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2006 WRC: RALLY TURKEY

• Rally 12 of 16: Sept 22-24, 2006, Rally of Cyprus
• LOEB MISS THE RALLY DUE TO ARM INJURY - COLIN McRAE TO FILL IN

RALLY RESULT

FORD LEG 3 REPORT  (TOP OF PAGE)

• Ford claims 1-2 finish in Turkey to lead world championship
• BP-Ford World Rally Team claimed a magnificent 1-2 finish on the Rally of Turkey today to move into the lead of the FIA World Rally Championship. Marcus Gronholm and Timo Rautiainen led from start to finish in their Ford Focus RS World Rally Car to secure their fifth victory of the season in treacherously slippery conditions. The Finns won by 2min 23.4sec from team-mates Mikko Hirvonen and Jarmo Lehtinen, who equalled their career-best result in another Focus RS.
• It was Ford's first 1-2 finish since the Rally Mexico in 2004 and the result propelled the team into an eight point lead in the manufacturers' championship with just three rounds of the 16 event series remaining. In the drivers' standings, 38-year-old Gronholm narrowed the gap to injured championship leader Sebastien Loeb to 25 points while Hirvonen climbed to third in the table.
• This 13th round of the series delivered some of the most perilous conditions seen in the WRC for a long time. Torrential rain turned the gravel tracks in the Toros mountains, above the south coast holiday resort of Kemer, into swamps. More than half of the opening day's action was cancelled, slashing the competitive distance to 268.78km. Drivers yesterday compared the flooded roads to a skating rink. In contrast, today's final leg was played out in glorious sunshine and drying roads.
• Gronholm started the morning with a 2min 05.2sec lead over Hirvonen. Both Finnish pairings took no risks on the final three speed tests, covering 50.96km, and returned to the Kemer finish without any challenge from behind. Neither driver experienced any problems with their Focus RS cars throughout the three-day event, and both were delighted with the performance of BFGoodrich's tyres in the hazardous conditions.
• "To win with no problems in such tricky conditions is a fantastic achievement from the whole team," said Gronholm, who won five speed tests and for whom this was his 23rd WRC victory. "Yesterday was one of the worst days I have seen in the WRC. It was a difficult rally with so much mud and I felt far more relaxed when I no longer had to push after Petter Solberg retired yesterday. It was incredibly hard to attack on roads that were so slippery it was difficult to stand up.
• "Now we have to try to extend our lead in the manufacturers' series. That is my priority. This victory has allowed me to close the gap on Sebastien Loeb in the drivers' championship but I'm not really thinking about that title now," he added.
• "This has been a really strong weekend from the team and a very important result," said 26-year-old Hirvonen, who won two stages. "We made no mistakes which is excellent in these tough conditions. They constantly changed and we even saw hail yesterday. I was confident before the start because I knew changes to the set-up of my car would benefit me and I would be quicker. It is fantastic to have a 1-2 finish for Ford and Finland. We had such a good car and it was a good team effort. There are three more rallies and I hope for three more podiums."
• BP-Ford team director Malcolm Wilson: "This is a dream result, especially on an event with difficult conditions in which it was so easy to make mistakes. Full credit goes to both drivers. Marcus imposed himself on the rally from the start and Mikko was fabulously strong, showing how much he is improving. He is doing a remarkable job and has an extremely mature head on young shoulders. It was a great performance by the whole team. We wish Sebastien a speedy recovery and hope he is back in action as soon as possible."
• Jost Capito, director of Ford TeamRS, added: "This has been the best performance we have seen from the new Focus RS World Rally Car in its first season of competition. What is equally impressive is that this result was achieved in appalling weather and road conditions but neither car had any troubles. We now lead the manufacturers' standings and preserving that advantage is our target for the rest of the season."
• News from our Rivals
• Henning Solberg (Peugeot) claimed his first WRC podium finish in third, despite a leaking brake pipe on the penultimate stage which he fixed himself. A thrilling three-car battle for fourth saw the trio swap positions on every stage. It ended with Xevi Pons (Citroen) leaping from sixth to fourth on the final test. He finished 1.1sec ahead of Kosti Katajamaki (Ford), who climbed to fourth on the penultimate stage but suffered a loss of power on the final test due to high oil and gearbox temperatures. Chris Atkinson (Subaru) started the day in fourth but spun on the penultimate stage to slip to fifth and dropped another place on the last test. Dani Sordo (Citroen) started the day in 10th but snatched seventh with top three times on the final two stages. However, team-mate Colin McRae had less success, stopping on the final test with alternator troubles and losing seventh place.
• Next round
• The championship moves to Australia later this month for the first of two rounds in Australasia. The Western Australian capital of Perth hosts Rally Australia for the final time on 26 - 29 October.

