Event Bulletin
30 Aug. 2003
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 Rally Australia
4 to 7 Sep. 2003
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Itinerary | |
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| Entry List | |||
| Course Map | |||
| Results | |||
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Pre Release | ||
| Leg1 Report | |||
| Leg2 Report | |||
| Leg3 Report | |||
| Gallery | |||
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PCWRC |
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Preview
Event Bulletin
30 Aug. 2003 |
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The Event 
Next week, Western Australia will play host to thousands of fervent rally supporters, rally team members and rally cars as the World Rally Championship moves across the globe to Perth for the tenth round of the FIA series.One of the most popular events of the Championship for teams and drivers, this year sees a move for the rally from the warm November sunshine of the Australian springtime, to the cooler, wetter conditions of winter. With the event already renowned for its unforgiving mixture of super-slippery gravel and narrow tree-lined stages, the seasonal shift could see conditions become even more unpredictable as rain and mud combine to demand the ultimate in precision driving. A high-speed event, Australia's gravel stages are unique in the Championship. Small bauxite, marble-like stones cover much of the hard-packed road surface, making the event a tactical one for the drivers as they seek to secure the best possible road position on the stages. In dry conditions, few drivers relish the honour of being first car on the road, as levels of grip on the loose gravel are so low. Conversely, those running further down the order benefit as the gravel is swept off the road and more of the base layer is exposed with every passing car. The current FIA starting system means that drivers will be going flat out from the start, aiming for an advantageous running position on Legs two and three and avoiding 'road-sweeping' for cars behind. Starting on Thursday 4 September, when competitors will cross the ceremonial start ramp in Perth, the event will commence with a head-to-head sprint around the all-new 2.45km Super Special stage at Gloucester Park later that evening. Comprising almost 400 stage kilometres and 24 stages based around a single service area 60km south of Perth at Jarrahdale, the stages are located to the south and east of the city. The one exception will be the Gloucester Park Super Special, which will see crews compete in front of thousands of fans in the heart of the city on Thursday, Friday and Saturday evening. The event's longest test will be the 34.99km Stirling Long, included in Leg one. Entries The 555 Subaru World Rally Team will be entering regular drivers Tommi Mäkinen and Petter Solberg in Rally Australia. Both will be eligible to score Manufacturer's points for the team. Having contested the Australian event three times previously, Petter will be looking to build on the podium finish he achieved last year. His 555 team-mate Tommi, a previous two-times winner of the event (in 1996 and 1998), will be looking for a strong points finish as he makes his tenth Australian WRC appearance. Driver Quotes Petter Solberg "It was a great fight with Richard in Finland, but that's history now and I'm just concentrating 100 per cent on Australia. I'm feeling really ready for another rally, really pumped up and hungry to get back behind the steering wheel. Australia's a great event, very much like New Zealand and Finland - so I'm hoping for a similar podium finish there. Whether we will win or not, we'll just have to wait and see, but I'm definitely going to be pushing for a good points finish. I'm aiming for the Drivers' Championship title this year so I need to score as many points as possible in Australia. It'll be tough, and I'm sure Markko and Marcus will be quick - but I'll do my best!" 
Tommi Mäkinen"I'm feeling very positive. My recent decision to retire has not affected my determination for the rest of the year at all, and my current feeling and motivation is very good. Australia is always an excellent rally and I'm looking forward to it - it's one of my favourite events of the season. Sometimes the roads can be quite narrow and tricky, and it's important to not let the car slide too much on the slippery surface. There's very little room for error in Australia due to the trees that line the side of the route, but it's a good challenge and I'm hoping for a good result." The Car / The Challenge 555 Subaru World Rally Team Principal, David Lapworth "This will be the first time for many years that the event has been held in September, rather than November, and as a result the weather is likely to be far less predictable. With potential conditions ranging from 5°C with rain to 25°C and sunshine, teams will need to be prepared for all types of weather - I remember last time the rally was in September, most of the leading cars got stuck in a flooded river on the Bunnings section because it had become so deep! We won't be making any significant alterations to the car's set-up as a result of the change of date, but we'll be taking a wider selection of tyres, including the new Pirelli development tyre introduced in Finland, to cope with the wider range of conditions. Although I expect the changes to the rally route this year will bring down the average speed, it remains an event that suits our car, tyres and drivers and we certainly believe we can win it. We showed our ability on this type of terrain in Finland and, as we'll be starting this event with a similar set-up, we're aiming high." Between the Rallies 
It's been another busy month for Petter Solberg. Less that a week after his exhilarating finish in Finland, our favourite Norwegian took time off to marry his long-term partner (and fellow rally driver) Pernilla Walfridsson at a church in the Norwegian mountains. But, as you'd expect, rallying was never far from the picture... Among the 250 invited wedding guests was Pernilla's uncle, Stig Olof Walfridsson, who came directly from a round of the Swedish Rally Championship where he'd secured the Group N Championship title, as well as numerous other rally drivers from the Solberg and Walfridsson families. Petter's current team-mates Tommi Mäkinen, Kaj Lindstrom and Phil Mills were also there, as well as close friend and ex team-mate Colin McRae.Shunning the more traditional honeymoon option of an island in the sun, the pair then jetted off for a week long trip to Iceland. While Grandma and Grandad Solberg looked after his young son Oliver, the rally-mad pair spent their time driving along roads used for the Icelandic national rally, high-speed quad biking and horseriding. Petter then returned to Norway for a few days rest before flying out to Australia to take part in an event in Melbourne for Subaru Australia ahead of the start of the rally. (See report posted in the News section at General News - "Petter Solberg ties the knot") It's been a busy couple of weeks for Tommi Mäkinen too. After returning to Finland from Petter's wedding with his partner Eliisa, Tommi spent time motorbiking and motorcross driving before getting down to work on his farm near Jyvaskyla. At the beginning of the week he spent two days driving his combine harvester. According to Tommi it's good fun to drive, but a different experience to being behind the wheel of his Impreza WRC! Tommi will arrive in Australia tomorrow, ready to prepare for the start of the Rally's reconnaissance on Monday. Wicked Whispers: Which blonde-haired Subaru co-driver will celebrate his fortieth birthday this Saturday? A keen country-sportsman, he'll be shooting clay pigeons on Sunday morning, and might try a spot of fly-fishing too. No problem if his boots have holes though - we think he likes leeks... |
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