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WRc
HyUNDAI’S NEW BOSS
Hyundai’s World Rally Championship programme took another
step forward last week, when former Peugeot technical director
Michel Nandan was announced as the Korean firm’s team
principal. The i20 WRC will make its debut in 2014.
WRc
New base for Rally GB
Event set to leave Welsh capital for Wrexham this year. By DaVID eVaNS
Rally GB will later this year
move out of Cardiff for the first
time since 1999, with the event
expected to shift north to a base in
the town of Wrexham.
There has been increasing disquiet
surrounding Britain’s round of the
World Rally Championship, with
WRC Commission president Jarmo
Mahonen last year stating that
failure to alter the route could cost
Rally GB its place on the calendar.
A Wrexham base – with a likely
central service park at Toyota’s
115-acre engine plant in Deeside
– would mean three days of rallying
in the north of the country and the
cities of Birmingham, Manchester
and Liverpool all within a 90-minute
drive of the stages.
While there has been no official
comment on the change to the route,
AUTOSPORT sources indicate there
will be a day in Hafren and Myherin
(which would include a remote
service in Newtown as in 2012);
a day in Dyfi and Dyfnant and a
day in Clocaenog and Penmachno.
The three-mile asphalt test
around the Great Orme in
Llandudno will run at the start
of the event and possibly as the
powerstage following the final
loose-surface stage on November 17.
The ceremonial start would be held
in Llandudno on November 14.
Cardiff has hosted
Rally GB since 2000
One potential problem for the
event organisers is the onset of
windfarm development affecting
the Clocaenog and Dyfnant forests.
An AUTOSPORT source said:
“The first two days would be no
problem this year, but getting
a decent-length stage out of
Clocaenog – similar to the 10-miler
we ran in 2011 – would be tough
with the central section of the
forest out of action.”
The Welsh government recently
committed itself to another
multi-million pound deal to fund
the event for 2013 and beyond, with
one of the key aims being to develop
links with the country’s burgeoning
automotive sector. Basing the event
at the Toyota factory would help
satisfy that target.
Rally GB chief executive Andrew
Coe said: “Since last September,
there has been lots of consultation,
and it’s an aspiration of Rally GB to
be among the top rallies in the world.
“We are investing a lot more
money in the event for 2013
now that we’ve got a great new
partnership in Wales. It’s no
secret that we are looking at
reinventing the whole thing,
which may or may not mean
moving to a different part of Wales.”
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Pit & Paddock
IN BRIEF
Nikara returns soon
NIKARA IN mINI FOR SWEDEN
Jarkko Nikara will return to the World
Rally Championship in a Prodrive Mini
WRC on Rally Sweden. The 26-year-old
Finn finished fifth on his debut in
WRC machinery with the squad on
Rally Spain last year.
HIRVONEN SHUNTS IN TEST
Mikko Hirvonen crashed his Citroen DS3
WRC heavily during his final day of Monte
Carlo Rally testing last Friday. The Finn
and his co-driver Jarmo Lehtinen were
uninjured, but the car was too badly
damaged to continue. Hirvonen said: “It’s
not the best way to start the year, but we
have enough data from previous tests.”
‘BIcHE’ BAcK ON DUTy
To celebrate the WRC’s 40th anniversary,
1973 Monte Carlo Rally-winning co-driver
Michele Petit returns to the event this
week. ‘Biche’, as Petit is better known,
will co-drive Italian driver Maurizio Verini
in a Mitsubishi Lancer numbered 73.
‘Biche’ co-drove ’73 winner
January 17 2013 autosport.com 23
PICS: MCkLeIN.De, STaLey/LaT