What have the SWRT drivers been up to? / Countdown to Rallye Monte Carlo! / Bettega Memorial Rallysprint / 20 December 2006: 29 days to go

Subaru World Rally Team co-driver Phil Mills takes great pride in his nationality. His helmet bears the famous red dragon of Wales and the flag on his overalls is the Welsh standard, not the Union flag of Britain. Born in Trefeglwys, Mid Wales, Mills still lives near Newtown in the foothills of the Cambrian mountains.

Just one week after the end of the 2006 World Rally Championship, Subaru World Rally Team driver Petter Solberg is already focusing on the challenges of next season.

Subaru has half a dozen victories under its belt on the fast gravel roads of Rally New Zealand, and each victory has been a significant result in the team's history. Here are the potted highlights:

Throughout his short rallying career 26-year-old Chris Atkinson has set records. In 2004, at the wheel of a Group N car, he finished fifth overall in his first attempt at Rally Australia.

Talk to any Kiwi fan about rallying and it won't be long before the name Possum Bourne crops up

On Monday 23 October Chris Atkinson and Glenn Macneall joined in the drills with Surf Life Saving WA on Scarborough Beach, Perth alongside the Spanish quartet of Dani Sordo, Marc Marti, Carlos del Barrio and Xavier Pons.

Before Rally Australia Petter Solberg made a three day trip to Santiago in Chile as a guest of Subaru.

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.

Every WRC driver wants to do well on home soil, but Subaru World Rally Team's Chris Atkinson is especially keen to score a top finish on Rally Australia on 26-29 October.

Cyprus. The small island beloved by tourists on perpetual hunts for sunshine and warm seas. Its location in the far east of the Mediterranean, only 500km from Cairo and 300km from Damascus, guarantees sun-kissed beaches and temperatures that rarely dip below 20 degrees Celsius all year-round. Holidaying on the island can be a real pleasure. Working, on the other hand, is a slightly different story.

The Subaru World Rally Team was created in 1989 as a partnership between Subaru's high performance arm, STI, in Japan and a specialist motorsport company in the UK. Collaboration between two countries with different cultures, languages and time zones was always going to be difficult, but the two organisations quickly developed a balance that maximized both their skill sets...

the 2006 rally was particularly special for the team's transmission department as they watched the 100th Subaru World Rally Team gearbox ever produced in action...

The Subaru Impreza has become one of the great icons of the World Rally Championship. In its 14 years of competition, it has been driven by some of the most celebrated names in the rallying world, including Colin McRae, Richard Burns and Petter Solberg, and has scored six championship titles and 46 wins...

Darumas are typically purchased in or near Japanese Buddhist temples...

Subaru World Rally Team chief truckie, Dave Rudlin, admits planning for the 'back-to-back' events in the west of Germany and central Finland has been the biggest logistical challenge of the year so far.

How the Subaru World Rally team brought Petter's car back to life

We caught up with Petter Solberg to ask why have chosen to stay at Subaru.

We caught up with Subaru World Rally Team operations director Paul Howarth to discuss the season so far, the change in his role and the challenges of running a top rally team…

The Subaru World Rally Team joined the host of legendary names and faces at the Goodwood Festival of Speed last weekend. The team's regular drivers, Chris Atkinson and Petter Solberg, drove the Impreza WRC2006 on Friday and Saturday respectively, with 1995 World Rally champion Colin McRae making a return to the Subaru cockpit on Sunday.

Down at the Goodwood Festival of Speed this weekend Petter introduced web site to Terje Sorby, from Mysen in Norway, who was the driving instructor who originally taught Petter to drive.

As soon as Subaru World Rally Team driver Chris Atkinson crosses a stage finish, he makes a call back to the service park. He'll discuss how the stage went, how the car feels and any changes he'd like to make in the next service halt. His engineer, Richard Thompson, is always on the other end of the phone. we caught up with Richard to find out what it's like to work with the team's youngest driver…

It might be the WRC's summer break, but Petter Solberg's still been busy. From 28 June until 2 July, the Norwegian spent four days in Japan test driving and promoting the latest Subaru road cars.

The Subaru World Rally Team's catering arrangements for the two-day recce are just as carefully planned and managed as any of the meals served during the event itself. Catering manager Lorraine Glaister explains, "The drivers can't take any food with them as the temperature inside the car is too hot and it would spoil.

One week after the finish of the Acropolis Rally eight Subaru World Rally Team technicians spent two days practising procedures used in the WRC service park.

