14th round out of 16 in the 2005 FIA World Rally Championship, 7th round out of eight in the 2005 FIA Junior World Rally Championship

Rally Preview

The FIA World Rally Championship returns to asphalt for round 14 of the 16-event calendar at the famed Rallye de France - Tour de Corse from 21 - 23 October. The legendary event will be the first sealed-surface rally since Rallye Deutschland in August and the first of two back-to-back events.

For the first time this year the same cars will be used on two consecutive events as Rally Catalunya starts just one week after the finish of the Tour de Corse. Using engines for two events has become customary under current regulations, but on this occasion the same chassis must be used for both Corsica and Spain in an experiment for the 2007 season, when further cost-saving event pairing systems may come into play.

The weather in Corsica will also be a factor in success as bright sunshine can give way to heavy rain with only a moment's notice making stages incredibly slippery. The scenic winding roads have earned the event the nickname of 'the rally of a thousand corners' and competition will be fierce as WRC regulars go head to head with French asphalt specialists. In fact only five non-French drivers have won the event in the last 15 years.

The itinerary is similar to 2004, with each leg comprising a morning loop of two stages which is repeated in the afternoon after service in the port area of Ajaccio. After a ceremonial start in the centre of Ajaccio on Thursday evening, Friday's opening leg is identical to last year on roads south-east of the town. The second leg on Saturday is the longest. It covers tests north of the town and a stretch of road which has never been rallied before, as well as the climb of the 1193m Col de Scalella, the highest point of the rally. The last day is based south of Ajaccio and includes a brand new stage with marvellous views overlooking the Gulf of Ajaccio. Drivers face 12 stages covering 341.68km in a total route of 1023.82km. The event remains one of the most compact in the championship with more than 33 per cent of the route being competitive.

Citroen

In its bid to score further big points, the current Manufacturers' championship leaders Citroën have entered two Xsara WRCs for the Tour of Corsica; one for Sébastien Loeb/Daniel Elena, who clinched the 2005 Drivers title* in Japan, and the other for François Duval/Sven Smeets. This year, Sébastien and Daniel are ahead of schedule: their 2nd place in Japan put the finishing touch to their title-winning run during which they have set a number of new records, including a score of eight wins to date. "But winning the Drivers' title is only half the job," announced Guy Fréquelin in Obihiro. "We will now try to finish it off by winning the Manufacturers' crown again." Winning a third consecutive Manufacturers' title is now the team's primary objective and, to boost its chances, it is clearly hoping for a top result in Corsica. Its hopes are founded on the recent domination of the Xsara WRC and its Michelin tyres on asphalt – admittedly of a very different type – in Germany, but Sébastien's motivation to win his home round for the first time and François Duval's previous strong runs on the island have also helped fire the team's optimism.

Sébastien Loeb/Daniel Elena: "...the Corsican stages are not as slow as many people imagine. OK, we are sometimes in 3rd gear, but more often than not we are in 4th or 5th gear. There are very few straights, but there are bumpy sections which tend to unsettle the car, so there's plenty going on. There's no time to get bored. What I like less is the fickleness of the weather. Driving in the wet on dry weather tyres is frankly a very delicate exercise, dangerous even. Not much fun at all. But that's rallying…"

Francois Duval/Sven Smeets: "The Corsican stages are obviously not the same as those we found in Germany. But it's still asphalt, so I think the domination of the Xsara and our tyres in the Deutschland Rally is still a valid pointer. And if that does prove to be the case again, I really hope I can finish on the podium…"

Subaru

The Subaru World Rally Team will enter a three-car team on the Tour de Corse. The three Impreza WRC2005's will be driven by Petter Solberg (co-driven by Phil Mills), Stéphane Sarrazin (co-driven by Denis Giraudet) and Chris Atkinson (co-driven by Glenn Macneall). On this event Petter and Stéphane will be eligible to score points in the 2005 FIA Championship for Manufacturers. After a dramatic retirement from the lead of Rally Japan two weeks ago, Petter Solberg is hoping for better fortunes at the Tour de Corse. The Norwegian scored his first asphalt victory at the event in 2003 in remarkable circumstances after a heavy crash in the pre-event shakedown. Stéphane Sarrazin contests the rally for the second time in a WRC car, while Chris Atkinson makes his second-ever WRC appearance on tarmac.

