WRC: Rally de Portugal 2013

Steve · Apr 6, 2013

Some long breaks on the WRC calendar but the next is finally coming up, next week.

Vodafone Rally de Portugal (WRC.com)

Round 4

11 - 14 Apr 13

Categories:WRC, WRC-2, WRC-3, JWRC

Based:Faro

Surface:Gravel

Most Recent Winner:Mads Ostberg (2012)

Website:Rally Portugal

Rally de Portugal retains the broad format of 2012, with three days of competition in the Algarve and Baixo Alentejo regions. With the recce held on 9 and 10 April, the Qualifying Stage (April 11) returns to Vale do Judeu. Later that day, and for the first time since its return to the WRC, Rally de Portugal will feature a ceremonial start in the setting of the Vilamoura Marina, echoing the 2005 and 2006 rallies, which ran as candidate events ahead of the rallyâ€™s return to the WRC.

Portugalâ€™s stages, which include a mixture of open roads and technical and narrow sections, are characterised by their abrasive surface. This puts the onus on tyre wear although the April date means this might not be as apparent as in 2010 when tyre wear rates were reported as being 40 per cent higher than on other gravel rallies.

There have been changes to the superspecial stage around the Praca do Imperia in Lisbon on the evening of 12 April, to enhance the spectatorsâ€™ experience. The start of the stage (run in reverse order) will take place at 18.15hrs, following the recce, carried out in the competing cars, as well as a classic car event. At 18.00hrs, there will be an autograph session featuring the main drivers.

The second competitive day (Saturday April 13) is also the longest, with 158.54km and includes a new combination of special stages. LoulÃ©, now 22.78km in length, is run in the opposite direction from previous years and all three special stages will be used twice during the day.

The last day of the event - Sunday, April 14 - includes the biggest change, and probably challenge, of the event: The new AlmodÃ´var stage, 52.3 km in length, will be one of the longest gravel European stages of the entire WRC. Bringing together the best of the old Ourique and AlmodÃ´var stages, this test will complete the 2013 Vodafone Rally de Portugal, forming the Power Stage of the event as its last run. In total, the rally has 15 stages over 386.7 km.

Some extra interest may come from the fact that it is being predicted that it could be the rally where VW shows its true potential. Nobody will really know for sure how the car is until then,â€ said Juha Kankkunen, who drove for Volkswagen on the Dakar Rally with the Race Touareg. â€œMonte is a bit of a lottery, which always comes down to tyre choice, luck and weather, Sweden is very specialised, and while I donâ€™t really know Rally Mexico itâ€™s a long way away and at high altitude. Portugal is the first normal gravel rally and there will be three cars: I think that is when you can see the real pace of the Polo compared to everyone else.â€
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Steve · Apr 6, 2013

Portugal the hardest rally, says Kubica (WRC.com)

15 Mar 13

Four weeks before he makes his World Rally Championship debut on Rally Portugal, Robert Kubica has admitted that the loose-surface event is likely to be his hardest test of the year.

The ex-Formula 1 driver announced a switch to rallying a fortnight ago and revealed further details of his 2013 programme at a press conference in Warsaw yesterday.

The Pole will contest the seven-round WRC 2 championship in a Citroen DS3 RRC, tackling the remaining events in the WRC calendar except the rounds in Argentina, Australia and the season finale in Great Britain.

Alongside him will be experienced Polish co-driver, Maciek Baran, who since 2003 has navigated for WRC regular Michal Solowow. The pair will also take part in four rounds of the European Championship, starting with next weekâ€™s all-asphalt Rally Islas Canarias.

As he unveiled the livery of his new Citroen, Kubica explained that his objective for 2013 was to build experience of the rallies and of driving with pace notes.

â€œEach and every rally will be new to me,â€ he said. â€œThis year Rally Portugal will be the hardest. Although some sources apparently claim that I have already done some test on gravel, in fact I haven't done it yet. We will test after the Canaries Rally. Rally Portugal will be my first world championship event, first gravel rally and for the first time I will tackle such long stages â€“ one of them has over 50 kilometres. It will be a steep learning curve for us.â€

â€œMy goal is clear: to learn, learn, learn. Experience is essential here, more important than in racing. On circuits we do a lot of laps, the driver knows the track by heart. Here you have to trust the pace notes completely. For me it is important to work on my pace notes system, I feel it can be improved and this is the key to success,â€ he added.

Kubica acknowledged that the decision to switch from racing to rallying hadnâ€™t been easy, and he didnâ€™t rule out a return to the racetrack.