With nine weeks between the finish of the Acropolis Rally in June and the start of Rally Germany in August, the Subaru World Rally Team's focus shifts from events to testing and development. With three tests planned over the break, swrt.com caught up with Pierre Genon, chief engineer for test and development, to find out more.

As a keen wakeboarder and jet-skiier, Chris Atkinson is well used to adrenaline-pumping watersports. However at the beginning of the WRC summer break, the Australian tried out an altogether more relaxing water-based activity: punting.

The World Rally Championship now has a nine-week break before the next event on the calendar, Rally Germany, at the beginning of August. the Subaru World Rally Team drivers to hear about their plans over the summer…

It has been said that an army marches on its stomach. It's no different for a rally team. The Subaru World Rally Team technicians are often at the service park before sunrise and won't leave until well after 2100hrs. It's essential they're eating well to have enough energy to get through the day. A team of five people is responsible for cooking and serving food for the technicians, engineers and other event staff, plus the numerous guests that visit the service park over a rally weekend.

Over a coffee or beer in cafes across the world, motor sport fans have long debated what makes a classic rally. Factors like a long and illustrious history, the unique character of its stages and the number of spectators it draws all have a bearing, but which of the current 16 WRC rounds are bona fide classics? With spectacular scenery, a rich, long history and hoards of fervent fans, April's Rally Argentina certainly seems to have all the right credentials

Ever wondered how Petter and Chris talk to the rest of the team during a rally? SWRT event electrician Nick Chalkley explains the various communications systems involved

He'll want to give the fans something to cheer about. "On every rally I'll try my best, but this one is special. It's a good feeling." Last year at the Tour de Corse Stéphane equalled his best-ever WRC finish with fourth place overall...

Walking through the service area in Rally Spain with Subaru World Rally Team Sporting Director Luis Moya is an interesting experience...

A new star attraction was unveiled in the Subaru World Rally Team at the PortAventura service area at Rally Catalunya this weekend. Something that quite literally put everything else in the shade.

It's quite easy to overlook the compact Subaru Sambar van in the Subaru World Rally Team service area.

Petter Solberg is the only FIA World Rally Champion who has not competed on his home soil in a round of the World Championship. But that could all change next year as Rally Norway is bidding to become a fixture on the WRC calendar from 2007 onwards.

This week we bring you part two of our exclusive B9 Tribeca feature. Last week we explained how the American-specification model was imported to the Subaru World Rally Team headquarters in the UK and was prepared for active service with the team. The B9 Tribeca will be used by the SWRT drivers and management at European events of the World Rally Championship.

This week we introduce you to our new team member, which will be making its debut in Monte Carlo very shortly. Next Friday we'll show you it in its full glory.

We caught up with drivers Petter Solberg, Chris Atkinson and Stéphane Sarrazin to see how they will be spending the holidays.

Members of the Subaru World Rally Team were delighted to be presented with an early Christmas present from their Japanese colleagues at Subaru Tecnica International (STI).

In pursuit of the ideal proving ground, The SWRT test team travels to remote locations all around the world. Often working on private land and on obscure tracks that can only be found by GPS coordinates, the team must be completely self sufficient and ready to deal with every eventuality. Safety is of paramount importance to Subaru and a paramedic attends each test, but as an extra safeguard six members of the test team recently attended a course to bring them up to date with the latest techniques and procedures to be followed the event of an accident.

Co-driver Glenn Macneall first teamed up with young Australian charger Chris Atkinson for the 2004 Rally Australia. The duo were the revelation of the event...

Chief Rally Engineer, Pierre Genon tells us...

Rally Australia is one of the most popular events on the FIA World Rally Championship calendar. Renowned for its distinctive, dusty red roads, beautiful scenery and crowds of enthusiastic supporters the event has been voted 'Rally of the Year' by World Rally teams three times in 2000, 1999 and 1995.

The paired Tour de Corse and Rally Catalunya events represented a unique challenge for all WRC teams and crews. With just one day between the finish of Corsica and the start of the Spanish event's recce, a highly complex logistical operation was needed to prepare the Subaru service area and three cars in time. Here's a timeline of the team movements over three of the busiest days of the 2005 calendar.

