WRC 2008 thread

[MagpieRacer]

Not long to go until the 2008 season begins, no Marcus Gronholm this season and we welcome Suzuki to the line up.

Teams
Team: Suzuki
Car: SX4 WRC
Driver 1: Toni Gardemeister
Driver 2: Per-Gunnar Andersson

Team: BP Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team
Car: Focus WRC
Driver 1: Mikko Hirvonen
Driver 2: Jari-Matti Latvala
Driver 3: Khalid Al-Quasimi

Team: Citroen Total WRC
Car: C4 WRC
Driver 1: Sebastien Loeb
Driver 2: Dani Sordo

Team: Subaru World Rally Team
Car: Impreza WRC
Driver 1: Petter Solberg
Driver 2: Chris Atkinson
Driver 3: Xavi Pons (15 rounds)

Team: Stobart VK M-Sport Rally Team
Car: Focus WRC
Driver 1: Francois Duval (selected rounds)
Driver 2: Gigi Galli (15 rounds)
Driver 3: Matthew Wilson (15 rounds)
Driver 4: Henning Solberg (15 rounds)

Team: Munchis World Rally Team
Car: Focus WRC
Driver 1: Federico Villagra (selected rounds)
Driver 2: Luis Perez Companc (4 rounds)

Team: PH Sport
Car: Xsara WRC or C4 WRC (I cant find any news)
Driver 1: Conrad Rautenbach
Driver 2: Urma Aava

Team: Ramsport
Car: Likely to be a Focus
Driver 1: Andreas Mikklesen (7-9 rounds)
Driver 2: Manfred Stohl (selected rounds)
Driver 3: Janne Tuohino (selected rounds)
Driver 4: Gareth Jones (selected rounds)
Driver 5: Allesandro Bettega (selected rounds)

2008 FIA World Rally Championship calendar:

Jan 25-27 Rallye Automobile Monte-Carlo
Feb 8-10 Uddeholm Swedish Rally
Feb 28-March 3 Rally Mexico
March 28-30 Rally Argentina
April 25-27 Jordan Rally*
May 16-18 Rallye d'Italia-Sardegna
May 30-June 1 BP Ultimate Acropolis Rally
une 13-15 Rally of Turkey
Aug 1-Aug 3 Neste Oil Rally Finland
Aug 15-17 ADAC Rallye Deutschland
Aug 29-31 Rally of New Zealand
Oct 3-5 Rallye de Espana
Oct 10-12 Rallye de France Tour de Corse
Oct 24-26 Rally Japan
Nov 28-30 Wales Rally GB

* new event

Rule changes:
The running order for each day determined by the event classification rather than going on championship positions. The term 'leg' replaced by 'day' in order to 'aid public understanding'. There will also be a ten minute final service prior to the finish podium, intended to allow the service park to remain an attraction until the end of the event.

Should be a good season with 49 crews set to take off at Monte Carlo in January. Personally I fancy Suabru to bounce back this season. Loeb will be up there and Hirvonen will perhaps be up there now he is out of Gronholms shadow.

 

[MagpieRacer]

Bump, updated thread.

 

[daan]

Cool. A Jordan Rally. In honour of our illustrious leader, no doubt. 👍

 

[Skid Mark 33]

It seems recently that more and more teams are using the Ford Focus, and now Ramsport has come along. Does anyone now if it will be the new shape model or the old shape model?

 

[MagpieRacer]

http://www.wrc.com/jsp/index.jsp?lnk=101&id=119&desc=Ouninpohja out of 2008 Rally Finland

Ouninpohja out of Rally Finland No more flat out blasts through the woods.