boil down to three drivers: the two juniors and Kimi.
Q: Who will sit down and decide?
CH: It is that type of thing that we will discuss and agree on collectively: obviously myself and Adrian, [Red Bull motorsport consultant] Helmut [Marko] and [Red Bull owner] Dietrich [Mateschitz]. Obviously Dietrich has the final say, but he is always listening to what Adrian’s, Helmut’s and my opinions are.
Q: From now on you will have to have Mercedes on your list of title rivals, at least for the constructors’. Will the hotter races save you - a weakness that Mercedes admit to?
CH: Mercedes have been on our radar since Malaysia! They have a good car this year and they have two good drivers. We can’t ignore Mercedes, but we also can’t ignore Ferrari and Lotus. It’s going to be competitive until Brazil and it would be foolish of us to underestimate any of our competitors.
Q: One car in the points is not enough to stay in front. Will you return to a two-car result again this weekend?
CH: I certainly hope so. And today was a good start into the weekend. This race is Sebastian’s home race and it would be fantastic for him to win here. Mark won his first ever Grand Prix here in 2009, so we have good memories. Sebastian has a fantastic home crowd here - that should propel him and us - but in the end this race carries the same amount of points as any other weekend - and we want to win them all!
Q: From Silverstone on, Mark is effectively on his farewell tour. What are you doing to make happy memories for him?
CH: Most important is that he enjoys it and takes it all in. He is obviously relaxed that his decision about his future is made. He will, of course, do his best and the team will help him to add to his statistics.

