MAXIMUM ATTACK » Video

Video: Mads Östberg testing for Rally Estonia

Rasmus — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 08:15:32 +0000

A lot of testing are going on currently, with Rally Estonia, Rally Finland and Rally Acores close to each others. Here is a video of Norweigan Mads Östberg testing for this weekend’s Rally Estonia.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Video: Mini WRT testing for Finland

Rasmus — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 15:15:33 +0000

Mini has been testing in Korpilahti the last few days for the upcoming Rally Finland. The tests were held on fast gravel roads with a lot of jumps – typical settings for the Finnish terrain. Both Kris Meeke and Dani Sordo have been driving – but Meeke’s testing have been a bit affected by an accident wounding the car and making the team return it to the team base in England for a checkup. This also means that Meeke wont start as planned in Rally Estonia this weekend, which was a part of the teams’ preparations for Finland.

Here are a few videos of the Mini tests:

Dani Sordo test day two

Click here to view the embedded video.

Dani Sordo on Finnish television

Click here to view the embedded video.

Watch Kris Meeke testing on YouTube

Video: Patrik Sandell test before Rally Acores

Rasmus — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 12:51:24 +0000

Patrik Sandell and his co-driver Staffan Parmander tested before the Rally Acores this monday. At least the test roads seem really nice and fast. Question is how Patrik will perform after a doubtful start of the season where he has been followed by various problems, not least punctures. The team have now switched tyre brand to Pirelli, which they hope will solve the problem and enable Patrik to go for the win. Personally, I’m not convinced it will be enough to reach all the way to a victory, but maybe he can at least get a step closer…

Click here to view the embedded video.

Video: Sebastien Ogier pre-Finland test roll

Rasmus — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 21:14:12 +0000

Sebastien Ogier rolled his Citroën DS3 WRC today while testing for Rally Finland in the end of this month. Perfect footage below!

Click here to view the embedded video.

Video: Kimi Räikkönen roll in Mexico

Rasmus — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 10:45:59 +0000

Kimi Räikkönen did a massive multiple roll in Rally Mexico on the 7th stage. Unfortunately, he will not restart the rally due to the bad damages on his car. However, this is quite an expected step on his learning curve…

On the bright side of the rally, Petter Solberg holds the lead after the first day with around 15 seconds over Citroen Junior driver Sebastien Ogier. Will we see Petter winning a rally for the first time in many years? That would be amazing!

Here is Kimi’s off:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Thanks to motorstvfrance for the video.

Video: Peter Zachrisson the crazy guy!

Rasmus — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 08:39:09 +0000

Peter Zachrisson, from Säffle (the same small town where Daniel Carlsson, Tina Thörner, L-E Torph, Mats Karlsson and a lot of other Swedish rally people come from), is doing his first start in this years Swedish Championship this weekend. I don’t often to write about the Swedish Championship – but it happens and Peter really is a fresh wind so…

In today’s NWT Peter tells that he has installed active differentials and paddle gearshift in his car – a Volvo 940(!!!). That’s quite amazing!

So, now you think: “Who cares about Zachrisson?”. Peter had a few OK chances a some years ago doing the Swedish Rally and planning an international career, but sadly it never really happened for him because of financial trouble. However, Peter is a hell of a driver and I tell you – watch this video, and then you’ll care. Especially – listen to the sound when he passes in front of the camera:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Thanks to Adielssonmotorsport for the video.

Video: Citroën DS3WRC test in Malaga

Rasmus — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 13:19:16 +0000

Citroën tested their new car, the DS3 WRC, last week in Malaga. Sebastien Loeb and Dani Sordo did most of the testing and even Kris Meeke was there for the tests. Here are a few videos:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Thanks to tamayofotos1 for the videos.

Video: Some Rally Sweden videos

Rasmus — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 08:07:22 +0000

Rally Sweden was amazing – I’ll post my reflections and photos later, probably tomorrow (Tuesday). Until then, watch some of the excellent videos posted from the event:

The junction where a LOT of people went off (a bit into the movie):

Click here to view the embedded video.

Hirvonen and Loeb challenging on Colin’s Crest (Vargåsen):

Click here to view the embedded video.

Kimi Räikkönen crashing on Sågen:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Stunning onboard with Mikko Hirvonen on Vargåsen:

Click here to view the embedded video.

First day video:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Second day video:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Third day video:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Thanks to eslake123, MadCowYuuko, TwitChii, Sdimm, nedbis and milkowsky for the videos.

Video: Rally Sweden Shakedown

Rasmus — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 18:28:12 +0000

The shakedown for Rally Sweden was ran this morning and Sebastien Loeb impressed immediately with a fastest time. In less than an hour, the rally will start at the Karlstad Super Special Stage – but until we get images from there, enjoy this video from the shakedown and a video clip from Petter in service this morning!

