WRC: Rally GB 2013

Steve · Nov 15, 2013

Splash!

Steve · Nov 16, 2013

Wales continues to take its toll.

The #49 MINI (in WRC-2):

Robert Kubica out again:

going...

going...

gone.

Steve · Nov 16, 2013

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7mPN0TRyJ0]Leg 3 - 2013 WRC Wales Rally GB - Best-of-RallyLive.com - YouTube[/ame]

Crashton · Nov 16, 2013

Man that is one lucky marshal, about got taken out by Kubica. Why he was on the outside of that corner only he knows. ut:

Steve · Nov 16, 2013

Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch? Ah, Welsh, such a beautiful language.

What the Welsh stage names mean (best-of-rallylive.com)

16/11/2013 7:00 am

Welsh is a colourful Celtic tongue which pre-dates English. It shares its roots with the language spoken in Brittany and many words are similar to modern-day French. For visitors, however, many place names are unpronounceable. We tried to uncover the meaning behind the some of the places visited by this weekendâ€™s rallyâ€¦

The internet served as an initial source of information, and we also asked some Welsh speakers on the event. In certain cases, they were left scratching their head. Elfyn Evans was quizzed, too. He lives in Dolgellau, Mid Wales, but even he couldnâ€™t fill in the remaining blanks.

If any of our visitors can help, donâ€™t hesitate to let us know!

Gwydyr (SS1): This forest takes its name from Gwydyr castle, ancestral home of the Wynn family. The different interpretations of the word include â€˜field of bloodâ€™, because the Wynns are said to have bought the castle with money made as mercenaries!

Penmachno (SS2): â€˜Penâ€™ means â€˜head ofâ€™, so this signifies the upper reaches of the Machno River, a tributary of the River Conwy, which reaches the sea near the rallyâ€™s start venue.

Clocaenog (SS3/19): A mystery word, Iâ€™m afraid.

Hafren (SS4/7): Another mystery.

Sweet Lamb (SS5/8): This name was chosen by the rally complexâ€™s founder. It is taken from a poem (The War Song of Dinas Vawr) featured in an Arthurian novel by Thomas Love Peacock (The Misfortunes of Elphin) in 1829. It talks about sheep-stealing by invading armies. â€œThe mountain sheep are sweeter, but the valley sheep are fatter. We therefore deemed it meeter [better], to carry off the latter.â€

Myherin (SS6/9): Another mystery, especially as â€˜Myherinâ€™ visits Tarenig Forest.

Gartheiniog (SS10/12): Mystery.

Dyfi (SS11/13): This is the Welsh spelling of the short River Dovey which flows through Mid Wales to the Irish Sea.

Dyfnant (SS14/17): â€˜Nantâ€™ means small stream. It refers to the moorland near the River Doveyâ€™s source.

Chirk Castle (SS15/16): The original 13th Century castle was built next the River Ceiriog (or Keyroc). â€˜Chirkâ€™ is believed to be a corruption of this name.

Penllyn (SS18): â€˜Penâ€™ means â€˜head ofâ€™ and â€˜Llynâ€™ means â€˜lakeâ€™, soâ€¦ â€˜head of the lakeâ€™.

Kinmel Park (SS20/21): Another mystery, especially as the letter â€˜Kâ€™ does not exist in Welsh.

Great Orme (SS22): There are two headlands near Llandudno: Great and Little Orme. The name â€˜Ormeâ€™ is actually of Viking origin and means â€˜sea serpentâ€™. The Vikings thought the peninsular resembled the head of a sea serpent when seen from the sea.

Llandudno (finish venue): â€˜Llanâ€™ means church, the â€˜church of Saint Tudnoâ€™. The 13th century chapel on Great Orme is located where Tudno â€“ a 7th Century missionary â€“ is said to have lived in a cave.