Exclusive Kimi Raikkonen Q&A: No deadline for 2014 decision

With his contract at Lotus expiring at the end of this season and a vacancy at Red Bull opening up following Mark Webber's confirmation he will leave at the end of the year, Kimi Raikkonen has been the talk of the paddock over the last week. We caught up with Raikkonen to find out his thoughts…
Q: Kimi, in 2009 Ferrari seemed like they couldn’t wait to get you out of their cockpit but three and a half years down the road you are now the hottest thing in an overall in the paddock. Are you surprised about your huge increase in popularity?
Kimi Raikkonen: No, actually I’m not. Last year when I came back was not too bad and this year has been pretty okay. Things change quickly in Formula One. There have been many reasons for what happened in the past - but it is the past. Now let’s see what happens in the future.
Q: But it seems there’s something like a Kimi-mania at some teams at the moment…
KR: …no, I am just doing my own stuff and obviously there are some people who like it. (laughs) I am only trying to do the best for myself and the team.
Q: When will you make a decision about where you will race next year?
KR: I have no idea. I will obviously decide at a certain point but there are still a lot of things that have to be right and good things always take time. I have no deadline.
Q: You have frequently said that you feel comfortable at Lotus. What does ‘comfortable’ mean to you?
KR: I want to do what I want. That’s it.
Q: Do you think you will have that luxury if you move somewhere else?
KR: I have no idea. I have only been at some teams. Each team is different and you always have good things and sometimes there are bitter pills attached to it. There is no perfect world…
Q: But personal freedom seems very dear to you…
KR: …yes, and I have always looked to get the maximum in that respect. But yes, at some teams you have a little more to do than at others. It largely depends on the sponsors. The important thing for me is that I can do my stuff and that has not been different in the past and will not change in the future.
Q: People dismiss lightly that money could be a decisive factor for you but, on the other hand, it is no secret that money makes the cars go round. What role could a well-stocked piggybank play in the decision process?
KR: The money is one part of it but there is also another side to the coin. Whatever the decision will be, it will be very similar to what the situation is now in terms of the ‘piggybank’.
Q: Do you still dream of another title?
KR: That’s why we are here. If it doesn’t happen this year we will try again in the future. It is always the aim to win races and championships. If it doesn’t happen it doesn’t happen, but at least we keep trying.
Q: Hand on your heart. Is the title still on your agenda after all these years you’ve been in Formula One racing?
KR: Of course. Otherwise I wouldn’t be here.
Q: You seem to have a good time here so why break your back?
KR: Ha, I would have an even better time not racing! (laughs)
Q: What factor could play to Red Bulls advantage? Adrian Newey?
KR: There is not just that one thing. I think there are things that matter with regards to racing and also some that are outside of racing. And it is never one thing that makes me make a decision. It’s the overall package. As surprising as this might sound, I look at the details! (laughs)
Q: Some teams would kill to get Adrian Newey on their payroll and you could be given the chance to drive his car…
KR: …I’ve raced cars that he has designed! At Red Bull they want me but I have other choices - so time will tell.
Q: It wouldn’t be a surprise if those teams that develop engines and chassis have an advantage over the others in 2014. But obviously the two teams that do - Ferrari and Mercedes - are probably not an option for you. Could you therefore deduce that Red Bull might be closer to Renault than Lotus and would that be a factor in your considerations?
KR: Stop, stop! I have no idea what they are doing at Red Bull. The only thing that I know is that Lotus is very close with Renault and they are working fantastically together. I don’t think that there is any difference between how the teams work together with Renault. They are very fair, so these considerations are not affecting my decision.
Q: How much will the friendship between you and Sebastian Vettel play a role?
KR: It plays no role in the decision.
Q: What is relevant to your decision?
KR: The decision has to be made in light of a bigger picture and not on single things. There are so many aspects that have to be considered. But one thing I can say is that right now I don’t know myself how the die is cast.
Q: Will you sit down with advisors and management to make the decision? Or wake up one morning and know which contract you will sign?
KR: I will make the decision. And if it is good or bad I will be the one to blame. I can live with it, as it has been my choice.
Q: What do Sebastian and you both find so exciting in badminton?
KR: It is a nice sport for practice. And I have to do something…
Q: Niki Lauda is quoted as saying that if you don’t move to Red Bull you are a mouse not a man. Does his viewpoint surprise you?
KR: No, because it is normal for him to talk. (laughs) He can talk what he wants and I know him a little to know what he thinks.
Q: Will you make a return to the podium this weekend?
KR: Obviously it hasn’t been too bad today, if you compare it to the previous three races. Hopefully we can challenge for a podium tomorrow.
Q: Have you been worried about the performance of the E21 in the last three races?
KR: No. We just had some issues at the last races but we should have been on the podium in Silverstone. So the speed is definitely there.
Q: So you aren’t worried about a development slowdown?
KR: No. Never.

