HHandbrakesandbrakes &HHairpinsairpins IIssuessue 262262 • 1133 DDecemberecember 20122012 • hhttp://wp.me/pkXcttp://wp.me/pkXc TThehe wworld’sorld’s onlyonly ffreeree ddedicatededicated rallyrally eeMagazineMagazine - eeveryvery wweek!eek! IIssuessue 226262 • 1133 DDecemberecember 22012012 EEDITORIALDITORIAL IINFORMATIONNFORMATION Editor Evan Rothman CCONTACTONTACT IINFORMATIONNFORMATION Favourite rally car? Audi Quattro S2 E-mail us [email protected] Current favourite WRC driver? Mads Østberg Call us +27 83 452 6892 Favourite WRC rally? WRC Rallye Deutschland Surf us http://wp.me/pkXc Favourite rally? Total Rally, South Africa To receive your FREE weekly HANDBRAKES & HAIRPINS Tweets too much about rallying, loves nothing eMagazine, or if you’d like to share this with a friend please more than spectating on a forest rally, and has send your e-mail address to [email protected]. aspirations of being the world’s greatest rally HANDBRAKES & HAIRPINS is not a SPAM e-mail: email journalist. He’s also oftentimes seen with a addresses are added to the mailing list voluntarily. camera in his one hand and his mobile phone ringing in his pocket at the most inopportune AADMINISTRATIVEDMINISTRATIVE IINFORMATIONNFORMATION times. Contributors Liga Stirna, Patrick Vermaak, Motorpics, Newspress. All content copyrighted property of HANDBRAKES & HAIRPINS, 2007-12. This publication is fully protected by copyright and nothing may be reprinted in whole or in part without written permission from the editor. While reasonable precautions have been taken to ensure the accuracy of information from sources and given to readers, the editor cannot accept responsibility for any inconvenience or damage that may arise therefrom. Photojournalist Eva Kovkova FOLLOW US! Favourite rally car? Citroën C4 WRC Current favourite WRC driver? Mads Østberg Favourite WRC rally? Vodafone Rally de Portugal Favourite rally? White Nights Rally, Lahdenpohja, Russia Likes to walk in the Swedish snow forests or on Portuguese dusty hills, likes to freeze, to get wet in the rain or to melt from the heat during photo hunts for fl ying cars and smiling faces. Also is knowing as a press ice bear working for South Africa :) OOPENINGPENING SSHOTHOT LLAstAst wweekendeekend tthehe CCitroënitroën TTotalotal AAbubu DDhabihabi WWorldorld RRallyally TTeameam wwasas uunveilednveiled ttoo ggreatreat ffanfare,anfare, aandnd tthehe tteameam iiss ssetet fforor aann eexcitingxciting 22013.013. PPicture:icture: CCitroënitroën RRacing.acing. START RAMP 07 WRC Champions honoured CONTENTS SERVICE PARK 09 Introducing... The Citroën Total Abu Dhabi WRT! PARC FERME 12 Volkswagen WRC is here! START RAMP LOEEBB EETT CIITRTROOËËNN:: MMOREORE AAWARDSWARDS Words: Handbrakes & Hairpins Autosport magazine’s “Rally Car of the Year” Their “Rally Driver of the Year” receipient was Sebastien Picture: Citroën Racing is the Citroën DS3 WRC. As we all know, this car took Loeb, for the seventh consecutive time. We salute the French its number one driver Sebastien Loeb to his ninth World ace! H&H The annual Autosport Awards was held last week in Rally Championship Drivers’ title, and the marque’s fourth England’s capital city London to celebrate motorsport’s Manufacturers’ title in fi ve years, while also bringing Mikko biggest stars from 2012. Hirvonen to second overall in the Drivers’ standings too. SERVICE PARK GGOLDENOLDEN AAGE:GE: CCITROËNITROËN JJOINSOINS WWITHITH AABUBU DDHABIHABI Words: Handbrakes & Hairpins Barrio and Sébastien Loeb/Daniel Elena. Khalid Al- partner for the eight-time World Rally Championship-winning Picture: Citroën Racing Qassimi will also be taking part in the majority of the team. WRC events, but will be competing fi rst and foremost “We are very proud to have forged a relationship Following on from the announcement at the 2012 Paris in the FIA Middle East Rally Championship (MERC). with a partner that is as prestigious and dynamic as Abu Motor Show, the title partnership agreed between Some 3,700 miles and just over a month lie Dhabi,” emphasized Yves Matton, Citroën Racing Team Citroën Racing and Abu Dhabi now takes real shape between Monte-Carlo Beach, the idyllic location chosen to Principal. “Like our long-time partner Total, Abu Dhabi will with the presentation of the racing programmes present Citroën Racing’s 2013 racing programmes, and the be visible across all our 2013 programmes: on the works for the 2013 season. The Citroën Total Abu Dhabi start of the Rallye Monte-Carlo. With less than forty days teams competing in the WRC and the MERC (Middle East World Rally Team’s line-up for this year’s FIA World in which to fi ne-tune preparations for a new season set to Rally Championship), but also in the Citroën Racing Trophy Rally Championship will feature three crews: Mikko feature several signifi cant changes. Obviously, the most held in the main countries in Europe. Together, we are Hirvonen/Jarmo Lehtinen, Dani Sordo/Carlos del visible of these concerns the arrival of Abu Dhabi as