SUBARU LEG 3 REPORT  (TOP OF PAGE)

• SUBARU WORLD RALLY TEAM MANAGING DIRECTOR, RICHARD TAYLOR: "We leave Turkey in better shape than we have the past few events. Petter collected seven fastest stage times, more than any other event this year. We were unfortunate not to get at least one car on the podium after determined drives in difficult conditions from both crews. We know that the development direction we are taking is correct and we are continuing to improve the car's performance. There is still much more to do, however we are now looking forward to Rally Australia where we hope to be challenging the top of the leaderboard again."
• PETTER SOLBERG: "Apart from hitting the rock yesterday, the rally was actually quite good for us. The car has improved and we enjoyed being back again where we should be. Of course we are not happy with the overall result, but we're happy with the performance. We'll keep pushing harder as we know there is still much more to come."
• CHRIS ATKINSON: "It's been a tricky weekend as the speed is encouraging but still we want better results. We struggled with the set-up all weekend and trying to find the right balance, so it's good to get to the finish. We're sure to be trying in Australia as it's my home rally and we led there last year and want to get a strong result."
  News from Pirelli
• MARIO ISOLA, PIRELLI COMPETIZIONI RALLY MANAGER "The Subaru drivers used the KP tread pattern throughout Rally Turkey. We have seen very challenging and varied conditions with dry gravel, mud, hail and snow all on the stages. Throughout the event the tyres have performed well and it was unfortunate that our drivers were not able to get a better result despite the increase in performance over the previous few rallies."
• The Next Event
• Round 14 of the 2006 World Rally Championship is Rally Australia, which starts on 27 October. Whilst Europe gears up for winter, Australia is heading for summer and this will be the last time that the rally is held in Perth. Local hero Chris Atkinson mastered the gravel stages to lead in 2005, as did Petter Solberg before an encounter with a kangaroo put him out of the rally. The stages are fast and flowing but the ‘ball bearing' surfaces punish the first car on the road, which has to sweep the surface clean for everybody else. Temperatures are usually hot, adding to the challenge of this extremely popular event.

FORD LEG 2 REPORT  (TOP OF PAGE)

• BP-Ford World Rally Team lies first and second in the Rally of Turkey tonight after another day of treacherously slippery competition in the southern mountains. Marcus Grönholm and Timo Rautiainen, who powered to the front in the opening kilometres yesterday, ended the second leg of this three-day event with a 2min 05.2sec lead in their Ford Focus RS World Rally Car. Team-mates Mikko Hirvonen and Jarmo Lehtinen hold second in a similar Focus RS.
• Marcus Grönholm/Timo Rautiainen: "I'm in a pretty good position so I hope that tomorrow I can keep my lead. It is better to have a big lead than a 30 sec advantage. I feel confident and the car is strong but you can never tell. Petter was pushing quite hard and I needed to keep a close eye on his times because he was on my mind quite a bit."
• Mikko Hirvonen/Jarmo Lehtinen: "I was driving on the maximum most of the time this morning, although there were some places where I could have pushed a little more. Henning was pushing hard behind me so I couldn't afford to make mistakes. On the last few events I have been able to drive cautiously to save the car but that's not the case here. I have a strong car and I was driving flat out. Once I heard Petter had retired I eased off, but that's not always a good thing because you lose your rhythm. Second would be a great result, but I must remember that tomorrow won't be easy."

SUBARU LEG 2 REPORT  (TOP OF PAGE)

• Subaru World Rally Team driver Chris Atkinson made up three places during today's second Leg of Rally Turkey to end the day fourth overall. With three more stages left to run on Sunday, Atkinson is carrying the flag for Subaru after a stage winning performance from Petter Solberg was brought to an end by a rock on the day's penultimate test. Solberg is expected to re-join the event tomorrow.
• Petter Solberg/Phil Mills: 'We came around a corner and the car hit a rock in the road. We bounced off the stage and into a ditch. I can't believe this after we've had so many positives earlier in the rally. It was an incredible feeling to again be fighting at the top, and it's very good to see that everyone's hard work is showing with more speed. There's still more to do, but we're getting back again.'
• Chris Atkinson/Glen MacNeall: "The conditions on those last two mountain stages were very difficult. We went for a steady run and were cautious trying not to get caught out by the snow, ice or mud. There's no need to be a hero, however we've again moved up and are in fourth position. Tomorrow we will just continue this approach and try and make up more time and positions.'

