Peugeot number one Marcus Gronholm has lost his Cyprus Rally victory after stewards ruled the water pumps fitted to the 307 WRCs did not conform to the technical regulations. As a result, Citroen's Sebastien Loeb has been declared the new winner.
Peugeot #1 Marcus Gronholm could yet lose his Cyprus Rally win, after the FIA issued a statement today [Thursday], explaining that representatives of the French team have been called to a stewards meeting next Wednesday.
The result of Sunday's Cyprus Rally, the fifth round of the 2004 FIA World Rally championship, in which Marcus Gronholm claimed his maiden win in the new Peugeot 307 WRC, are to remain provisional until tomorrow [Wednesday].
Cyprus played host to the fifth round of the FIA World Rally Championship at the weekend and, by all accounts it was an historic occasion, with Marcus Gronholm claiming the first victory for the new Peugeot 307 WRC.
As one of the hottest and roughest rallies of the year, Cyprus can be a gruelling event for cars and drivers alike. Drivers and co-drivers can spend up to 13 hours a day in the car and, contesting some of the twistiest stages in the Championship, they face an enormous physical challenge.
Subaru's Petter Solberg has taken the lead on the Cyprus Rally this morning - the Norwegian is now 5.0 seconds up on Marcus Gronholm, following the first three tests.
From mid-May to the end of June, the World Rally Championship will set up its base-camp in the eastern part of the Mediterranean for a sequence of three events reputed as the toughest of the calendar, for the drivers and their machines alike.
The fifth showdown of the 2004 season takes Peugeot Sport to the twisty gravel mountain stages of Cyprus which recently celebrated its entry into the European Union.
Backed by principle sponsor KF Concept, top female rally star, Natalie Barratt, will contest the remaining six rounds of the 2004 FIA Junior World Rally Championship season in a Renault Clio S1600.
Peugeot Sport boss Corrado Provera has confirmed that Harri Rovanpera will take part in all of the gravel rounds for the remainder of the 2004 FIA World Rally Championship.
OMV World Rally Team driver Manfred Stohl won the Production Car World Rally Championship category [PCWRC] in New Zealand today [Sunday]. Here the former Group N world champion, and his co-driver, Ilka Minor reflect on the event...
Like all cars running in the WRC, the Subaru Impreza WRC2004 runs on an unleaded fuel controlled and supplied by the FIA. The fuel is similar to pump fuel used by road cars, but has a slightly higher RON or octane rating.
In pure performance terms, aerodynamics are more important for circuit race cars than rally cars. While average speeds on a circuit might be as high as 200kph, on a rally they are nearer 100kph.
The 34th Propecia Rally New Zealand takes place this coming weekend - the fourth round out of sixteen in the 2004 FIA World Rally Championship. NZ will also play host to the third round in the 2004 FIA Production Car WRC.
Mitsubishi drivers head for the third round of the 2004 FIA Production Car World Rally Championship [PCWRC], Rally New Zealand, with high hopes of maintaining their unbeaten record this season.
King Carlos Sainz will be hoping for an ideal birthday present when he competes in this week's Propecia Rally New Zealand starting on Thursday. Sainz, a two-time world champion and four time winner of Rally New Zealand, celebrates his 42nd birthday today [Easter Monday].
Citroen returned from its exploratory visit to the World Championship's most distant fixture last year with five points in the bag thanks to Sebastien Loeb's fourth place, a superb result for the Frenchman's maiden competitive outing to New Zealand - and it won't have escaped rugby union fans tha
The Ford Rallye Sport team today [Friday] unveiled the Focus RS World Rally Car 04, after it successfully completed the FIA homologation process this week.
The FIA - the governing body for the World Rally Championship, has today released a revised calendar for 2004 following a meeting of the World Motor Sport Council in Monaco.
The FIA - the governing body for the World Rally Championship, has today released a revised calendar for 2004 following a meeting of the World Motor Sport Council in Paris.