WRC: Rally Mexico 2012

Steve · Mar 11, 2012

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXTGJXx5cgI]THE RACE - YouTube[/ame]

Steve · Mar 11, 2012

Day 2 video - 2 parts:

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Jhzym1RrwY]WRC 2012 Mexico Day 2 - Part 1/2 - YouTube[/ame]

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jnw45Hy3t0M]WRC 2012 Mexico Day 2 - Part 2/2 - YouTube[/ame]

Steve · Mar 12, 2012

Unplanned roll cage testing.

There's a lot of interview in Russian but there's video of the car interspersed as well, plus Latvala's short interview in English if you hang in there until about 7:30.

I tried to count, looks like Novikov rolled 6 or 7 times.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HPLU20C05Tc]Rally Mexico. Day 03. Novikov crash. Latvala crash. - YouTube[/ame]

Steve · Mar 12, 2012

The wrc.com review: Rally Guanajuato Mexico

12 Mar 12

Appearances can be deceptive. The records will show that Sebastien Loeb won Rally Guanajuato Mexico for the sixth time, by more than a half a minute. He's been there, read the book and bought the cowboy boots.

Look beyond the surface though and a much more complex picture emerges. He may have won for the sixth time, but for the first time he wasnâ€™t the quickest driver there.

That accolade fell to Jari-Matti Latvala, and as Ford team principal Malcolm Wilson correctly points out, if things had panned out only a little differently, then we could have been facing a very different picture.

The stark truth is that Latvala has been quicker than Loeb on every rally this year. Equally, he has two retirements behind him - which is the same as Loebâ€™s number of victories. And with a 40-point deficit in the championship to make up, heâ€™d better start racking up more wins fast.

But not too fast. Because this might just be at the root of Latvalaâ€™s problems. As former Citroen boss Guy Frequelin recently pointed out, there are some drivers who can match Loeb for pure speed - and you would almost expect them to, as Loeb has the best part of 10 years on some of them. Yet nobody can match his phenomenal, metronomic consistency that is born out of his uncanny ability to read a road like no other person can. Loeb â€˜onlyâ€™ set six fastest stage times in Mexico; when Colin McRae won the Safari Rally in 1999 (which has gone down in history as one of his best wins ever) he didnâ€™t set any. But that doesnâ€™t matter, because as another famous Scot - Sir Jackie Stewart - says, winning is the art of finishing first by the smallest possible margin.

Clearly Sebastien Loeb has got one or two things still to learn about winning then - strange for a man who has just racked up his 69th career triumph - because 42 seconds is quite a comfortable cushion. But the fight was really over after the second loop of stages on Saturday, when Citroen had a firm word with their drivers telling them not to try anything stupid.

You have to admire the irrepressible spirit of Latvala: at the time when he went off, on the longest stage of the rally at 54 kilometres, he was more than 20 seconds up on his nearest rival. But with Hirvonen more than a minute ahead and only two stages to go (one of which was the Power Stage) what was he thinking of? Latvala had already achieved a miracle by battling to third despite his earlier problems; this time he was attempting the impossible.

Thatâ€™s Loebâ€™s other strongest suit as a driver: he has a firm grasp of reality, both in life and in sport. It might be easy to think that Loeb was not the fastest in Mexico, but what if he was choosing not to be? The Frenchman described his driving as â€œmiddle of the road, nothing specialâ€ - and yet is it a coincidence that he had no punctures (Petter Solberg had four, by contrast) and zero mechanical problems?

A few years ago, one of the Citroen mechanics described how, when stripping down the cars after a rally, he could see just by looking at it which gearbox had come out of Loebâ€™s car and which was from former team-mate Dani Sordoâ€™s. Loebâ€™s gearbox was almost always like new.

Letâ€™s not underestimate Loebâ€™s current Citroen team-mate Mikko Hirvonen either, which could be easy to do as the likeable Finn is the very antithesis of a self-publicist. But he led the rally and was very close to Loebâ€™s times - on only his third rally in the DS3 WRC. Heâ€™s still learning to drive it, but says that the transparent nature of the way that the car behaves is teaching him more and more all the time. â€œI know that my stage times need to be more consistent, but I can see easily how that is happening,â€ he explained. â€œAnd once you are aware of what is happening, then you can find a way to fix it.â€

At the post-event press conference, Loeb suggested that he didnâ€™t think Hirvonen needed to work on his feeling with the car much more...and he was only half-joking.

