Prodrive Mini WRC

Just for fun I put two pictures together in graphics program and it looks like there is nearly no difference. Just the nose of the MINI makes the look of suspension travel very different. If you draw the line from the front bottom until the back bottom of the car the there was no visible difference to my eye. Well, I must admit that I had very bad picture of DS3 as well.

Let's hope Prodrive, BMW and Mini are not reading this, otherwise we won't see the car make it's debut in Sardinia and will have to wait until Sweden 2012 because it will have to be redesigned and rebuilt. :)

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Originally Posted by Mirek

SP means S2000 1.6T car. It's same with WRC except few features like smaller restrictor (30 mm compared to 33 mm), small wing, different front bumper and less powerful front asphalt brakes (no water cooling).

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Hi Mirek,

Isn't the 30 mm restrictor used for national championships? The Mini SP that Armindo Araújo and Daniel Oliveira will use in Portugal won't have the 33 mm restrictor?

I think that the new Mini WRC (33mm restrictor) is not ready before Sardegna and therefore they are using SP with 30mm restrictor in Portugal. Entry list is also indicating the same.

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Originally Posted by noel157

At the early stages of the project Vodafone were in discussions. Since Sordo signed Santander has been mentioned. But we'll see.

Good to see that some realise it's a serious project with serious backing. It can only get better.

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Castrol has a central contract with BMW - all touring car, sportscars, even World Superbikes, have to use Castrol so it will be a small, supplier deal with Mini. Same deal with Ford for rally.

If Vodafone comes, it will only be through Vodafone Spain deal with Sordo - Vodafone Global not interested in rally.

Santander money goes to Alonso in F1 (UK pays some to McLaren to advertise the change of Abbey National to Santander in UK). Might also be a small deal with Sordo.

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Originally Posted by G. Morales

Hi Mirek,

Isn't the 30 mm restrictor used for national championships? The Mini SP that Armindo Araújo and Daniel Oliveira will use in Portugal won't have the 33 mm restrictor?

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This is what is not clear to me. If S2000 1.6T restrictor is same in WRC as in regional championships. I presume it is but I'm not sure...

This as usual up to the ASN, if they allow WRC it is on. I do not think FIA can stop them, just recommend.

You didn't get the point. It's not about national championship but about WRC. The 30 mm size for S2000 1.6T is defined in FIA regional championship regulations which are not valid for WRC events.

So I had a closer look into regulations.

WRC regs say that restrictor size is given by Art.255A App.J International Sporting Code.
Art.255A App.J says that restrictor size is maximum 33 mm.

So my conclusion is that only FIA regional championship regulations include smaller 30 mm restrictor. If I get it right all 1.6T will have same restrictor in WRC, in this case G. Morales was right.

Regarding WRC and regional championship rallies I don’t think the local ASN can dictate the rules, they’re set by FIA. In national championship and other national rallies the local ASN can dictate the rules.

In GP Week, issue #105, was written that the aero package is mandatory for a WRC version but the rest is optional. As I see it in WRC events it depends on in which class (WRC = 33 mm restrictor = class WRC, SP = 30 mm restrictor = class 1 = SP / S2000) the competitor has registered for the event.

There is no word about 30 mm restrictor anywhere in WRC regs. or App.J. The only place where such number is written is regional regulations and those are meaningless for WRC events.