â€œEverything I do in my life, I do with one hundred per cent commitment,â€ he said. â€œMy approach to rallies will be the same, but I will not put racing aside. Probably I will test a lot on circuit this year, but only if my rally schedule allows it.â€

â€œThe most important thing to me was to come back to competing at highest possible level in motorsport. I guess it worked out â€“ only Formula 1 is at higher level than World Rally Championship, although in fact it is impossible to compare these two series. These are two different kinds of sport, so it's like comparing one of the most famous marathon runs in the world to 100 metres sprint run during Olympic ames,â€ he added.
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Steve · Apr 6, 2013

Sordo wins Fafe Rally Sprint (WRC.com)

06 Apr 13

Dani Sordo will start Vodafone Rally de Portugal next week on a high following victory in the Fafe Rally Sprint today (Saturday).

Sordo, in a factory Citroen DS3 WRC, took the win by one second from Ford Fiesta RS pilot Mads Ostberg in a thrilling showdown on the 6.34-kilometre gravel stage, organised as a precursor for round four of the FIA World Rally Championship.

Based near Porto in the north of the country, the Rally Sprint took place over the iconic Fafe-Lameirinha stage and attracted an estimated 100,000 spectators.

â€œThe atmosphere was amazing and the sensation in the car really good,â€ said Sordo. â€œOn the first pass, I was not completely confident with the set-up but by the final the car was perfect.

â€œThe jump was crazy and we were so happy when we saw that we had finished in front of Mads. After a difficult Sweden and Mexico, that's good for us. Now let's try to do the same in Portugal!â€

Martin Prokop was third in his Ford Fiesta, with Volkswagenâ€™s new works team driver Andreas Mikkelsen fourth after spinning his Polo R WRC in the final heat. As he prepares to make his WRC debut next week, former F1 driver Robert Kubica was fifth in a Citroen DS3 RRC.

â€œIt was a unique experience and my hairs are still standing on end,â€ said Mikkelsen. â€œThe spectators were incredible â€“ they almost drowned out the noise of the engines. And at the jump, the crowds shout you into the air, just like in ski jumping â€“ simply amazing.â€

With the Rally de Portugal taster complete, attention now switches to the main event which starts from Vilamoura on Thursday 11 April.

Fafe Rally Sprint, top five results

1. Dani Sordo, Citroen DS3 WRC: 3m39.3s
2. Mads Ã˜stberg, Ford Fiesta RS WRC: + 1.0 sec
3. Martin Prokop, Ford Fiesta RS WRC: + 10.4 sec
4. Andreas Mikkelsen, Volkswagen Polo R WRC: + 17.0 sec
5. Robert Kubica CitroÃ«n DS3 RRC: + 17.9 sec
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Steve · Apr 6, 2013

A bit of action from 2012 for inspiration.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pptu_ZWK-uQ][HD] WRC Rally Portugal 2012 - BUN - YouTube[/ame]

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KVpum9hv8S4]WRC Rally de Portugal 2012 (HD) - YouTube[/ame]

Steve · Apr 7, 2013

Video from the WRC Portugal precursor Fafe Rally Sprint won by Sordo.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mULqmjS-OB8]WRC Fafe Rally Sprint 2013 [HD] - YouTube[/ame]

Steve · Apr 8, 2013

Kubica: rallying will aid fitness fight (MaxRally.com)

by Graham Lister / 8th April 2013

Robert Kubica has told MAXRALLY columnist Colin Clark that his combined European and world championship attack will accelerate his return to full fitness from the life-threatening injuries he suffered in a crash on a rally in Italy more than two years ago.

Kubica was speaking following a one-day test in Portugal today â€“ where he covered approximately 70 kilometres in his Citroen DS3 RRC â€“ ahead of the countryâ€™s WRC qualifier this week, his first rally on gravel.

â€œIâ€™m choosing [rallying] as a slow comeback to be in better shape after the long break Iâ€™ve had,â€ said Kubica. â€œI feel okay in the car with the permission weâ€™ve had from the FIA [to run a hydraulic gear shift] and I would like to thank them for this. It helps me and, this way, I keep my right arm always on the steering wheel to avoid the limitation. I have better control of the car and itâ€™s safer for the driving. Iâ€™m not really limited when Iâ€™m driving, itâ€™s more when Iâ€™m outside of the car when Iâ€™m limited. But I feel good â€“ Iâ€™ve had better moments in my life but Iâ€™ve had worse also.â€

Kubica reiterated to Clark his desire to return to Formula One but insists heâ€™s keeping his ambitions in check. â€œI would like to come back in Formula One but I know it might not happen. Some things are out of my control and thatâ€™s more difficult but rallying will help me get back to the sport and definitely keep my head busy most of the year. Rallying is not just about driving but thereâ€™s a lot of preparation so I will spend a lot of time around the rallies and in the car. Thatâ€™s good and something I was looking for.â€

By finishing Rally of Portugal on Sunday, Kubica will have doubled his experience on gravel, which currently stands at around 350 kilometres, according to the Pole. â€œItâ€™s going to be a big challenge,â€ he said of the 386-kilometre, 15-stage event. â€œRallying is a new thing in my life and on gravel I have never really trained ordriven. If I finish the rally it will be a big step forward in my gravel experience.â€
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Steve · Apr 9, 2013

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WvuGRn8dC_Y]WRC Portugal Test 2013 - Robert Kubica - YouTube[/ame]

Steve · Apr 10, 2013

Wow! Get it absolutely right from the off and make no mistakes on Day1 or you'll follow everyone else all the way to the Power Stage.

