ERC news in brief - 9th of March

ERC-bound Fiesta R5 completes impressive trial run

The Ford Fiesta R5, which is due to appear in the FIA European Rally Championship later this season, was put through its paces on a national rally in the United Kingdom last weekend.

Matthew Wilson was at the wheel of the Fiesta developed by his father Malcolm Wilson’s M-Sport organisation on the Malcolm Wilson Rally.

The run, as course-opening zero car, was a continuation of the planned development programme for the car. Wilson Jr completed all seven stages and set some promising times. Afterwards he said: “The car felt really good. Development is coming along nicely and the Fiesta R5 looks set to be another extremely competitive model.

“Over the last few months we have done a lot of initial testing on gravel, now we just need to ensure that the car works just as well on asphalt. I’m heading down to Wales for a preliminary Tarmac test this week, and then the plan is to head to mainland Europe where we can perfect the car before an official launch later this year.”

The ERC’s boy from Brazil was a former rocker

Drivers contesting the FIA European Rally Championship have trodden a variety of career paths: reigning champion Juho Hänninen used to work on the family farm in Finland, while Marco Tempestini is a successful businessman in his adoptive Romania.

Brazilian driver Daniel Oliveira, who earlier this week confirmed an eight-event ERC campaign in a Stohl Racing Ford Fiesta RRC, can perhaps lay claim to having the coolest alternative career: he once played guitar in a death metal band in his homeland.

However, Oliveira’s only focus now is his upcoming ERC participation alongside new co-driver António Costa. “I want to be regularly within the top 10,” said Oliveira, 27. “As we will only be present at eight rallies the objectives are decided for each rally. I don’t know much about these rallies, but I’m enthusiastic and aware of the work that myself and all the team have to do.”

Excited Kubica can’t wait for ERC island thriller

Formula One race winner Robert Kubica says he “can’t wait” to make his FIA European Rally Championship debut on Rally Islas Canarias El Corte Inglés from 21-23 March.

The 28-year-old Polish ace will pilot a Citroën DS3 RRC on the island contest, which forms round three of the 2013 ERC season.

“I’m really pleased now to be able to return to top-level racing,” said Kubica. “Taking part in Rally Islas Canarias will be an interesting challenge for me. I can’t wait to start racing, but I haven’t set myself any specific target. I still have a lot to learn in rallying and to improve I will need to rack up the miles on the stages.”

Kubica began racing in Formula One in 2006, winning the Canadian Grand Prix in 2008. But he was ruled out for the 2011 season after suffering serious hand and arm injuries in a crash on a rally in Italy and has not raced in Formula One since. He wants his switch to rallying to form the next stage of his career.

M-Sport confirms Ford Fiesta SportTrophy Europe for ERC

A four-event mini series for the Ford Fiesta R2 will feature within the FIA European Rally Championship this season.

M-Sport, the company responsible for Ford’s back-to-back world manufacturers’ titles in 2006 and 2007, has created the Ford Fiesta SportTrophy Europe for the Fiesta R2 with a prize-drive on Rallye Sanremo in a Fiesta S2000 up for grabs for the winning the driver.

The contest will begin on Giru di Corsica-Tour de Corse in May and include the GEKO Ypres Rally in Belgium and Barum Czech Rally Zlín before reaching its conclusion on Rally Poland in mid-September.

Competitors will take part on a ‘arrive and drive’ basis with the cars built and maintained by M-Sport Poland to an identical specification.

Five places will be available at a cost of £70,000 (approximately 80,100 Euros). The series will also be open to regional drivers on a one-off basis. Despite not being eligible to score points, M-Sport is encouraging local Fiesta R2 competitors to join the championship with their own cars. Benefiting from all the series has to offer, this initiative will also provide those with lower budgets the perfect platform on which to compare their speed with ERC regulars.

“Following the success of our one-make series on the world stage, the next logical step for M-Sport was to bridge the gap between our globally successful Ford Fiesta SportTrophy programmes by implementing the concept on the European rally scene,” said M-Sport Managing Director Malcolm Wilson.

“The ERC is a fantastic championship, and with a car like the Ford Fiesta R2 – which has proven itself as a highly competitive and reliable model – we hope to see some impressive young talents coming through the ranks.”

