HANDBRAKES &HAIRPINS 324

YOUR insight “into the world of RALLY!”

ISSUE 324/CONTENTS EDITORIAL INFORMATION 01/ Cover Editor/ Evan Rothman 02/ ATS Photojournalist/ Eva Kovkova 03/ Editorial Information Contributors/ Liga Stirna, Kris Karnitiss 04/ Opening Shot CONTACT INFORMATION 05/ Tuthill Porsche goes WRC 08/ M-Sport facelifts Fiesta RS WRC E-mail us/ [email protected] 10/ Finland celebrates this week Call us/ +27 83 452 6892 Surf us/ http://wp.me/pkXc

All content copyrighted property of HANDBRAKES & HAIRPINS, Cover Photograph: Eva Kovkova 2007-13. 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. OPENING SHOT Each week we’ll be inviting YOU to select our Opening and Closing Shots. We’ll post up five images on our Facebook Page (facebook.com/handhmag) for you to choose. Marcus Gronholm readies for the Neste Oil Helsinki Rally Battle. Picture: Eva Kovkova. TUTHILL PORSCHE AND WRC? Tuthill is bringing back the “passion and excitement for the WRC with its own style, and Porsches. This is something exciting!”

WORDS: H&H PHOTOS: JMS Photographic/Tuthill Porsche

World famous Porsche 911 rally preparation expert, Tuthill Porsche, unveils its all-new Porsche 911 RGT rally car for FIA WRC competition. The fi rst test was carried out in full view of the public as course car on the 2014 Harry Flatters Rally in the UK. “Our aim with this project was to create a modern 911 rally car that is easy and fun to drive: a car that will appeal to all levels of driver ability,” said Richard Tuthill of Team Tuthill Porsche. “Led by our highly experienced project engineer, Graham Moore the team has done a magnifi cent job. We enjoyed an amazing fi rst day in the Porsche 997 RGT rally car. The car lands beautifully from jumps, is incredibly nimble through the narrow tight twisty stuff and hugely competent in the fast sections. It was born to rally! There is no doubt that it will be extremely competitive in the overall standings. “The primary purpose of this public test was to put some miles under our belts. This we achieved, also testing four different set-ups and two different tyre combinations on the day,” continued Tuthill. “I may be biased, but our latest rally 911 seemed the most popular car on the stages and in the service park. So many people offered their congratulations, describing our Porsche 911 RGT as a breath of fresh air. We hope that the MSA will fully recognise this category in due course, so we can see more cars of this class being used and enjoy some competition. In the meantime, roll on WRC Germany!” 06 H&H ••

FORD FACELIFTS FIESTA WRC The front end of the Fiesta RS WRC is now even “more aggressive. It adds even more appeal to these might M-Sport machines.”