A marathon leg in Portugal (best-of-rallylive.com)

10/04/2013 8:29 am

The opening day of Vodafone Rally de Portugal consists of a long loop of some 665.73km between the eventâ€™s Algarve base and the countryâ€™s capital, Lisbon. It is a leg worthy of a cross-country rally, since no service halts or tyre-change opportunities are plannedâ€¦

During its two most recent editions, Rally de Portugalâ€™s start ceremony has taken place in Lisbon, on the banks of the Tagus River, with the cars being transported there by truck. Competitors tackled a short super-special stage in the cityâ€™s BelÃ¨m district, before taking to the A2 motorway headed for Faro, and the rallyâ€™s first â€˜properâ€™ stagesâ€¦

This year, by contrast, the start will be held on Thursday evening around the marina of Vilamoura, a popular seaside resort and golferâ€™s paradise on the doorstep of Faro. At 08:30 on Friday morning, crews will leave the service park at the EstÃ¡dio Algarve, not to return until 22:00! During the intervening 13Â½ hours, they will cover a mammoth 665.73km â€“ 80.55km of which competitively â€“ all on the same set of tyres and without any service breaks. It goes without saying, therefore, that the slightest error on one of the dayâ€™s five stages will carry a heavy penalty, and that a poor tyre choice in unpredictable weather conditions could transpire to be very costly indeed.

Crews will choose their tyres for the whole day during the 15-minute morning service, before departing to take on two repeat loops of two stages (â€˜Muâ€™/20.32km, and â€˜Ouriqueâ€™/18.32km) and then covering more than 200km on the motorway to reach Lisbon for a 3.27km super-special. Next will be a long 286.55km liaison trek along the A2 motorway before returning to the EstÃ¡dio Algarve for a 45-minute â€˜Flexi Serviceâ€™, with the first car due at 22:00.

Following an opening day whose competitive distance represents a mere 10.79 per cent of the total distance covered, the two subsequent legs are more evenly-balanced. Saturday poses two repeat loops of three speed tests: â€˜Santana da Serraâ€™ (31.12km), â€˜Vascaoâ€™ (25.37km) and â€˜LoulÃ©â€™ (22.78km).

Sunday is then another demanding day, with two runs through the 52.30km â€˜Almodovarâ€™ stage, the second of which will serve as the eventâ€™s Power Stage and will reward three, two and one points respectively to the fastest three drivers.

The â€˜Muâ€™ stage (SS1/3) is identical to â€˜Felizesâ€™ that appeared in the 2011 event. In 2009, it was called â€˜Malhaoâ€™ and claimed the Ford Focus WRC of Jari-Matti Latvala, who rolled no fewer than 17 times. The â€˜LoulÃ©â€™ stage (SS8/11) will be run in the reverse direction this year, whilst 16.89km of â€˜Almodovarâ€™â€™s 52.30km will be new.
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Steve · Apr 10, 2013

WRC Portugal: fewer tyres, fewer tyre changes could pose problems (iRallylive.com)

10.04.2013 10:43

There'll be fewer tyres used at Rally de Portugal this year - the 2013 WRC tyre regulations mean 40% fewer tyres can be used at rallies compared to 2012. DMACK is warning that too much may be being expected from each tyre, and Michelin says there could be surprises, especially on the long final stage.

Last year 40 tyres was the allocation: this year crews are limited to 24 tyres, and after Qualifying there will only be 5 opportunities to change sets during the rally compared to 7 last year.

Both Michelin and DMACK are - naturally - leading with the hard compound versions of their gravel offerings, Michelin the Latitude Cross H2, DMACK the H3 hard compound version of the DMG+2 gravel tyre. Martin Prokop, in the Jipocar Ford Fiesta RS WRC, and Michal Kosciuszko driving the Motorsport Italia MINI WRC will use DMACKs: the other full WRC entries are on Michelins.

Both the tyremakers have a fewer number of soft compound tyres available should it become wet, though no rain is forecast.

The major tyre challenge looks set to come on Sunday, the final day offering 2 runnings of the 52.30km Almodovar stage, the second as the Power Stage with its extra bonus points.