Qualifying - Hamilton snatches pole in Germany

His Mercedes team mate, Nico Rosberg, may have endured something of a nightmare, but Lewis Hamilton's qualifying session couldn't have gone better as he pipped home favourite Sebastian Vettel to pole position at the Nurburgring on Saturday afternoon.
Hamilton's late effort on soft tyres was enough to pip the Red Bull driver to P1 by a tenth of a second, with Mark Webber third in the other Red Bull and Kimi Raikkonen and Romain Grosjean fourth and fifth for Lotus.
Q3 had some relatively unfamiliar drivers in it, notably Sauber's Nico Hulkenberg, but, very surprisingly, not the in-form Rosberg. Mercedes clearly miscalculated how much the track was ramping up and elected to leave him in the pits whilst a flurry of improvements suddenly jeopardised his lap time of 1m 30.326s.
When time expired Rosberg was still in the top 10, but Raikkonen was on a hot lap and when the Finn bumped himself up to P2 the German was eliminated.
Hamilton saved face for Mercedes, however, in Q3 setting the pace with a lap of 1m 29.540s which held Vettel to second on 1m 29.622s. On their second runs the German shaved his time down to 1m 29.501s, but the Briton’s response was an emphatic 1m 29.398s to settle the issue.
Behind them, Webber took third with 1m 29.608s, with the black and gold cars of Raikkonen and Grosjean in threatening fourth and fifth places with 1m 29.892s and 1m 29.959s respectively.
Daniel Ricciardo was in top form again to take sixth with 1m 30.528s for Toro Rosso, ahead of the Ferraris which both ran (and will subsequently start tomorrow's race) on medium tyres in what should be a clever strategy ploy. Felipe Massa was once again faster than Fernando Alonso, with 1m 31.126s to 1m 31.209s.
Button made it through to Q3 for McLaren and lines up ninth after opting not to record a timed lap, and Hulkenberg did one untimed lap for Sauber for 10th.
Behind Rosberg, Paul di Resta was 12th in Q2 as Force India couldn’t quite muster the pace. His lap of 1m 30.697s left him ahead of Sergio Perez’s McLaren on 1m 30.933s, Esteban Guttierez’s Sauber on 1m 31.010s, a time shared by Adrian Sutil in his Force India, and Jean-Eric Vergne on 1m 31.104s in the other Toro Rosso.
As Massa had set the pace with 1m 30.547s, Q1 weeded out the Williams, Caterham and Marussia duos. Valtteri Bottas was unfortunate to miss out with a lap of 1m 31.693s which left him 17th, while team mate Pastor Maldonado was 18th on 1m 31.707s. Caterham's Charles Pic wrested back the tail-end honours from Marussia's Jules Bianchi in the closing minutes, bettering the French driver’s 1m 33.063s with 1m 32.937s. On the final row of the grid, Caterham's Giedo van der Garde kept the other Marussia of Max Chilton at bay, with 1m 33.734s to 1m 34.098s.

Record entry for Rally Finland

 

Neste Oil Rally Finland has attracted the largest number of entries of any WRC round so far this season, with 101 cars on the list to start the event on 1 August.

There are 14 crews in the top-flight World Rally Car category, and a comprehensive supporting cast including WRC2, WRC3 and Junior WRC drivers.
As well as the works team regulars, the seventh round of the season will feature a number of other World Rally Car drivers each out to prove themselves on the high-speed Finnish stages.
Finland’s Juho Hanninen returns to the championship in a Ford Fiesta RS WRC and is more than capable of challenging the factory team drivers on home ground. Also hoping to put his local knowledge to good use is Jarkko Nikara, who will tackle the rally in a MINI WRC prepared by Prodrive.
British driver Kris Meeke has been drafted in to drive Khalid Al Qassimi’s DS3 World Rally Car for the Abu Dhabi Citroen World Rally Team. Sweden’s Per-Gunnar Andersson will drive a Ford Fiesta RS, while local driver Riku Tahko will be at the wheel of a MINI.
The WRC2 category has attracted 20 entries, including highly rated Finn Esapekka Lappi who will drive a Skoda Fabia S2000. After dominating the most recent round in Sardinia, Formula 1 star Robert Kubica returns in his Citroen DS3 RRC.
WRC2 will feature R5 specification cars for the first time, with five drivers, including Jari Ketomaa, Elfyn Evans and Eyvind Brynildsen all running Ford Fiestas – the first of the new breed of cars to be homologated.
There are 11 drivers in the WRC3 class, all driving Citroen DS3 R3Ts as part of the Citroën Top Driver scheme.
The rally is the third round of the FIA Junior WRC, and series leader Pontus Tidemand can expect some tough opposition from local drivers Andreas Amberg and Niko-Pekka Nieminen.
Click here to see the full entry list.