The Tour de Corse is renowned as one of the most punishing rallies for drivers and co-drivers. The twisty, tricky stages have earned the event its 'rally of ten thousand corners' nickname. With a multitude of hairpin bends, sharp descents and steep inclines drivers and co-drivers are put under enormous physical and mental pressure:

We caught up with Chris in the wake of his success to chat about his first season in the WRC and becoming the first Australian to step on the podium in 13 years.

Subaru pilot Chris Atkinson is the most experienced works' team driver in this event, having competed in the rally for the previous two years when he contested the Asia-Pacific Rally Championship in a Super 1600 specification car. Chris' co-driver Glenn Macneall is also an old-hand here - this will be his fourth time in Rally Japan. Chris and Glenn put their extensive combined knowledge to excellent use today and they were quickest on the first run through the mammoth 50.6km Kunneywa-Niueo test, the longest stage of the entire 2005 FIA World Rally Championship. We caught up with Glenn for the inside line on one of the WRC's biggest challenges

Petter Solberg and Phil Mills are not the only Norwegian-Welsh partnership in town. Perched on the Cardiff docks is the Norwegian Church, one of Cardiff's most scenic, and more unusual, landmarks. In a happy coincidence, this year Norway is celebrating its 100th year as an independent nation in the same year that Cardiff marks its centenary as a city. The Subaru duo dropped by before Wales Rally GB's ceremonial start with their Subaru Impreza WRC2005. If you didn't know there was a Norwegian Church in Cardiff, here are some handy facts for you

Rally Deutschland saw the debut of the asphalt specification Impreza WRC2005, the model first introduced in gravel trim on Rally Mexico. On the first of three asphalt rallies in the 2005 season, the team's Chief Rally Engineer, Pierre Genon explained the key changes over last year's WRC2004

The Subaru World Rally Team undertakes a number of different types of testing. Immediately prior to Rally Finland the team were over in Finland undertaking a pre-event test. SWRT Team Principal and Technical Director, David Lapworth, explains the different types of testing and the role of pre-event tests.

It is little surprise that the abounding enthusiasm and optimism of SWRT's leading driver Petter Solberg have earned him the nickname 'Hollywood.' The tour was a good opportunity for Petter to visit SUBARU facilities in the USA, and at each venue 'Hollywood' was welcomed with open arms. Here is the report of his memorable American tour.

The 10,075-kilometre journey from the Subaru World Rally Team's base in the UK to Rally Argentina is one of five long-haul trips that the team makes each rally season. Here are some facts and figures about the complex logistical operation

In an effort to reduce staffing costs for teams contesting the WRC series, the FIA introduced new servicing regulations for the 2005 season to limit the number of mechanics per car...

We speak to Subaru World Rally Team sporting director, Luis Moya.

This year, the Subaru World Rally Team is holding its training camp for crews and the management team before Rally Cyprus. We spoke to the team's performance trainer John Mills to find out what it's all about.

The day before they started the pre-event reconnaissance of Rally New Zealand, SWRT drivers Phil Mills and Stéphane Sarrazin climbed aboard a 15-metre monohull sailing boat in Auckland' s harbour to try their luck at yacht racing.

Road sweeping, clean lines and road cleaning have been the hot topics of conversation during the first Leg of Rally New Zealand. Subaru Team Principal David Lapworth explains what it all means, and how the team has coped

The eye-catching blue and yellow livery of the Subaru Impreza WRC2005 is as iconic in rallying as the red of Ferrari is in F1. The car's appearance is the first thing that people notice and the last thing they forget, so it's important the Subaru World Rally Team get it right.

After its impressive victory of last event with old machine at Sweden, SUBARU WORLD RALLY TEAM(SWRT) headed to Rally Mexico, launch of New SUBARU IMPREZA WRC2005. As Petter Solberg had dominated this event from start to finish, it gave SWRT brilliant victory with newly introduced machine perfectly. With sensational demonstration by Chris Atkinson, now SWRT is seemed as one of hottest rally team within WRC registered manufacturers. We have got opportunity to ask Pierre Genon, SWRT Chief Rally Engineer about the victory of new machine at its debut event.

