Marcus Come Back!!!!

[General Prim]

To Portugal Rally with Subaru Impreza

[General Prim]

Marcus Grönholm and Prodrive
back in the WRC
at Vodafone Rally de Portugal
In addition to the best drivers in the world competing in all three categories of the FIA
World Rally Championship (WRC, J-WRC and P-WRC), the 2009 edition of the Vodafone
Rally de Portugal (2-5 April) will have an additional point of interest: former world
champion Marcus Grönholm will be back in rallying at the world level, making his first
appearance at the wheel of a Subaru Impreza, a WRC car the Finn has never driven.
Marcus Grönholm, winner of 30 World Championship events, competed in the last two
editions of the Vodafone Rally de Portugal, driving a Ford Focus WRC on both occasions:
in 2007 as a Ford works driver and in 2008 driving the event safety car, car 0.
“It will be fun to return [to the WRC], even in an ad-hoc way, in a car that I don’t know at
all and after a year where I competed in some rallycross events’” said Grönholm. “It will
be nice, as there was a chance of driving for Subaru just before the manufacturer decided
to retire.”
The Finn is quite clear about his expectations: “I will not start aiming for the win, as I
want to compare my speed with the regular WRC boys over the first few stages. The
important thing is to feel confidence and pleasure, coming back to an event that I enjoy
very much and know the stages quite well.”
Grönholm will be driving a latest-specification Subaru Impreza WRC2008, prepared and
run by Prodrive and will be co-driven, as always, by Timo Rautiainen.
“Of course I will test in the Impreza before the rally, not only to try to understand how it
works but also, if possible, to adapt it to my driving style. But most importantly, it will be a
pleasure to come back to the WRC in Portugal,” concluded the former world champion.

[AlfaWRC]

Flights to Portugal are already booked!!!! Jippiiiieee

[Salist]

Marcus Grönholm and Prodrive
back in the WRC
at Vodafone Rally de Portugal
In addition to the best drivers in the world competing in all three categories of the FIA
World Rally Championship (WRC, J-WRC and P-WRC), the 2009 edition of the Vodafone
Rally de Portugal (2-5 April) will have an additional point of interest: former world
champion Marcus Grönholm will be back in rallying at the world level, making his first
appearance at the wheel of a Subaru Impreza, a WRC car the Finn has never driven.
Marcus Grönholm, winner of 30 World Championship events, competed in the last two
editions of the Vodafone Rally de Portugal, driving a Ford Focus WRC on both occasions:
in 2007 as a Ford works driver and in 2008 driving the event safety car, car 0.
“It will be fun to return [to the WRC], even in an ad-hoc way, in a car that I don’t know at
all and after a year where I competed in some rallycross events’” said Grönholm. “It will
be nice, as there was a chance of driving for Subaru just before the manufacturer decided
to retire.”
The Finn is quite clear about his expectations: “I will not start aiming for the win, as I
want to compare my speed with the regular WRC boys over the first few stages. The
important thing is to feel confidence and pleasure, coming back to an event that I enjoy
very much and know the stages quite well.”
Grönholm will be driving a latest-specification Subaru Impreza WRC2008, prepared and
run by Prodrive and will be co-driven, as always, by Timo Rautiainen.
“Of course I will test in the Impreza before the rally, not only to try to understand how it
works but also, if possible, to adapt it to my driving style. But most importantly, it will be a
pleasure to come back to the WRC in Portugal,” concluded the former world champion.

Source???

[Rally_Rocks]

Official press release from Rally de Portugal. Looks like he's driving Grondal's car from Norway. Probably backed by Vodafone.

[DonJippo]

Source???

http://www.rallydeportugal.pt/index....e_id=296&MIT=1

[teufel]

Great to see him back, let see if he can beat Petter!

[curry]

All I can say is WHY?

[SubaruNorway]

I think he's already tested it, one of Østberg's mechanics was on a test with him last week anyway....?

[N.O.T]

this is going to be interesting...top 5 is a realistic target.