Each tyremaker has shown some concern in the officially issued quotes - this from Dick Cormack, DMACK motorsport director:

â€œAll tyre manufacturers have struggled with the conditions in Portugal at some point over the years but the reduction in allocation from 40 to 24 tyres is a significant step. Each tyre will be required to do an extra five kilometres this year, an increase of almost 50%, which in our view is way too much. It all depends on the weather, if itâ€™s wet then it may not be such an issue, but either way itâ€™s going to be a very interesting event.â€

And this from Jacques Morelli, the manager of Michelinâ€™s rally programmes:

"...these rocky stages call for tyres that are capable of soaking up the punishment while also minimising the risk of air losses due to pinching or punctures. There could well be a few surprises, especially on the last stage which is also the longest, with a length of 52km. The tyre question will be highly strategic but we recently saw how well the new Michelin Latitude Cross stood up to the extreme conditions in Mexico. Every rally is a different story, however.â€
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Steve · Apr 11, 2013

Sordo fastest in Qualifying (iRallylive.com)

11.04.2013 10:23

Dani Sordo in his CitroÃ«n DS3 WRC was fastest in qualifying, and will have first choice of starting positions when the drivers take their pick at lunchtime.

The Spanish driver through the 4.98km Vale do Judeu stage in 3 minutes 0.16 seconds, 0.7 quicker than VW's SÃ©bastien Ogier.

Here's how they finished:

Dani Sordo 3:01.6
SÃ©bastien Ogier +0.7
Jari-Matti Latvala +0.8
Mads Ã˜stberg +0.9
Mikko Hirvonen +1.3
Evgeny Novikov +1.6
Thierry Neuville +2.0
Andreas Mikkelsen +6.0
Nasser Al-Attiyah +6.6
Khalid Al-Qassimi (set same time as Al-Attiyah, in tenths of second) +6.6
Martin Prokop +7.8
Michal Kosciuszko +10.4
Dennis Kuipers +12.2

Drivers make their starting position picks at 1300 local time...
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Steve · Apr 12, 2013

SS1: Ogier quickly off the mark (WRC.com)

12 Apr 13

SS1, Mu 1 (20.32 kilometres)

Stage description:

The stage starts on a wide road and is flat-out for almost 6km, before dropping downhill on a gravel-covered section where braking is tricky. It was here that Jari-Matti Latvala had one of the biggest rally crashes of all time in 2009, when he rolled more than 200 metres down a hillside. The road drops into a valley and opens up towards the finish.

How the action unfolded:

All the talk at the stage end concerned tyre choice. With no mid-leg service, drivers must tackle the entire day with the compounds they chose in the Estadio Algarve service park this morning.

The skies were clear and sunny, but damp roads after overnight rain and cool morning temperatures prompted big variations in choices. While some drivers opted for hard rubber, others selected a mix of soft and hard compounds.

Sebastien Ogier was bravest of all, selecting four soft and two hard tyres for his Volkswagen Polo R. With all four softs fitted he was unsurprisingly fastest by 4.0sec, but the Frenchman’s demeanour suggested he was unsure if soft rubber would be the right choice as the day progressed.

“We will see. I will give you the answer later in the day,” was as far as he would go.

Mads Ostberg was second in a Ford Fiesta RS, the Norwegian opting for five hard tyres.

“That wasn’t so bad,” he said. “It was more slippery than we thought but I think we did a good stage. It will start to get better for us on the next stage and hard tyres will give us an advantage when we repeat the stages, so we can afford to lose a little bit now.”

Mikko Hirvonen was third, 8.4sec behind Ogier, in a Citroen DS3 and the Finn was another who was unsure if his option of two hard tyres on the front and two softs on the rear was correct.

“Conditions were very changeable. Some parts were dry and some were greasy and slippery, but I’m really happy with the car,” he said.

Fourth was Jari-Matti Latvala, his Polo R 1.9sec behind Hirvonen. He also opted for two soft and two hard tyres, but the softs were already showing clear signs of wear.

“The roads were drying so much that the soft tyres started to move towards the end of the stage. The first 10km were OK, but then I started to lose confidence in the faster corners,” said the Finn.

Dani Sordo, with hard tyres all round, was fifth and the Spaniard was happy. “It’s a long day and the temperature will become hotter, so I think it should be better for the hard compound,” he said.

The top six was rounded off by Thierry Neuville’s Fiesta RS, the Belgian admitting he was perhaps too careful in places.
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Steve · Apr 12, 2013

SS2: Ostberg takes the lead (WRC.com)

12 Apr 13

SS2, Ourique 1 (18.32 kilometres)

Stage description:
The opening 300 metres are on asphalt before the surface changes to compact gravel. The roads are narrow but smooth, and this is one of the quickest tests of the rally.