CITROEN LEG 2 REPORT  (TOP OF PAGE)

• Xevi Pons/Carlos Del Barrio occupy sixth place tonight, leading the Citroen Xsara line-up. Colin McRae/Nicky Grist are immediately behind them, while Dani Sordo/Marc Marti have climbed back into the top 10. All three Xsaras are in a position to score driver or manufacturer points, and the crews will be trying to improve their totals on the short final leg..
• As was the case yesterday, today's action was split into three loops of stages. Once more, the weather conditions made each loop distinctly different. During the first loop, which took in the Kemer (20.50km) and Silyon (27.36km) stages, there was no rain but the roads were still damp as well as muddy in the first half of Kemer. The second loop was virtually dry. By contrast, the final loop was run in appalling conditions : particularly in Chimera (16.91km) and Phaselis (29.98km). The crews had to contend with rain, standing water, mud and even a hailstorm at the end of Chimera !
• All three Xsaras got through the leg without hitting major problems. Xevi Pons was quick and consistent throughout the day to hold fifth place until he experienced an intercom problem on Chimera (SS14). "Carlos [Del Barrio] was getting fainter and fainter on my intercom." he recounted. " We finally had to connect our headsets to the plug we use for the road sections. The problem was that on this channel we could also hear the dialogue between our team and the other two cars... It's obviously frustrating to lose a place to a banal incident like that, but that only makes us all the more eager to get it back..."
• On the same stage, Dani Sordo hit a rock with his right rear wheel. The rim broke and the mousse was unable to keep the tyre up, forcing the reigning Junior World Champion to finish the stage on a flat tyre and drop 50 seconds. Dani took immediate revenge on the following test, Phaselis 2 (SS15), by setting his first ever fastest time on gravel in a World Rally Car.
• "With our '8' compound BFGoodrich tyres cut appropriately, we had an incredible amount of grip," he said. "I was told to be wary of the lack of grip in Chimera but after a few corners I felt very confident. I could not avoid the rock that caused our puncture : I saw it at the last minute and it was right on the racing line. I'm not as high up the order as I would have liked, but there are many positive aspects to this rally : in particular my excellent feeling with the Xsara and the quality of our notes. I set two fourth-fastest times on stages I didn't know and I took my first stage win on gravel. It's been a good day !"
• Colin McRae struggled to be as positive at the overnight halt. "It's been a frustrating and difficult day," he said. "I've not enjoyed it, what with the hail in Chimera that would have made even walking difficult, and that horrible stage where Dani set an excellent fastest time. It's the sort of thing that you just want to get over with. Tomorrow I'm hoping for normal conditions, so that we can up our pace and end the rally on a positive note."

CITROEN LEG 1 REPORT  (TOP OF PAGE)

• Colin McRae/Nicky Grist are sixth at the end of an opening leg that was deprived of three special stages in the morning by some truly awful road conditions and weather. Xevi Pons/Carlos Del Barrio occupy eighth place while Dani Sordo/Marc Marti are 11th.
• The first loop of stages was slimmed down to just the 9.9 kilometre Kumluca 1 test (SS3), after the two opening stages (Perge and Myra respectively) were cancelled because of low cloud cover that prevented the medical helicopter from flying. The drivers covered the route as a road section, which consisted of mud, mud and yet more mud ! The surface conditions varied according to the number of corners, but it was always unbelievably slippery.
• On the second loop, the same problem forced the organisers to cancel Perge (SS4) again, and lop 13 kilometres off Myra (SS5). When it came to tyre choice, the Kronos drivers based their decisions on the conditions seen in the morning picking soft BFGoodrich tyres with the biggest cut possible. Instead, they found two stages that were drying up at an astonishing rate. Despite this, the cuts did not really hold them up during the 20 or so competitive kilometres that comprised the loop.
• For the third and final loop consisting of the short Tekirova (the shakedown stage reversed), the long Phaselis (29.28km) and the traditional Akedeniz University superspecial Kronos banked once more on the roads drying up quickly. Dani Sordo went for medium compound tyres, Colin McRae stayed on soft tyres with a small cut, while Xevi Pons opted for a bigger cut.
• This time, the muddy roads had not dried up as quickly as the crews had hoped, and the conditions were degrading with every car that passed. Xevi came off best out of the three Kronos drivers, while Colin and Dani had less to shout about. Having been fourth after SS6 (Kumluca 2), Colin dropped three places before making one up again at the superspecial. Dani also dropped three places, while Xevi limited the damage to losing just one place.
• "From the start of SS7, where there was mud everywhere, I knew my tyre choice was wrong," said Dani. "The positive side was that my Xsara still felt predictable and easy to drive despite that handicap. On SS8 my notes worked well and I had a good feeling I was hoping for a decent performance. Tomorrow, we will try to make the right tyre choices and climb back up the leaderboard."
• "I can't pretend that I'm not a bit disappointed," said Colin. "OK, we've lost time, but at least we know exactly why. We had hoped for dry conditions, or at least a clean line, whereas it was muddy from start to finish. However, I'm very happy with my Xsara. I grew in confidence with it as the day went on. It's certainly been an interesting way to get to grips with it !"
• Xevi Pons, who performed consistently throughout the day and set a third- fastest time on SS5, commented : "My tyre choice was not perfect on SS8. I should have asked for a bigger cut, but it was not a disaster. Kronos generally gets it right in that department and I'm hoping for more of the same tomorrow...