Click here to view the embedded video.

Thanks to Petter himself and mijn400 for the videos.

Video: Ford Rally Sweden service

Rasmus — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 15:06:54 +0000

Here are a few videos from the Rally Sweden servicepark yesterday.

The Ford team’s service area:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Ford’s Super2000 service area:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Ford under the bonnet:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Ford’s Stobart service:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Thanks to mijn400 for the videos.

Video: Petter Solberg Rally Sweden test

Rasmus — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 19:42:49 +0000

Here is a video uploaded by PSWRT today from service in their Rally Sweden tests:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Video: PG Andersson test in Norway

Rasmus — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 06:15:03 +0000

Here are two fresh videos from PG Andersson’s test yesterday with the Skoda Fabia Super2000 in Norway. This Monday was PG’s only test day with the Skoda and the team, Czech based JM Racing, before Rally Sweden. The team has brought six men to Sweden, including three mechanics, one team manager, one engineer and one coordinator. PG himself brings in his regular mechanics “Pitan” and “Henke”.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Thanks to Hedlund80 for the videos.

Video: Patrik Sandell test [onboard] and Anders Gröndal testing in Norway

Rasmus — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 21:59:19 +0000

Patrik Sandell tested his Red Bull Skoda Fabia Super2000 in Norway earlier today. Here is a video of it (thank’s to Patrik himself for this!):

Click here to view the embedded video.

More of Sandell including the car livery:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Anders Gröndal performed tests with his Subaru Impreza on Sunday in Norway, and even he got caught by the cameras:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Video: Janne Tuohino and P-A Sääv tests

Rasmus — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 15:45:25 +0000

Janne Tuohino has tested the Ford Fiesta Super2000 he is set to drive in Rally Sweden. The test took place in Nilsiä, Finland on the 4th of February and here is a video:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Even Swedish Skoda Fabia Super2000 driver P-A Sääv has been testing recently, in the local rally Vinternatta and on private tests. Today his tests go on together with PG Andersson. Here is a video of him in Vinternatta:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Video: Citroën DS3 WRC test in France

Rasmus — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 22:20:10 +0000

This is a bit old news (a few days, at least) – but it feels like my duty to post it. Better late than never. A video by ExtremRallye from the Citroën DS3 WRC test with Sebastien Loeb in France earlier this month. The car looks wonderful – don’t it?

The car spec’s are the following:

Restricted motor from C4 WRC
Sadev differentials and gearbox
BOS dampers

Click here to view the embedded video.

Video: Kimi Räikkönen driving the Citroën C4 WRC in Arctic Lapland Rally 2010

Rasmus — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 17:46:58 +0000

There are a whole bunch of videos from Kimi Räikkönen’s drive in Arctic Rally Lapland 2010. Here are a few…

Kimi Räikkönen, day 1:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Kimi Räikkönen, day 2:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Kimi Räikkönen, on-board showing Kimi’s C4WRC after his accident on SS2:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Thanks to Ludtati for all the videos.

Video: Is Kimi already tired of rallying?

Rasmus — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 10:58:41 +0000

Checked out Kimi Räikkönen’s new website and looked around at a few videos of him. Found some kind of trailer for his website that was quite funny, where Kimi is laying in a sofa in the end and saying with a huuuge Finnish accent: “You wanna see more? Go and check out my website, kimiraikkonen.com”. It made me smile, so why not share it?

Click here to view the embedded video.

Besides that, there are now quite a few clips flourishing of his tests with Citroen. His first test in France is available on the website, or in this YouTube video:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Here are also some new stuff from Kimi’s tests in Finland this week:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Thanks to Iceman Media, KimiF1st and MadCowYuuko for the clips. I guess more will follow, but the best way if you wanna keep track of everything is to do a YouTube search yourself…

Video: Kimi Räikkönen snow test in Finland before Arctic Rally – longer video!

Rasmus — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 17:30:58 +0000

Yesterday, a short video came out showing Kimi Räikkönen flying between the snowbanks on his test last weekend in northern Finland. Now, a longer video of the test has came out featuring both action and service shots. Just enjoy it!

Click here to view the embedded video.

Thanks to amjayes for the video.

Video: Kris Meeke off at Pont de la Gageyre [spectator angle]

Rasmus — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 14:27:11 +0000

A new spectacular video of Kris Meeke’s off in Rally Monte Carlo this week has appeared, uploaded by a spectator standing just meters from the place where Meeke went off at Pont de la Gageyre on the stage Labatie d’Andaure.

Here is the video:

Click here to view the embedded video.