With five gravel rallies coming up, itâ€™s clear that the Frenchman has a lot to think about. When the Gods wish to punish us they grant us what we truly desire: Loeb knows that he can beat his rivals but itâ€™s not going to be easy. The appetite for competition that he craved is shortly about to be sated.

â€œWeâ€™ve got a good position in the championship now,â€ commented Citroenâ€™s new boss Yves Matton. â€œBut I know from personal experience just how quickly that can all change.â€

Mexico was all about endurance, thanks to three stages that were longer than 40 kilometres. With the searing heat and rough rocks it tested concentration as much as stamina: Latvala said that his mistake was down to being distracted by the sight of Evgeny Novikovâ€™s car on its roof - shortly before he joined him. Other drivers said that they needed to pace themselves and even the organisers were taking no chances with the course car: there were two of them, with one setting off halfway through the stage in case the first one had a problem - or felt tired.

But 2011 Dakar winner Nasser Al-Attiyah put it all into the right perspective. â€œSure, 54 kilometres is tough,â€ he pointed out. â€œBut I remember once on the Dakar we had a stage that was more like 890 kilometres long and took 12 hours to finish. So really, 54 kilometres isnâ€™t so bad when you think about it...â€

Al-Attiyahâ€™s was one of the standout performances of the rally, guiding his Qatar-backed Citroen home to sixth on only his second rally with it. But two people who really lit up the Mexican stages were the Monster World Rally Team duo of Ken Block and Chris Atkinson.

Both were unlucky in different ways: Block lost time with a puncture (but still finished a points-scoring ninth) while Atkinson went off on Saturday as a result of brake failure. Yet the two â€˜hoonigansâ€™ with their army of energy drink-fuelled supporters, were the spectatorsâ€™ favourites. We canâ€™t wait to see them back.
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Steve · Mar 12, 2012

Day 3 video - 2 parts:

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lzsWe-TS0n8]WRC 2012 Mexico Day 3 - Part 1/2 - YouTube[/ame]

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RG6GBbokS6Y]WRC 2012 Mexico Day 3 - Part 2/2 - YouTube[/ame]

Steve · Mar 12, 2012

AraÃºjo and WRC Team MINI Portugal make their mark in Mexico (RallySportLive.com)

By RSL Staff â€“ March 12, 2012

Armindo AraÃºjo (PRT) and his co-driver Miguel Ramalho successfully navigated their Michelin-shodMINI John Cooper Works WRC through the demanding stages of Rally Guanajuato MÃ©xico this weekend representing the Motorsport Italia-run WRC Team MINI Portugal to get their best result to date. After three fierce days of competition the Portuguese pairing finished the event seventh overall, bringing home six driversâ€™ points in their â€“ and MINIâ€™s â€“ first overseas outing in the FIA World Rally Championship. AraÃºjoâ€™s team mate Paulo Nobre (BRA) once again fulfilled his reputation as the fansâ€™ hero despite having to retire on SS23.

After a Top 10 finish at Rallye Monte-Carlo and a clean pass through every stage at Rally Sweden last month, AraÃºjo was keen to show his speed this weekend and aimed to match his â€˜Monteâ€™ result on MINIâ€™s first long haul event. However, Rally MÃ©xico proved to be tougher than expected from the very beginning. Mapping problems jinxed AraÃºjoâ€™s Thursday Qualifying Stage, leaving him first on the roads on Day One. Having to clean the roads for the competition made things difficult but â€“ never to be defeated â€“ the talented Portuguese driver gave everything he had out on the Mexican gravel on Day One, earning himself a well-deserved spot in the Top 10. The cherry on the cake of an already positive day, AraÃºjo set respectively fourth and third overall times in the two runs through Fridayâ€™s Super Special Stage.

No longer taxed with the task of road sweeping, AraÃºjoâ€™s aim for Saturdayâ€™s stages was focusing on finding his rhythm and the best possible set-up for his MINI JCW. A spin on SS14 â€“ costing him only a few seconds â€“ and â€˜momentâ€™ on SS20 when he had to avoid a big rock in the middle of the road, were the only lows in an otherwise trouble-free day. With his confidence back and other drivers falling foul of the tricky conditions, the Portuguese driver was promoted up the field to finish the day in a confortable eighth place overall. With only four stages to go â€“ including the massive 54.3 Guanajuatito stage â€“ AraÃºjo started the last day of Rally MÃ©xico completely focused and eventually finished in seventh place after the unexpected retirement of Jari-Matti Latvala on SS23.