FORD LEG 1 REPORT  (TOP OF PAGE)

• Gronholm leads for BP-Ford as rain creates Turkish mud-bath
• BP-Ford World Rally Team drivers Marcus Gronholm and Timo Rautiainen mastered treacherous conditions to lead the Rally of Turkey after today's weather-hit opening leg. The Finns hold a 26.1sec advantage in their Ford Focus RS World Rally Car following a day in which more than half the competitive distance was cancelled, as torrential rain turned the mountain gravel tracks in the south of the country into a muddy mess.
• Team-mates Mikko Hirvonen and Jarmo Lehtinen lie third. Their similar BP Ultimate and Castrol-branded Focus RS World Rally Car is involved in a battle with the Solberg brothers. The Finns are 26.1sec behind Petter and just 0.7sec ahead of Henning.
• Drivers were due to tackle nine speed tests covering 152.94km, the bulk high in the Toros mountains, with a spectacular super special stage ending the action on the edge of Antalya. However, three days of torrential rain transformed the dry roads into swamps. The service park in Kemer was flooded while organisers cancelled the first two speed tests for safety reasons as the medical helicopter could not land due to fog and rain. Continued bad weather led to the scrapping of a third stage and half of another due to excessive mud, leaving just 70.71km of competition.
• It all seemed very appropriate in a country reputed to be the final resting place of Noah's Ark while the superstitious pointed out that today is Friday the 13th and this is the 13th round of the FIA World Rally Championship!
• Gronholm powered into an amazing 24.9sec lead in just 9.90km of Kumluca, the only stage to beat the weather this morning. He was fastest over both tests during the second loop to extend his advantage to 37.0sec. The sunshine finally broke through this afternoon and the roads started to dry remarkably quickly as closest rival Petter Solberg fought back to reduce the deficit.
• "It was incredibly difficult this morning," said 38-year-old Gronholm, who chose BF Goodrich's soft compound tyres all day, with extra cuts carved into the rubber to combat the mud. "It was so muddy, with surprises everywhere, and it was impossible to attack in those conditions because I could have slid off the road in first gear in that weather. It was just a question of survival. I was surprised how quickly it dried, to the point that the driving line was dry in places.
• "I lost time this afternoon but that was through running first on the road. I cleared the drying mud away from the surface and that left drier conditions for those behind. I haven't driven as aggressively as I would if I was fighting with Sebastien Loeb but I'm not on my own at the front. Petter has been driving quickly and I will have to push hard tomorrow and keep a close watch on his split times. I'm happy to be ahead but the gap is not big enough to relax," he added.
• Team-mate Hirvonen made a cautious start and was sixth after the opening test. "It was like driving on thin ice and the grip changed all the time so I had no idea which parts would be slippery," he said. He climbed to third this afternoon and relished the battle with the Solberg brothers. "I think I can push Petter tomorrow. I'm really enjoying battling with other drivers because on the last few rallies I've not had to fight with anyone. I've had to raise my speed and I'm enjoying that. I'm a little frustrated to lose time this morning when I started too steadily but it was just so muddy.
• "The roads dried so quickly it was unbelievable. It was full sunshine in the mountains this afternoon and the stages were much easier than this morning. The grip was more consistent. I'm sure there will be big ruts during the second pass over stages tomorrow because the surface is so soft but I have a strong car," added Hirvonen.
• BP-Ford team director Malcolm Wilson said: "I'm delighted with the results bearing in mind the conditions the drivers have encountered, especially with Marcus being first on the road and not knowing what was lying around the corner. Tomorrow will be harder on the cars but I'm confident we can maintain our strong performance."
• News from our Rivals
• Petter Solberg (Subaru) led the chase of Gronholm, the rejuvenated Norwegian winning the final three stages to close the gap. Henning Solberg (Peugeot) spun after puncturing a left front tyre on stage 6 but he is fourth, less than a second behind Hirvonen. Kosti Katajamaki (Ford) lies fifth, despite clipping a bridge, ahead of Colin McRae (Citroen). McRae, replacing the injured Sebastien Loeb, held fourth before a poor tyre choice this afternoon cost time and he slipped back. Team-mate Dani Sordo held eighth until he also suffered with his tyre selection and dropped three places. Harri Rovanpera (Skoda) lost 30sec after hitting a rock and damaging the rear left suspension but he was able to limp back to service. The only major retirement was Jan Kopecky (Skoda) who broke his steering on stage 6.
• Tomorrow's Route
• The second leg returns to the Toros mountains. After leaving Kemer at 08.00, drivers face two identical loops of two stages before a different loop in the afternoon which ends with a repeat of the super special stage in Antalya. They tackle seven stages in total, covering 147.11km, before returning to Kemer for the final overnight halt at 21.16.

