Event Bulletin
4 November 2003
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 Wales Rally Great Britain
7 to 9 Nov. 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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Preview
Event Bulletin
4 November 2003 |
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The Event 
The 14th and final round of the 2003 FIA World Championship, Wales Rally GB, is set to be one of the most thrilling the series has ever seen. Four drivers - separated by just five points - will start the event next Thursday in Cardiff, intent on claiming the 2003 Drivers' title and concluding the closest title race in the Championship's history. Sebastien Loeb (63pts), Carlos Sainz (63), Petter Solberg (62) and Richard Burns (58) are the four drivers mathematically able to clinch the 2003 crown. For Sainz, Loeb and Solberg, being the highest placed challenger should be enough to secure the title (see below). Burns ideally needs a win, but will also have to rely on poor finishes from the other contenders. With current WRC Champion Marcus Gronholm out of contention, the only thing that's guaranteed for Sunday 9 November is that there will be a different WRC victor. The pressure on the four drivers will be enormous throughout the gruelling four-day event. Watched by almost 200,000 spectators and a worldwide TV audience in more than 186 countries, each driver faces a huge challenge. Sainz and Burns are both previous WRC Champions, and have experience of Championship pressure, while Solberg demonstrated his talent in Wales' difficult conditions by clinching last year's win and Loeb has proven his ability on gravel. With the contest set to be a 'winner takes all' situation, action on the Welsh stages is bound to be furious from the outset. After a trio of Mediterranean tarmac rallies, the final round of the Championship sees a return to the forests and legendary muddy dirt tracks of Wales. With the event renowned for its tough forest stages and fluctuating wintry weather conditions, the Wales Rally of GB is fast, slippery and unpredictable. Widely believed to be Britain's largest sporting occasion, ticket sales for this year's event have surged in response to the tense title race. Starting on Thursday evening with a sprint round the Cardiff Super Special, this year's four-day event comprises 18 stages and 376.81 competitive kilometres. Commencing proper on Friday 7 November at 0530hrs, the event is based around a single service park at Felindre, 70km northwest of Cardiff. Winning Combinations The FIA's point scoring system in the World Rally Championship rewards drivers with points as follows: 1st - 10 points; 2nd - 8 points; 3rd - 6 points; 4th - 5 points; 5th - 4 points; 6th - 3 points; 7th - 2 points; 8th - 1 point If, at the end of the Championship, drivers tie on points then the winner is decided on the strength of their podium finishes throughout the season. Looking at the current results table, ahead of Wales Rally of GB, here is what each of the four drivers needs to do to win:
Entries The 555 Subaru World Rally Team will enter two cars in Wales Rally of GB, driven by Tommi Mäkinen and Petter Solberg. Both cars will be eligible to score Manufacturer's points for the team. This will be the last event with the 2003 555 Subaru World Rally Team line-up of Tommi Mäkinen and Petter Solberg and will mark the end of Tommi Mäkinen's career as a full time WRC driver. Since his WRC debut in the 1000 Lakes Rally in 1987, the Finn has achieved phenomenal success making 142 WRC starts, taking 24 WRC wins and four World Championship titles all gained in consecutive years from 1996-1999. Next year Petter Solberg will team up with Richard Burns for an all-new 2004 Subaru driver line-up. Driver Quotes Petter Solberg 
"It's just such an exciting time now, but I'm concentrating on focusing on the job in hand. With just one point between me, Sebastien and Carlos, I will be trying very, very hard on this event. I know it won't be easy, Sebastien has shown his pace on gravel, Carlos has so much experience, and Richard will be hungry for success. It's set to be a thriller, but that's when it's good, you know. We will get out there and try to do what we can.It will be strange to know that this is my last event with Tommi as my team-mate. He's the most professional driver I've ever worked with. Despite being four times World Champion, he's really got his feet on the floor, and is a very balanced and nice guy. He's always shared his rallying experience with me and I've learnt so much from him over the last couple of years. I never thought he was like that at all before I knew him! I'm always looking at how he handles things and copying him, he's like a good friend and that's how it should be. Hopefully GB will be a good end to the season for the both of us, hopefully with my victory! If I do become World Champion, then I will share it with Tommi for sure, because he's helped me to get where I am. But, that's a long way off yet and there's lots for me to do before then." Tommi Mäkinen 
"It's a very, very strange feeling knowing that this is my last event as a full time WRC driver. It's strange - I really don't know what to say and how to express my feelings. I'm hoping it will be a good feeling for me in GB, I think it will be, but at the same time I know it will be strange. I like GB as an event; I've been there lots of times before and will be attacking the stages from the start. It would be good to finish on the podium, but we will see - I will be doing the best I can. I'm very, very pleased for Petter, the Championship is looking very good for him. He won here last year, and I think he has a little bit of an advantage over the Carlos and Sebastien. It will be difficult in his position now, and the pressures on him will be quite a lot, but I think it should be a good result. I'll be doing everything I can to help."The Car / The Challenge 555 Subaru World Rally Team Principal, David Lapworth "Even if I'm objective about Petter's Championship hopes, I still put him as the favourite of the four contenders. Looking at the different points permutations, even if Richard wins the rally, Petter only has finish in the top three. With his win last year and Subaru's impressive record at this event (six wins in the last eight WRC events), that doesn't seem like too much of a tall order. He must also finish ahead of Carlos and Sebastien, but, before that, the first priority for us is to get to the finish. If Petter has a trouble free run, then he stands a very good chance. Looking at the event, the conditions in Wales have historically suited the Pirelli/Subaru combination and we've got massive experience there as a team. Pirelli have always been strong in cold and wet conditions and have a good reputation in GB, so it's looking good! 
I think Tommi is going to be very motivated for this rally. It's his last as a works driver for the team and he'll want to do well, in addition to doing everything he can to help Petter become World Champion. The statistics of Tommi's hugely successful career speak for themselves, and some of the performances he's put in during his time at the top are among the all-time classics. The number of wins he's achieved, compared to second and third places, is completely out of proportion to any other driver and that says what Tommi is all about, he's a winner. The remarkable thing about the last two years has been how quickly he's adapted to the situation where Petter has been the rising star, and his role has been to coach and support. It's something he's done completely willingly and has never held back anything, which I think most other drivers would have found difficult to do. He's been a huge credit to the team and has taken a massive part in helping Petter in his fight to become World Champion." |
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