FIA regulations introduced for the 2005 WRC season mean that rallies are now 'paired' and WRC manufacturers must use one engine for two events. We spoke to SWRT Principal David Lapworth to find out what this means for the Subaru team and the Subaru Impreza WRC2005;

Unknown to rally fans across the world, on a cold, damp and rainy morning in mid- February the brand new Subaru Impreza WRC2005 was being loaded into a truck at the Subaru World Rally Team Headquarters in Banbury…

The Swedish Rally will be the first time that the Subaru World Rally Team has run three cars since Rallye Sanremo in 2002, when drivers Tommi Mäkinen, Petter Solberg and Achim Mortl were at the wheel. We spoke to the team to find out the additional equipment that it will need to bring and the increased challenges it will bring

Most Australians are more familiar with sun than snow, but that's all changing for new Subaru recruit Chris Atkinson. Having moved to the UK from Australia's sunny Gold Coast at the end of last year, Chris will make his Subaru World Rally Team (SWRT) debut on February's Rally Sweden, so, earlier this month…

John Mills:SWRT Performance Trainer

With rallying's 'off-season' running from mid-November to mid-January, the lack of WRC rallies means it's often regarded as a rest period. It's thought to be a time when teams can take a break, look back over the last year and get ready for Christmas ahead of the new season, but is there more to it than that? We speak to Subaru World Rally Team Principal, David Lapworth to find out.

Phil Mills' role in guiding Petter Solberg's WRC efforts has been recognised by the Norwegian Automobile Sport Federation who last week presented him with a special award and honorary membership at their annual awards ceremony.

The red earth stages of Rally Australia are renowned for their slippery and inconsistent nature. While a WRC car can generate huge amounts of grip when the surface is clean and hard-packed, other sections feature a unique type of gravel that can easily bring an unplanned trip to the Outback. Subaru team principal David Lapworth explains more:

This weekend in Catalunya WRC teams are testing a new technical regulation to be applied from the start of the 2005 season, which requires cars to use the same engine for two rallies. Introduced primarily as a cost-cutting measure, the idea to use engines twice was developed by a technical working group that comprised representatives from manufacturer teams and the FIA.

Thanks to the Global Positioning System (GPS) tracking system used in the WRC since 2002, teams and crews have access to far more data about the performance of their cars on rally stages now than ever before

Rally Italia Sardinia is Pirelli's home event and presents a unique new set of challenges. The route takes in a wide variety of surfaces and speeds but the majority of the action takes place on soft gravel stages, which require a carefully developed bespoke tyre in order to achieve maximum performance. Pirelli's Motorsport Director, Paul Hembery, talks about what it takes to prepare and choose the ideal tyre for the Sardinian conditions

Subaru has won seven of the last nine WRC Rally GBs. Like many of their SWRT predecessors, Wales Rally GB has become a special event for Petter Solberg and co-driver Phil Mills. The pair not only claimed their first WRC victory here in 2002, but also secured a consecutive win a year later, together with their first WRC Championship title. With such a strong record, how does the SWRT approach an event where expectations are so high? We spoke to Subaru World Rally Team Principal, David Lapworth to find out more

This weekend's Rally Japan is the first WRC event to be held in Subaru's homeland and marks the first time the Subaru World Rally Team has competed in Japan since it was established in 1993. Subaru's Manufacturer Principal, Toshiya Azuma, explained the significance of the new event

The Ouninpohja stage is famous for a huge jump located 6km from the start line, close to a landmark yellow house. Spectators measure the length of each jump and mark the distance with stakes by the roadside. Markko Martin holds the record for the longest jump. In 2003 he travelled 57 metres in the air at a speed of 171kph.

This year's Rally Argentina reaches its finale on one of the most legendary stages in the WRC, the 16-kilometre test from El Condor to Copina. Famous for its barren lunar landscape, 2,200-metre altitude and treacherous rock-lined road, the stage is a stern challenge for drivers and engineers alike and has claimed many high profile victims in the past. Before crews tackle the stage, Subaru team Principal David Lapworth and SWRT Chief Engine Development Engineer Nick Dennish explained more.

The Subaru Impreza WRC2004 is fitted with a semi-automatic six-speed gearbox that represents the latest in rally technology. As Subaru Team Principal David Lapworth explains, gearboxes have evolved considerably since 1993 when the Impreza made its WRC debut

Motorsport clothing experts Alpinestars are helping Subaru World Rally Team drivers keep their cool in Greece with a new race-suit they've designed specially for hot weather rallies. The new blue and yellow overalls may look the same as the previous model last worn in Cyprus, but as Giampiero Sanders of Alpinestars' product development department explained, the new suit brings a host of benefits to drivers

The purpose of the dampers on the Subaru Impreza WRC is to control vertical suspension movement, to smooth out the 'bouncing' effect associated with driving on an uneven surface and to maximise wheel contact with the ground to enhance car control. On rough rallies like Cyprus, dampers have a critical role to play in the car's handling, as they have to absorb the impact from constant pounding over especially rocky terrain.