SUBARU LEG 1 REPORT  (TOP OF PAGE)

• SUBARU WORLD RALLY TEAM MANAGING DIRECTOR, RICHARD TAYLOR:
• "Despite the limited stage mileage, it has been a good day for the team. Petter sits in second overall and has given us three consecutive stage wins, all of which is a tribute to a lot of hard work by many people and the ongoing support of Pirelli. Chris has set some good times and I am confident he can move further up the order. We should be clear that there is still much more to do on the car, however we're definitely looking forward to getting back into the fight tomorrow."
• PETTER SOLBERG: "It's been a very good day actually. The development is clearly going in the right direction and the car is improving all the time. We'll have to keep pushing further and there's still a long way to go to keep looking for the speed, but after today I've got a good feeling."
• CHRIS ATKINSON: "We've taken quite a conservative approach to today because of the conditions. The set up changes we made earlier have made the car a bit easier to handle in the rough stuff and we're happy that we are driving to the plan. I'm sure that we can take some time out of the guys ahead and hopefully make up some positions."

RALLY PREVIEW

CITROEN (KRONOS) RALLY PREVIEW  (TOP OF PAGE)

• Kronos faces up to another challenge!
• Doubtless penalised by the temporary absence of number one team-mates Sébastien Loeb/ Daniel Elena, the Kronos Total Citroën WRT has no intention to give up in Turkey. The Belgian team, currently leading the `Manufacturers' rankings, is firmly decided to face up to this real tough break and has chosen to enter British team-mates Colin McRae and Nicky Grist to drive the number 1 Xsara. Dani Sordo/Marc Marti are the second nominated crew to score points as since Germany. Xevi Pons and Carlos Del Barrio take the start behind the wheel of the 2005 Xsara with active differentials.
• Colin McRae has been Sébastien and Daniel's team-mates in 2003 and has contributed - with Carlos Sainz as well to the Xsara's fast progress on gravel. The Scot has an excellent knowledge of the car. He was able to update this knowledge and to discover the passive differentials version during a test session organised by Citroën Sport's development team this week in Great-Britain. Colin takes his 146th start in world rallying in Turkey and records 25 wins. In 1995, he became the youngest world rally champion of history. His Australian comeback last November has shown he has lost nothing of his legendary attack and that his speed remains as remarkable.
• Located in between Greece and Cyprus, the Turkish round makes it the final of this year's trilogy of hot and rough Mediterranean fixtures. Its route crosses a superb natural decor with the sea on one side and the balneal town of Kemer, and the impressive Bey Dalari Mountains on the other side. In between the special stages wind through a plateau dominating the Mediterranean Sea just like a balcony. The stages reach an average altitude of a thousand meters with a maximum at 1800 m in `Pergé SS1/4'. There are also some interesting downhill speed-tests, but generally speaking they are less slow and less rough than in Cyprus, even if they can be `classified' in the rough gravel category. Usually the road surface is compacted by the organisers before hand but it is never completely stable. This gives a gravel layer on top of the surface to be cleaned, with a possible apparition of stones and in case of rain a very slippery ground. As an example last year the `Pergé' stage has presented on the first passage a dozen kilometres of thick and sticky mud.
• As far as weather conditions are concerned, this year's edition takes place in October, unlike for the previous years: a late February slot in 2003 and a move to late June in 2004 and 2005. If the tourist information advertise for a mild Mediterranean weather at that time of the year, it also recommends warm clothes for those willing to experience a walk through the mountains. It's a common knowledge that the proximity between warm sea and mountains leads to changing weather conditions. This could make tyre choices very tricky in Kemer...considering the fact that the actual stages take place some thousand meters higher.
• This will be anything but an easy job. However, the Kronos Total Citroën WRT has some good cards in hands. The Xsara WRC is at ease in Turkey: it won the three world editions of the event and it showed in Cyprus a performing pace after the last rough gravel tests in Spain. With the valuable help of BFGoodrich and Météo France, the team usually does wise tyre choice. On top of that, the motivation is multiplied with what happened to Sébastien and deprives the team for a short while of its charismatic leader...
