WRC Most liked posts in thread: WRC - 2015

Steve · Jul 7, 2015

Ogier: Tyre error almost tripped me up (wrc.com)

06 JUL 2015

SÃ©bastien Ogier feared his wrong tyre choice on Saturday could have allowed team-mate Andreas Mikkelsen to snatch victory at 72nd LOTOS Rally Poland.

Temperatures soared to 33˚C during the afternoon’s special stages and Ogier’s mix of soft and hard compound Michelin rubber proved less suited to the sandy gavel tracks in the heat than Mikkelsen’s hard tyres.

The Norwegian clawed back valuable seconds in their fierce fight for victory, but it was not enough to dislodge Ogier from top spot and the Frenchman went on to secure his 29th career victory and fifth of the season.

“Before the loop I thought Andreas was doing a mistake and I was going for a more clever choice. But we learned the limit of the soft tyres and when it was too hot they was not working and in fact he had the right choice.

“I was worried how much time I would lose and what that would do to my lead. But I managed not to lose much and that was well done after the mistake of the tyre choice,” Ogier told wrc.com.

The pace was as blistering as the heat and Ogier’s victory came at an average speed of 121.41kph. Amazingly he spent more than 60 per cent of the near 300km stage distance with his Polo R at full throttle.

“We saw on the recce how fast it was, but it was more than I expected during the rally. It’s a fantastic feeling to drive these roads at this speed. Some friends were telling me they watched the live stage on the television feed and we were faster than the helicopter!” he added.
Click to expand...

Steve · Jul 7, 2015

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GihG7bs89ro"]Ott Tanak BIG JUMP RALLY POLAND 2015 - YouTube[/ame]

Steve · Jul 7, 2015

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5NDtbOak43E"]72 Rajd Polski 2015 WRC [HD] - YouTube[/ame]

Steve · Jul 7, 2015

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IUaYL3KrTf8"]WRC - LOTOS 72nd Rally Poland 2015: Kubica puncture on SS19 - YouTube[/ame]

Steve · Jul 7, 2015

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zt0akUoo5P0"]WRC - LOTOS 72nd Rally Poland 2015: Review Clip - YouTube[/ame]

Steve · Jul 7, 2015

If the music bugs you on this one, it goes away at 1:25 (ish).

[edit: yikes, that was a mess...fixed now, I think]

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nOneQ4GKWlA"]WRC - Rally Poland 2015 [HD] - YouTube[/ame]

Steve · Jul 9, 2015

Holy Crap! Neuville narrowly missed collision with a very large and equally unexpected moving obstacle.

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c31qcSJsHLM"]Neuville almost crash with a tractor | Rally Deutschland Test 2015 [HD] - YouTube[/ame]

Crashton · Jul 9, 2015

Darned good thing those photogs got tractorman's attention. Yikes!!!

Steve · Jul 9, 2015

That video could sit next to the definition of 'brown trouser moment.'

Steve · Jul 15, 2015

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5wH_3aZtZI"]WRC Rally Poland - Big Jumps and Powerslides / EvoStudio / - YouTube[/ame]

Steve · Jul 30, 2015

Time for Rally Finland. Here's some good video from the shakedown.

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=evG3sBqE7NM"]Neste Oil Rally Finland 2015 || Shakedown|| Sounds Of RuuhimÃƒÂ¤ki 2 - YouTube[/ame]

Steve · Jul 30, 2015

Neuville's first run through the shakedown was also his last. Crew are fine and cleared to race but that second clip makes me wonder whether the car is repairable.

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nX4nmdbCBZc"]Neuville Rally Finland 2015 Shakedown Crash - YouTube[/ame]

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-KBfpvtE-DM"]Crash Neuville Rally Finland 2015 - YouTube[/ame]

Crashton · Jul 30, 2015

Looks like he took the tree with the right rear wheel. Has to be a whole lot of bent parts there to replace. I'm wondering if the tub is bent badly too.

Steve · Jul 31, 2015

Latvala flies to Finland lead (WRC.com)

31 Jul 2015

Jari-Matti Latvala delighted his home fans by leading Neste Oil Rally Finland on Friday night after an enthralling leg in which the lead changed hands three times.

He headed Volkswagen Polo R team-mate SÃ©bastien Ogier by 2.6sec after almost 160km of flat-out action south-west of JyvÃ¤skylÃ¤. Kris Meeke completed the top three, the Ulsterman 21.4sec further back in CitroÃ«n’s DS 3.

Almost half the rally’s competitive distance was crammed into nine gravel speed tests. With no opportunity for service, drivers had to avoid problems as well as adapt to the rollercoaster jumps which make this the fastest round in the FIA World Rally Championship.

Ogier lost his overnight lead to Meeke in the opening stage but regained the advantage in the next test to end the morning 5.3sec clear. Latvala was hot on his heels before moving ahead by literally flying through the rollercoaster Ouninpohja, where cars leap into the air more than 70 times, to claim his 400th WRC stage win.

“I have never driven that stage so fast. I almost made myself scared in a couple of places because I had so much air over the jumps. It was the best stage of an afternoon that went extremely well,” said Latvala.

Road opener Ogier initially struggled for grip in the forests following yesterday’s torrential rain. Then the unusual lines taken by local competitors, who followed the WRC through the morning stages, left plenty of loose gravel to disadvantage him when they were repeated.

Meeke’s hopes were hampered by a transmission issue which left his car ‘wandering all over the road’. But the Ulsterman remained close to the Volkswagen duo until a 10sec penalty for checking in late at the penultimate stage dropped him back.