With drivers making an average of 3,500 gear changes on a typical WRC rally, the accuracy and speed with which the transmission system selects different ratios is absolutely vital to achieving a quick stage time. As engineers at the Subaru team HQ in England continually strive to make the car quicker and more efficient, a huge amount of effort is channelled into the design and operation of the transmission system found under the WRC car

Following the assembly of each hand built 2-litre Subaru Impreza WRC2004 engine at the team's UK base in Banbury, the unit undergoes a thorough testing procedure on one of the team's engine dynamometers (called dynos), before being fitted to the rally car. Located at the back of the team's meticulously clean technical centre, the two Subaru dyno cells are in almost constant use. We spoke to one of the Rally Team's Engine Engineers, Nick Dennish, to find out more...

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. Aerodynamic forces are proportional to the square of the speed, so at 200kph the aerodynamic forces are four times greater than they are at 100kph.

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.

Reigning FIA world champion co-driver Phil Mills has received an award from the Welsh government in recognition of his sporting achievements for Wales

The wiring loom in the SUBARU IMPREZA WRC2004 can be described as the car's heart and veins. Running from a console unit located in the centre of the car, it includes 4040 metres of cable, 108 joins and 2100 separate crimp connections, and is painstakingly hand-built at the Subaru Rally Team's base in Banbury, UK.

Take a trip to the Subaru World Rally Team headquarters in Banbury, England and you're sure to notice the impressive quantity of polished silverware on display. Since it was established in 1989, the Subaru team has claimed 39 WRC rallies, dozens of podium finishes and has collected hundreds of trophies for its efforts. The trophies are arranged on cupboards and shelves throughout the site, but undoubtedly the most impressive collection is the one in the main rally team building, close to the office of Team Principal David Lapworth. Fresh off the plane from Mexico we asked David to pick his favourite five trophies and explain why they are so significant.

Subaru World Rally Team driver, Mikko Hirvonen has said that to drive a rally car well, "the car needs to become a part of you". Experienced drivers such as Mikko and Petter Solberg are able to 'feel' the handling of a car and instinctively know when to change gear, turn, brake and accelerate.

On Sunday 1 February World Champion co-driver Phil Mills and partner Helen became the proud parents of a baby boy called Iwan. Weighing in at 8lbs 15oz, little Iwan is Phil and Helen's second child, and brother to their two-year-old daughter, Sioned. But such is the pace of the World Rally Championship that just twenty-four hours after Iwan was born, Phil had his suitcase packed and was off to catch a flight to Sweden for round two of this year's WRC season. With 16 rallies from January to November the WRC has a hectic schedule and takes up a lot of time. So with a new family back home, how does Phil manage to balance things out? We put a few questions about travel to him to find out more:

What does your job involve?

Firstly Mikko, congratulations on finishing in the top ten in Sweden and scoring your first points for the Subaru Rally Team. Was it a good feeling to cross the finish?

In Sweden, drivers face extremely slippery stage conditions. To cope with this specialist challenge, Subaru World Rally Team drivers Petter Solberg and Mikko Hirvonen will be using skinny Pirelli P-Zero tyres, fitted with tungsten carbide tipped studs that bite into the surface to obtain maximum grip.

A new position was set in the organizational structure of SUBARU World Rally Team 2004. The "Manufacturer Principal." Meaning the manufacturer's representative. To convey the volition of SUBARU and to commonly share the philosophy, while examine the realization of the requests from the team to SUBARU. The task will extensively range from fortifying the ability of competition to team management to marketing. Previously, STI had played the role of bridge between SUBARU, but the new task would function with in the team. And the person appointed for this important task is Toshiya Azuma, the Project General Manager (PGM) of STI in charge of SWRT.

He may not be driving for the team anymore, but if there's one person who knows a thing or two about Rallye Monte Carlo, it's four times winner of the event, ex-555 Subaru World Rally driver Tommi Mäkinen.

Rallye Monte Carlo is renowned for its changing weather. Unpredictable conditions in the mountains makes predicting the levels of grip on the narrow roads extremely tricky, and it's not uncommon for drivers to face wet and dry asphalt, ice and snow all in the same stage. This makes tyre choice difficult.