How the action unfolded:

Mads Ostberg became the new leader in Portugal on Friday’s second stage, when a quickest time though Ourique earned him a 3.9sec advantage over Sebastien Ogier who slipped to second.

Friday’s second stage of the morning loop featured a drier and cleaner surface than the first, and as the mid-morning temperature reached 17 degrees Celsius the abrasive road became harder on tyres.

His Fiesta RS shod with hard compound Michelins all round, Ostberg admitted he was on the limit. “We are pushing very hard - perhaps too hard in places,” he said. “Okay, not too many close calls but I don’t think I can do much more. We are going quite well and I’m confident I can push on this limit for a long time.”

Dani Sordo got closest to Ostberg’s time, the Citroen DS3 driver completing the stage 3.5sec slower to move third in the overall standings. “I’m happier than I was after the one before and the car feels good but my driving could be better,” he said. “Some small mistakes and I’m not braking well. Ostberg is really fast.”

Sebastien Ogier was third quickest in his Polo R but at the stage end was again reluctant to give much away about his progress. “I don’t know, at the moment it’s not too bad,” he said.

The Frenchman had been struck down by a virus before the rally but denied this was any cause for concern. “I’m okay, no problems at all,” he added.

Ford Fiesta RS driver Thierry Neuville was fourth quickest, 1.8sec off Ogier’s time and feeling that the drier conditions suited his choice of hard compound tyres. Neuville said: “I think the road on the first stage was too damp and we lost time there but this time I pushed at the maximum. I made one small mistake but overall it was a good feeling.”

Volkswagen’s Jari-Matti Latvala rounded off the top-five times, 10.5sec slower than Ostberg and already showing signs of deep frustration. The Finn accepted that tyre preservation was on his mind, but this wasn’t the reason for his disappointment. “Yes, we need to think about the whole [tyre] situation but to be honest I don’t have the confidence. That’s the reality.”

Mikko Hirvonen was also far from happy. The Finn was 1.6sec slower than Latvala and concerned by how his Citroen DS3 had changed character after he switched from a mixture of two hard and two soft tyres on SS1 to an all-hard set-up. “The first one was okay but after I changed the tyres the car is not good to drive at all – the balance is all wrong,” he explained.

Robert Kubica's WRC debut got off to a clean start on Friday's opener, but the Pole arrived at the finish of SS2 with his Citroen DS3 RRC in worrying shape. It's right-hand front tyre had been pushed half off the wheel and, more worryingly, the car's engine temperature alarm was sounding and the engine was leaking fluid.

After the finish control, crews headed to a remote refuel and then on to the start of the 20km Mu stage ready for the repeat loop.
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Steve · Apr 12, 2013

SS3: Leader Ostberg rolls out (WRC.com)

12 Apr 13

SS3, MÃº 2 (20.32 kilometres)

Stage description:

A repeat of this morningâ€™s opening stage. It starts on a wide road and is flat-out for almost 6km, before dropping downhill on a gravel-covered section where braking is tricky. It was here that Jari-Matti Latvala had one of the biggest rally crashes of all time in 2009, when he rolled more than 200 metres down a hillside. The road drops into a valley and opens up towards the finish.

How the action unfolded:

Rally de Portugal leader Mads Ostberg rolled into retirement shortly after the midpoint of the stage to hand the lead back to championship leader Sebastien Ogier.

The Norwegian crashed at a left corner after 13km but both Ostberg and Swedish co-driver Jonas Andersson were uninjured.

A spokeswoman for the Qatar M-Sport team told wrc.com the accident happened at a corner that Ostberg had marked as a â€˜four minusâ€™ in his pace notes. However, he approached the corner a gear higher and the car rolled.

Tweeting from the accident scene, Ostberg said: â€œFeeling quite low right now.â€

Dani Sordo was fastest, the Spaniardâ€™s Citroen DS3 just 0.6sec quicker than Jari-Matti Latvalaâ€™s Volkswagen Polo R and climbing to second overall following Ostbergâ€™s demise.

â€œI didnâ€™t take a lot of risks because the road is really, really rough and you could destroy the car on every corner,â€ said Sordo. â€œI took it carefully because the rally is long and I also wanted to be a bit careful with my tyres.â€

Latvalaâ€™s time was all the more impressive because he drove the stage with no split times for his rivals coming into the car. â€œI just tried to push with the big gear on!â€ explained the Finn.

Ogier was third fastest, 2.0sec behind Sordo, and he leads by 4.4sec. The Frenchman admitted that opting for soft tyres on his Polo R this morning was not an ideal choice as temperatures continued to rise and the road became rougher.

â€œIt wasnâ€™t the best option, but I did my best in here to save them. They will make the loop, but maybe it wasnâ€™t the optimum choice. Mads was so fast. Honestly, in some places it was not possible to follow him,â€ explained Ogier.