With no previous experience of Rally MÃ©xico, but determined to make the most of the weekend and fail his fans down, Nobre took a steady approach to the event until disaster struck on SS5, the fourth stage of Day One proper, when he rolled his MINI JCW and was forced to retire for the day. With both Nobre and his co-driver Edu Paula unhurt, and thanks to the hard work of the Motorsport Italia boys back in service, the Brazilian duo was able to re-join the event on Saturday under Rally 2 regulations. The San Paulan returned eager to please his fans but unfortunately it wasnâ€™t meant to be â€“ on SS14 he lost the road and one of his MINIâ€™s wheels. Despite having been under the weather throughout the weekend, Nobre resolutely restarted on Day Three, refusing point blank to miss the final stages of the rally or let down the glorious Mexican spectators. The Brazilianâ€™s last day at Rally MÃ©xico started on a high, as he had the honor of going head-to-head with 8-time World Rally Champion SÃ©bastien Loeb on the opening Super Special Stage, marking a new career highlight. However, Pauloâ€™s outing at Rally MÃ©xico ended 3km into SS23, after he went off road causing too much damage to his MINI JCW WRC to continue.

Armindo AraÃºjo: â€œIâ€™m so happy to have finished in seventh here in Mexico! Itâ€™s my best result to date in the WRC and now I can look forward to Rally de Portugal and try and do even better in three weeks time. After Mexico where the fans have been truly incredible, I canâ€™t wait to compete in front of my home crowd.â€

Bruno De Pianto, WRC Team MINI Portugal Team Manager: â€œWeâ€™re very excited to have finished the event in seventh overall with our No. 1 driver Armindo AraÃºjo. He did a great job all weekend and heâ€™s done us all very proud! His MINI worked perfectly and now we are all waiting to see what he â€“ and we â€“ can do at Rally de Portugal. As a team manager, itâ€™s a pleasure to work with a driver like Armindo. So far this season, heâ€™s taken on three events in-a-row that heâ€™s never competed on before in a MINI â€“ on Tarmac, snow and gravel. Heâ€™s not only successfully completed every single stage, but overcome a problem like having to drive through the Qualifying Stage here without putting in a competitive time, be first out on the tough Mexican gravel and still moved up through the field to finish seventh!â€

Final overall classification â€“ Rally Guanajuato MÃ©xico

S. Loeb/ D. Elena FRA CitroÃ«n DS3 4:15:32.7
M. Hirvonen/ J. Lehtinen FIN CitroÃ«n DS3 +42.4
P. Solberg/ C. Patterson NOR Ford Fiesta RS +2:11.4
M.Ã˜stberg/ J. Andersson NOR Ford Fiesta RS +4:51.5
O. Tanak/ K. Sikk EST Ford Fiesta RS +5:02.6
N. Al-Attyiah/ G. Bernacchini QAT CitroÃ«n DS3 +6:41.4
A. AraÃºjo/ M. Ramalho PRT MINI JCW WRC +12:46.9
S. Ogier/ J. Ingrassia FRA Å koda F. S2000 +14:57.8
K. Block/ A. Gelsomino USA Ford Fiesta RS +22:26.8
R. Trivino/ A. Haro MEX Ford Fiesta RS +23:30.7
Click to expand...

minimark · Mar 12, 2012

Tis very good for that team!!!

Steve · Mar 13, 2012

Riding the "Little Green Pig". (MiniMotorsport.com)

13 March 2012

To Paulo Nobre stage times are insignificant. Instead he delivers the wittiest one-liners in the WRC, and calls his MINI WRC the "Green Pig". Paulo has become a cult hero.

When Paulo Nobre reaches the end of a special stage and reporters force their microphones under his nose, the first sound they record is a deep grunt. The driver is totally out of breath, as though he had just given his all in a running marathon. However, once his pulse slows, Paulo delivers the wittiest live interviews of all in the WRC circus. Little wonder, then, that journalists form queues, and fans worship the driver.

With tears of joy over the Col de Turini.