• Questions to...
• Marc Van Dalen, Kronos Racing
• Sébastien Loeb's accident doesn't make life easy for your team? "For sure! It's really hard and it happens just when Seb had everything in hands to clinch a third Drivers' title in a row. All the team is behind him but the most important thing is that he recovers completely and for that he shouldn't go faster than reasonable. Of course, we are hoping for the quickest and complete recovery as possible. We are confident and Sébastien has kept from the time he was a gymnast exceptional physical feature and I can assure you that he will be helped with the best people..."
• How did decide for Colin McRae to replace him? "To replace Seb is impossible, that's clear! And finding a driver who could help during his absence was nothing but an easy task. Together with Guy Fréquelin, we have deeply thought and drawn a list of names. For each candidate, we have listed the pros and cons. We thought about it again over the weekend and both of us reached the same conclusion. With his knowledge of the car and his experience, Colin seems to be the one being able to perform in such a short period of time. He is extremely motivated faced to this situation which he considers like a personal challenge. We know his speed, but also know that his job won't be easy. We will ask him to put the maximum pressure on Marcus Grönholm, as well as thinking of the `Manufacturers' points for which we are still fighting."
• How do you see the `after-Cyprus' of your two young Spanish drivers? "Despite two small mistakes during the first leg, Xevi has found back his confidence and his smile. Considering his position, he cleverly chose a steady pace and didn't make any more errors on the next two days. He deserved his sixth place and it's not his fault if he couldn't achieve it in the end. Xevi's fuel is confidence. Now I'm convinced he will do a good result in Turkey, a rally where he performed really well last year in the Production category. I had a very long conversation with Dani, very affected by his Cypriot mistake. He went through a bad phase. It cannot last for long. He is a clever and gifted guy and I am sure he will come back in top form. The fact that Seb will not be in Turkey will give a higher sense of responsibility. He knows we need him more than ever and I am convinced he will bring back as many points as possible considering his lack of experience on the Turkish ground..."
• Colin McRae
• Welcome aboard Colin ! How did you feel when you knew you would be back behind the wheel of a Xsara WRC?
  "I felt very excited of course and impatient too! It's not very often that you are given such an opportunity to drive the World champion car. It's also nice to see that some people think I am still capable to achieve the result they want to me to produce. Maybe, I also felt a bit surprised, because I have faith in myself but I know there are other competitive drivers out there who could maybe have had the job! Anyway, I'm very pleased."
• You have just tested the car. Did you find it was changed? What was your feeling about the 2006 `passive' differentials version?
  "It felt rather familiar to be driving the Xsara! It's also quite surprising but the 2006 version didn't seem to be very different from the one I was competing with in 2003. The test was important to know how to play with those passive differentials and everybody has tried his best to make me feel as comfortable as possible before Turkey. The session was planned originally for the C4 WRC but Citroën Sport's development team has brought one Xsara for me to use."
• What memories do you keep from your single participation in Turkey in 2003? Do you think you can be in the `pace' straight away?
  "I don't know but the good thing about Turkey is that I should have a good position on the road the first day. If I should start with Marcus [Grönholm] and Mikko [Hirvonen], I think it would be harder. Hopefully the conditions will be dry and I could take profit of starting around the fifteenth position. It might be enough to make the difference on the first day and give me time to get back in the pace for the second day. That's exactly what happened in Australia last year. On the first leg I found clean roads, built up my confidence and I could match the front runners pace the next day. I didn't remember much from Turkey but I watched the video and the TV programme of the event and I realised that I actually remember it quite well. I know that the stages have changed a bit because people say that the organisers have been working a lot since 2003. But I will watch this footage as much as I can and I'm sure it will help me."