I’ve previously posted a clip of the crash from Eurosports footage here.
Thanks to dbe07 for the video.

Hirvonen wins Monte as expected – Ogier out just before the penultimate stage

Rasmus — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 23:42:47 +0000

Hirvonen’s IRC appearance in Rally Monte Carlo ended up with a win – just as one would expect if the new Ford Fiesta Super2000 delivered without problems. It obviously did, so Hirvonen showed by leading the rally from the first to the last stage that it is a difference – no matter how small or big it might be – between WRC and IRC. Also it was really a flying start for the Fiesta – and it will certainly be interesting to see if the difference Hirvonen managed to held is just because of his skills or also because of the car. A new hint will be given in Rally Sweden in a few weeks, where Andreas Mikkelsen, Martin Prokop, Bernardo Sousa and Janne Tuohino will drive the car.

Sebastien Ogier was 2nd placed going into the last loop, but on his way to the penultimate special stage his car broke down and he had to retire. This gave Juho Hänninen the 2nd place after a solid but not stunning drive throughout the weekend, where many people removed themselves from the chance of winning by making mistakes, including Meeke, Sarrazin, and others.

The standings after SS15 – and most probably the final results – are:

1. Hirvonen / Lehtinen, 4h32min 58.5s
2. Hänninen / Markula, +1min 51.4s
3. Vouilloz / Veillas, +3min 19.1s
4. Sarrazin / Renucci, +7min 25.5s
5. Kopecky / Stary, +8min 48.7s
6. Wilks / Pugh, +9min 24.5s
7. Magalhaes / Magalhaes, +9min 45.4s
8. Vigion / Prevot, +13min 33.5s

Follow the links to read more:
Results
Eurosport videos from Monte Carlo
Rally Monte Carlo 2010 on YouTube

Video: Petter Solberg test in Sweden

Rasmus — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 19:26:26 +0000

Here are two videos from Petter’s test in Sweden. Looking at them, you can easily understand he had fun

Click here to view the embedded video.

Thanks to Hedlund80 for the videos.

Video: Kris Meeke crashing out of Monte 2010

Rasmus — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 14:30:27 +0000

Here is the clip from Eurosport where Kris Meeke crashed his Peugeot out of Rally Monte Carlo 2010 on stage 5, the first stage of the second day. Kris told that he was breaking well in time for the right turn, but thought he braked a little bit too much, released the break for a while and then went into the start of the bridge before dropping off in the ditch on the left side of the road. Luckily both Meeke and co-driver Nagle escaped unharmed.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Thanks to dragracing3 for the video.

Video: Peugeot 207 Super2000 test in Col du Galibier and Bourget du Lac

Rasmus — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 00:19:03 +0000

Heavy Peugeot 207 S2000 tests were going on last week with both Kronos Racing and PH Sport. The first three days of the week in the snow of Col du Galibier and the last two days in Bourget du Lac, with just slightly dryer conditions. During the days, Stephane Sarrazin (fr), Bruno Magalhaes (pt) and Kris Meeke (uk) – all entering the Rally Monte Carlo later this month – tested the car.

Here is the video:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Thanks to poupondu34400 for the video.

Video: Andrej Jereb testing the Peugeot 207 Super2000 before Rally Monte Carlo

Rasmus — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 22:46:00 +0000

Even Andrew Jereb has been testing for the upcoming Rally Monte Carlo. Here he is on quite much snow in his Peugeot 207 Super2000 car.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Thanks to GrP2 and CechStyler for the videos.

Video: Mikko Hirvonen Ford Fiesta S2000 test

Rasmus — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 19:43:13 +0000

Mikko Hirvonen has been on the run again testing for the upcoming Rally Monte Carlo in Ardeche, France. Here is a video from the test that took place today:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Thanks to Stephdu07 for the video.

Video: Sebastien Ogier Monte Carlo test

Rasmus — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 22:48:08 +0000

Sebastien Ogier has tested the Peugeot 207 S2000 on snow for the upcoming Monte Carlo. Here are the video:

Thanks to poypoy38 at Dailymotion for the video.

Video: PG Andersson in Sigdalsrallyt (onboard)

Rasmus — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 13:27:21 +0000

PG Andersson will decide what car to use in Rally Sweden during the day. However, in this weekend’s Sigdalsrally in Norway, PG competed in his Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX – one of the alternatives he is considering for Sweden. Here is a video from his drive this weekend:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Thanks to femtyfem for the video.