One last name, just for funâ€¦ As our British visitors will know, on the island of Anglesey near Llandudno is the village of Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch! Translation? Saint Mary's Church in the hollow of the white hazel near a rapid whirlpool and the Church of Saint Tysilio of the red cave.
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Steve · Nov 16, 2013

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UAv_cvFPx3w]2013 Rallye Great Britain - day 01 and 02 - YouTube[/ame]

Steve · Nov 16, 2013

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OMFnVz3btio]Robert Kubica - Wypadek w Rajdzie Walii OS4 WIDEO / Crash, Wales Rally SS4 VIDEO [HD] - YouTube[/ame]

Crashton · Nov 16, 2013

Thanks for the coverage Steve!

Nathan · Nov 16, 2013

Those are some greasy looking "roads"

“We had a misunderstanding in the pace notes,” said Kubica, whose car ended up 60 metres from the gravel road. “I should have been braking but I was still flat out. By the time I saw the corner it was too later. We had a sort of blackout in communication.”

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Mndfrh5pYA]Robert Kubica Wales Rally GB SS11 Huge Crash + Intervieuw After Wypadek na OS11 - YouTube[/ame]

Steve · Nov 16, 2013

Ogier leads in Wales with one day to go (WRC.com)

16 Nov 13

Sebastien Ogier will take a lead of 20.3 seconds into the final day of Wales Rally GB as he chases his first victory on the World Championship counter.

The Volkswagen Polo R driver began Saturdayâ€™s third leg with a lead of 20.1sec over his team-mate Jari-Matti Latvala, and he maintained that advantage despite a determined challenge from the Finn.

Ogier wasnâ€™t fastest on any of the dayâ€™s seven stages, but judged his pace perfectly on the slippery forest roads of mid-Wales to round off the day with a clean run through the short asphalt stage at Chirk Castle in front of thousands of spectators.

â€œWe just conserved the gap today, that was the plan,â€ said the Frenchman, whose current personal best in Wales is the 11th he achieved in 2011.

â€œI wanted to keep Jari-Matti at the same difference and we did that. Now there are fifty kilometres to go, but Rally GB is never finished before the end. Itâ€™s very tricky and we have to stay concentrated. We need to do the same job weâ€™ve done up to now.â€

Between them, Ogierâ€™s team-mates Andreas Mikkelsen and Latvala won all of the dayâ€™s five forest stages, with Mikkelsen fastest on the first two and Latvala taking a hat-trick in the afternoon.

But while Latvala was encouraged by his ability to take time out of Ogier on the latter tests, he ended the day concerned by his lack of pace earlier on.

â€œI donâ€™t have a clear answer, and I wish I did,â€ he said. â€œIt seems that especially in the morning on the gravel I donâ€™t find the rhythm and it takes a couple of stages for me to get into it. I need to concentrate tomorrow. Maybe Iâ€™m loading too much pressure on myself but to beat Ogier you have to be ready in all conditions.â€

Thierry Neuville is third on his last outing in a Ford Fiesta RS before a switch to Hyundai for 2014. The Belgian had a largely trouble free day, but was kept under pressure from Mikkelsen behind.

A lack of split times in Neuvilleâ€™s car in the afternoon didnâ€™t help him judge his speed, but the Belgian competed the day with a 20sec advantage. â€œIâ€™ve always been close to the fastest except on the long stage, so I can be really pleased with my day,â€ he said.

Mikkelsen was satisfied too, having come out best in a three-way battle for fourth that became a duel on SS11 when Evgeny Novikov rolled out. â€œItâ€™s been a great day, Iâ€™m happy that we managed to pull a little time back, [from Neuville] and we set some great times with no moments. Itâ€™s been fantastic,â€ he said.

Mads Ostberg is fifth, just 7.3sec further back, in his Qatar M-Sport Ford Fiesta RS. The Norwegian got a big step closer to Mikkelsen on the final forest stage, thanks in part to some suspension set-up advice from his father, and has fourth place in his sights on Sunday.