WORDS: H&H Team Principal and M-Sport Managing Director, PHOTOS: M-Sport Malcolm Wilson OBE, said: “We’ve been keen to see the new-look Ford Fiesta RS WRC on the stages for some time now and I am happy to announce that that time has come. M-Sport World Rally Team’s Ford Fiesta RS WRCs will be We continue to enjoy a strong working relationship with the sporting a new-look this week when and Elfyn and their technical support has been Evans power through the high-speed forests of the 64th Neste invaluable in the creation of our award-winning range of Ford Oil . As rallying’s spiritual home, there is perhaps Fiesta rally cars. This facelift strengthens the bond between no batter backdrop on which to debut the Fiesta’s long-awaited Ford and M-Sport and it’s great to see the Blue Oval’s latest facelift and the M-Sport crews will be looking to celebrate the and highly successful production model represented in our reveal with a similarly celebratory performance. top-specifi cation competition cars.” Based on the road-going Ford Fiesta ST – Ford’s Head of Ford Racing in Europe, Gerard Quinn, fastest-ever production Fiesta which combines contemporary said: “Ford and M-Sport continue to enjoy a strong working style with the Blue Oval’s state-of-the-art EcoBoost technology relationship and it’s great to see this captured in the new- – the new-look highlights the valued technical look Ford Fiesta RS WRC. The Ford Fiesta ST has received support which M-Sport continues to receive from the Ford considerable success and recognition since its launch last year. Motor Company; and what better way to commemorate It’s a pleasure to see that M-Sport’s collaboration with the that support than with a successful outing on one of the FIA Ford styling team has resulted in our latest production model ’s most anticipated and prestigious being represented alongside our state-of-the-art EcoBoost events? technology in the FIA World Rally Championship.” 09 H&H •• FINNISH FOREST FUN FOR WRC This is a perfect way to ease into the WRC’s “Neste Oil Rally FInland: smoking tyres, sideways drivers and champagne spray.” athlete, wrestled the 2014-spec car around the tight stage as fast as he could muscle it, and came within touching distance of the i20’s regular driver ’s stage times. Gronholm’s driving is fi lled with cliches - as is this article - and his never-say-die approach won him evern more fans. If the WRC teams are scratching their heads in search for a seasoned rally driver for testing... Handbrakes & Hairpins soaked up the atmosphere in Helsinki, and can report that the Finns are every bit as crazy about this sport as South Americans are about their football. And, it is as well- respected and followed as football in any country with numerous articles splashed across the newspapers’ front pages. The attraction of greats such as Markku Alen, Tommi Makinen, Marcus “The Boss” Gronholm, and , with the “junior” fi eld of Neuville, Sebastien Ogier, Ostberg, Jari-Matti Latvala, Mikko Hirvonen and Juha Hanninen, this was always going to attract the media and fans alike. The media centre was abuzz with journalists from all corners of the world, and even Becs Williams and Julian Porter from Rally Radio were on the job in Helsinki. It was billed as a “Stars vs Legends” thriller, but the Finnish fans and early Rally Finland fans weren’t in any doubts as to the winner it seemed. Neste Oil, who sponsored this event and the upcoming WRC round, brought rallying to the masses in an exciting way. It was not the usual Super Special Stage foray staged for fans to get closer to the rally action, but the added dimension of the “Legends” hit the sweet spot for casual passersby and rally fans new and old. The hard-revving, handbraking and spinning stars in cars made the event WORDS: Evan Rothman so much more than even the event organisers imagined. PHOTOS: Eva Kovkova This recipe will most likely be adopted by other rallies soon, and with good reason: simply fantastic! The Neste Oil Helsinki Rally Battle held this past The course was but only 875 meters and run Saturday teased rally fans for this weekend’s exciting in a two-lap format for a 1650m sprint, yet the crowds Neste Oil Rally Finland, Round Eight of the 2014 World and drivers treated it like a . Honour was at Rally Championship season. But, it was far more than stake, and national pride too. The “Legends” performed that. admirably in cars they’d never driven until that day, and Former World Rally Champions and the young to come within grasp of the WRC stars was enthralling guns of today battled out in current rally machinery for to watch unfold. Had it been a gravel stage, then we feel glory. They performed to the crowds too, with plenty the “Stars” would have enjoyed more of an advantage. sideways action, smoking tyres and stage times all However, “The Boss” is not one to underestimate ever... within tenths of seconds apart from one another for Overalls and cars now cleaned of champagne a closely fought battle. A great spectacle and a great stains, drivers focused on polishing their pacenotes and marketing excercise to sell tickets for the Rally Finland. engineers prepping their rally machines for the “Finnish And it is not as if this event needs any such tricks to fi ll Grand Prix” in the beautiful forests from Thursday its stages with spectators... to Sunday, the Neste Oil Helsinki Rally Battle now Mads Ostberg and his Citroën DS3 WRC were gets moved aside as the serious business of fi ghting victors on the day, by beating out Marcus Gronholm in for Championship honours once again takes centre an Hyundai i20 WRC borrowed from the Koreans and stage. An itinerary that sees the dramatic Ouninpohja Germans for the day. Gronholm, the ever-competitive stage left out for the 2014 edition, but stages such 12 H&H ••• as Mokiperra, Kakaristo and Leustu will still make this one of the most challenging and fastest rallies on the WRC calendar this year. With 26 stages of 360.82km of Finnish forest to fl y through, and that seemingly irrepressible form of the reigning World Rally Champions Sebastien Ogier, and the Polo R WRC, it would be a silly person who bets against this combination for success here. However, stranger things have happened in the WRC and this event has dished up its share of surprises... The many jumps, high-speed sweeps, the ever-changing surface and grip levels, and the Finnish spirit of “sisu” for rallying (of which we will discuss in greater detail in te next paragraph) will make every driver attack from the fi rst corner of the fi rst stage. This the spiritual home of world rallying asks more from drivers and co-drivers than other events, and their need for speed is tested. The Finnish word “sisu” is bandied about much during the Rally Finland by the media and competitors. In the WRC’s short summer break the crews were dreamt of employing “sisu” in their PS4-something- or-other video games, hoping that to emulate to their real world encounter on the slick gravel roads. The word means more than its defi nition of courage, determination, bravery and resilience. Speaking to a Finnish motorsport competitor about this recently, I learned that “sisu” is more about ‘getting on with the job at hand no matter what.’ We’ve all watched the videos in YouTube of the local aces ditching their cars scarily into the brush at high speed on those Finnish roads in rallies, and then watching the cars literally limp through to the fi nish of the event on two wheels. That is “sisu.” We’ll be seeing drivers pour their hearts into their sport. And that should be nothing short of awesome to witness. The mind games are already in full swing. Mikko Hirvonen told us that there is no longer any advantage for Finns on this event. He said this was due the many YouTube videos that crews spend hours learning and the repeat running of the same stages year in and year out. But, we all know that’s not really true. Only a handful number of drivers in the world have claimed victory on this rally with a nationality outside of Scandinavia. Intimidating and daunting, it must be for the non-Scandinavians but the French and Germans have recently outpaced the home players. If there is to be an attack from Volkswagen rivals, it will need to begin here on the most technical roads of the season. Yes, this event is as hallowed and unique as it is hyped up to be. It is as fast and adrenalin-charged as claimed by the crews. And, it will be the most memorable rally of the 2014 season. 13 H&H •••

CLOSING SHOT Each week we’ll be inviting YOU to select our Opening and Closing Shots. We’ll post up five images on our Facebook Page (facebook.com/handhmag) for you to choose. The staging area at the Neste Oil Helsinki Rally Battle, typically Finnish. Picture: Eva Kovkova.