Petter Solberg/Phil Mills: "We have completed three days of testing on asphalt with the current car and we found a balance we were very happy with. We also tried a new Pirelli tyre compound and I got a good feeling. The performance was good and I think there is more to come from the package in rally conditions. We have been reasonably competitive on asphalt in previous rallies and I will try, like in every event, to be in front. I think we can realistically hope for a podium - we have to hope and try for this."

Stephan Sarrazin/Denis Giraudet: "I recently completed two days of testing in Spain, where we tested tyres, suspension and the chassis set-up. It was very interesting and we found some good improvements. I know the rally from last year so I am very happy to go back. I am confident we can achieve a good result as we showed in Germany that we had improved and are close to Citroen and Peugeot. I need to drive well and push 100%. At my home event I will have many fans and supporters, which will make this rally very exciting to drive."

Chris Atkinson/Glen MacNeall: "I've never competed in the Tour de Corse, although I did do the recce a couple of years ago. Even though I won't be using the notes I made, it does give you an idea of what to expect. The roads are quite twisty and bumpy and the set-up of the car will be important. This will only be my second tarmac event so it will be a big learning curve, but I'll draw on my experience from Germany. My confidence is high after Japan."

Ford

Centenary celebrations will surround the BP-Ford World Rally Team when the Rallye de France Tour de Corse (20 - 23 October) marks the 100th start for the Ford Focus in the FIA World Rally Championship. The car made its debut on the opening round of the 1999 series in Monte Carlo and the second French-based asphalt event in this year's 16-round championship will mark the car's anniversary. The Focus has won 16 world rallies in the hands of three drivers. Colin McRae claimed nine victories, Markko Märtin won five events and Carlos Sainz was twice victorious. Including the wins, the Focus has claimed 59 podium finishes in its first 99 events

Toni Gardemeister/Jakke Honkanen: "The first time I competed in Corsica was in 2000 and I hated the rally," he said. "Since then I've started to like it more and now the only thing I hate about it is the weather. It's virtually impossible to predict what the weather is going to do in the mountains when we're sitting in the service park next to the sea trying to decide what tyres to choose. And if a driver is caught on dry weather tyres in the rain, it's easy to lose a minute or two on just one stage. "I don't think the roads are any less twisty than they were, but they are certainly wider. The real difficulty with the stages is the surface. It changes all the time and there are so many different types of asphalt that there is no real consistency. It's unpredictable. We will not have a pre-event test but if the set-up is good on shakedown, and we have good information available after last year's win for the car, I don't think it will be a problem," he said.

Roman Kresta/Jan Mozny: "I spoke with Jan (Tománek) earlier this week and while some stages are similar to 2002, we decided that we should treat the rally as a new one in terms of preparation," said Kresta. "The roads are very twisty, quite like the Monte Carlo Rally in parts. After the Rallye Deutschland I feel comfortable and confident with the Focus on asphalt. It's a good car on all surfaces but last year's win in Corsica proves how suited it is to asphalt. I'll use the base set-up from last year and make any changes during the shakedown. "Everyone talks about the weather and tyres, but this is the most difficult part of the event. It's not just the contrast between the service park next to the sea and the mountains where the stages are run. There is also the problem of having to choose tyres nearly three hours before a stage starts. The weather can change several times in that period," added Kresta.

Peugeot

After its two wins so far this year, in Finland and Japan, the Peugeot 307 WRC will be looking for a good result in 14 and 15 of the 2005 World Rally Championship which take competitors to Corsica and Catalonia. Peugeot has carved out a highly successful record in Corsica over the years. The French event was chosen for the debut of the Peugeot 205 Turbo 16 in the 1980s, kicking off a glorious chapter of the firm's history. In 1999, the French carmaker once again chose the Mediterranean island event to launch the career of the Peugeot 206 WRC which went on to win there twice, in 2000 and 2002. This year, the weather could well play a decisive role, notably on the tyre front, just as it promises to be an issue during the following weekend's Catalonia Rally which begins just five days after the finish of the Tour of Corsica in Ajaccio on Sunday October 23rd.