â€œItâ€™s been a pretty good day for us,â€ he acknowledged. â€œWeâ€™ve found some improvements today and we can definitely try to fight back. Iâ€™m off to bed now for a good sleep. Tomorrow Iâ€™ll start with a good breakfast and then itâ€™s flat-out!â€

After Ostberg there is a gap of almost five minutes to Ford Fiesta RS driver Martin Prokop in sixth.

Dani Sordo is seventh, and Citroenâ€™s sole remaining factory entry after Robert Kubica crashed out today for a second time. The Pole restarted after a crash on day two, but went off the road on SS11 after a pace-note misunderstanding.

WRC 2 leaders Elfyn Evans, Jari Ketomaa and Mark Higgins round off the top ten.

Sundayâ€™s final day kicks off at 0856hrs with the 21.34km Dyfnant stage. The rally winner is scheduled to cross the finish podium in Llandudno at 1311hrs.
Click to expand...

Steve · Nov 17, 2013

VW and Ogier conclude title-winning year in style! (best-of-rallylive.com)

17/11/2013 4:07 pm

The 2013 world champion SÃ©bastien Ogier rounded off 2013 with his ninth victory of the year on Wales Rally GB, taking Volkswagen/Michelinâ€™s score to 10 wins from 13 rounds! The Frenchmanâ€™s speed frustrated the bid of team-mate Jari-Matti Latvala (2nd, +21.8s) to make it three Rally GB wins in a row. Podium honours sufficed for Thierry Neuville (Ford, +1m24.5s) to come second in this seasonâ€™s WRC. The first prize in the WRC-2 and WRC-3 classes went to Elfyn Evans (Ford) and Quentin Gilbert (CitroÃ«n) respectively.

â€˜Great Ormeâ€™ is a stunningly beautiful stage, set to the backdrop of the Irish Sea. Itâ€™s a bright, wind-free, almost warm day by the seaside and this is an idyllic backdrop to end the 2013 World Rally Championship.

The peaceful Sunday day-tripper routine in Llandudno â€“ a short walk from the stage â€“ is broken only by the sirens of the various safety cars as they drive through the weekendâ€™s 22nd stage to make sure spectators are standing in a safe spot. â€œMost of them are on high ground. Thatâ€™s where theyâ€™ll get the best views from,â€ reports the driver of the â€˜double zeroâ€™ car.

This is their last opportunity to watch the WRC stars in action and, all too soon, the show is over as the front-runners reach us at the finish control, in reverse orderâ€¦

After appearing as a potential threat to Neuville on Saturday, Andreas Mikkelsen was kicking himself for his two spins this morning. They effectively ruined Volkswagen Motorsportâ€™s hopes of a one-two-three finish in Wales to round off its polished maiden campaign at world level.

They also took pressure off Mads Ostberg who concluded a season of ups and downs with a commendable fourth place. On the stop line of SS22, he confirmed he had a strong chance of a drive in 2014, but didnâ€™t specify the team. However, the Norwegianâ€™s last-day speed, assisted by a softer set-up, was insufficient to deprive fellow Qatar M-Sport runner Neuville of a podium finish.

Meanwhile, third spot after a maturely-paced performance was enough for the Belgian to pocket 2013â€™s silver medal, ahead of Jari-Matti Latvala. It was an emotional moment as the Ford driverâ€™s friends and family greeted him with champagne at the end of SS22. â€œAt the beginning of the season, with a new car and a new team, I couldnâ€™t have imagined coming second in the championship,â€ he admitted.

