WRC Most liked posts in thread: WRC - 2015

Crashton · Feb 5, 2015

Steve said: ↑

I know some will think this is blasphemy -- like a non-red Ferrari -- but I love the look of the Alpine in red (maroon ?).

Click to expand...

Any color & it is still one sweet rally car. I'll take mine in French rally Blu please.

You just have to love the wide variety of cars for the Historic Monte.

B.A.D. · Feb 6, 2015

To the Googles.....

I believe it is an Aston Martin DB2/4

Steve · Feb 12, 2015

The paddle shifting is a bit of a surprise to me.

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2mDDq97tmzk"]Kris Meeke - Sweden ONBOARD at night!! Citroen DS3 WRC - YouTube[/ame]

Steve · Feb 13, 2015

Mikkelsen leads after drama in Sweden (wrc.com)

13 Feb 2015

Andreas Mikkelsen led Rally Sweden after Friday’s dramatic opening leg in which team-mates SÃ©bastien Ogier and Jari-Matti Latvala both went off the road while leading.

Mikkelsen battled handling issues on snow and ice-covered forest roads in Sweden and Norway to hold a 19.1sec advantage over Thierry Neuville, putting himself in a strong position to net his maiden FIA World Rally Championship victory.

The Norwegian clipped a chicane with his Volkswagen Polo R early in the day, and was astonished to leap from third to first following the troubles that befell championship leader Ogier and Latvala in the penultimate special stage.

“To be in Norway, with so many local supporters, gave me lots of motivation,” said Mikkelsen. “Obviously it’s a great feeling to lead, but I have to feel a bit bad for the luck of my team-mates. It’s also a bit of a surprise because we didn’t have the best rhythm all day.”

Ogier won three of the opening four stages to build a near-10sec lead but faulty windscreen wipers allowed Latvala to close. The gap fell to a second when Ogier’s bonnet flipped up and cracked his windscreen after he forgot to secure it while trying to repair the wipers before the test.

Then he became stuck in a snow bank after braking too late for a junction and dropped 40sec before regaining the road in fourth.

For a few brief minutes Latvala led, but the Finn ditched his car 400 metres from the finish of the same stage. It took spectators over eight minutes to manhandle the car back onto the road and he ended the leg in 23rd.

Neuville endured a frustrating morning as conditions benefited the earlier starters, but the Belgian steered clear of trouble in his Hyundai i20 to overhaul Mads Ã˜stberg and the Volkswagen duo in that penultimate stage. The gap between the pair is just 0.3sec.

Ã˜stberg fought tooth and nail with Mikkelsen throughout the day but dropped time this afternoon left him 19.4sec off the lead.

Ogier is 5.3sec behind the Norwegian, while Ott TÃ¤nak overcame an early morning off to climb to fifth in a Ford Fiesta RS. Hayden Paddon was sixth, the Kiwi effectively driving the injured Dani Sordo’s i20 with the Spaniard’s set-up, and he struggled initially to find confidence in the handling.

Martin Prokop lost fourth gear in his Fiesta RS but the Czech was seventh, ahead of Ukraine’s Yuriy Protasov, who claimed his maiden stage win. Henning Solberg and Elfyn Evans completed the leaderboard, although the Welshman was sixth until he beached his Fiesta RS on a snow bank.

Kris Meeke lost three minutes after going off while debutant Kevin Abbring dropped 90sec when he left the road after his glasses steamed up. Robert Kubica drove most of the afternoon with only front-wheel drive while Lorenzo Bertelli retired with driveshaft issues.

Tomorrow’s second leg is the longest of the rally. Competitors face eight forest stages covering 134.82km near Hagfors.
Click to expand...

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lL2Do9-5KjU"]Leg 1 ( Latvala and Ogier crash) - 2015 WRC Rally Sweden - Best-of-RallyLive.com - YouTube[/ame]

Steve · Feb 14, 2015

All change again during Day 3. Yup, that's a Hyundai in the lead.

Neuville vaults into Sweden lead (wrc.com)

14 Feb 2015

Thierry Neuville delivered a masterful drive through Saturday’s final speed test to snatch a slender lead at Rally Sweden.

Armed with new spiked snow tyres on the front of his Hyundai i20, he blitzed rivals Andreas Mikkelsen and SÃ©bastien Ogier to turn a 7.3sec deficit into a 1.5sec advantage with one day remaining in this second round of the FIA World Rally Championship.

Daylong leader Mikkelsen held second in a Volkswagen Polo R and team-mate Ogier was just 8.1sec further back in third.

“That was one of the best stages I’ve ever driven,” said Neuville. “I had a big, big push. The new tyres were probably worth three or four seconds and I had a good feeling in the car, it’s so much fun. It’ll be hard tomorrow with three tricky stages, but I’m not going to slow down.”

Neuville was more than 30sec adrift of Mikkelsen after three of today’s eight snow-covered special stages near Hagfors. But the Norwegian, who admitted to feeling the pressure of chasing a maiden WRC win, gave away 20sec after touching a snow bank and spinning.

Conditions favoured Neuville this afternoon as the early starters cleared slush off the driving line, and neither road opener Ogier nor Mikkelsen could hold the Belgian at bay as his clever tyre strategy paid dividends.

After restarting this morning in fourth, Ogier was up to second within two stages, slashing Mikkelsen’s lead to 1.7sec after his team-mate’s mistakes. Slushy roads cost valuable seconds this afternoon but he remained poised to attack in Sunday’s final leg.

