Ford Extends its Participation in the WRC until 2013

Ford's European division announced on Thursday that it is extending its participating in the FIA World Rally Championship into 2012 and 2013. Ford’s WRC program will continue to be operated by UK-based M-Sport.

The team will be named Ford World Rally Team and will retain support from Castrol for the next two years. Ford’s “weapon” of choice will be the Fiesta RS WRC, which made its debut this year and claimed the first three places in the first and the last races of the season.

Jari-Matti Latvala and co-driver Miikka Anttila, who won the most special stages in the 2011 championship, will be the team leaders, while 2003 world champion Peter Solberg and co-driver Chris Patterson will drive the second Fiesta RS WRC in next year's championship.

Gerard Quinn, Ford of Europe’s senior manager for motorsport, commented: “The WRC is motorsport’s toughest competition for production-based cars. We have a great team with M-Sport and its leader, Malcolm Wilson, and in Jari-Matti Latvala we have one of motorsport’s rising stars. Already regarded by many as the fastest driver in WRC, this year he showed consistency and expertise on all surfaces.”

Quinn added that the addition of Solberg, who drove for Ford in 1999, “brings one of the sport’s most experienced and flamboyant drivers back to the team where he started his top-level career."

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Ford Previews New Fiesta RS WRC Prior to 2011 Race Debut

Not to leave the announcement of the new Mini Countryman WRC to remain unanswered, Ford unveiled its new soon-to-be-car air Fiesta RS rally. Co-developed by Ford Europe and M-Sport (with a little help from the French Motor Pipo), the Fiesta RS receives a 1.6-liter EcoBoost engine, which, like the Mini, a direct injection.

Replacement Test Focus RS WRC, which was originally made in Britain and France with the motor output Fiesta and a prototype of the new, will continue next week in Spain with Ford WRC, Mikko Hirvonen and Jari-Matti Latvala (and co-driver Miikka Anttila and Jarmo Lehtinen). This means that we have some videos soon.

Ford of Europe Motorsport Director Mike Norton says: "The introduction of the latest technology in the Ford Motor rally program will further strengthen our commitment to motor sport. It also shows the continued support for the competition at reasonable prices using off-the-shelf engine series, which will determine the power station WRC. "

We will have a chance to see it live and we hope to damage a round of World Rally Championship in Sweden next year.

By Phil Alex

 

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Mini Countryman Presents In Preparation For The 2011 Season S2000 WRC Rally

Working with Prodrive, the Mini has officially returned to the World Rally Championship, after decades of work after a break. The Countryman WRC, which made its world debut in Paris today, the Mini is ready to compete in the 2011 season to drive a car Kris Meeke.

Unfortunately, the AWD Mini Countryman-based rally car to participate in only six of the thirteen events in 2011 Prodrive founder David Richards called "preparatory year", do not worry, the entire 2012 season Retro Racer refers to the title .

Under the hood is a BMW Motorsport-tuned 1.6-liter turbocharged four-cylinder that uses direct injection and meets all FIA S2000 regulations (which means that the WRC is just the first of its many uses). It is also connected to an Xtrac 6-speed sequential. What we know is that Mini says the car has undergone a "baptism of fire" by the Prodrive rally track and have a roll cage Prodrive developed.

BMW Ian Robertson said:

"The Paris Motor Show is the perfect stage on which to start the MINI WRC. In response to our view that the returns to the world of MINI rally next year has been very positive. FIA World Rally Championship is the manifestation of Pinnacle, which makes the ideal platform to demonstrate the competitive spirit of our brand. The development of the car is running on time and prepared for the World Championship are in full swing. MINI Countryman production model provided the ideal base to a competitor's new championship. "

By Phil Alex

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