World Rally News

Junior World Rally Championship [JWRC] competitor Olly Marshall made an encouraging debut on his first attempt at the highly specialist Neste Rally Finland, but luck was to desert the 23 year old from York as he was to retire early on the second leg of the rally.

To celebrate his 2005 Dakar Rally contract with Nissan, ex-World Rally Champion Colin McRae will demonstrate both a Dakar-prepared Nissan Pickup and the incredible 150mph Nissan Micra R at the Rally Supercar Day at Castle Combe on Saturday 14 August.

Suzuki driver Per-Gunnar Andersson has claimed his second Junior World Rally Championship [JWRC] victory on the trot, leading home a Suzuki one-two today in Finland.

Peugeot driver Marcus Gronholm has won the Rally Finland, the first-ever victory for the 307 WRC and the fourth career win for Gronholm on his home event.

Peugeot's Marcus Gronholm will head into the final two tests of the Neste Rally Finland, leading Markko Martin by 41.9 seconds, and surely set to record his first WRC victory since Argentina 2003, and the first with the new 307 WRC.

SS17 - Himos (12.81 kms): Solberg fastest through SS17; Gronholm second; Martin third; Sainz fourth; Loeb fifth; Tuohino sixth; Andersson heads the JWRC category; Gronholm leads the overall event by 36.3secs. Stage times and overall standings after SS17.

SS12 - Ouninpohja 1 (33.24 kms): Solberg fastest through SS12; Gronholm second; Martin third; Sainz fourth; Tuohino fifth; Sohlberg sixth; Lindholm went off the road and retired; Andersson heads the JWRC category; Gronholm leads the overall event by 45.8secs.

Queensland rally driver Chris Atkinson began his campaign in the Neste Rally Finland aboard the Tommi Makinen prepared Subaru WRX Sti in stylish fashion yesterday.

Harri Rovanpera has taken the early lead on the Neste Rally Finland, the Peugeot driver winning all three tests this morning, which heralded the start of the 22-stage event.

After a promising start on today [Friday]'s first leg of the Neste Rally Finland, there was disappointment for the Subaru team when both Petter Solberg and Mikko Hirvonen retired from the event.

The four Suzuki drivers run by Monster Sport Europe are ready to face round four of the Junior World Rally Championship [JWRC], the Rally Finland.

Complete event timetable for the 54th Neste Rally Finland - the ninth round out of sixteen in the 2004 FIA World Rally Championship. Thursday 5 August: Shakedown Laajavuori - Jyv?skyla 08.00 - 10.00

The FIA World Rally Championship makes its return to Europe for the fastest and most spectacular round of the series, Rally Finland this week [August 6-8].

Ford's Markko Martin will compete at the Neste Rally Finland next weekend, despite his crash in Argentina, which left the Estonian with blurred vision and suffering from dizzy spells.

Mitsubishi Motors has announced that it 'will modify its 2004 FIA World Rally Championship activities, switching focus to spending more time further developing the Lancer World Rally Car in preparation for the 2005 FIA World Rally Championship'.

Ford's Markko Martin and Michael Park suffered one of the worst crashes of their career last weekend on the Rally of Argentina. How bad was it? Judge for yourself... with these excellent pictures of the remains of the Ford Focus WRC. Markko Martin [Ford]:

Karamjit Singh and Allen Oh's Rally of Argentina ended almost as soon as it had begun Thursday night after the Team Proton PERT Malaysia drivers retired from the event following an accident on SS2.

Ford BP Rallye Sport drivers Francois Duval and Stephane Prevot ended today's tough opening day of the Rally Argentina in fourth.

Subaru team leader Petter Solberg was forced to retire from the Rally of Argentina today [Friday] on the road section to SS10 after a small fire on board his Impreza stopped the engine, the Norwegian had been running fourth overall.

Three of world rallying's leading team bosses paid tribute to outgoing FIA president Max Mosley during the press conference that preceded this weekend's WRC round in Argentina, but not all agreed that he had been as good for the sport as he may have been for other areas under his control.

Fiat Auto UK has confirmed that it will support a three-car 'junior team' on this year's Wales Rally GB in September, promising to run three 'exciting young drivers' in Stilo Cup-spec cars.

The 24th Rally of Argentina takes place this coming weekend - the eighth round out of sixteen in the 2004 FIA World Rally Championship. Argentina will also play host to the fourth round in the 2004 FIA Production Car WRC.

Telstra Rally Australia, the final round of the FIA World Rally Championship, has announced it will support young Australian rally hopefuls Chris and Ben Atkinson as they prepare to compete against the world's best rally drivers at Neste Rally Finland in August.

The FIA, the governing body for the World Rally Championship has revealed that the HANS safety device will become compulsory in the WRC next year.