World Rally News

Despite Sebastien Loeb confidently leading the French manufacturer to its second World Rally Championship success last weekend in Germany, Colin McRae's name continues to be linked to a possible berth at Citroen next season.

A dramatic final day of the Rallye Deutschland proved significant throughout the entry. While several WRC contenders suffered, so did the FIA Junior World Rally Championship crews. Of the 13 drivers who completed yesterday's second leg, only nine were left in the event at the finish.

SS18 - St Wendeler Land 1 (17.71 kms): Burns fastest through SS18; Loeb second; Gronholm third; Rovanpera fourth; Colin McRae fifth; Duval leads the JWRC; Loeb leads the overall rally by 8.1 secs. Stage times and overall standings after SS18.

Ford Puma driver Francois Duval has driven a sensational day in the Baumholder region to lead the FIA Junior World Rally Championship contingent tonight.

The final lap of the daunting Baumholder tank training area saw little change to the leaderboard on this tenth round of the FIA World Rally Championship with all three Ford Rallye Sport drivers maintaining their top ten positions over the two speed tests.

This week, the 555 Subaru Rally Team announced the appointment of Steve Farrell to the position of Chief Engineer.

British driver Niall McShea leads the Junior World Rally Championship category in his Opel Corsa at the end of leg one.

After the car-breaking roads of Greece the FIA Junior World Rally Championship turned to asphalt for this fourth event in the six-round series.

Skoda Motorsport's Tina Th?rner of Sweden met with her long time friend, Germany's Jutta Kleinschmidt, just before the ADAC Deutschland Rallye when visiting a famous vineyard here in the Mosel area.

The 555 Subaru World Rally Team announced today that Steve Farrell has been appointed as Chief Engineer. In this new role Farrell will manage the 555 SWRT engineering department as well as lead the design and development programmes.

Skoda's brand new evolution Octavia World Rally Car is all set for its asphalt debut on the Rallye Deutschland this week.

Peugeot's one-two performance on the recent Rally Finland, its fifth maximum points haul of the season, strengthened its lead in the provisional Manufacturers' World Championship standings after nine rounds and has taken Marcus Gr?nholm further clear at the top of the Drivers' points table.

The GSE-built and run MG ZR rally car heads for the Rally Deutschland this weekend - new territory for not only the team but all the other Junior World Rally Championship contenders as the event makes its debut on the international stage.

Michelin Competition is responsible for keeping the factory Peugeot 206 WRCs supplied in tyres in world class rallying. The rallies manager of this key technical partner to Peugeot Sport is Aim? Chatard who talks about the championship's first official foray onto German soil:

Ford boss Malcolm Wilson has indicated that his team may sacrifice the services of Colin McRae or Carlos Sainz in order to safeguard the development of the new Focus World Rally Car.

Gilles Panizzi will miss the Deutschland Rally, August 22nd to 25th following the accident he sustained at his Monte Carlo home a fortnight ago.

SS21 - Jukojarvi 2 (22.71 kms): Martin fastest through SS21; Burns and Solberg joint second; Gronholm fourth; Sainz fifth; Thomas Radstrom crashed heavily and retired - crew ok; Miettinen leads Group N; Gronholm leads overall rally by 1 min 27.3secs.

Mitsubishi Motors drivers have continued to dominate the Production Class in the second leg of Rally Finland, the sixth round of the 2002 FIA Production Car World Rally Championship.

SS16 - Vaheri-Himos (35.83 kms): Burns fastest through SS16; Gronholm second; Colin McRae third; Sainz fourth; Martin fifth; Solberg spun; Alister McRae had to stop to put a fire out caused by a leaking rear damper; Miettinen leads Group N; Gronholm leads overall rally at the end of leg 2

SS11 - Talviainen (25.74 kms): Burns fastest through SS11; Gronholm second; Rovanpera third; Martin fourth; Lindholm fifth; Solberg sixth; Kankkunen rolled and retired - crew ok; Keotmaki retired; Salo leads the Group N category; Burns leads overall rally by 20.3 secs.

Gilles Panizzi will miss this week's Rally Finland after the Peugeot driver broke his collarbone at his Monte Carlo home last week. The Frenchman underwent surgery on Friday, but as yet it is unclear just how long he will be out of action. The team states:

Between the Acropolis Rally in mid-June and the ADAC Deutschland Rally at the end August, the Citro?n team is taking part in four consecutive rounds of the World Rally Championship.

Born and bred in Jyv?skyl?, they don't come any more local than Harri Rovanpera who still lives in Rally Finland's traditional host town when not travelling the world with Peugeot Sport.

Austrian Achim Mortl, newly signed by the factory Subaru team to contest the German and Italian rounds of the WRC, talks about how he clinched the converted seat, the pressure he's now under and working with the likes of Tommi Makinen and Petter Solberg.