WRC: MINI Driver Profiles

Steve · Oct 11, 2011

MINI WRC Team driver Kris Meeke in profile. (MINI Motorsport Press Release)

After leaving Queen’s University in Belfast with an honours degree in mechanical
engineering, Kris Meeke spent his first three years working as a designer for a leading rally preparation business. But it was the draw of active competition that saw him make his first move into becoming a professional rally driver after winning a competition for new rally drivers in 2000. The prize was a fully supported drive in a national rally in Wales. The following year, while competing in the Peugeot 106 Super Cup, he took his first category win at the Swansea Bay Festival National Rally. The same year, he drove a 300 bhp Group A Subaru Impreza in the Galloway Hills Rally. It was his first time in a four–wheel drive car and he clinched his first outright rally win.

In 2002, Meeke secured a contract with McRae Motorsport and drove a Super 1600 Ford Puma in the British Junior Championship. Under his mentor, Colin McRae, he managed to secure victory in the series at his first attempt, and in only his second year in rallying.

With the backing of Colin McRae, Meeke graduated to the JWRC (Junior World Rally Championship) in 2003, driving an Opel Corsa run by Team Palmer and continued to compete in the UK, winning both the British Junior and Super 1600 titles. 2004 saw him record ten fastest stages on JWRC events and take second place in the Rally of Spain.

In 2005, Meeke joined Citroen for the JWRC driving a factory supported C2 Super 1600. He set 36 fastest stage times during the year, winning the first event of the season in Monte Carlo and finishing third overall in the championship. At the end of the year, Meeke competed in a Prodrive-prepared Subaru Impreza World Rally Car on Wales Rally GB. He made an impressive debut in this car, finishing tenth overall and only 11 seconds behind his mentor, Colin McRae.

Meeke continued to compete for Citroen in the JWRC during 2006, setting more fastest stage times than anyone else, but was unable to challenge for the title due to a number of mechanical failures. Recognising his testing ability, Citroen also asked Meeke to help in the development of the Xsara WRC and the new C4 WRC, working alongside SÃ©bastien Loeb.

In 2007 Meeke continued to build up his World Rally Car experience, competing in a Prodrive-prepared Subaru Impreza in the Irish Tarmac Championship, and winning three events from four starts. Meeke also competed in the inaugural WRC round of Rally Ireland and held sixth place after the first day.

The following year, Meeke continued to compete in Ireland, but this time in a Renault Clio Super 1600. Despite giving away significant performance, he still managed to set fastest stage times against a 20 strong field of World Rally Cars. This pace led to events with Renault Sport in Russia in the Intercontinental Rally Challenge (IRC), as well as in Spain and Germany in the WRC. In 2009, saw Meeke return to Peugeot to compete in the IRC in the 207 Super 2000 car. With co-driver Paul Nagle, he took outright wins in Brazil, Portugal, Belgium and San Remo helping him clinch the IRC title. In 2010 he re-signed for the team and celebrated another IRC race victory and ended the season in third place overall.

Facts and figures – Kris Meeke.
Born: 2nd July 1979/Dungannon, Northern Ireland
Nationality: British
Residence: County Tyrone (GB)
Marital status: Single
Co-driver: Paul Nagle (IR)

Career highlights.
2000 1st place Peugeot talent search
2001 Peugeot Super 106 Cup
2002 1st place British Junior Rally Championship (Ford)
2003 1st place British Junior Rally and Super 1600 Championship (Opel)
2003 11th place FIA J-WRC, Super 1600 (Opel)
2004 7th place FIA J-WRC, Super 1600 (Opel)
2005 3rd place FIA J-WRC, Super 1600 (CitroÃ«n)
2005 10th place FIA WRC Wales GB Rally (Subaru)
2006 7th place FIA J-WRC, Super 1600 (CitroÃ«n)
2007 1st place Irish Tarmac Championship
2007 Various starts in FIA WRC
2008 Irish Tarmac Championship (Renault)
2009 1st place Intercontinental Rally Challenge (Peugeot)
2010 3rd place Intercontinental Rally Challenge (Peugeot)
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Steve · Oct 11, 2011

MINI WRC Team driver Dani Sordo in profile. (MINI Motorsport Press Release)

Daniel â€œDaniâ€ Sordo has been a big name in the FIA World Rally Championship for years. The 28-year-old Spaniard is undisputedly one of the top drivers in the field. An impressive 30 podium finishes in the WRC and 102 special stage wins speak for themselves. â€œDani has been competing at the very highest level for the last five years,â€ says David Richards, Chairman of Prodrive, heaping praise on the 2005 Junior World Rally champion.