Paulo regularly imparts his views of happenings on rallies, enthrals fans with folk wisdoms from his native Brazil, or simply humours the crowds when his words fail him while describing experiences on events. "Itâ€™s, itâ€™s, itâ€™s simple â€¦" stuttered Paulo in waiting microphones after the Col de Turini on the 2012 Rally Monte Carlo before eventually forcing out: "â€¦simply unbelievable!" One of the most famous stages on the WRC calendar left him speechless as tears of joy welled in his eyes.

On the Rally Mexico a rally journalist asked Paulo about his MINI WRC: "What do you think of the tyre wear?" Paulo, stressed after completing a demanding stage, responded with, "Yes, yes, I am very tired." Which he was, although it was clearly a misunderstanding, having confused the English term for "tire" with "tyre". Again Paulo had laughter on his side; "Another Nobre classic," grinned the reporter.

Brazilian flag on the roof.

That he wears his heart on his sleeve attracts fans. That his stage times in world rallyingâ€™s premier category are best forgotten, does not faze them. The person counts. An underdog fighting his David versus Goliath war resonates with the fans, who have taken him to their hearts. While other WRC drivers talk technicalities and the nuances of their cars, Paulo endearingly refers to his MINI John Cooper Works WRC as "Porquinho Verde": Little Green Pig. Paulo is also the only driver in the field to fly the Brazilian national flag on the rear of his car.

Paulo, a lawyer, lives in SÃ£o Paulo and started his motorsport career in 1999. Rallying bit him, and in 2004 he formed his own team, the Palmeirinha Rally Team named after a football team in his home city of which he is vice-president and whose mascot is a pig â€“ albeit not a green-tinged example. However, his MINI WRC sports a sticker portraying the mascot.

Like a mini Loeb.

In succession Paulo has contested the 2006 Dakar Rally, the World Cross-Country Cup and the PWRC, and, closer to home, participated in the South American rally Championship. In 2011 he made the jump into the WRC, taking the start in the season finale with a MINI WRC, managing to make the finish in 29th place â€“ almost an hour adrift of winner Jari-Matti Latvala. The result was not, though, important.

Since 2012 he has formed part of the WRC Team MINI Portugal with Armindo Araujo. However while his teammate mixes it at the sharp end, an out-of-breath Paulo brings up the rear. As the saying â€œThe last shall be firstâ€ goes, Paulo, invariably slowest on Qualifying Stages, runs first on the road, acting as street sweeper. Paulo is relaxed about the situation: "I have always wanted to drive at the head of the field," he says, adding, "I feel like a mini SÃ©bastien Loeb." Then he gets into his MINI WRC and drives the Green Pig until he is again totally out of breath.

Click to expand...

Steve · Mar 22, 2012

Loeb we canâ€™t ever go back to Ortega (MaxRally.com)

22nd March 2012
By Giles Wade

Rally Mexico winner Sebastien Loeb has called on the organisers of the Leon-based event to never use the troublesome Ortega stage again.

The windscreen of Thierry Neuvilleâ€™s Citroen DS3 WRC was smashed on the first run through the test and numerous other drivers admitted seeing rocks in â€˜strangeâ€™ places. The second run of the stage was cancelled and the organisers are working with the police to identify the culprit of the Neuville incident.

Loeb said: â€œEvery time this happens, it happens in the same place, itâ€™s too dangerous. The rest of the rally is very good and we have no problems, but in this stage there is something. Maybe they donâ€™t like the rally in this place. We should not go back there, it is too dangerous and the risk is too much.â€

Rally Mexico director Patrick Suberville said: â€œWe are investigating this incident and we have a good idea of who it was that threw the rock. Weâ€™re working with the police and it is quite possible that we wonâ€™t go back to that stage â€“ which is a shame because the rest of the village love it and probably make as much money from that one day on the rally as they do for the rest ofthe month.â€
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Crashton · Mar 22, 2012

That does not surprise me. For years on the Baja 1000 & other long distance endurance events competitors have always had to watch out for traps set buy folks. Sad, but true. I'd guess if they do not use that stage the same folks will just move to another one. :frown2:

It is not just Mexico that has this type of problem. Spectators have been know to throw snow on the road at the Monte where none is shown in the notes. Some people just thieve at the shallow end of the gene pool. :frown2:

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