Marcus Gronhölm/Timo Rautiainen: Apologies.

Nicolas Bernardi/Jean Marc Fortin: "It's clear that I mustn't run before I can walk and that I need to take things one step at a time. However, I have no intention of simply making up the numbers. I haven't competed in Corsica since 2001, but I've already done the event three times. I therefore have a good working knowledge of the island's very technically demanding stages. It's always very stimulating too to compete on your home round, especially when you're defending the colours of the FFSA Equipe de France and Peugeot. I am very, very motivated. The trick will be to manage that motivation and to stay both attentive and concentrated. But I don't want to set myself a precise objective until I've driven the 307 WRC competitively and seen how I compare with the other drivers."

Skoda

The Skoda Motorsport World Rally Team heads to Corsica (October 20-23) for the first of two back-to-back asphalt rallies in the Mediterranean region, the Catalunya-Costa Daurada Rally taking place immediately afterwards (October 27-30). Armin Schwarz/Klaus Wicha lead the team as usual while the second Fabia WRC 05 will be driven by the French crew of Alex Bengue/Caroline Escudero and a third Fabia will be in the hands of Czech Champions Jan Kopecký/Filip Schovánek.

Armin Schwarz/Klaus Wicha: Corsica is one of the nicest asphalt rallies. The surface is smoother than it used to be but the new format of long stages and reduced service makes it a big challenge. The autumn weather can be critical here also as we have seen many times in the past.

Alex Bengue/Caroline Escudero: I know this event very well of course. I like it very much because it has a unique challenge for me. The roads are fantastic and there is a lot of good grip which should suit our car. I’m more confident about this rally than any of the others I have driven so far so I hope I can do well.

Jan Kopecký/Filip Schovánek: Corsica is the most difficult asphalt rally in the championship. I did the recce last year but this will be my first time there as a competitor. I will have to be very careful and treat it as a learning exercise but it will be very good practice for me country.

Mitsubishi:

After its highly-competitive outing on Japanese soil two weeks ago, the Mitsubishi Motors WRC team returns to Europe for the first of two Mediterranean-based back-to-back asphalt events. The Rallye de France – Tour de Corse (October 20-23) is one of the most fearsome rounds of the series and the team will once again be fielding cars for registered crews Harri Rovanperä/Risto Pietiläinen and Gilles/Hervé Panizzi, as well as a third Mitsubishi Lancer WRC05 for "Gigi" Galli/Guido d’Amore.

Harri Rovanpera/Risto Pietilainen: "Both Corsica and Catalunya are events I drove some years ago so I have an idea of the roads and the conditions and I’m more confident with these two Tarmac rallies", said Harri. "The most important thing is that our Corsica test went well, I have a good set-up and confidence in the feeling. I would really prefer dry conditions for the rally, simply because when it is like this it’s easier to get the feeling with the grip. If it’s dry, I can see more but it’s not necessary the best for our package. But okay, Corsica is twisty, fast and difficult; whatever the weather it won’t be easy but I’m looking forward to it".

Gilles Panizzi/Herve Panizzi: "I love this rally, it is the best Tarmac event in the world", said Gilles. "I will try my hardest and I hope that it will be like Monte-Carlo. I would like to win, obviously, but I think as always the weather is a big factor; every year it is the same and so difficult to predict what will happen up in the mountains. Sitting in the service park, making tire decisions so far ahead - maybe it can be raining, maybe storms inside the island, but I enjoy playing with those sort of conditions and hopefully the weather will be difficult, as that will help us. To go on the podium I think is possible. If this happens, I will be very very happy".