title also committed to establishing a rally driver development programme with Abu Dhabi Racing.” competing in Sweden, because it’s a rally that I would love (MERC) again. He will be driving a Citroën DS3 RRC sporting The eight-time World Rally Championship-winning works to win in normal racing conditions. And I couldn‘t begin to Abu Dhabi Citroën World Rally Team decals: “Joining team – including fi ve consecutive titles between 2008 and think about missing the Rallye de France,” confi rmed Seb. It such a successful team and competing on two fronts will 2012 – will now be known as the Citroën Total Abu Dhabi should be noted that the number one will only be assigned to undoubtedly help me to keep improving. After winning the World Rally Team. Three cars will compete at each of the the nine-time World Champions in 2013. title for the fi rst time in 2004, winning the MERC again will thirteen rounds on the WRC calendar. Lining up in all of the Back in the Citroën team, Dani Sordo and Carlos be my main goal.” events in the number two DS3 WRC, Mikko Hirvonen and del Barrio will compete in at least eleven rounds and will be The Middle East Rally Championship will also provide Jarmo Lehtinen will be looking to win the Drivers’ title. “Now nominated to score points for the Manufacturers’ standings two young drivers with the chance to acquire valuable that I have my fi rst season with Citroën under my belt, I when Loeb/Elena are not competing. “I’m incredibly pleased experience in a Citroën DS3 R3. “The varied and diffi cult feel ready for this new challenge,” asserted the Finn. “I have to be back with the team. The fi rst test sessions went very nature of the MERC will ensure it emphasizes the qualities of been World Championship runner-up four times, so the next well and I’m ready to help Citroën win more titles. My the DS3 R3,” commented Marek Nawarecki, Customer Racing logical step is to aim for fi rst place!” personal goal will be to win my fi rst rally in the WRC.” Manager at Citroën Racing. “The drivers will be selected The second DS3 WRC nominated to score points The team’s newcomer, Khalid Al-Qassimi will start using the same methodology that we apply in our European towards the Manufacturers’ World Championship will be his season in Sweden in a racing programme featuring promotional formulas, and they will enjoy the same backing driven by Sébastien Loeb and Daniel Elena at four rallies. eight WRC rallies. The United Arab Emirates driver will and support, geared toward helping them to improve in our “We’ll start the season in Monte Carlo and we’ll also be also be looking to win the Middle East Rally Championship programme.” H&H PARC FERME TTHEHE GGERMANSERMANS HHAVEAVE AARRIVED:RRIVED: VVOLKSWAGEN’SOLKSWAGEN’S HHEREERE IINN 22013013 Words: Handbrakes & Hairpins the start of a new era for Volkswagen in motorsport. Championship, and every single member of the team can Pictures: Volkswagen Motosport “The launch of the Polo R WRC, which is now hardly wait to fi nally get stuck into the competition with ready and raring to go, heralds a new era in motorsport the Polo R WRC,” says Volkswagen Motorsport Director Jost As of 2013, Volkswagen will line up in the FIA World for Volkswagen: the FIA World Rally Championship offers Capito. “The World Rally Championship is a new challenge Rally Championship (WRC), starting with the iconic Volkswagen the opportunity to prove its sporty qualities for us, and one that we are confronting with a host of good Rally Monte Carlo (15 – 20 January). The driving in an environment, in which our cars have always been at ideas and a strong team. Whether Sébastien Ogier, Jari-Matti crews, the fi nal design of the 315hp rally Polo was home: on real streets,” says Dr. Ulrich Hackenberg, Member Latvala, Andreas Mikkelsen or the team in the background, presented to about 250 guests and journalists in of the Board of Management responsible for development. we have fi rst-class personnel on board. 17 months of Monaco this weekend. A good fi ve weeks before its “In doing so, we are not using extraordinary prototypes, but intensive development, testing and a lot of innovation have fi rst competitive outing at the same location, the Polo a Polo based on the standard production car. This proximity gone into the Polo R WRC. For what it’s worth, the Polo is R WRC developed for the World Rally Championship to the product and customer played an important role in our also, in my eyes, a beautiful and spectacular rally car.” rolled over a symbolic starting ramp to huge applause decision to commit to this form of global motorsport.” A select driving line-up: Sébastien Ogier together in front of the famous Monte Carlo Casino, signifying “Volkswagen has prepared intensively for the World Rally with co-driver Julien Ingrassia (both France), and Jari-Matti Latvala and his co-driver Miikka Anttila (both Finland) will best option as I strive to close in on my personal goal: the for the World Rally Championship,” says Mikkelsen.