Mads Ã˜stberg lost third place after slamming Citroen’s DS 3 into a bank in the opening stage and puncturing the left rear tyre. Gearbox problems hindered him all day and he is 53.4sec off the lead in fourth.

Ott TÃ¤nak consolidated fifth in a Ford Fiesta RS and Kiwi Hayden Paddon improved the feeling with his Hyundai i20 to stay sixth, more than a minute behind.

Martin Prokop was seventh, despite almost rolling his Fiesta RS after it landed on its nose at a jump. Elfyn Evans held off Kris Meeke in eighth, Meeke grabbing a stage win this afternoon. Yuriy Protasov completed the leaderboard, despite dropping 30sec after going off.

Jari-Matti Latvala’s troubled weekend continued when he dropped 45sec after spinning into the snow and the Finn ended the day in 17th.

Sunday’s final leg covers three stages and 46.74km, with the final live TV Power Stage offering bonus points to the fastest three drivers.
Click to expand...

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KFxt8EfX5oU"]Leg 2 - 2015 WRC Rally Sweden - Best-of-RallyLive.com - YouTube[/ame]

Steve · Feb 15, 2015

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-hBR4jUbFU0"]The Race - 2015 WRC Rally Sweden - Best-of-RallyLive.com - YouTube[/ame]

Steve · Feb 16, 2015

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rC7CMewAWO8"]Rally Sweden 2015: Powerstage SS21 - YouTube[/ame]

RallyMini370 · Mar 5, 2015

All of the Costa Rica rally guys are there. Those roads look perfect for the Mini!

Steve · Mar 5, 2015

A couple good pics from the shakedown. Kubica & Meeke.

Steve · Mar 6, 2015

About the co-driver:

Raigo Molder is a legend. Crash into the lake, car underwater and still pacenotes book in his hands while swimming out.
Click to expand...

Steve · Mar 6, 2015

Raigo, drying his pace notes:

Steve · Mar 6, 2015

Video!

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SPnjMhXNQ3Y"]WRC Rally Guanajuato MÃƒÂ©xico 2015: Crash Ott TÃƒÂ¤nak - YouTube[/ame]

Crashton · Mar 7, 2015

That service crew deserves a very large bonus. Great job to have turned a submarine into a rally car in 3 hours!

RallyMini370 · Mar 7, 2015

I'm amazed they managed to do it in that time. The electrics must be well insulated! The crash is every rally drivers nightmare. They were very lucky.

RallyMini370 · Mar 7, 2015

M-SPORT ACHIEVE THE IMPOSSIBLE AND RAISE THE

Crashton · Mar 7, 2015

Not surprising, but what a great effort. Most likely they missed a large mouth bass. Bet it was munching on the wires.

Steve · Mar 8, 2015

Latvala, yesterday, after his rear suspension went.

Steve · Mar 8, 2015

Latvala flying.

Ogier landing.

Crashton · Mar 9, 2015

I'll never understand spectator stupidity. Great place to park your car??? ut:

Crashton · Mar 10, 2015

What a cluster fark! Hope everyone escaped unscathed. :fingerscrossed:

Forums

WRC Most liked posts in thread: WRC - 2015

Crashton Club Coordinator

B.A.D. Club Coordinator

Steve Administrator
Staff Member Articles Moderator

Steve Administrator
Staff Member Articles Moderator

Steve Administrator
Staff Member Articles Moderator

Steve Administrator
Staff Member Articles Moderator

Steve Administrator
Staff Member Articles Moderator

RallyMini370 Well-Known Member

Steve Administrator
Staff Member Articles Moderator

Steve Administrator
Staff Member Articles Moderator

Steve Administrator
Staff Member Articles Moderator

Steve Administrator
Staff Member Articles Moderator

Crashton Club Coordinator

RallyMini370 Well-Known Member

RallyMini370 Well-Known Member

Crashton Club Coordinator

Steve Administrator
Staff Member Articles Moderator

Steve Administrator
Staff Member Articles Moderator

Crashton Club Coordinator

Crashton Club Coordinator

Useful Searches

WRC Most liked posts in thread: WRC - 2015

Crashton Club Coordinator

B.A.D. Club Coordinator

Steve Administrator Staff Member Articles Moderator

Steve Administrator Staff Member Articles Moderator

Steve Administrator Staff Member Articles Moderator

Steve Administrator Staff Member Articles Moderator

Steve Administrator Staff Member Articles Moderator

RallyMini370 Well-Known Member

Steve Administrator Staff Member Articles Moderator

Steve Administrator Staff Member Articles Moderator

Steve Administrator Staff Member Articles Moderator

Steve Administrator Staff Member Articles Moderator

Crashton Club Coordinator

RallyMini370 Well-Known Member

RallyMini370 Well-Known Member

Crashton Club Coordinator

Steve Administrator Staff Member Articles Moderator

Steve Administrator Staff Member Articles Moderator

Crashton Club Coordinator

Crashton Club Coordinator

Steve Administrator
Staff Member Articles Moderator

Steve Administrator
Staff Member Articles Moderator

Steve Administrator
Staff Member Articles Moderator

Steve Administrator
Staff Member Articles Moderator

Steve Administrator
Staff Member Articles Moderator

Steve Administrator
Staff Member Articles Moderator

Steve Administrator
Staff Member Articles Moderator

Steve Administrator
Staff Member Articles Moderator

Steve Administrator
Staff Member Articles Moderator

Steve Administrator
Staff Member Articles Moderator

Steve Administrator
Staff Member Articles Moderator