Video: M-Sport enters the IRC as a manufacturer

Rasmus — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 11:44:58 +0000

The Cumbrian based firm M-Sport, managing Ford’s rally operations in WRC, now enters the Intercontinental Rally Challenge following the launch of their new Ford Fiesta Super2000. The rules of the IRC allows any competitor running with a certain manufacturer’s car to score manufacturers points, which now means that any Ford Fiesta driver (both 4WD and 2WD) in the championship will score points. Malcolm Wilson, managing director of M-Sport, says to ircseries.com:

- Joining the IRC allows us to offer our customers the chance to make the most out of their participation on the series, as well as the opportunity to showcase our products in new markets. Initial testing with the Ford Fiesta S2000 has gone extremely well, and we’re very much looking forward to seeing our car make its competition debut with Mikko Hirvonen in Monte Carlo later this month.

This is Mikko Hirvonen testing the Ford Fiesta Super2000 in December last year:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Guy Wilks and Skoda UK Motorsport to confirm IRC participation tomorrow

Rasmus — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 15:49:32 +0000

On December 17th last year I reported that Guy Wilks is likely to do the IRC season in a Skoda Fabia Super2000 backed by Skoda UK. According to Autosport, the deal is now in box with a 7 round programme and to be announced tomorrow under the team name Skoda UK Motorsport.

Here is a clip of a close moment for Wilks in the Skoda during last years Rally of Scotland:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Video by CalumFraser.

Video: Ken Block’s Gymkhana TWO

Rasmus — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 14:53:26 +0000

Since many people seem to have missed the fame of Ken Block and his Gymkhana stunt videos, I decided to post the Gymkhana II here. It’s not really rallying – and of course he has done a lot of tries, but at least it’s a rally car and it’s still quite impressive. Also, it’s a sign of how to do successful marketing with rallying – this video was ranked number four in the Viral Video Chart 2009 by well-known Advertising Age. Here we go:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Video: Compare Ken Block vs. Kimi Räikkönen driving style – onboard videos

Rasmus — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 11:51:39 +0000

With two new stars coming into the championship, I thought it would be a fun thing to compare their driving styles – so I found one onboard video of each driver. Ken Block on the Concord Pond stage in the New England Forest Rally 2008 in America driving a Subaru Impreza and Kimi Räikkönen driving the Abarth Grande Punto in WRC Rally Finland 2009 on the Leustu stage.

Compare the driving styles yourself!

Ken Block, Subaru Impreza, New England Forest Rally 2008, Concord Pond stage, onboard:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Kimi Räikkönen, Abarth Grande Punto, WRC Rally Finland 2009, Leustu stage, onboard:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Video: Skoda testing for Monte Carlo on snow

Rasmus — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 21:48:26 +0000

Skoda has performed another test for the upcoming Rally Monte Carlo, this time in Czech Republic and on real snow surface.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Thanks to Rigipepa and RallyZone.cz for the video.

Video: Luca Betti Peugeot 207 S2000 test

Rasmus — Fri, 25 Dec 2009 15:51:31 +0000

Italian driver Luca Betti tested the Peugeot 207 Super2000 in Montemale with the Kimera team on the 23rd of December. From what I know, Betti is currently trying to secure a budget for IRC in 2010 and a start in Monte Carlo is rumoured – but no deal is signed and the problem is – as always – money.

Anyway, let’s hope Betti comes to the startline and until then we’ll enjoy his drive on this video:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Merry Christmas and some good rally action!

Rasmus — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 11:06:04 +0000

I want to wish all my readers a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Soon, Maximum Attack has existed for one year, and even since the last half of the year hasn’t been very active until recently – it’s been a good one. Now, let’s hope for an even better 2010. IRC are full of interesting competitors, and the WRC Cup/S-WRC along with Kimi Räikkönen’s comeback makes up for some interesting stuff in the WRC too.

Until Rally Sweden starts – better than ever – in the beginning of February, why not stick with this video of Henning Solberg? I was standing in exactly that turn, really close to the camera that took this pictures – and even though accidents are never fun – it was a fabulous example of the thrill you can get to see in a WRC event.

Click here to view the embedded video.

By the way… Here is my own (still) footage of the event:

Video: Rally Finland to start with a city super special stage in Jyväskylä

Rasmus — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 12:48:02 +0000

Autosport of today reveals that next years Rally Finland will start on thursday evening with a city-based super-special stage. No further details seem to be know yet, but it immediately reminds me of the old Jyväskylä classic “Harju”, which was a town special.

Check out some action from the old Harju stage here:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Isn’t it lovely? I love the idea of bringing such things back!

Video: Juho Hänninen Skoda test in France

Rasmus — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 18:05:22 +0000

Skoda seems to be doing their homework good. Here is a new video of Juho Hänninen testing in Col de l’Able, France. It also features some nice night driving in the end.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Thanks to rallyelange.