Mikko Hirvonen was fourth fastest, the Finn airing his frustrations at the finish. â€œI really need to fight the car to be able to push, so itâ€™s not so easy, but weâ€™re trying,â€ he said. â€œThere were some big loose rocks in a corner and I hit one. It threw the car off the road a little. I didnâ€™t lose any time, but it was a scare.â€

The Fiesta RS duo of Thierry Neuville and Evgeny Novikov were fifth and sixth, Neuville admitting he was still searching for the ideal set-up.

Michal Kosciuszko lost time with a spin and overheating tyres on his Mini JCW while Khalid Al Qassimi struggled with a clutch problem.

Robert Kubica's problems in the previous stage were traced to a water leak caused by a stick piercing the radiator of his Citroen DS3. The Pole was able to make repairs on the following liaison section and he lies fourth in the WRC 2 category.
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Mads Ostberg: â€œA pace note errorâ€ (best-of-rallylive.com)

12/04/2013 6:48 pm

Mads Ostberg (Ford Fiesta RS WRC/Michelin) emerged as the leader today after SS2 but then threw away any chance of a second straight win in Portugal when he crashed on SS3.

Mads Ostberg is not a driver who crashes often. The last time he was eliminated by an off dates back to Germany in 2011. Today, however, the Norwegian rolled on SS3, shortly after moving ahead in Portugal.

â€œIt was entirely my fault,â€ reported Mads back at the service park in Faro. â€œI either misheard a pace note, or Jonas called out an incorrect note. Weâ€™ll find out when we see the on-board footage. At Km13, I thought I heard â€˜Left 5â€™ but it was a â€˜Left 4â€™. By my system, that means a third-gear turn, and I was in fifth, so it was never going to work. The car hit a bank before rolling once on the road, then again by the side of the road. It ended up on its roof, down a small bank, but Jonas and I are okay.

â€œIt was just a wrong note. I knew I wouldnâ€™t be able to maintain the pace I had on SS2 all the way to the finish. At the start of SS3, we decided to turn it down a bit. It looks like the roll-cage isnâ€™t damaged, so we should be able re-start in the morning. We will use the rest of the rally to do some testing.â€

â€œWeâ€™ve got as much chance of winning on Sunday as we have of winning the lottery. Weâ€™re going through a difficult period at the moment after our mechanical problems in Mexico. This time, itâ€™s entirely our fault; the team isnâ€™t to blame. Itâ€™s a shame because we were looking good in terms of our tyre strategy after choosing the hard-compound H2 for the Qualifying Stage.â€
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Can Bob fix it? Yes he can! (MaxRally.com)

by Graham Lister / 12th April 2013

Fears that Robert Kubica would be forced to retire from Rally of Portugal have proved unfounded after the completed SS3 with the second fastest time in the WRC 2 category.

Kubica was 0.9s slower than class leader Esapekka Lappi after making repairs to his carâ€™s radiator, which he damaged after running over some branches on SS2.

â€œItâ€™s been a good stage,â€ the ex-F1 racer told WRC Liveâ€™s Colin Clark. â€œWe had a little issue on the road section and had to fix the radiator after some wood sticks went through the radiator and into the fan. We had to fix it and fortunately everything is fine.â€

Kubica, who is fourth in WRC 2, 23.4s behind Lappi, said he had struggled for confidence on the opening stages.

â€œWe were struggling witthe rear of the car,â€ said Kubica. â€œIt doesnâ€™t give a lot of confidence when itâ€™s slippery and this morning this was the case. Now itâ€™s better and I feel more confidence.â€
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Steve · Apr 12, 2013

SS4: Sordo turns up the pressure (WRC.com)

12 Apr 13

SS4, Ourique 2 (18.32 kilometres)

Stage description:

The opening 300 metres are on asphalt before the surface changes to compact gravel. The roads are narrow but smooth, and this is one of the quickest tests of the rally.

How the action unfolded:

A second consecutive stage win from Citroenâ€™s Dani Sordo has moved him to within 2.4sec of Sebastien Ogier and the lead of Rally de Portugal.

Sordo was the last of the WRC crews to tackle the repeated Ourique, the final gravel stage of Fridayâ€™s leg, completing it 2sec quicker than Ogier, who he followed through.

â€œAt the beginning Ogier was a little bit faster so after that we pushed more,â€ said the DS3 driver. â€œThe stage felt nice to drive and Iâ€™m confident with the car â€“ which is very important. The team has made the car better for me and it is really good.â€

Ogier ended up fourth quickest in his Volkswagen Polo R, the Frenchman conceding that his choice of soft compound tyres for the rallyâ€™s opening four stages might not have been the best.