FORD RALLY PREVIEW  (TOP OF PAGE)

• Title battle takes new twist as BP-Ford bids for Turkish delight
• BP-Ford World Rally Team's thrilling late season world title charge heads to Turkey next week with the squad's campaign boosted by a dramatic twist to the championship race. A string of strong points finishes in the second half of the campaign from Marcus Gronholm and Timo Rautiainen and team-mates Mikko Hirvonen and Jarmo Lehtinen has enabled BP-Ford to close to within seven points of the leaders in the FIA World Rally Championship's manufacturers' series.
• The Blue Oval will aim to continue its recent excellent run of form with the Ford Focus RS World Rally Car on the Rally of Turkey (12 - 15 October) in its quest to close the gap even further with just four rallies remaining.
• The harsh environment of the Anatolian mountains high above Turkey's southern coast holiday resorts traditionally takes a high toll on competitors. Cooler and less rough than the savage conditions encountered on the previous event in Cyprus last month, this 13th round of the 16-rally championship is nevertheless one of the most demanding in the series.
• The twisty, steep tracks are rocky and have a clay base which has been baked hard by the summer sunshine. However, rain is forecast for rally week and previous years have shown that in such circumstances the roads turn muddy very quickly, cutting up easily and becoming rutted. Temperatures in the rally base at Kemer will near 30C, but the stages climb to 1800 metres so less heat and more airflow from faster roads will bring slightly easier conditions than in Cyprus for hard-working engines and transmissions.
• Gronholm has two podium finishes from the rally's three WRC appearances and the 38-year-old Finn has his sights set on nothing less than a win to boost BP-Ford's title hopes and close the gap on Loeb in the drivers' series. He lies 35 points behind Loeb with a maximum 40 still available, but the Frenchman will miss this event through injury.
• "I'm not really thinking about the drivers' championship at the moment," said Gronholm. "I will be driving in Turkey to win the rally and then I will go to Australia to try to do the same. I will try to avoid problems, avoid mistakes and then if everything goes well I hope to win this rally. If we keep clear of big problems for the rest of the season then we have a very good chance of winning a championship - and the manufacturers' title looks our best option.
• "The roads here are not as rough as Greece and Cyprus for example. They can be rocky in places but unless it rains they are good to drive. If it is wet, they quickly become horrible and muddy and that can be tricky if we're not expecting it," he added.
• Like Gronholm, Hirvonen's priority is to support BP-Ford's title push, but the 26-year-old Finn also has his sights set on claiming third in the drivers' series. He is currently just two points behind Dani Sordo after five podiums from the last six rallies. This will be his third start in Turkey, a sixth place finish in 2004 being his best result.
• "Turkey is similar to Cyprus but less extreme in every way," he said. "The roads are faster and wider, they are not as rough and the temperatures are a bit cooler. In some places there are stones lying in the road and because the speeds are higher it's easy to damage the car. It has been raining there and while it is dying, I think there will still be damp and muddy places. Even a small amount of rain changes the road surface quickly.
• "My tactics will be the same. As a team we need to catch the championship leaders and while we are still behind them in the points table, my approach to rallies will not alter. I need to score good points. If that means I can move ahead of Dani as well, then so much the better, but the manufacturers' championship is our main target," he added.
• Team News
• * BP-Ford will use BFGoodrich's g-Force hard wear gravel tyres and teams are allowed to nominate two tread patterns. The standard pattern is relatively compact to ensure a maximum amount of rubber is in contact with the ground for the best possible grip and traction. The grooves can be hand cut to open them if there is a lot of loose gravel on the road surface or if the tracks become muddy. It will be available in medium and hard compound. The second pattern is the g-Force gravel H1, a hard compound tyre which is particularly suited to the compacted clay surface on which many of Turkey's stages are based.
• * The M-Sport run Stobart-VK Rally Team has entered two 2004-specification Focus RS WRCs for Britons Matthew Wilson / Michael Orr and Finns Kosti Katajamaki / Timo Alanne. Ford Rallye Sport Turkey has entered a 2001-specification Focus RS WRC for Mehmet Besler / Ozden Yilmaz and 2000 versions for Adnan Sarihan / Bahadir Gucenmez and Emre Yurdakul / Afsin Baydar. Four Fiesta ST cars are entered by Turkish crews competing in the country's one-make series.
• * Marcus Gronholm will visit Le Mondial de l'Automobile in Paris this weekend. He will complete a range of promotional activities on both Saturday and Sunday as a guest of BP.
• Rally Route
• The route shows few differences to last year. The holiday resort of Kemer is again the base and home to the single service park. All three legs are located in the complex maze of gravel roads high in the Anatolian mountains to the west, although a new stage just south of the town will be used during the first and last days. Thursday evening's ceremonial start will be held in the larger city of Antalya 40km north and a super special stage at the university on the edge of the city will end the opening two legs. Nine stages will be repeated with just the final test on Sunday used once. Drivers tackle 351.01km of competition in a route of 1201.85km.