Video: Anders Gröndal winter-testing in Norway

Rasmus — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 21:56:54 +0000

Anders Gröndal tested his Subaru Impreza WRC today in Norway. The conditions seemed to be really snowy and the temperature was at -17 degrees celcius. Watch for yourself:

Click here to view the embedded video.

I know that Mads Östberg tested with Gröndal earlier this week, but still there seems to be no dedicated video available from that test.

Gröndals test didn’t went very good. He had damper problems from the beginning – and something happened during the test that forced the team to cancel, and that also jeopardizes Gröndal’s scheduled local event Romhjulsrallyt, a few days after christmas.

Video: Juho Hänninen Skoda Fabia S2000 test

Rasmus — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 12:31:38 +0000

The Skoda tests continue and now Juho Hänninen has done his drive in Col de l’Able. Here is the video:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Thanks to rallyelange for the video.

Video: Jan Kopecky tests the Skoda Fabia Super2000 in Col de l’Able

Rasmus — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 16:56:55 +0000

After Nicolas Vouilloz’s tests of the Skoda Fabia Super2000 car in southern France before the upcomin IRC premiere Rally Monte-Carlo, Jan Kopecky has now also tested the car. Here is a video:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Video: Skoda Fabia Super 2000 and Ford Fiesta Super 2000 testing

Rasmus — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 19:24:52 +0000

There has been some nice Super2000 tests going on lately… Not really a surprise with Super2000 now coming into the WRC for real in the S-WRC class – as well as the IRC, where it has been for a while. Check out the videos here:

Nicolas Vouilloz, Skoda Fabia Super2000 test for Monte Carlo:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Mikko Hirvonen testing the brand new Ford Fiesta Super2000 that will do it’s competitive debut in Monte Carlo:

Click here to view the embedded video.

I guess a lot more will come during December-January…

Video: Latvala rolling in Portugal

Rasmus — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 17:14:45 +0000

After having mentioned it in the last post I just had to add the video of Latvala crashing in Portugal here. Probably most of you have already seen it, but do it once again. It’s really, really frightening – and the guys should be really lucky to be able to walk away from it…

Click here to view the embedded video.

Video: Petter Solberg pre-Portugal test

Rasmus — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 08:19:23 +0000

Petter Solberg has tested before Rally of Portugal in the southern parts of Portugal, close to the rally area. Here is a video:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Thanks to nfontas.

Video: Loeb beaten by Everts on “The Wall”

Rasmus — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 08:42:56 +0000

Red Bull arranged a quite cool race yesterday on Mur de Grammont in Belgium where 5 times World Rally Champion went head to head against Stefan Everts – 10 times motocross champion. The highly spectacular event was probably not very fair, since the shortest way for Everts small motorbike is of course way shorter than the shortest way for Loeb’s car. Anyway – it seems to have been good fun!

Video:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Video: Grönholm pre-Portugal test in Spain

Rasmus — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 08:36:51 +0000

Marcus Grönholm and the Prodrive team tested in Spain before Rally de Portugal earlier this week. Marcus told that the feeling of the driving was good, but Grönholm admitted having problems with making accurate notes and told that the problem could slow his driving. He also told that no explicit goals for his rally were set, but he would be disappointed if he didn’t found the speed he expected. I just hope he doesn’t expect too much, since he must know he’s not in the best of cars. (See my previous post)

Here is the video:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Video: Cyprus Rally 2009

Rasmus — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 17:52:45 +0000

Check out a few nice clips from the Cyprus rally:

Shakedown:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Nice clip from the rally:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Cyprus has always been a rally with safety and quality lackings – here Ogier is close to hit a car on the stage:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Patrik Sandell made a good performance in Cyprus – here is his own video:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Thanks to mazdacupra, eWRC.cz, patriksandell.com and Anavian.

Video: Ford testing on Sardinia

Rasmus — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 18:33:57 +0000

Ford has tested on Sardinia earlier this week, including tests of the Pirelli Scorpion gravel tyre on tarmac roads (since this combo will be used on Cyprus). Here are a few videos:

Ford on tarmac with gravel tyres:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Jari-Matti Latvala on gravel, Capoterra, 24 feb:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Mikko Hirvonen on gravel, Capoterra, 21 feb:

Click here to view the embedded video.

One more video, including some service shots:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Video: Onboard with PG winning SS7

Rasmus — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 11:26:23 +0000

Watch this video of PG winning SS7 in Norway. Stunning! Also, don’t forget to read my interview with him in the post below.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Video: Rally Norway highlights

Rasmus — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 20:41:05 +0000

Rally Norway showed wonderful conditions and proved to be quite more interesting than the season-opener on Ireland, where competitions was weak after both Subaru and Suzuki left. Here is a video roundup from Norway:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Video: Petter Solberg with engine trouble on the road section

Rasmus — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 20:37:36 +0000

As we know Petter had some engine troubles in Rally Norway. How much of them that were caused by real errors and how much of then that were caused by Citroen’s resistance to give Petter the right material I don’t know. Anyway, here are a movie of Petter and Phil checking the engine and discussing it with the team.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Thanks to StormcastProductions.