Tommi Mäkinen, Luis Moya and George Donaldson from SUBARU World Rally Team visited Japan. The group spent a busy days with meeting with Fuji Heavy Industries and STI, media interviews and taking part in SUBARU Motorsport Meeting held at Osaka. During the tight schedule, the group managed to take advantage of half a day and visited the city of Kyoto. For Mäkinen, it turns out this is his first visit to the city in spite of numerous visit to the country.

On both November 22 and 23, "2003 Alpine World Rally Meeting in Japan" was held at Gumma Cycle Sports Center in Niiharu village of Gumma prefecture. The cycling courses through the woods were liken to be the special stage of WRC, and approximately 10,000 enthusiastic fans gathered from the surrounding prefectures.

More than 7,500 fans turned out last week to welcome 2003 FIA World Rally Champion Petter Solberg back to his home town in Norway, 48 hours after his emphatic win on Wales Rally GB. Normally home to just 4,700 inhabitants, the sleepy town of Spydeberg was transformed as hundreds of people swarmed from all over the country, to witness the return of their hero.

Team comments WORLD RALLY LEGEND, MÄKINEN

Organising the logistics for a WRC team can be a complex task at the best of times. As well as arranging rooms and flights for sixty on-event staff, the team must also transport all it's freight. Including a custom-built 14-metre hospitality unit, four 36 ton trucks - including a mobile workshop, a mobile kitchen, two recce cars, two management cars, a forklift truck, two minibuses, 300 wheels and more parts, tyres and spares than there is room here to mention, it's not an easy task.

With the majority of WRC service halts limited to just 20 minutes, WRC engineers face a real challenge to apportion the time effectively. To begin with there's routine work, like tyre changes, damper settings and suspension checks to be carried out, and then any unplanned work like repairs to mechanical components or bodywork. Planning the work is crucial, and begins a lot sooner than when the car drives into the service area, as 555 Subaru Team Principal Engineer Pierre Genon explained

On tarmac events such as Sanremo brakes are one of the most critical components on a World Rally Car. 555 Subaru World Rally Team Principal Engineer, Pierre Genon, explained the pressure the brakes are put under on the smooth surface events: "The cars get more grip on asphalt than they do on gravel, and the driving style is much more demanding on the brakes

Rallye Sanremo is the Italian tyre manufacturer Pirelli's home event. Enjoying an exclusive tyre partnership with the 555 Subaru World Rally team in the 2003 WRC season, Pirelli has been active in the sport of rallying for many years before 1973 when the current format was established.

Following their nail biting victory in Australia, Petter Solberg and his co-driver Phil Mills are currently preparing for one of their busiest months of the year. With three consecutive classic asphalt events scheduled back to back, we spoke to Phil Mills to get the low down on the difference of being in the car on asphalt rather than gravel...

Moya, 42, has "the perfect blend of hands-on experience, strategic know-how and enthusiasm" according to Team Principal David Lapworth and, after a hugely successful 14-year WRC career, enjoys a first class reputation with drivers and teams alike.

With 555 SWRT technicians able to complete a full damper change in five minutes and a gearbox change in nine, they're among the best in the world. But, they couldn't do it without their trusty Snap-on tools, so we took a look inside a 555 Subaru World Rally Team tool kit to find out just what they use.

Vince, you're an assistant engineer for the 555SWRT, what exactly does that involve?

Tommi Mäkinen and Kaj Lindstrom popped in to visit us earlier. We caught up with Tommi and asked him the best questions that you guys have been putting forward all weekend...

To take part in "Six Star Sports Meeting" held at Maishima, Osaka, Petter Solberg, the young star of SWRT had flew over to Japan. Various interviews, events, courtesy visits and autograph session were his busy schedule, he and the sporting director George Donaldson took half day off to visit the ancient city of Kyoto.

Since Petter Solberg and Phil Mills' fantastic victory at the Rally of Great Britain, it has been completely non-stop for SWRT's Norwegian star. We followed him for two days after his win and kept a log of his chaotic victory diary!

The 555 Subaru World Rally Team's Petter Solberg and Phil Mills had a couple of days off after they finished testing in the Perth area of Australia and used the time to get in a spot of fishing before starting the recce.

by Transmissions Technican, Darren Pentney

Following Petter's fantastic third place finish in Sanremo, marking his first asphalt podium, he made the following comments on his website.

Toshihiro Arai and his teammates spend their day off.

Right after WRC Rally Finland, the editors of Subaru-global.com paid a visit to the home of SWRT Ace driver, Tommi Mäkinen.