Event Timetable

Thursday 20 October: Ceremonial start

Start Place Foch, Ajaccio 20.00

Friday 21 October: Leg 1 Ajaccio - Ajaccio

Start Ajaccio 08.30
SS1 Ampaza - Col St Eustache 32.89km 09.18
SS2 Aullene - Arbellara 27.78km 10.11
Serv A Ajaccio (30 mins) 13.06
SS3 Ampaza - Col St Eustache 32.89km 14.24
SS4 Aullene - Arbellara 27.78km 15.17
Serv B Ajaccio (45 mins) 17.50
Finish Ajaccio 18.35

Saturday 22 October: Leg 2 Ajaccio - Ajaccio

Serv C Ajaccio (10 mins) 08.30
SS5 Vico - Col de Sarzoggiu 36.24km 09.53
SS6 Ucciani - Bastelica 26.20km 11.16
Serv D Ajaccio (30 mins) 13.01
SS7 Vico - Col de Sarzoggiu 36.24km 14.44
SS8 Ucciani - Bastelica 26.20km 16.07
Serv E Ajaccio (45 mins) 17.30
Finish Ajaccio 18.15

Sunday 23 October: Leg 3 Ajaccio - Ajaccio

Serv F Ajaccio (10 mins) 07.00
SS9 Acqua Doria - Serra di Ferro 15.92km 07.58
SS10 Pont de Calzola - Agosta 31.81km 08.41
Serv G Ajaccio (30 mins) 10.11
SS11 Acqua Doria - Serra di Ferro 15.92km 11.29
SS12 Pont de Calzola - Agosta 31.81km 12.12
Serv H Ajaccio (20 mins) 13.20
Finish Place Foch, Ajaccio 13.50

FIA WORLD RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP
Rallye de France – Tour de Corse
Media FIA Pre-event Press Conference
20.10.2005

Present:
Alex Bengue – Skoda
Roman Kresta – Ford

Q: Welcome to both of you. Alex, Corsica is the event where people first noticed you two years ago. You set some very good times then…
AB: It’s true that I made my first World Rally Car appearance in a WRC event in Corsica. Generally things went well, even though, unfortunately, I didn’t make the finish. I particularly like this event. The roads are tight and quite bumpy, but you can get into a good rhythm. It’s challenging and very enjoyable.

Q: Alex, your last rally in Germany ended, disappointingly, in retirement. How much more important does that make the forthcoming two rallies in Corsica and Spain?
AB: Germany was very disappointing because I retired early, which denied me a chance to gain valuable extra experience. That makes the next two events very important for me, but I feel good about Corsica and believe I can do well here.

Q: Thanks for the moment, Alex. Roman, is this a completely new event for you or have you done it before?
RK: It’s not completely new. I was here in 2002, but for sure 95 per cent will be new. One stage I think goes in the opposite direction now, but I can remember the Sunday stages going in a similar way to 2002.

Q: Things have changed a lot since, then?
RK: Yeah it’s completely different. For me it’s now more difficult than it was in 2002.

Q: Back to you, Alex. You’ve got two events coming up in quick succession – Corsica and Spain. How much does time spent in the car breed extra confidence?
AB: It’s fantastic to do two rallies back to back like this. I hope it will allow me to build myself up, because I am still short of time at the wheel. I hope to settle down quickly during the first leg. If everything goes well here, it will give me a good platform on which to build in Spain, where I will be able to push to the limit and show my full potential.

Q: Roman, Germany was you first proper taste of the Ford Focus WRC on asphalt. What did you make of the car in those conditions?
RK: The Focus is definitely very good on Tarmac – Germany was very good for us – and I hope this event will be the same. It’s a shame it was raining during the shakedown because Germany was a long time ago and we haven’t done any testing. The second run today was good but we went very slowly on the first one because it was very slippery.

Q: What did you learn about the Focus on asphalt in Germany? What information will be useful to you here?
RK: The Focus is always very good on Tarmac, definitely. We saw that last year in Corsica and Catalonia, when Markko (Märtin) won.

Q: So do you think these two Tarmac rallies will be the strongest part of your season?
RK: I hope so, yes. I don’t think.

Q: Do you prefer Tarmac to gravel or are you happy with both?
RK: For me Germany was very good, but Corsica and Germany are completely different – this is much tighter and I prefer events that are faster, like Germany. But we will see.