Video: Next IRC round preview – Rally de Curitiba

Rasmus — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 16:20:37 +0000

The next IRC round, Rally Internacional de Curitiba, is coming up within a few weeks. The event is ran the 5th-7th of March in Brazil on gravel. I’ll get back with more info on the event later, but already now I thought I should post some videos. Here we go:

Onboard video from SS1 of the 2008 event:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Onboard video from the 2007 event:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Video from SS8 on the 2008 event:

SS4 on the 2008 event:

Video: Onboard with Petter Solberg in Norway

Rasmus — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 22:53:59 +0000

Check out this awesome onboard (mostly) video footage in Petter Solberg’s car in Norway:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Video: Mads Östberg close call on SS12 in Norway

Rasmus — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 22:15:10 +0000

Mads Östberg had a half-bad moment on SS12 Ringsåker this weekend. Watch the video:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Thanks to Paulf7uk.

Will Loeb win 12 rounds of 12 this year?

Rasmus — Sun, 15 Feb 2009 21:20:35 +0000

Citroen were underdogs going to Norway – but they left victorious. Sebastien Loeb won in Sweden in 2004, but if I doubted his ability to win somewhere it was in Norway. Now he won there – and knowing that he’s by far the best WRC driver both on gravel and on tarmac (it remains one tarmac round and 9 gravel rounds in the WRC 2009) you start to wonder: Will Loeb win everything this year?

Everyone knows that he can – he doesn’t lack skills – he just need the right luck. But probably – and hopefully for the sport – he will be unlucky somewhere. But I’m afraid it’s far from sure…

Video: Henning furious over Stobart mistake

Rasmus — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 11:49:56 +0000

Henning Solberg has been a good client for MSport the last few years. This year, he is running in cooperation with Stobart where the Stobart team pays around half the bill, which means around 1.1 million euros. This year he’s the first driver of the Stobart team – always getting the best stuff available and highest priority. I just wonder, how high is highest priority and how good is the best stuff? Looking at this video, Henning indicates that it’s not always world class…

Click here to view the embedded video.

Video: Rally Norway shakedown

Rasmus — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 17:48:06 +0000

The always awesome guys at eWRC.cz has created a video from this mornings shakedown stage in Norway. As you can see the conditions are perfect. Loeb set the fastest time on shakedown, but one should remember shakedown results most often doesn’t show much of how the rally will be. One this is really sure, and that is that Loeb will struggle and lose time tomorrow going first on the road with the new, wide Pirelli Sottozero tyres. For the Swedes, Flodin showed a good time on the same level as Sandell, while PG blew his turbo. However, this problem was fixed and there is no problem for him going into the rally.

Here is the video:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Video: Patrik Sandell test

Rasmus — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 07:45:16 +0000

Patrik Sandell is good in handling media and provides the right tools for journalists, that has always been one of his advantages trying to get a drive on the super-close market. Good for you, because he and Red Bull provided me with video material from his test this weekend. I made a fast cut (please, sorry for not being TV-king) and now it’s here – for you.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Video: Petter Solberg tests the Citroen Xsara

Rasmus — Sun, 08 Feb 2009 18:07:01 +0000

Even Petter has been testing this car this weekend. Not at the same place as his brother Henning, but still in Norway – on Finnskogen. In Norweigan Television Petter says that he’s pleased with the performance of the Xsara and that it performs really well. Besides that, sources tell that Petter has control of everything on the car except for the engine, where Citroen is still in control. This means that Petter’s engineers can’t switch engine mapping etc. Just remains to see how good mapping Citroen has given Petter…

Anyway, here is the video from TVNorge of Petter’s test (sorry for the scrolling):

Video: Henning Solberg test in Gol, Norway

Rasmus — Sun, 08 Feb 2009 17:46:15 +0000

As I wrote yesterday, Henning Solberg has tested his Stobart Ford Focus WRC for the upcoming Rally Norway. Here is a video from the test:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Thanks to Styylie for the nice video.

Video: Daniel Sordo test in Alicante

Rasmus — Sun, 08 Feb 2009 01:24:13 +0000

While many other teams test snow setups for Rally Norway, Citroen is back in Spain testing setups for Cyprus Rally with Daniel Sordo. A new grip is introduced in Cyprus with one day running on tarmac and two on gravel, which means gravel tyres may have to be used on tarmac. So, the Citroen test turned out quite spectacular when they tested the gravel tyres on tarmac. Of course it causes really hard tyre-wear and it gives a wide sideways driving style which is not similar to the normal driving style of tarmac rallies.

