Most liked posts in thread: WRC: 2014 pre-season

Steve · Jan 2, 2014

Kubica's Ford will look differently than the other Fiestas because of his sponsor, Lotos.

Angib · Jan 5, 2014

I like the 'beating a sack full of chipmunks with a stick' sound from the waste-gate on the overrun (anti-lag?).

So much more refined than those vulgar pops and bangs, dahling.......

Steve · Jan 8, 2014

Holy crap!

I'd love to drive one of these cars for fun on a closed road but this is the kind of commitment to pace notes and co-driver I would NEVER be able to pull off.

(night time on-board with Kubica from last weekend)

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ePy2zfTVwc#t=62"]ERC JÃƒÂ¤nnerrallye / Janner Rally 2014 - Kubica SS18 onboard - YouTube[/ame]

Crashton · Dec 9, 2013

Thanks for the latest news Steve. It's great to see Meeke's land a top ride. If Kubica ends up at Ford it will be great.

Hoping Hyundai turns out to be competitive. Not a fan of the brand, but since they are going to rally I'm thinking they are OK.

Steve · Dec 16, 2013

Some cool shots in this one.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8DThyT4u-Ik]Ogier snow testing - 2014 WRC Rallye Monte-Carlo - Best-of-RallyLive.com - YouTube[/ame]

Crashton · Dec 18, 2013

Man I love hot hatch rally cars. Even Hyundia's....

Angib · Dec 19, 2013

Crashton said: ↑

Man I love hot hatch rally cars.
Click to expand...

Hot hatch rally porn - the daddy (though you might argue for the original Cooper S):

Steve · Dec 9, 2013

Note: this one isn't a signing yet, just the M-Sport boss saying what he wants...have to wait to see how it comes out.

M-Sport wants Kubica as leader for '14 (Racer.com)

David Evans | December 09, 2013

M-Sport boss Malcolm Wilson wants Robert Kubica as his team leader in the 2014 World Rally Championship.

While the Pole has yet to decide whether he will commit to a full season in the WRC, M-Sport's Ford squad is emerging as the favourite home for him if he does. Wilson says he has seen enough of Kubica's talent to know he could lead the team.

"You only have to look at the way Robert prepared for Rally GB to see what this all means to him," said Wilson. "He has a desire and hunger which you don't see in many drivers and I truly believe he has everything that's needed to drive this team on."

M-Sport ran Thierry Neuville, Mads Ostberg and Evgeny Novikov as its full-time 2013 lineup, but has lost Neuville to the new Hyundai team and is yet to announce any 2014 drivers.

Wilson dismissed the notion that Kubica might struggle in the WRC's top class. Although he won the WRC2 title this season, he crashed twice when Citroen promoted him to a World Rally Car for Rally GB.

"We know Robert and I think we could give him the right tools to move forward in rallying," said Wilson. "It would be fantastic for us as a team to have him with us and there's no doubt he would make a very good number one driver.

"You talk about a lack of experience; look at us this year: we had a driver with very little experience [Neuville] and we got him to second in the championship."

Kubica returned to competition last week when he finished fourth on the Citta dei Mille rally in Italy. He was driving a Peugeot 207 S2000 with Polish co-driver Jakub Gerber. The pair had to fight back from 45th following a driveshaft breakage on the first stage.

This article originally appeared in Autosport.com
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Nathan · Dec 9, 2013

Holy Talk About Changes Batman!

This looks like it could be rather interesting with all the shakeups going on.

Steve · Dec 10, 2013

Kris Meeke is already testing in his Citroen for the Monte. I think it looks like he's having fun.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ACF5qqfDl9o]Test MontÃ© Carlo. Chris Meeke . - YouTube[/ame]

ScottinBend · Dec 10, 2013

What with all the new manuf. coming into the sport, it's beginning to look like the good old days.

Crashton · Dec 13, 2013

I'm happy to see Robert land in a competitive team. Hopefully Hirvonen can be cometitive once again in the Ford. Should be a good year. Come on Monte.... :arf:

Steve · Dec 13, 2013

Recent pre-season testing.