And yet the experienced Sordo will be entering uncharted waters in 2011: new team, new car, new crew, and new co-driver. Sordo has been behind the wheel for CitroÃ«n for half a decade. He now lines up alongside co-driver Carlos del Barrio for the new MINI WRC Team, which is aiming to replicate the brandâ€™s huge success of the past. Richards says: â€œI believe with the new MINI John Cooper Works WRC and in the right environment, he can now take the next step and add to his 29 podiums with victories on WRC events and become a challenger for a WRC title.â€ Sordo is also more than confident: â€œTo be part of this new team is a fantastic opportunity for me. Iâ€™m sure MINI has a big future in the sport, and Iâ€™m looking forward to working with Kris Meeke.â€

Sordo, together with Meeke, completed a two-day test in Sardinia in November 2010 and was immediately impressed by the new MINI Rally Car. â€œThe first impression was excellent,â€ confirmed Sordo after the first outings. The cooperation with Meeke also immediately worked very well. Since his first drive for the MINI WRC Team, Sordo has been applying his experience and has played a large role in the rapid development of the new car. His excellent performances over the past years have contributed significantly to CitroÃ«n winning the Manufacturersâ€™ Championship three times in succession.

Sordo began his career in motocross when he was 12 years old, achieving success also in hillclimbing, karting and touring cars. He first drove in a WRC event at the Rally Catalunya, the Spanish round of the series, in 2003 in a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VII, finishing 18th overall. He won the Spanish Junior Rally Championship that year, and retained the title in 2004, while gaining further international experience at WRC rounds in Argentina, France and Spain.

After clinching the Junior World Rally Championship title in 2005, Sordo then joined the Kronos Total CitroÃ«n World Rally Team in 2006 when he was first paired with Loeb. Sordo finished the 2006 season with four podium places, 49 points and fifth overall in the Driversâ€™ Championship. He has driven for the CitroÃ«n Total World Rally Team since 2007, and while in the WRC has achieved a total of 17 second place finishes, taking the third step of the podium 12 times. In 2007, Sordo finished fourth in the WRC Driversâ€™ Championship, was placed third in the standings in 2008 and 2009 and finished the 2010 season fifth overall.

By finishing third in only the third appearance of the MINI WRC Team in Germany, Sordo once again gave proof of his amazing talent. And thereâ€™s much more to comeâ€¦

Facts and figures Dani Sordo.
Born: 2nd May 1983/Torrelavega, Cantabria (ES)
Nationality: Spanish
Residence: Puente San Miguel, Cantabria (ES)
Marital status: Single
Co-driver: Carlos del Barrio (ES)

Career highlights.
2003 Spanish Junior Rally Champion
2004 FIA P-WRC outings (Group N Mitsubishi Lancer)
2004 Spanish Junior Rally Champion
2005 FIA J-WRC Champion (CitroÃ«n C2) and Spanish Champion
2006 World Rally Car debut (Kronos CitroÃ«n)
2006 5th place FIA WRC Drivers' Championship, 4 podiums
2007 4th place FIA WRC Drivers' Championship (CitroÃ«n), 7 podiums
2008 3rd place, FIA WRC Drivers' Championship (CitroÃ«n), 6 podiums
2009 3rd place FIA WRC Drivers' Championship (CitroÃ«n), 7 podiums
2010 5th place FIA WRC Driversâ€™ Championship (CitroÃ«n), five podiums

FIA WRC statistics.
First WRC rally: 2003, Rally Catalunya
WRC starts: 87
Podium places: 30
Stage wins: 102
Total points: 416
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