Check out a video here:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Video: Patrik Sandell’s first Fabia S2000 test

Rasmus — Sun, 08 Feb 2009 01:06:12 +0000

Patrik Sandell tested the Skoda Fabia Super2000 on snow in preparation of Rally Norway today. He describes the first feeling of the car as very good and is happy with the first day. The team started the day with a setup close to the Skoda’s gravel setup and has then made modifications based on Patrik’s input. Tomorrow, Sunday, the test will continue.

For a picture of the car, follow this link.

Here is a video, posted by Patrik himself, of today’s test:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Video: Rally Ireland review

Rasmus — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 21:43:46 +0000

Don’t you have Eurosport? Of just missed out of the coverage on TV? Luckily, ISC publishes some content on the web nowadays – including on YouTube (which means I can blog it here). So, here you are – a short (ca 5 min) review with images of some of the most important do’s and don’ts that we saw in Ireland:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Video: Chris Atkinson crash on Rally Ireland SS6

Rasmus — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 18:45:31 +0000

Rally Ireland proved tricky in the first day. Heavy raining made the roads slippery and caused big aquaplaining issues for the competitors. To Chris Atkinson it proved really problematic, since it caused him a high speed crash on SS6 blocking the road. Luckily Chris escaped unhurt. Co-driver Stephane Prevot complained about a sore shoulder, but afterwards seemed to be in quite good shape. Crashes are never funny and after seeing the video and the telephone pole that seemed to hit in the co-drivers side of the car, I guess the Stephane should be quite happy about the new side impact protection that Citroen and Ford has implemented starting in Ireland this year. It’s a kind of extremely shock-absorbing foam contained in the doors that’s intended to absorb the chock and prevent too much deformation of the chassi. A very good initiative, considering that side impacts are one of the most dangerous to rally crews because of the bad protection there. We all remember the tragic accident of Michael “Beef” Park and everything must be done to avoid similar things in the future.

However, here is the crash:

Click here to view the embedded video.

And here is the (quite funny despite the serious accident – but shaky video) aftermath:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Video: Kris Meeke’s crash in Monte

Rasmus — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 11:22:05 +0000

Kris Meeke went off quite heavily in Monte Carlo. Finally, here is the video – filmed by a spectator:

Thanks to MotorsportMad.

Video: Recce onboard of Rally Ireland SS1

Rasmus — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 22:46:01 +0000

Wanna know what the stages look like in Ireland? Check out this onboard video from the recce on SS1:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Thanks to redmistproductions.

Video: Urmo Aava testing Focus WRC

Rasmus — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 07:37:44 +0000

Until today there has been a lot of testing going on for Rally Ireland. Ford has been testing with their works team, Citroen tests and now even the Stobart team has tested. Urmo Aava did ca 100 km’s yesterday in Cooley Mountain on Ireland before going into todays and tomorrows recce for the event. Here is a video:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Video by Mitybuck20. Thanks!

Video: Ford pre-Norway test in Jämtland

Rasmus — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 10:32:26 +0000

Just before christmas the Ford team visited Kall, close to Östersund, in Sweden to test the Ford Focus WRC for the upcoming Rally Norway. There hasn’t been a lot of info from the test, so it’s amazing to now see a video of Mikko Hirvonen testing the car in snowy conditions. Video courtesy of Aeropibben.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Video: Loeb and Sordo testing in Catalunya

Rasmus — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 07:35:01 +0000

Almost at the same time as Ford were testing in Ireland – Citroen with Loeb and Sordo had already reached Catalunya where they were testing on gravel. On Tuesday and Wednesday last week Loeb was testing (borrowing Sordo’s codriver Marc Marti) – on Thursday and Friday Sordo. In the interview Daniel Sordo says that he would like to carry on climbing in the championship and finally win a rally. Also, he’s not very worried by the presence of JWRC champion Ogier in the championship, but he’s happy that Citroen carries on to support young talens – as they once did for him. This footage of the test is from channel 3 in Catalunya:

Video: Ford testing before Ireland

Rasmus — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 07:23:31 +0000

Ford tested for the upcoming Rally Ireland this weekend in Monagan, Ireland – on the very same property as Loeb/Sordo was a few weeks ago. Anyway, they seemed to get good up to speed. Watch it here:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Video: Monte Carlo day one

Rasmus — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 22:00:16 +0000

Missed out of the Eurosport live action from SS3 on todays Monte Carlo stages? No worries, there are always enthousiasts nice enough to share their experiences. Thanks to telefonica54, pikaremi and titray.