Q: Alex, this is the time of year when teams and drivers begin to finalise their plans for the following season. Where do you see yourself in 2006?
AB: I don’t know yet, but whatever happens I have to stay focused on the next two rallies. I think I still have time to influence what happens next season because I have only done two events so far this year – effectively I’m still only halfway through my campaign. My goal is to do my best in the remaining rallies and we’ll start looking ahead to 2006 after Catalonya. I would definitely like to do more events next year, though, and especially to build up my gravel experience.

Q: Roman, on the subject of next year, the new Focus is up and running already. You are certainly going to drive it in Australia, but do you think will we see you in it after that?
RK: (Laughs). I think so. It’s difficult to say. I don’t know. Many good drivers are waiting and everybody wants to go to Ford. It’s very difficult to say.

QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR:

Alain Pernot (L’Auto Journal, France): Roman, what kind of weather conditions would you prefer?
RK: For me it is better dry, but I think here there is no chance. Conditions are always changing here, which makes it very difficult.

Present:
Gilles Panizzi – Mitsubishi
Stéphane Sarrazin – Subaru

Q: Welcome to both of you. Gilles, Corsica is one of “your” rallies. How confident do you feel in the car after your experience with it in Japan?
GP: The confidence for me is better than on gravel at the moment because driving on Tarmac is more natural. I have tested the car a little bit more and am starting with more confidence here.

Q: How much has the car improved since you last drove it on asphalt in Monte Carlo?
GP: It’s difficult to talk about evolution and speed. For sure the car is getting better, but I will see tomorrow on the special stages.

Q: Stéphane, Corsica is also a special event for you – it’s one of the WRC events where you came to the front last year, when you finished sixth, just behind Petter (Solberg). How do you rate your chances of doing the same again, or even beating him?
SS: I don’t know really. Last year it was a very good rally for me – my second time in the world championship and the first time I scored points. I like this event. It’s very technical and we have a good car. We tested for two days last week. We’ll see, but it will be very difficult to beat Petter. He is very fast and has won once here before.

Q: How much do you feel you have improved as a rally driver since this time last year?
SS: I don’t know, but I feel much more confident in my control of the car – especially in the wet, when it’s sliding, and on gravel. I have done three events on gravel this year and it’s the first time in my career I’ve had to do that. But I now feel more confident and more at ease.

Q: A question for both of you. This is your home event – the Rallye de France – how important is it to succeed at home?
GP: For me this is already the best rally in the world on tarmac. I like to drive here in Corsica. I don’t feel any more pressure than on other rallies – I just feel a big, big pressure to drive in Corsica.
SS: It’s a very good rally. We have many good, interesting tarmac rallies in France, but here it’s more narrow and twisty – more difficult for me, I think – but it’s very exciting. Also, it’s better to be at home because we have more fans, more supporters. It’s just positive pressure.

Q: Stéphane, you first made your name in circuit racing. How much does your experience on the track help you on an event like this – or doesn’t it?
SS: I started my career in racing and this is only my second season in rallying. Everybody is expecting a lot of me after last year’s results, but I need to learn – especially on gravel. You cannot be at the top after just three rallies on gravel, for example. You need to learn and do many tests. This year I have done two days of testing on gravel, so I start to understand, but it’s very difficult and I know I can improve a lot. On tarmac things are more natural for me, the same as for Gilles, because racing is on tarmac. I have quite a big experience of this.

Q: Gilles, last time you drove a Mitsubishi on asphalt, in Monte Carlo, you finished on the podium. Do you think it’s possible to do the same here?
GP: I always look at the top and for sure I will try to do the same here. I will push the maximum, go the maximum. I am looking for a podium and hope to bring the car there.

Q: Stéphane, what do you see as the Subaru’s biggest strengths on asphalt. You drove the 2005 car in Germany. How do you think it will perform here in Corsica, which is much twistier?
SS: Since Germany we have tested the car and improved it a bit, but in tests you don’t really know where you are because you are alone and have no comparisons. For sure I am confident in my car. I think it has more grip and is more neutral, but we’ll see early tomorrow morning when everybody is running.

QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR
Alain Pernot (L’Auto Journal, France): To both of you, what is the situation with tyres. Has Pirelli got anything new for this event?
GP: Yes, we have new tyres. They are for dry conditions, though. We also have some evolutions for the wet, but I haven’t tested them. My test was on a dry surface. I am confident about our new dry tyres – but I don’t know if the conditions will allow us to use them this weekend.
SS: The same as Gilles. Pirelli has developed some new tyres and made some improvements, but we will see how they compare to Michelin. Pirelli is pushing massively and has made some steps, so we’ll see.

Present:
Marcus Grönholm – Peugeot

Q: You’ve never won a rally on asphalt, although you’ve come close. Is this something you feel is a serious omission from your CV?
MG: It would be nice to win on tarmac, but this year it will be difficult. We have improved the car and tyres a bit, but I feel I cannot match the speed of the Citroën.

Q: So you’re coming here with the thought of finishing second?
MG: Third, I think. I’d be happy with third this time. Normally I wouldn’t, but this time it would be OK.

Q: Stéphane and Gilles have been talking about the latest tyre evolutions from Pirelli. What do you think? Will they work in the wet or do you have to hope it will be dry?
MG: The last test was for the new dry tyres and it was a bit better. There is a small improvement, but we will see on the rally how much it helps. We don’t yet know the weather, though, so maybe we can’t use them.

Q: What the biggest difference between the tyres you might use now and those you ran last year?
MG: The feeling is closer to tyres I have used in the past, so that’s a good step.

Q: If we talk briefly about your team-mate for this rally, Nicolas Bernardi. He’s done some testing before but hasn’t used the car in a rally. What advice have you given him – or would you give him?
MG: We have not been talking so much, just a little bit about the tyres he’s used in the French championship – he has quite a good experience of the Tarmac tyres. Otherwise we haven’t spoken so much. He just wants to do a good rally and I hope he can do that.

Q: Do you expect him to go well?
MG: I don’t know exactly. He’s quite new in the car and it is not an easy position for him, but hopefully he can do something good.

Q: Do you hope it will rain or that it stays dry?
MG: I’d like consistent weather – if it’s dry it’s dry and you don’t have to think about the tyres. Normally when we leave the service park here it’s raining somewhere. The best, I think, is that it is either dry or wet.

Q: Would you like to talk about next year or would you prefer to talk some more about the weather?
MG: We can talk about the weather.

Q: So will you be disappointed if it’s dry here?
MG: No, no…

Q: Any questions for Marcus?
MG: No? Well, thank you – and where is Loeb? (who did not arrive in time at the conference) We’ll have to wait until he comes. Hopefully it will be the same tomorrow.

2005 FIA JUNIOR WORLD RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP

Present:
Mirco Baldacci – Fiat
Luca Betti – Renault

Q: Mirco, what do you think about the Tour of Corsica?
MB: It is my first time here and it looks as difficult as I expected. The most important thing is that conditions remain the same for everybody.

Q: Luca, this is your first time here too, isn’t it?
LB: Absolutely. Like Mirco, I think the conditions look tricky, but if it rains it could upset the formbook a little bit and create a few surprises. We’ll have to see what happens tomorrow.

Q: Mirco, what about the difficulty of coping with a two-wheel-drive car if the conditions are mixed?
MB: The four-wheel-drive cars tend to be more forgiving. The important thing with a Super 1600 is to be neat and tidy and not to stray too far off the line.

Q: Luca, what is the biggest difference between your Super 1600 contender, a Renault Clio, and Mirco’s Fiat Punto?
LB: The main thing is that, unlike the factory-backed drivers, I only get to drive during the shakedowns and the rallies, so I have less time to adapt the car to my own preferences. In terms of performance characteristics, they are on the whole very similar.

Q: What are Fiat’s future plans in rallying, Mirco? There is a Super 2000 car on the stocks.
MB: I have already tested it, but my main target is to concentrate on the final two rallies of this season and to start thinking about 2006 after Catalonia.

Q: How do you see 2006 shaping up, Luca?
LB: My future will be conditioned by how much of a budget I can raise. I’d like to stay in the world championship, either in Super 2000 or Group N, but it is too soon to know what I’ll be doing.

