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Turkey feature
Luis Moya Q&A about Rally Turkey
Letter from SWRT
27 October 2006
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| Copyright © STI |
Rally Turkey's rise from a club event to the top level of international motorsport is remarkable. In 1999 the rally was only a concept on a piece of paper in the Turkish Automobile Federation's headquarters, however in 2003 the likes of Petter Solberg, Sebastien Loeb and Marcus Gronholm were fighting it out for a win. In just three years it had gone from national to world level, from asphalt to a gravel event and moved from Izmir, the third largest city in Turkey, to the holiday town of Antalya on the Mediterranean.
The championship welcomed its first event in the Middle East. Hard gravel, changeable weather conditions, large rocks and on-stage debris made it one of the toughest events in the series, while large watersplashes, forest-bound scenery and distant fluted minarets also made it one of the most spectacular.
We spoke to Subaru World Rally Team sporting director Luis Moya about the competitive and commercial challenges of Rally Turkey for the crews and teams alike. Until recently, Luis was the world championship's most successful co-driver, with 23 victories to his name. Having competed in the WRC staples such as Monte Carlo, Argentina and GB, he knows what is necessary to make a classic rally, however his role as Subaru World Rally Team sporting director means he must consider the wider implications of the calendar for the teamc
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| Copyright © STI |
Turkey is one of the few rallies you haven't competed in, but you have been out on the stages in the recce. What is your impression of it?
I've been out on the Turkish stages twice. Before every rally I try to go and see what the stages are like and the conditions of the road so you understand the rally a lot better and can relate to what the drivers are talking about. The stages in Turkey are a mixture between the roads of Greece and those of Cyprus. The rally is not as slow as Cyprus of course, but the roads are still twisty and very rough. The stages can be quite difficult.
What are the particular challenges of the event?
The weather can change a lot and, depending on the conditions, it could be quite difficult for crews. When my ex-team mate Carlos Sainz won there in 2003 there was even snow by the side of the road! I think Turkey is like all these hard events, like Greece and Cyprus, maybe even Argentina too, as it's more like an endurance event than a rally in places. The stages are rough and as a driver you have to be very fit to get the right rhythm and speed. The level of retirements can be quite high so reliability and endurance are critical.
This year Cyprus and Turkey, two of the toughest events of the calendar, have been paired together. How will that affect the teams?
The Cyprus-Turkey pairing is one of the toughest we'll see this year, and it will be a challenge to finish both. Cyprus is very hard on the cars and there will be lots of repairs and rebuilding after the event, even if you win. The nature of the rally with the rocks, hard gravel and sand means the cars get a lot of knocks.
Our cars won't return between Cyprus and Turkey so there will be a lot of work to do on site when they arrive. After Turkey there will be a lot of repair work too as this rally is equally hard on cars. To do well on these two rallies you don't have to be the most competitive on day one, it's more important to have a reliable car that will last the distance. There are normally some retirements and some crews will have mechanical problems so you if you finish, you stand a good chance of doing well.
Turkey is still a relatively new event on the World Rally Championship calendar. How important is it for the championship to keep adding new events?
This year will be the fourth time we've been to Turkey but next year the event is not in the WRC calendar. At some point in the future it may be back, like Portugal will be next year, but this is a matter for the sport's governing body. Personally, I think it's a good idea to include some new events each year. That way the series remains fresh and varied. We're competing in the World Rally Championship and we have to put the emphasis on eworld' and give other countries a chance to host an event. Of course, there has to be a certain amount of caution as lots of countries want an event and you can't include everyone. You've got to consider many factors, including commercial viability. Russia, China, India and even the United States are all keen to host an event, and all of them are big markets for car manufacturers. But there's a balance to be struck between chasing the big car sales markets and keeping the classic rallies. It wouldn't be fair to have a closed championship with no new events so there must be a balance between the older, traditional rallies and some newer ones too.
How important is hosting a rally to a country?
I would say it's very important. The actual figures vary from region to region, but the revenue and interest generated in an area when the rally visits is huge. At the most basic level, host towns benefit from the number of competitors, team personnel and spectators that flood in when a rally is in town. Hosting a rally is also very important for tourism in the area as the events take in a large geographical area that regular tourists would be unlikely to see in the brochures. You shouldn't forget the importance of the television coverage either; it's a great opportunity to see the area, where we are and what a country looks like. Hosting a rally can really put a place on the map.
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