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WRC
Rally GB told to drop Wales
Event must move its base to stay in WRC, says series chief. By daVid eVans
Rally GB must leave Wales next
year to protect its future in the
World Rally Championship.
For the first time, WRC
Commission president Jarmo
Mahonen has laid out his desire
to see a new way forward for
Britain’s premier rally. If the event
remains in Wales, it will not be on
the 2013 calendar.
“We now have to have written
commitments that this [a move out
of Wales] will happen or we will
not consider them for the calendar,”
said Mahonen. “Why do we hide
the WRC? We understand the
funding comes from the [Welsh]
tourist board, but it’s very clear
that this is preventing the growth
of the championship.”
Mahonen approved talk of a move
north-east to Sunderland, which
Greece must earn its place
could potentially return classic
stages like Kielder and Dalby plus
southern Scottish stages like Ae.
“I would like to see the old RAC,”
he added. “This is an iconic event
and one of the very important
rallies for the WRC, but it has to
be right. This is a problem of Wales.
If you don’t have the people coming
to you, why don’t you go to the
people? We have more open
End of the road for
Wales in the WRC
WRC
Night-stage plan for next year’s Acropolis
ORGANISERS OF THE ACROPOLIS
Rally have come up with a heavily revised
route for next year in a bid to prolong the
event’s future in the wRc.
The Fia has expressed a desire to
return rallying to its endurance roots and
acropolis promoter pavlos athanassoulas
said his team was considering a leg through
the night in 2013. The event has been the
subject of speculation that it will be
dropped from the calendar for next year.
“every year we try to innovate,” he said,
regulations for the rally organisers
now, so they can do more with the
events in their countries.”
AUTOSPORT sources indicate
that a draft contract has already
been agreed with Sunderland
for the 2013 switch.
Rally GB chief executive
Andrew Coe said: “We are talking to
a number of regions about hosting
this event. We shouldn’t forget
that, in the 12 years we have been
in Wales, there wasn’t always a huge
amount of interest in having Rally
GB and we have been very grateful
for the support Wales has offered.”
Mahonen added that Rally d’Italia
will lose its calendar spot if it
doesn’t move from Sardinia to
mainland Italy. The 2013 calendar
will be revealed at the June 15 World
Motor Sport Council meeting.
“and we have something which will change
the thing around next year and that might
be a whole loop through the night. we are
looking at a superspecial in the olympic
stadium again or in the centre of athens.
“This event ticks every box for mr Todt:
it’s a long, hard endurance event. we don’t
understand where this talk about us not
being on the calendar is coming from.”
→
P52 acropolis report
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WRC aCaDemy
ahlin avoiDs
GReeK tRaGeDy
WRC Academy driver Fredrik Ahlin crashed
out of last week’s Acropolis Rally in spectacular
fashion. The Swede was unhurt.
in BRieF
Gronholm was on top
GRonholm Wins at ChaRlotte
marcus Gronholm took his omse Ford
Fiesta to victory in the opening round of
the Global Rallycross championship at
charlotte last weekend.
CURtain Call FoR iRC
it is expected the intercontinental Rally
challenge series name will cease to exist
next season. organisers are on the verge
of agreeing terms for a merger with the
european Rally championship.
noKia sCRaPs WRC Deal
nokia has canned its £2.5m per year
deal with the world Rally championship
after failing to find agreement on a way
forward with the Fia this season.
mcRae seConD in aUstRalia
alister mcRae finished second on last
weekend’s international Rally of
Queensland. The proton driver – and
defending apRc champion – was beaten
by chris atkinson, who scored his
second win of the season in a skoda.
McRae finished second
May 31 2012 autosport.com 29