â€œMaybe it wasnâ€™t perfectly right but I know Iâ€™m good at saving the tyres so thatâ€™s why I tried,â€ he said. â€œMaybe they will be perfect for the super special - weâ€™ll see.â€

Thierry Neuville was second quickest, despite ongoing issues with the set-up of his M-Sport Fiesta RS. â€œI havenâ€™t made any changes yet and we have still a few things to do but Iâ€™m happy,â€ he said. â€œIâ€™m pushing quite hard and the times are okay. There is still a bit of road cleaning.â€

A revitalised Jari-Matti Latvala was third quickest, beating his Volkswagen team-mate Ogier by 0.2sec. â€œThe feeling is honestly getting better and I enjoyed it,â€ said the Finn. â€œI know we can improve - especially with the suspension - and Iâ€™ve got some ideas for when weâ€™re driving on the bedrock like on this stage. There is more to come with this car.â€

Mikko Hirvonen however was still unhappy with suspension settings on his Citroen DS3 he felt were holding him back. The Finn was fifth quickest to remain fourth overall. â€œWe left service this morning with springs that were too stiff and weâ€™ve been stuck with that,â€ he explained.

â€œI really pushed hard in these last few stages but I canâ€™t go faster. Iâ€™m on the limit, making small mistakes all the time. The set-up is wrong and itâ€™s been a frustrating day. Lets hope we can get back on the pace tomorrow.â€

Lying seventh after the previous stage, Volkswagenâ€™s new team member Andreas Mikkelsen hit trouble early in the Ourique repeat that eventually cost him 2min 30seconds.

â€œWe lost the power steering after one kilometre,â€ Mikkelsen explained at the finish control. â€œItâ€™s strange because I didnâ€™t hit anything. Just suddenly there was nothing. Itâ€™s not very easy like that!â€

Crews are now heading to Lisbon for the final stage of the day, the 3.27km super special that gets underway at 1805hrs.
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Tyre troubles force Kubica retirement (WRC.com)

12 Apr 13

Robert Kubica's impressive opening day performance on Rally de Portugal has come to an end on the long road section to Fridayâ€™s final stage in Lisbon.

The former Formula 1 driver is making his gravel rally debut this weekend, contesting the WRC-2 class at the wheel of a four-wheel drive Citroen DS3 RRC.

He was placed second in the WRC-2 standings but after one punctured and two damaged tyres on the first four stages, and with only one spare tyre in his car, the Pole wasnâ€™t able to complete the 206-kilometre drive to the Super Special in the Portuguese capital.

Kubica was forced to admit defeat 50 kilometres into the journey and parked his car in a motorway service area. It is not yet known if he will restart on Saturday.

Punctures aside, Kubicaâ€™s debut had been an impressive one. He was fourth quickest though Friday's opening test and went third fastest on the next despite sliding wide into a ditch, damaging a front tyre and holing his carâ€™s radiator on a branch.

Kubica and co-driver Maciek Baran were able to seal the leaking radiator using repair putty carried on board before topping up the system with water from their drinking bottles.

Kubica was second quickest on stage three and again on four, but at the expense of another two damaged tyres.

His performance on the four gravel stages drew praise from the head of Citroen Racing, Yves Matton.

â€œFor me he did a great performance today,â€ said Matton. â€œDespite no experience on gravel apart from two test days he was placed between Esapekka Lappi and Elfyn Evans â€“ two young drivers who are being followed by manufacturers for the future.â€

Matton watched Kubica on all four gravel stages and was impressed with his approach. â€œHis style is good â€“ itâ€™s very similar to the top drivers. Heâ€™s trying to drive where the grip is the best,â€ he said.

â€œDriving with a sideways style is a little bit easier on the gravel and would give him more security, but we explained that the best way to be fast is to keep on the line and try to keephe wheels where there is most traction. Thatâ€™s what heâ€™s doing and thatâ€™s very impressive.â€

â€œFor sure he had some punctures this morning but itâ€™s something you have to learn,â€ he added.
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Steve · Apr 12, 2013

An interesting comment lifted from the WRC.com Twitter feed:

Michal Kosziuszko bonnet is open on the Mini, up and obstructing driver view... he is continuing... that requires nerve
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Justa Jim · Apr 12, 2013

I haven't been keeping up of late. Has Sordo left MINI completely? Any idea what Kris is doing these days?

Jim

Steve · Apr 12, 2013

Sordo is driving for Citroen again. He replaced Loeb, sort of.

Meeke is keeping busy. I think mostly on two wheels but he's also been rallying a Bentley...sort of. Here's the segment he did with TopGear.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3IZO5OBcn3A]James May and Kris Meeke's Bentley Rally - Top Gear - Series 19 Episode 1 - BBC Two - YouTube[/ame]

Justa Jim · Apr 12, 2013

Thanks Steve. I'm guessing MINI is nowhere in the race any more.