Aigner secures Subaru ride for ERC Production Car Cup

Andreas Aigner will chase FIA ERC Production Cup gold in 2013 after confirming a six-round campaign starting from Rally Islas Canarias El Corte Inglés later this month.

The talented Austrian will continue his partnership with Stohl Racing and Subaru, which began during last year’s Intercontinental Rally Challenge. However he welcomes new tyre partner Yokohama alongside existing backers Samsung Austria, Knauf, Mecklenburger Landpute, Trierenberg Group and Remus Sport Exhaust. Efforts are underway to secure additional funding for a seventh round should his Production Car Cup ambitions depend upon it.

“Our job is to be faster than our competitors and to win the Production Car Cup this year,” said Aigner, who will link up with new co-driver Jürgen Heig “Jürgen doesn’t have a huge international experience, he did a few international events, but he is extremely ambitious and accurate and for sure he will adapt himself quickly to my speed and way of driving,” said Aigner. “I´m also sure that we have no disadvantage because of testing only one time before the first event. Stohl Racing and suspension partner Tein will bring an absolutely perfectly prepared Subaru to Gran Canaria.”

Following Rally Islas Canarias, Aigner will compete in Ypres, San Marino, Sibiu (Romania), Zlín (Czech Republic) and Croatia.

Colombini registers ERC intent with win in Italy

FIA European Rally Championship regulars expecting an easy ride on Rally San Marino in July be warned: Denis Colombini will be in action.

The San Marino resident will pilot a ŠKODA Fabia Super 2000 on the gravel event and demonstrated his pace by winning the Rally Ronde Valtiberina, a club-level competition in Italy last weekend.

ERC Production Car Cup aces Marco and Simone Tempestini were also in action in Sansepolcro, finishing seventh and 10th respectively. Marco Tempestini was competing in his usual Napoca Rally Academy Subaru Impreza R4, while his 17-year-old son Simone was at the wheel of an N4-specification Impreza.

Entry deadline closed for Rally Islas Canarias

Crews planning to contest round three of the FIA European Rally Championship, Rally Islas Canarias El Corte Inglés, had until Tuesday to register

Of the leading drivers signed up to take part, Jérémi Ancian and Craig Breen will represent Peugeot Rally Academy-Saintéloc, Robert Kubica will make his ERC debut in a Citroën DS3 RRC, János Puskádi will drive a Eurosol ŠKODA Fabia Super 2000, while Daniel Oliveira will take part in a Brazil World Rally Team Fiesta RRC.

In the ERC Production Cup, Germain Bonnefis and Robert Consani are being tipped as contenders in their Mégane Renaultsport N4s, while the Eurosol-Honda Civic Type R operation will be chasing success in the ERC 2WD Championship.

The event, which takes place from 21-23 March, also marks the start of the FIA ERC Ladies’ Trophy with Emma Falcón in action at the wheel of a Ford Fiesta R2.

Anything Ancian, Breen and Kubica can do Oliveira can do better...

Daniel Oliveira has handed the FIA European Rally Championship another big boost by confirming his participation on eight rounds, starting with Rally Islas Canarias El Corte Inglés.

Oliveira, who switches from the World Rally Championship to the ERC for 2013, will drive a Stohl Racing-run Ford Fiesta RRC under the Brazil World Rally Team banner.

The trip to Gran Canaria from 21-23 March is up first on his exciting schedule where his opposition will include Peugeot Rally Academy-Saintéloc drivers Jérémi Ancian and Craig Breen and Formula One race winner Robert Kubica, who will line up in a Citroën.

António Costa from Portugal will co-drive Oliveira. Both have experience of Rally Islas Canarias with Oliveira competing there in 2010 and Costa taking part in 2012 alongside Ricardo Moura.

“It is with an enormous satisfaction that I am able to continue my international career and make use in the European championship all the things that I learned in the world championship,” said Brazilian Oliveira, 27. “I cannot forget my sponsors, because without their contribution it’s impossible to carry on with this project.”

Oliveira is also planning to compete in Corsica, Ypres (Belgium), San Marino, Sibiu (Romania), Poland, Croatia and Sanremo (Italy). He has set out some clear objectives for 2013.