SUBARU RALLY PREVIEW  (TOP OF PAGE)

• Next week the Subaru World Rally Team will return to the Mediterranean for the Rally of Turkey, round 13 of the 16-event 2006 FIA World Rally Championship.
• The event's harsh terrain should have a familiar feel. Run high in the Anatolian mountains, over a variety of broken gravel roads, the stages are broadly similar to those used a fortnight ago on the preceding event in Cyprus. However, there are some important differences. Firstly, the speeds in Turkey are nowhere near as slow as in Cyprus. Secondly the stages are more varied, with several water-splashes and a range of interesting corners making them a spectator's favourite. Turkey has also had its date on the calendar altered for 2006, meaning that conditions should be significantly different to last year's. Its new slot, four months later and right at the end of the summer, makes rain a distinct possibility, as well as fog over some of the mountain tracks.
• Making its fourth appearance in the FIA WRC calendar, this year's rally will be based once again in the town of Kemer, 40km south of the holiday resort of Antalya. The event will begin with a colourful ceremonial start in Antalya's Cumhuriyet Square on Thursday evening with the proper rallying taking place over the following three days.
• The rally comprises 19 special stages and a total competitive distance of 351.01 kilometres. Friday's first Leg is the longest of the rally, with 152 stage kilometres, including a night-time Superspecial in the grounds of Akdeniz University. Leg two brings seven more mountain stages and another visit to the Superspecial, while Sunday's three stages make it the shortest Leg of the rally. The winning car is expected to cross the finish ramp in Kemer at 1306hrs on Sunday.
• Entries
• The Subaru World Rally Team will enter two cars in Rally Turkey, one Impreza WRC2006 for Petter Solberg (co-driven by Phil Mills) and another for Chris Atkinson (co-driven by Glenn Macneall).
• Petter has tackled Rally Turkey three times before and has finished on the podium twice. His best result came in 2005 when he was second. Last year was Chris's first attempt at the rally and it proved to be a dramatic debut. The Australian retired on the first Leg after ripping a rear wheel off on a rock. He was back for Legs two and three to complete the route and build experience of the tricky conditions.
• Driver Quotes
• PETTER SOLBERG: 'The Turkish rally is good, I like the stages a lot and it's one that normally suits our car and tyres pretty well. We've shown good speed there in the past and I'm going to do the best job I can this time too. When it comes to setting a personal goal for the rally, I really want to say that I'll fight for a win, but given our current form that will be very difficult. So I'm aiming for a podium, but who knows maybe there will be the chance of something better. Things can change very quickly in this sport, and for sure things will turn around for us sooner or later.'
• CHRIS ATKINSON: 'Turkey is a tricky rally with very varied conditions. Last time we had rain, hard-packed roads, some loose stuff, slow bits and flat-out sections. This year I'm expecting a bit of everything and changing conditions again - it's a fairly entertaining rally. Coming so soon after Cyprus I think it's going to be a difficult rally too. In Cyprus we weren't expecting a fantastic result, we were realistic about our chances and that's what we got. Next week I'm hoping to keep things more consistent and just hang in there. Going at the same pace we were running at in Cyprus I think a top-five finish is possible - we'll just have to wait and see.'
• The Car / The Challenge
• SUBARU WORLD RALLY SPORTING DIRECTOR, LUIS MOYA:
• "If I had to sum up the character of this rally in one word it would be ‘variable'. The roads are fast in places, but in others they can be quite rough. It's a bit like a blend of Rally Greece and Rally Cyprus. Drivers have to stay alert at all times though, especially when it comes to keeping a neat racing line. Once you're off the cleaned line there's a lot of loose material around and it's easy to slide off or spin the car. There are usually lots of rocks and boulders by the side of the roads and these have caught out a lot of people out in the past.
• Turkey also features some significant altitude changes; some stages are run at sea level, while others can be as high as 1500 metres. The high stages make things a bit more comfortable for the drivers, as the air temperature is a bit cooler. However, it doesn't help the car very much because as the air gets thinner, it loses its cooling effect and that compensates for the lower temperatures. That means that on the higher stages the event will be almost as demanding for the brakes and engines as Cyprus.
• In Turkey the main objective for Petter, Chris and the team is to put both cars in the top six. That said, of course we'll do our best to get a better result if the opportunity is there. Since the last rally our engineering team has continued its work on the car's performance and we have held a five-day development test in Sicily. We're making steady progress and are doing everything possible to get the team fully competitive again as soon as possible."

ATKINSON SUBARU RALLY PREVIEW

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