Formula 1 drivers pledge to boycott German GP if tyre dramas return

Formula 1 drivers have warned that they will boycott the German Grand Prix if there is any repeat of the Silverstone tyre problems over the weekend.
Following a meeting of the Grand Prix Drivers' Association (GPDA) in the Nurburgring paddock on Thursday night, the body issued a strongly worded statement making clear its unhappiness at the current situation in F1.
Although Pirelli is adamant that the Kevlar-belted tyres it has brought to the Nurburgring will not suffer a repeat of the dramatic failures that blighted the race at Silverstone, the GPDA is not fully satisfied.
It has made it clear that if there are problems with the tyres at any point during the German Grand Prix weekend, then its members will withdraw.
The statement said: "The drivers of the Grand Prix Drivers' Association wish to express their deepest concerns about the events that took place at Silverstone.
"We trust that the changes made to the tyres will have the desired results and that similar problems will not occur during the German GP weekend.
"We are ready to drive our cars to the limit, as we always do, and as it is expected by our teams, sponsors and fans.
"However, the drivers have decided that, if similar problems should manifest themselves during the German GP, we shall immediately withdraw from the event, as this avoidable problem with the tyres endangers again the lives of drivers, marshals and fans."
Four drivers suffered blow-outs during the British GP - with Pirelli blaming a combination of low tyre pressures, adverse camber, tyre swapping and kerbs for the problems.
The new Kevlar-belted tyres used in the German GP will be for this event only, with a new specification - featuring 2012 construction and '13 compounds - being used from the Hungarian Grand Prix.

Algarve base for Rally Portugal 2014

After investigating a move to the north of the country, the organisers of Rally de Portugal have confirmed that the event will run from its current base in the Algarve again next year.

Portugal rejoined the World Rally Championship in 2007 after a six year absence. It has run six times since, on each occasion from a service base at the Algarve Stadium, close to the holiday resort of Faro.
Up to 2001, however, the rally had been based in the north, from Portugal’s second-largest city, Porto.
The only remnant of the previous route in the modern Rally de Portugal is the pre-rally Fafe Rally Sprint, run near Porto on a section of the iconic Fafe-Lameirinha stage.
The Rally Sprint is used by many WRC teams as a last-minute testing opportunity before the rally proper and this year drew a crowd of 100,000 spectators.
Last year the organizing Automobile Club de Portugal began discussions to move the whole rally back to Porto.
But after 12 months of negotiations, the Automobile Club de Portugal announced on Tuesday that it had failed to reach an agreement with the local government in Porto and the event would instead remain in the Algarve in 2014.

Nico Rosberg: Mercedes becoming favourite for Formula 1 success

Nico Rosberg believes Mercedes is now going into grand prix weekends as the favourite for success.
The team is up to second in the Formula 1 constructors' championship, has taken pole for five of the eight races so far in 2013, and claimed two victories - only one less than Red Bull and equal to Ferrari.
"Slowly but surely we are dropping into the role of being favourites, which is fantastic," said Rosberg.
He believes Mercedes is now reaping the benefit of all it learned during its disappointing 2010-12 seasons, when it could not keep up with the frontrunners over the course of a campaign.
"We've had three years where it's been difficult, and we learned a lot," Rosberg said.
"Now things are coming together. We built up the team with more employees, working together better. A lot of fantastic people have joined the team to complement the fantastic people that we already had.
"They managed to build a great car over the winter. Then in the development race this season, which was our big weakness last year, it seems to be going pretty well at the moment - which is another sign of the team building and having learned from our issues in past years.
"We have fantastic momentum in the team at the moment. It's great to be a part of it."
Rosberg does not think the forthcoming changes to F1's tyre specification will destabilise Mercedes either.
"It doesn't really matter which tyres we use," he said. "In general I think we have a very quick car so I think we can stay where we are."
HAMILTON PESSIMISTIC
But his team-mate Lewis Hamilton believes Mercedes still cannot claim to be a genuine match for Red Bull, despite his race-leading pace before his tyre failure at Silverstone.
"I don't think we're favourites," said Hamilton.
"Red Bull is still favourite. They're leading the championship.
"We are improving and getting closer.
Mercedes motorsport boss Toto Wolff warned that there would still be some events where the team expected to slip back.
"On some occasions we're showing that the car has improved a lot and with the two best drivers in these cars we are able to not only compete for pole positions but also for race wins," Wolff said.
"There will be other tracks where, because of track temperatures and ambient temperatures, we're going to struggle a bit more, same as any other car."