VW:

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zzh_aH1-t4o]Ogier Testing - 2014 WRC Rallye Monte-Carlo - Best-of-RallyLive.com - YouTube[/ame]

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TT00rGMWA-4]Test Rallye Monte Carlo 2014 - Sebastien Ogier (Polo WRC) - YouTube[/ame]

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7bhud-envw]Monte Carlo 2014 Test - VW Polo WRC - Ogier/Latvala/Mikkelsen - Asphalt and Snow - YouTube[/ame]

Citroen:

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oeN70ujVqsg]TEST Monte Carlo 2014 Kris Meeke Citroen DS3 WRC Day 1 PURE SOUND HD - YouTube[/ame]

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HSa0brzgFh4]Ostberg testing - 2014 WRC Rallye Monte-Carlo - Best-of-RallyLive.com - YouTube[/ame]

Hyundai:

(jump to 1:30)
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GuxizacCCtU]Hyundai i20 WRC Test Bouffier Hanninen Atkinson and Neuville - YouTube[/ame]

Crashton · Jan 9, 2014

Seems like Robert is bringing his F1 commitment to his rally program.

Crashton · Jan 9, 2014

I'm sure hoping for a snow cover Monte. As it should be.

Steve · Dec 9, 2013

Neuville signs with Hyundai for 2014 (WRC.com)

05 Nov 13

Belgium's Thierry Neuville has been confirmed as lead driver of Hyundai Motorsport's World Rally Championship programme from 2014.

The 25-year-old has signed a multi-year agreement, which the Korean manufacturer says represents a serious commitment by both parties to build towards long-term success in the WRC.

A string of six consecutive podiums, including four second place finishes, has made Neuville the hottest property in the end-of-season transfer market. As reported on wrc.com on 25 October, Neuville was also offered a full programme in a Ford Fiesta RS by his current M-Sport squad.

Hyundai Motorsport Team Principal, Michel Nandan said: â€œThierry is having a fantastic 2013 season and is proving himself to be one of the most exciting young drivers in WRC. His raw speed, driving skill and dynamic approach to rallying make him the ideal lead driver for Hyundai.â€

â€œBy signing a driver of Thierryâ€™s talent, we can show that Hyundaiâ€™s WRC engagement is serious and focussed on long-term success."

"It is also great recognition for the work that the entire team has carried out in such a short time. We both share similar values and objectives to win the championship in the long-term so we are proud to have Thierry in the team and as an ambassador for the Hyundai Motorsport brand,â€ he added.

Neuville, along with his co-driver Nicolas Gilsoul, will pilot Hyundaiâ€™s new i20 world rally car in all 13 WRC events in 2014, beginning with the teamâ€™s debut at the Monte-Carlo Rally in January. It will be the Belgian driverâ€™s third consecutive WRC season.

Neuville believes that the new deal with Hyundai is â€˜the perfect fitâ€™ for him. â€œIt is a young, emerging and ambitious manufacturer team with long-term objectives for championship success and I have long held aspirations of driving for a manufacturer team,â€ he explained.

â€œI was impressed with the teamâ€™s facility, their approach to the rally programme and their clear potential. I hope my two years of experience in WRC will be beneficial to the team as we build a harmonious working partnership. We know we have a steep learning curve ahead of us in our first season but I am convinced we will have a successful future together.â€
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Hyundai adds HÃ¤nninen (WRC.com)

28 Nov 13

Finland's Juho HÃ¤nninen has been confirmed as one of drivers that will join Thierry Neuville at the Hyundai WRC team in 2014.

Currently one of the teamâ€™s test drivers, HÃ¤nninen will drive the squadâ€™s second i20 WRC car at an unspecified number of WRC rallies in 2014, as team-mate to lead driver Thierry Neuville. His first event will be Rally Sweden.

32-year-old HÃ¤nninen has become well-acquainted with the team throughout 2013 and has completed 3,500 testing kilometres at the wheel of the i20 WRC.

â€œI am very pleased to continue our working relationship with Juho,â€ said Hyundai Motorsport Team Principal, Michel Nandan. â€œHe was the first driver to sign for Hyundai Motorsport earlier this year and he was the one who completed the first ever runs in the Hyundai i20 WRC. He has shown great loyalty to our new team and it is fitting that he joins us at a number of specific events during our maiden WRC season.â€

HÃ¤nninen will be joined in 2014 by his co-driver Tomi Tuominen and will continue in his testing role in addition to his competitive appearances.

â€œJuho has done an outstanding job in testing this year. He has proven to be a very complete driver with a perfect mix of speed and technical abilities, as well as being a real team player giving valuable feedback to our team of engineers,â€ added Nandan.

