Event Bulletin
14 Jun. 2003
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 Cyprus Rally
20 to 22 Jun. 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
14 Jun. 2003 | ||
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The Event 
Little more than a week after collecting ten WRC Manufacturers' points in the Rally of Greece, the 555 Subaru World Rally Team heads back to the Mediterranean next week for round seven of the 2003 FIA World Rally Championship, the Cyprus Rally, which begins on Thursday 19 June.A relative newcomer to the WRC, the event was introduced to the series in 2000 as a replacement for the 555 Rally of China. It is based in the countryside around the port of Limassol on tough, rocky stages that are similar in character to those seen in Greece. Presenting drivers with a mix of scorching temperatures, rock-strewn stages and thick clouds of dust, Cyprus is renowned as one of the toughest events in the championship. Last year the event ran in the Cypriot springtime, when heavy rainstorms transformed the stages into flowing torrents of mud. This year, having reverted back to its summer slot, the rally will potentially be the hottest of the season. Taking in roads that snake through the Troodos Mountains, the twisty nature of the event's stages also make it the slowest rally of the year, with cars expected to record average speeds of just 65kph - about half as fast as the average on Rally Finland. This year's event sees the central service park and media centre move a few kilometres along the sea-front to a new, purpose built facility near the old port in Limassol, while Rally HQ will remain at the Four Seasons Hotel. 
Beginning with a ceremonial start in Limassol at 2030hrs on Thursday, the event comprises 341.05 competitive kilometres, and 18 stages. Leg one is made up of just two stages, which are both repeated, and includes two passes through Lagoudera, which at 38kms is the longest stage of the event. The second Leg will be run to the west of the island and is the longest, comprising almost half of the total competition distance. Leg three is made up of a loop of three stages run twice before the winning car crosses the finish at 1520hrs back in Limassol.Entries Regular 555 SWRT drivers Tommi Mäkinen and Petter Solberg are entered to drive Subaru Impreza WRC2003's in the Cyprus Rally. Both are eligible to score Manufacturers' points for the team. Tommi has started the event three times previously. Contesting the event last year for the first time in a Subaru Impreza, he finished third to claim his first Cypriot podium finish. His team-mate Petter has started the event just twice previously. He retired in 2001, but last year finished fifth and in the points. Driver Quotes Petter Solberg 
"I'm feeling extremely positive after our performance in Greece. Everything really came together - the Impreza worked well and the Pirelli tyres performed perfectly. It was a shame that I missed out on second position, but I finished the event happy - and it was certainly good to get some more points. I like the twisty technical nature of the stages in Cyprus and I've been working to prepare myself physically for the challenge ahead. The Subaru traditionally works well on this rough type of surface, so I'm feeling very confident." Tommi Mäkinen "Although Greece was not the best rally for me, I still came away with some points and the feeling from the car was good. I'm starting Cyprus using the same set-up that I ended Greece with, so am confident that things should go well there. I enjoy the event's twisty stages and short road sections - it keeps things interesting. It's likely to be a hot event, but that shouldn't be a problem for me." The Car / The Challenge 555 Subaru World Rally Team Principal, David Lapworth "Like Greece, Cyprus presents the drivers with a tough set of conditions, including very rough, twisty stages, and temperatures as high as 40ºC, making it one of the most physically demanding events of the calendar. I think the performance of Tommi and Petter's Subarus on the Acropolis Rally, especially the wins on the twisty Dikastro and New Tarzan tests that closely resemble the conditions expected in Cyprus, demonstrate our strength on this type of event - which is very encouraging. It's likely Cyprus will see the lowest speeds of the year, and therefore be one of the longest events for drivers in terms of overall time spent on the stages. Regarding the cars' set-up, we'll start Cyprus as we finished in Greece, but run with an even more aggressive engine cooling system, following recent testing. Greece demonstrated that the Pirelli tyres are well suited to hot, rocky terrain and their excellent reputation as a winning tyre choice on this type of event is very definitely a plus for us." Between the Rallies 
With less than a week between travelling to and from events, the 555 SWRT drivers have enjoyed just a few days at their respective homes before flying out to Cyprus.Tommi has been spending time at his summer house on his island in Finland with his (recently enlarged) family. Far from using the time to relax, the Finn has been busy building a second sauna on the island and also a new boathouse. Unfortunately for Tommi, his usual diet of smoked fish, which he often enjoys while at his summer residence, was off the menu. Northerly winds and bad weather had made fishing in the area very difficult, so he's hoping that after Cyprus the more fishing-friendly southwesterly winds will return! Mäkinen Junior's reported to be sleeping a little bit more these days. In line with the Finnish tradition where babies are only named when they reach two months old, he remains Mäkinen Junior for the time being - although big brother Henry has nicknamed him 'Mikko'. After three days at home on his farm in Norway, Petter flew out to Cyprus on Thursday, in readiness for next weekend's event. The Norwegian will spend the three days before the start of the reconnaissance acclimatising to the stifling Mediterranean heat by participating in a training camp. This will incorporate activities such as cycling, boxing, running and swimming. His fiancee, Pernilla, and son, Oliver, will join him on Monday and stay for the duration of the rally. The 555 SWRT has also been in action this week, undertaking a development test in Spain. 2001 Italian Rally Champion and SWRT test driver, Paolo Andreucci has been racking up the kilometres at the wheel of a Subaru Impreza WRC2003 during the four-day test, which concludes today. Over the first three days, Andreucci completed 638 kilometres of rough surface testing on three separate stages in southern Spain. The team will issue a test report next week. |
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