Alonso says drivers can only hope Pirelli tyre changes will work

Fernando Alonso says Formula 1 drivers are going to have to put faith in Pirelli that changes made to the tyres have improved safety, although he admits there are no guarantees that there will no repeat problems.
Pirelli is introducing new tyres at this weekend's German Grand Prix, featuring a Kevlar-belt rather than the steel belt that has previously been used.
It is hoped that this change, allied to stricter limits on tyre pressures and camber settings plus a ban on tyre swapping, will prevent a repeat of the blow-outs that marred the British GP.
But speaking on the eve of the Nurburgring race, Alonso says that all he and his rivals can do is 'hope' that matters have improved, because there has been no testing of the new products so far.
"After what we saw in Silverstone, we now go to the Nurburgring, confident we can see an improvement," Alonso said during a promotional appearance for Ferrari.
"I know that various modifications have been applied and let's hope that means all of us drivers can race in safe conditions.
"At the moment, we can't make any predictions, because no one has tried them and we don't know what and how many benefits they can bring, apart from trusting in the fact that it won't be dangerous to race."
As well as tweaking the construction for this weekend's race, Pirelli will bring all-new tyres to the Hungarian GP.
These will feature the 2012 construction with the 2013 compounds and will be tested for the first time at the forthcoming young driver test at Silverstone.

'We can’t afford to take our foot off the gas'

 

Despite a handsome lead in the World Rally Championship drivers' and manufacturers' standings, the boss of Volkswagen Motorsport, Jost Capito, says his squad cannot afford to relax in the second half of the season.

Volkswagen has made a dream start to its debut season in the WRC. And with seven of the thirteen rounds complete, it has racked up some impressive statistics; winning more than half of this season’s special stages so far and taking five rally wins.
Volkswagen leads the manufacturers’ championship on 220 points – 46 points clear of defending champions Citroen – while its drivers Sebastien Ogier and Jari-Matti Latvala are first and second in the drivers’ standings - with Ogier a massive 65 points in front.
“We are very happy with the results, as we have far exceeded our original goals,” acknowledged Capito. “However, we cannot afford to take our foot off the gas, but must remain just as focused in the second half of the season if we want to win the World Championship.” 
"We still have six races to overcome – a challenge we are looking forward to facing. Our focus for now is on the Rally Finland, the next event at the start of August. That is followed by the Rally Germany – another highlight, the home race for Volkswagen, and our first real asphalt rally. We are already looking forward to the second part of the WRC season and to the sporting challenges that it throws up.”

Red Bull upbeat over long-run tyre management progress

Red Bull is upbeat that it has made good progress with its long-run tyre management, but it believes it faces a big fight for the world championship.
The Milton Keynes-based outfit had struggled on high-speed front-limited tracks prior to the British Grand Prix, so its near-miss on victory at Silverstone was a huge encouragement.
Team principal Christian Horner says his outfit has taken heart from the leap in form displayed at the British GP, but knows that the pressure is on with Mercedes breathing down its neck.
"We have learned a bit and we probably ran a better set-up at the weekend," he explained.
"We looked competitive on the long runs so we take encouragement from that.
"Certainly at Barcelona we were nowhere near Ferrari's pace, but here [at Silverstone] we had them covered and we were on the same pace as Mercedes by the looks of things."
Red Bull had appeared to have the out-and-out fastest car in the early stages of the campaign, but Mercedes' growing form now points towards the Brackley-based team having the edge.
Horner has no doubts that the title battle that appeared to be narrowing down to a straight head-to-head with Ferrari is now opening up.
When asked if he felt Mercedes could be a genuine threat, he said: "For sure. I think they are a good team; they have a quick car, they have good drivers.
"They will for sure be a contender from now until the end of the year.
"But so are Ferrari, and so are Lotus. There is still a long way to go in this championship."