He led CitroÃ«n colleague Mads Ã˜stberg by 10.1sec, the Norwegian enjoying a troublefree day after a slow start, and the quartet were already well clear.

Thierry Neuville was fifth in a Hyundai i20. The Belgian struggled for confidence after yesterday’s shakedown crash with pace notes that were too slow, but climbed the order as drivers around him hit problems.

He headed team-mate Dani Sordo by 2.7sec, the Spaniard overcoming an exhaust issue. Juho HÃ¤nninen, Martin Prokop, WRC 2 leader Esapekka Lappi and Ott TÃ¤nak completed the leaderboard.

TÃ¤nak was fourth in a Ford Fiesta RS until breaking a front left damper against a rock in SS3 and struggling through the rest of the day. It was a similar story for team-mate Elfyn Evans who hit a rock in SS4 and damaged the rear suspension. He lost almost 10min.

Andreas Mikkelsen rolled heavily in SS5 and the damage to his Polo R was too great for him to restart tomorrow. Hayden Paddon crashed his i20 out of fifth and Robert Kubica retired his Fiesta RS with alternator problems.

Saturday’s action comprises two identical loops of four stages west of JyvÃ¤skylÃ¤ covering 131.04km.
Click to expand...

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tm5Zmz094XI"]Leg 1 - 2015 WRC Rally Finland - Best-of-RallyLive.com - YouTube[/ame]

Steve · Jul 31, 2015

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ayFfRoLeR68"]Neste Oil Rally 2015 Shakedown :: Neuville Crash & Ogier Close Call - YouTube[/ame]

Steve · Jul 31, 2015

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0xyCdh--rwg"]WRC - Neste Oil Rally Finland 2015: Stages 1 - 4 - YouTube[/ame]

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xIve6U9sV70"]WRC - Neste Oil Rally Finland 2015: Stages 5 - 7 - YouTube[/ame]

Steve · Jul 31, 2015

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IH1f7R7XfRI"]WRC Rally Finland 2015 Ouninpohja CRAZY JUMPS - YouTube[/ame]

Steve · Aug 1, 2015

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NLpskd5Ijms"]Rally Finland 2015 - Jari-Matti Latvala - Triple Jump - YouTube[/ame]

Steve · Aug 1, 2015

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=255mTkjVdGg"]WRC - Neste Oil Rally Finland 2015: Stages 8-13 - YouTube[/ame]

Steve · Aug 1, 2015

Finland (WRC), after Leg 2: grizzly Latvala! (best-of-rallylive.com.com)

01/08/2015 6:43 pm

Three bears were spotted on SS13 this morning. Perhaps that explains why Jari-Matti Latvala, who enjoys an overnight lead of 13.2s over SÃ©bastien Ogier, has been performing like a grizzly all day. Sundayâ€™s programme features just two attempts at â€˜MyhinpÃ¤Ã¤â€™, but itâ€™s arguably the toughest stage of the event.

Spectators have had value for money on todayâ€™s loop near JyvÃ¤skylÃ¤, with entertainment including the ongoing duel that has been opposing Latvala and Ogier.

Just as it seemed like one of them had gained the upper hand, the other responded immediately and the VW duo was split by no more than three seconds at the lunchtime break.

But then it rained on JukojÃ¤rvi (SS16) where the Frenchman went slightly too wide, hit a rock and punctured. His Michelin LTX Force S4 withstood the impact, but not his rimâ€¦

The world champion dropped 3.3s in the process, which allowed Latvala to go 6.2s clear, the biggest gap that had separated the two men until then.

The Finn pushed home his advantage on the next stage where he beat Ogier by 5.2s after what he described as a good run. By the end of the afternoon, and after another stage win for Latvala, the gap stood at 13.2s.

â€œI had an opportunity on SS16 but I didnâ€™t take it; too bad,â€ acknowledged Ogier this evening.

â€œWhen I saw it was raining at the start of SS16, I thought the stage would be decisive,â€ observed his Finnish rival.

Latvala consequently seems to be on target for a repeat Rally Finland victory. Sundayâ€™s â€˜MyhinpÃ¤Ã¤â€™ (14.13km) is a new stage but part of it has been used in the opposite direction in the past. In 2010, it was the fastest test of the rally and was won at an average speed of 133.2kph.

This afternoon was also marked by problems for several drivers: Dani Sordo (Hyundai) spent more than five minutes in a ditch on SS15, Kris Meeke (CitroÃ«n) hit a tree and ripped off a wheel on SS16 while lying third, and Robert Kubica rolled his Ford on SS18.

Mads Ostberg (CitroÃ«n) is consequently on the overnight podium, ahead of Thierry Neuville (Hyundai). Ott Tanak (Ford) has recovered from his Friday woes to figure in fifth place after passing Prokop (7th, Ford) and Hanninen (6th, Ford) during the day.

Itâ€™s been another trouble-free run for the factory Skoda Fabia R5s in the WRC2 category. Esapekka Lappi is heading for his first Rally Finland class win and Pontus Tidemand is likely to make it a one-two finish for the Czech make.

StÃ©phane Lefebvre will probably join them on the podium to celebrate his first real attempt at Rally Finland (he crashed out early in 2014). Yuri Protasov (Ford) looks good for fourth, ahead of the surprising Scott Pedder (Ford). The DMack Ford Fiestas of Brynildsen, PÃ¤rn and Nikara dropped out practically simultaneously.

Quentin Gilbert still tops the Junior standings, but Finn Haapamaki has closed to within 22.8s. Tom Cave is on target for his first Fiesta Trophy win of the season.
Click to expand...

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