Latvala had been hoping to win Britainâ€™s round of the WRC for a third straight year and was doubly disappointed to have to settle for third in the Driverâ€™s standings. â€œI made too many small mistakes this weekend,â€ he admitted. â€œI have the speed, but I need to work on finding a rhythm next season.â€

Unsurprisingly, the man everyone was waiting for at the end of â€˜Great Ormeâ€™ was SÃ©bastien Ogier who wrapped up the year with a convincing win. â€œItâ€™s amazing. Iâ€™m so happy,â€ he said after posing for pictures on the roof of his Polo R WRC/Michelin. â€œMy car was perfect again, so thanks to the team for that; and we had a great battle with our team-mate this weekend. Fantastique! Itâ€™s the perfect end to a perfect season!â€

Moments later, it was Elfyn Evanâ€™s turn to celebrate after securing a surefooted success in the WRC-2 class for Ford on his home event, while Frenchman Quentin Gilbert (CitroÃ«n) claimed an assertive victory in WRC-3.
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Evans claims maiden victory in WRC 2 (WRC.com)

17 Nov 13

Elfyn Evans secured a breakthrough victory in the WRC 2 support category at Wales Rally GB this afternoon after dominating the four-day event in a Ford Fiesta R5.

The 24-year-old Welshman made the most of local knowledge after taking the lead on the second of the 22 speed tests on Thursday night. He was never again headed and after building a comfortable lead he measured his pace to win by 63.1sec.

Evans, who won the WRC Academy title last season, stepped up to the major support series this season. He finished second on the asphalt rallies in Germany and France before sealing top spot in the mud-caked forests of north and mid-Wales.

â€œIt feels great to win my home round. Today I concentrated on driving cleanly and not doing anything silly. It has been a great learning experience with the M-Sport team and Iâ€™m grateful to them for delivering such a fantastic car,â€ said Evans.

Ketomaa, who took maximum points in Finland earlier in the season, led initially but was hampered by a misfire and fell to third behind Mark Higgins. With his Fiesta R5 restored to full health, he moved back ahead yesterday and headed the Isle of Man driver by 64.8sec.

â€œItâ€™s a pity we had problems with the car but in motorsport things donâ€™t always work as they should. We were very lucky to escape a huge fifth gear moment this morning and the misfire returned again in tight hairpins and uphill sections,â€ said Ketomaa.

Higgins suffered similar misfire issues yesterday, but the 42-year-old triple British champion was happy with a podium on his first appearance at the rally for five years.

â€œWe had a couple of little niggles but it was a great weekend. I didnâ€™t want to do anything silly today so I settled for what I had. There was a great atmosphere in the forests and the new venue for the rally was a great success,â€ said Higgins.

Eyvind Brynildsen ended a troubled season in fourth, 2min 21.5sec ahead of Welsh youngster Tom Cave.

Cave, incurred a hefty time penalty after changing the gearbox in his Fiesta R5 on Thursday night. But he stormed back up the order with a string of stage wins on Friday and also survived a sticking throttle.

Italyâ€™s Edoardo Bresolin completed the top six in a Fiesta RRC.
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Steve · Nov 18, 2013

Steve · Nov 18, 2013

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QfigyZKnX0U]Stages 20-22: Wales Rally GB 2013 - YouTube[/ame]

Steve · Nov 18, 2013

These are coming up a bit out of order...oh well, still good stuff.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=alBGoHadxoo]Stages 17-19: Wales Rally GB 2013 - YouTube[/ame]

Steve · Nov 18, 2013

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7mPN0TRyJ0]Leg 3 - 2013 WRC Wales Rally GB - Best-of-RallyLive.com - YouTube[/ame]

Steve · Nov 18, 2013

Some really good video here.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VXIM4mTJrMU]WRC - RAC Wales Rally GB 2013 [HD] - YouTube[/ame]

Steve · Nov 19, 2013

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gk4yD2NcFTw]WRC Wales Rally GB 2013 [HD - Maximum Attack] - YouTube[/ame]

Steve · Nov 20, 2013

I don't think this is from GB but I don't care, just found it.

Dani Sordo has a high 5 for a little fan.

Crashton · Nov 20, 2013

I love that picture!

Steve · Nov 20, 2013

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VegZmZSwmVc]REVIEW: Wales Rally GB 2013 - The Rally of Legends - YouTube[/ame]

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