Paddy Lowe to focus on 2013 Mercedes car development

Mercedes has instructed new recruit Paddy Lowe to focus his efforts on improving the team's 2013 Formula 1 car as it steps up its push for the world championship.
On the back of its second victory in three races, and indications that it has made a big step forward in understanding the tyres, Mercedes team principal Ross Brawn has revealed that Lowe's priority in his role as executive director (technical) is to drive forward the development of the W04.
"There may be a point where we say it is not better to put our efforts into next year, but at the moment we are putting the maximum into this season," said Brawn when asked about Mercedes' title prospects.
"One of the things I have said to Paddy is focus most of your attention on this car.
"Obviously [he must] know what is going on with the other car which is progressing well under Aldo Costa, but let's push this one. That is an easy thing for Paddy to step in to.
"We will juggle our resources over the next six months to see what comes, but Silverstone was a pretty good step."
Lowe joined the team at the start of last month, after a deal was reached for him to be released from his McLaren contract early.
Mercedes' focus so far this year has been in curing its poor tyre degradation, but the way its drivers were able to match the pace of Red Bull at Silverstone has suggested it is now on top of the situation.
Brawn was encouraged by that performance, but equally knows that the team cannot get complacent.
"We took the race to them [Red Bull] this weekend, but we have to take another step because we were a little bit defensive," he said.
"We made quite a lot of changes to the car for here that we think are significant, but we have to wait and see."

Q&A: Sebastien Loeb

 

The WRC's most famous export talks after obliterating the Pikes Peak hill climb record.

Q: Sebastien, what did it feel like to drive the 208 T16 Pikes Peak?
SL: “It’s definitely a very special feeling and a big moment. You have the downforce of a Le Mans car, with acceleration that is faster than a Formula One car, going through scenery that is a bit like rallying. It just comes out of corners like a cannonball; the traction is astounding. With steep drops either side, and so much work and investment going into this programme, you obviously can’t make any mistakes… It’s 20 kilometres of taking risks. There was a certain amount of pressure that I felt before the start, that’s true.”
Q: How do you find the right balance between being quick enough to win but safe enough not go off?
SL: “Good question… In fact, before starting, I spent a lot of time thinking about whether or not to push to the maximum to get a really good record or whether or not just to push hard enough to get a result so that we could win. In the end, once I was in the car, I decided to push hard. I’d say I was pretty much on the limit of it with every corner. But it was OK, we didn’t have any moments at all.” 
Q: How does this win rank among all your other achievements?
SL: “Well, I’m not going to say it’s like winning a rally title but it still means a lot. I always looked at Pikes Peak in the past and thought that it would be nice to do it one day, and now here I am. For me, with what I’m doing this season, it’s the race of the year. Of all the cars I’ve driven this year, the 208 T16 Pikes Peak is definitely the most fun. This one is a good record, which I think will be quite hard to beat.”
Q: How much of a worry was the weather?
SL: “It was certainly a big worry as there were lots of delays to our start time; every time something else. We had some information from our weather forecasters that there would be rain after midday and then when we were waiting to start it seemed to be getting closer and closer to midday. I thought that if we didn’t get on with it soon, we’d be in trouble… From the start line I could actually begin to see the weather start to close in around the mountain.”
Q: How long did it take you to get used to the car?
SL: “Before starting on this programme I did ask myself whether or not this car would be too extreme for me to find the same sort of feeling and confidence as I have in my rally car. After all it’s 875 horsepower and the most radical car I have ever driven. In the end though I had a very comfortable feeling with the car and I was able to push with full confidence.”
Q: So will you be back next year?
SL: “To be honest that’s not something we’ve spoken about. I’ve really enjoyed this but we’ll see what happens and who tries to break the record. The feeling is amazing, but the risks are also high.”