“I want to be regularly within the top 10,” he said. “As we will only be present at eight rallies of the 13 of the championship, the objectives are decided for each rally. I don’t know much about these rallies, but I’m enthusiastic and aware of the work that myself and all the team have to do during the year.”

Ancian, Breen to follow Kubica to Gran Canaria

Prospects of an exciting Rally Islas Canarias El Corte Inglés – round three of the FIA European Rally Championship from 21-23 March – have just got even better.

Following confirmation of Formula One race winner Robert Kubica’s participation on the island event in a Citroën DS3 RRC, the Peugeot Rally Academy has confirmed Jérémi Ancian and Craig Breen will compete in a brace of 207 Super 2000s.

Although Ancian and Breen are planning to contest several rounds of the ERC in 2013, the Spanish Tarmac spectacular is in addition to their original schedule.

“My programme was supposed to have started at the Açores,” explained Ancian, who will be co-driven by fellow Frenchman Gilles de Turckheim. “However, after talking to [Peugeot Sport Director] Bruno Famin, we will now start in the Canary Islands. At the moment, this event replaces Rallye Sanremo and that will give us more time to find the extra budget needed to contest seven, or even more rounds this season.”

Ancian, 28, continued: “I am obviously thrilled to be kicking off my programme earlier than planned because the wait was starting to get a bit long! I admit I don’t know what to expect about either the rally or the other drivers. The biggest challenge won’t be the asphalt, which I enjoy, but the car. I have only driven two-wheel cars until now, except for a short run in a Fiesta WRC a while ago now. Monday’s test before the rally will therefore be very useful! I know I will need time to adapt but hopefully I will be able to set times up there with the top drivers, especially since I will be in a car that has the potential to win.”

Breen, who finished second on the previous ERC round, Rally Liepāja-Ventspils, will be reunited with Paul Nagle in Gran Canaria. Nagle co-drove Breen on several rallies in 2012.

“It’s a great opportunity to do an extra rally,” said Breen, whose ERC schedule with Peugeot Rally Academy-Saintéloc increases to nine rounds. On top of that, I hear it’s a very nice event. This will be my first go at it but my co-driver, Paul, has been there before and he has a great deal of good to say about it. My objective will be the same as it was in Latvia. If we feel competitive, we will push and try to win, but the priority will be to learn as much as we can. It’s my first year as a works driver and there is so much that is new to me. It will therefore be important to reach the finish of events in order to score points and gain experience.”

Kubica confirms ERC start in Gran Canaria

Robert Kubica will contest round three of the FIA European Rally Championship, Rally Islas Canarias El Corte Inglés.

The former Canadian Grand Prix winner, whose career in Formula One was cut short by injury, will drive a Citroën DS3 Regional Rally Car on the asphalt showcase from 21-23 March. He is also set to contest additional ERC rounds during the course of 2013 alongside a programme in the WRC 2 Championship.

“I’m really pleased now to be able to return to top-level racing,” said the 28-year-old Krakow-born ace. “Taking part in Rally Islas Canarias will be an interesting challenge for me. I can’t wait to start racing, but I haven’t set myself any specific target. I still have a lot to learn in rallying and to improve I will need to rack up the miles on the stages.”

Kubica’s car will be equipped with a hydraulic paddleshift to make changing gear easier due to the nature of his arm and hand injuries sustained in a crash in 2011. The modification is being approved by the FIA, motorsport’s world governing body

The ERC consists of 13 rounds on asphalt, gravel and snow and is the oldest international rally championship. It is promoted by Eurosport Events under a 10-year agreement with the FIA.

François Ribeiro, Motorsport Development Director of Eurosport Events, said: “We are sure Robert can be a contender in the ERC. We are looking forward to welcoming him to Gran Canaria.”

The rally features 14 stages over a competitive distance of 246.34 kilometres. Following the ceremonial start in Las Palmas at 20:30hrs local time on Thursday 21 March, the action begins with the 13.57-kilometre Moya stage at 07:48hrs on Friday 22 March and finishes with the 16.23-kilometre Vallesco stage, which gets underway at 16:12hrs on Saturday 23 March.