[WRC] News & rumours (part II)

[T.Maanteiden kuningas]

That car is huge, is that "old" Saab 9-5 by china?!

[alleskids]

Thieery Neuville will be busy on twitter this year, supporting and promoting Nasser Al Attiyah.
Al Attiyah will not only do the entire MERC, beside his WRC program of,do Sweden, Mexico, Greece, Italy, Germany, Spain and Wales GB.
But Nasser will also do some rally raids (the Abu Dhabi Desert Challange, Baja Qatar and Pharao's Rally Egypte) working on the Qatar-buggy

[TheFlyingTuga]

Obviously not from that car on the photo. I can't understand French but I guess they mean same manufacturer but not same car.

Mirek, yes the article says that the car that will be transformed will be the Shenbao D320... the car from the photo. But it's also said in that article that the car as a 2.0L Turbo engine! My guess, it's that they contrated Makinen to do a RallyCar, not a WRC! China Rallys are strange...

Cheers

[Rallyper]

I just recconed words from a well known song, sung in the 50´s, or so... I don´t know why, but maybe I thought it´s never gonna be a WRC out from that car.

[Mirek]

From this car definitely not

[mikkov]

Esapekka Lappi interview in Finnish Veikkaaja magazine, main points:
- it's a two year deal with Skoda Motorsport
- first test was last April
- it was "blind test" where engineers changed setup and Esapekka had to tell changes only by driving the car
- it was hard because it was Esapekka's first tarmac test with 4wd car
- Skoda Motorsport offered first only ERC program, but eventually agreed to WRC2
- Esapekka doesn't know anything about R5 car, but says there is closed section at Skoda Motorsport where he isn't allowed to enter
- no chance of Esapekka moving to Czech Republic

[Ezhik]

Esapekka Lappi interview in Finnish Veikkaaja magazine, main points:
- it's a two year deal with Skoda Motorsport
- first test was last April
- it was "blind test" where engineers changed setup and Esapekka had to tell changes only by driving the car
- it was hard because it was Esapekka's first tarmac test with 4wd car
- Skoda Motorsport offered first only ERC program, but eventually agreed to WRC2
- Esapekka doesn't know anything about R5 car, but says there is closed section at Skoda Motorsport where he isn't allowed to enter
- no chance of Esapekka moving to Czech Republic

Can you give a link to this interview, if it's possible?

[mikkov]

Can you give a link to this interview, if it's possible?

Veikkaaja doesn't have articles online, sorry

[tolis]

Al Kuwari's programme for 2013

[dimviii]

this is only one(1) client from the skint Malcolm who can t afford to pay drivers.