SS1 Tourette de chateau – Saint Antonin

Click here to view the embedded video.

SS2 La Motte Chalancon – St Nazaire le Desert

Click here to view the embedded video.

SS3 Saint Jean en Royans – Col de Gaudissart

Click here to view the embedded video.

Video: Kris Meeke and Sebastien Ogier tests before IRC season opener in Monte

Rasmus — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 07:27:11 +0000

With IRC season opener Rallye Monte Carlo coming up this week, Kris Meeke has recently tested his Kronos Racing/Peugeot England Peugeot 207 Super 2000 on snowy roads in Saint Auban, France – 60 km’s north of Nice. In the test also Sebastien Ogier took part, partly driving the car of Kris. Check out this video:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Kris and Sebastien are just two good drivers among others starting the Rally Monte Carlo this week (Ogier has been chosen to start in a single outing for the BFGoodrich Drivers Team). The IRC entry list is really impressive compared to the starting field previous seasons, and IRC is really becoming a championship to respect. I’ll get back to this later this week with a more detailed preview before the rally begins.

Video: Chris Atkinsons first impressions of the Citroen C4 WRC

Rasmus — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 17:16:45 +0000

A few days ago Chris Atkinson got his first impressions of the Citroen C4 WRC at a test in northern France, getting to grips with the car in wet, dry as well as frozen conditions – and even in darkness. The test covered 180 km’s intended as a warm-up before rally Ireland, the only rally the Australian is confirmed to drive in the Citroen Junior team. However, as I’ve previously told, Atkinson will probably do more rallies in the C4. Speculations talk about 9 rallies this season in the team, while I personally have believed that Atkinson will manage to seal a full season in the Citroen. Now that seems impossible as Atkinson is not entered in Rally Norway, but I continue to believe that he will do the rest of the rallies this season – now besides Norway.

In this video you can see an interview, the test with and even Atkinson taking notes for the test:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Atkinson himself, who has previously spent all his WRC career in a Subaru, was really impressed by the Citroen. We’ve heard it before regarding both the C4 and the Xsara, that you can attack hard into turns and still have very good control and balance of the car – facts that Atkinson immediately agreed on and told the journalists.

Looking forward to Ireland, Atkinson is probably happy to have done a full day of testing on roads that he thought were representative of the roads back in Ireland. The last time he went out of a rally car before that was in Wales, were he crashed badly and was transfered by helicopter to hospital – luckily unhurt though. Anyway, it must have been a psychological relief for him to manage to do some good testing between the accident and the rally – especially considering what happened with Subaru and that he’s now getting into a totally new car for him. After all the years struggling in problematic Subaru, it will also be really, really interesting to all of us to see how Atkinson can perform in Citroen.

Finally, just as a parenthesis, I think it seems more and more obvious that Atkinson is not planning to do just one rally in Citroen. Considering the fact that he’s launching a new website soon, he has started a Citroen branded YouTube user, he promotes the Australian Citroen dealer in his YouTube movie and other things – it seems unlikely he would do everything just because of a one-time rally. If he’s not doing a full season (except Norway) in the C4 – I at least expect that all rallies he manages to start in this season will be in the Citroen.

Video: Loeb testing for Ireland – watching out for his new Citroen colleague Atkinson?

Rasmus — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 22:54:42 +0000

The last few days Citroen with works drivers Sebastien Loeb and Daniel Sordo have tested their cars in Monaghan, Ireland for the upcoming Rally Ireland. In an interview with BBC, Loeb says that he’s happy with the car and that the Pirellis, never previously used by the Citroen team in Ireland, feels good on the surface. Loeb also admits that he would have wanted his home rally, Rallye Monte Carlo, to start the season – but tells BBC that he must now focus on Rally Ireland, a rally he won in 2008. Maybe Loeb is spotting harder concurrence this year? At least, he admits at one point in the interview that Chris Atkinson in a C4 may increase the concurrence in the championship. This seems quite logical, since the loss of Subaru and Suzuki certainly doesn’t change the fight about the top places – both teams have struggled to even get to the finish the last year(s).

This nice video by Enda Healy shows a few of the rounds done by Daniel Sordo in the test:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Video: Sandell’s future car – Fabia Super 2000

Rasmus — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 15:12:09 +0000

Yesterday it was announced that Patrik Sandell will drive a Skoda Fabia Super 2000 in the production world rally championship. Wondering what the car looks like – and how it sounds? Check out this video, posted by Rigibiker, of a Skoda Auto test on snow in Husí Lhota, Středočeský Kraj in Czech Republic.

Click here to view the embedded video.