Jim

Steve · Apr 13, 2013

If you mean MINI, the company, then you're right. But ProDrive aren't completely out of it. They're staying on the scene in a lower budget sort of way with the same team as last year and one new driver. They're also supposedly still developing the car and I'm sure the hope is presence will attract new customers. From what I've read, they have quite a few customers in series' outside the WRC driving different versions of the car, one team of which is competing in Portugal right now in the WRC3 class.

At the moment the leading MINI driver in WRC, Michal Kosziuszko, is running 7th in Portugal after 8 stages.

Steve · Apr 13, 2013

SS8: Exhausted Ogier leads at Saturday midpoint (WRC.com)

13 Apr 13

SS8, Loule (22.78 kilometres)

Stage description:

This stage runs in the opposite direction to previous years. The road is generally mid-to-wide but narrows in places. It's smooth, but with bed rock showing in some sections.

How the action unfolded:

Sebastien Ogier emerged from Saturday morningâ€™s loop of stages with his lead of Rally de Portugal intact but feeling the effects of the virus that forced him out of the Fafe Rally Sprint last week.

The Frenchman, who leads the driversâ€™ championship, was quickest through the Loule test [SS8] and headed back to service with an advantage of 14.1sec over his Volkswagen Motorsport team-mate Jari-Matti Latvala.

Mikko Hirvonen is third, the Citroen DS3 driver 23.1sec further back in third.

Ogier began the day with his lead under threat from a hard-charging Dani Sordo. But after the Citroen driver crashed out on todayâ€™s opener, Ogier was left battling his team-mate Latvala and his own health.

â€œItâ€™s been tough because after about 10km on each stage I get low on energy and I really have to fight. Itâ€™s not easy for me,â€ he said.

Latvala, in contrast, enjoyed an excellent morning in the second Polo R. The Finn won two stages and seemed happier behind the wheel than at any point so far this season.

On completing SS8 in the second quickest time, a confident Latvala said: â€œA pretty good stage, to be honest. The mid-section was really, really fast and I tried to push there. The fast stuff appears to suit us well. My tyres now are very on the limit, though.â€

With Sordo out, Citroenâ€™s hopes of victory this weekend ride with Hirvonen. The Finn was third quickest on all three of todayâ€™s stages, but wasnâ€™t able to stop the lead Volkswagen drivers pulling further ahead in the overall standings with every stage.

â€œThe first two stages were okay but both VWs were fast here and thatâ€™s not good,â€ Hirvonen explained after SS8. â€œI have to try and keep the pressure on Jari-Matti, thatâ€™s all I can do. My car feels really good, I just need to work on my driving rhythm.â€

The pace of the leading trio, and the retirement of Thierry Neuville from fourth on SS6, has pulled them clear of the chasing pack and there is a 2m14s gap to the man in fourth place, Ford Fiesta RS driver Evgeny Novikov.

The Russian remained uncharacteristically downbeat this morning, and was unable to explain why his stage times were so far off those of the leaders.

Another 1m45s further back, fellow Fiesta RS driver Nasser Al-Attiyah is well cushioned in fifth. Martin Prokop is sixth in another Fiesta, more than 5min behind Ogier.

MINI JCW driver Michal Kosciusko is seventh, the Pole struggling with badly scrubbed and overheating DMACK tyres.

Kosciuskoâ€™s place is under threat from Andreas Mikkelsen who, after power-steering problems on day one, is making progress back up the standings and continuing to learn on his first rally with Volkwsagenâ€™s Polo R.

â€œI have way too much information in my pace notes and because everything appears so fast in a World Rally Car I need to take some details out,â€ he said after SS8. â€œSome terrible driving from me too - I felt like a virgin out there!â€

After a 30-minute service, crews will repeat the morning's three stages this afternoon. The second pass through the Santana da Serra test [SS9] gets underway at 1509hrs.
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Why tough Portugal will only get tougher for Ogier (MaxRally.com)

by Richard Rodgers / 13th April 2013

Sebastien Ogier says what is already proving to be a tough Rally of Portugal will only get tougher this afternoon.

Ogier is leading by 14.1s after Saturdayâ€™s opening three stages despite struggling with a viral infection, which he says has zapped his energy behind the wheel of his Volkswagen Polo R WRC.

â€œWith how I am feeling this is the hardest rally Iâ€™ve done and it could be even harder this afternoon with the temperature increasing,â€ said Ogier. â€œItâ€™s not an easy one for sure. I am feeling a little bit better but I am paying a bit now for the two weeks I have had. I miss some sleep I think. I miss some energy and I really have to fight against myself.

â€œBut even with this lack of energy we are doing a good job. I am happy with my drive and there are no mistakes. We know we can be performing, epecially here in Portugal. But itâ€™s still very close but everything can happen.â€
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