HÃ¤nninen has tasted success in a variety of different rally cars in his career and has been victorious in the Intercontinental Rally Challenge, the FIA European Rally Championship and the FIA Super 2000 World Rally Championship since his World Rally debut.

â€œI am really honoured to have been chosen by Hyundai to be one of the drivers of the second i20 WRC car in 2014, including Rally Sweden, which is one of my favourites,â€ said HÃ¤nninen.

â€œI have been working with the team a lot since May and it has been a really fantastic project to be involved in. All the people in the team are very nice and it has been friendly environment, but with everyone still giving 100% all the time. Itâ€™s been a pleasure to work with them in testing and I really respect the opportunity to drive some rallies for the team in 2014.â€

A number of drivers will share the second i20 WRC throughout 2014, and Hyundai test drivers Chris Atkinson and Bryan Bouffier are two of the names linked to the position as Thierry Neuvilleâ€™s team-mate at Rallye Monte-Carlo.
Click to expand...

Steve · Dec 9, 2013

Meeke and Ostberg to Citroen (WRC.com)

09 Dec 13

Kris Meeke and Mads Ostberg will be the Citroen Total Abu Dhabi World Rally Team's two main drivers in 2014.

Ending months of speculation, Citroen Racing announced its 2014 season driver line-up in a press release this evening (9 December).

The team also confirmed that 2013 team member Khalid Al Qassimi will drive a third DS3 World Rally Car on the rounds in Sweden, Portugal, Italy and Spain.

Both Meeke [pictured], who will be co-driven by Paul Nagle and Ã˜stberg, who is partnered by Jonas Andersson, were on the shortlist of five drivers announced by team boss Yves Matton in October.

Tonightâ€™s announcement appears to have ended the chances for the other three on the list â€“ Mikko Hirvonen, Dani Sordo and Robert Kubica.

â€œOur team line-up for the 2014 season is in keeping with our ambitions,â€ said Matton. â€œKris Meeke and Mads Ã˜stberg have followed very different career paths, but both of them are on the cusp of making it into the very top class of world rally drivers. After an initial phase of learning and getting to know each other, our goal will be to help them to improve and turn them into real contenders for victory.â€

Meeke is well known to Matton and Citroen, having come through the ranks of CitroÃ«n Racingâ€™s promotional formulas, before driving a C2 Super 1600 in the Junior WRC.

After a stint at Mini in 2011, he was given two test rallies with Citroen in 2013, in Finland and Australia, but despite impressive stage times his future remained in doubt after he crashed on both occasions. His new contract makes him the first British driver to race a full season since Colin McRaeâ€™s 2003 swansong with CitroÃ«n.

â€œItâ€™s an incredible opportunity,â€ said Meeke. â€œIâ€™ve always been close to CitroÃ«n over the last few years. Iâ€™m really lucky to be able to work with a team that has so much experience and so many titles.â€

â€œI have only competed in ten World Championship rallies in a World Rally Car. I think Iâ€™ve got some potential, but I still need to get some experience under my belt. The CitroÃ«n DS3 WRC is a terrific car and Iâ€™m going to be able to use the teamâ€™s knowledge to help me improve. I know that Iâ€™ll have to be patient in the first half of the season and learn all about the rallies that I havenâ€™t done before.â€

26-year-old Ã˜stberg will make the switch from the Ford Fiesta WRC he has driven since 2011. With seven podium finishes to his name at world level, he notched up his first WRC victory at the Rally of Portugal in 2012.

â€œI am very happy and proud to be joining CitroÃ«n Racing,â€ explained the Norwegian. â€œWe worked hard to get an official driverâ€™s spot. After so many years watching CitroÃ«n win, itâ€™s a dream come true to be part of this team.â€

â€œCompeting is the most important thing,â€ added Mads. â€œAnd even though I donâ€™t know the team or the car yet, I can recognise the worth of the guys and the CitroÃ«n DS3 WRC.

â€œOf course, Iâ€™m joining CitroÃ«n Racing to get some good results and to try and win some rallies. Iâ€™ve always shown that I couldbe quick. I know that the standard in the World Rally Championship is exceptionally high, but I want to be competitive!â€
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MCS02 · Dec 9, 2013

Thanks Steve.

rum4 · Dec 9, 2013

Thanks Steve

Stinker · Dec 9, 2013

Thanks for the info. Now if we can get it televise here during the season.

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