Q: Mirco, how do you look back on your 2005 season as a whole?
MB: It hasn’t been the best of years. We have had some unreliability issues, particularly on gravel events. Also, the Punto is at the end of its development curve and rival cars from Suzuki and Citroën are much newer. I expect competition to be close here in Corsica, although I’m not in a position to fight for the title.

Leading positions after the first day of the rally:

1 LOEB/ELENA CITROEN TOTAL 1:14:20.3
2 DUVAL/SMEETS CITROEN TOTAL +00:41.3
3 GARDEMEISTER/HONKANEN BP FORD WORLD RALLY TEAM +00:57.7
4 SOLBERG/MILLS SUBARU WORLD RALLY TEAM +01:07.0
5 SARRAZIN/GIRAUDET SUBARU WORLD RALLY TEAM +01:19.4
6 SOLA/AMIGO COLON BP FORD WORLD RALLY TEAM +01:24.5
7 KRESTA/MOZNY BP FORD WORLD RALLY TEAM +02:18.3
8 BENGUE/ESCUDERO SKODA MOTORSPORT +02:20.5
9 PONS/DEL BARRIO XSARA WRC +02:41.6
10 GALLI/DAMORE MITSUBISHI MOTORS MOTOR SPORTS +02:48.1
11 WARMBOLD/ORR BP FORD WORLD RALLY TEAM +03:10.4
12 ROVANPERA/PIETILAINEN MITSUBISHI MOTORS MOTOR SPORTS +03:23.6
13 SCHWARZ/WICHA SKODA MOTORSPORT +03:31.6
14 BERNARDI/FORTIN Peugeot 307 WRC +03:59.3

News from Leg One

Newly-crowned world champion Sebastien Loeb (Citroen) was unstoppable. He was comfortably fastest on all four stages to open a 41.3sec lead. Team-mate François Duval held fourth through the morning loop but climbed to second on the penultimate test. Marcus Grönholm (Peugeot) led the challenge to Loeb this morning. But the Finn fell behind both Duval and Gardemeister in the afternoon before his day ended on an even lower note when his car stopped at the finish of the last stage with transmission troubles and he retired. Team-mates Petter Solberg and Stéphane Sarrazin are fourth and fifth, their only problem coming when the Frenchman spun at the first hairpin on the opening stage. It was a hard day for Mitsubishi. Gigi Galli is their top driver in 10th, but he, Harri Rovanperä and Gilles Panizzi all suffered daylong transmission problems. Panizzi also suffered a broken rear shock absorber this morning and fading brakes this afternoon. Chris Atkinson (Subaru) was the first retirement when he stopped on the liaison section after the opening stage with a slipping clutch. He will restart tomorrow.

Driver's comments after Leg 1

Citroen

Following the second visit to the 28-kilometre Aullène/Arbellara stage, Leg 1's fourth and final test, the Xsara WRCs of Sébastien Loeb/Daniel Elena and François Duval/Sven Smeets monopolise the top two places of the provisional 2005 Tour de Corse - Rallye de France leaderboard.

Sébastien Loeb/Daniel Elena: "Four stages. four fastest times. I felt totally confident in my car from the start. I've said that I want to win this event and I couldn't have dreamt of a better start. That said, I was leading after Leg 1 in 2003 too and I can distinctly remember the mistake I made the following day which put me out of contention. So I am very aware that I mustn't drop my guard. Perhaps we will have some tougher tyre choices to call tomorrow. Who knows?"

Francois Duval/Sven Smeets: "I wasn't driving 100% to begin with. My suspension was too hard this morning but after going softer the car was much nicer to drive. I took it easy over the bumpy sections so as not to be caught out as I was on the Monte Carlo Rally. I am one of the drivers who improved their times the most second time round despite the fact that the surface was dirtier after the morning's run. I now intend to do everything I can to meet my objective which is to stay on the road and defend the position I hold tonight."

Subaru

The Subaru World Rally Team had an encouraging start to the 49th Tour de Corse, with Petter Solberg lying fourth overall at the end of the day just over 12secs ahead of team mate Stéphane Sarrazin, who finished Leg one of his home event in fifth. Petter had a trouble-free run and was pleased with the balance and set-up of his Subaru Impreza WRC2005, while Stéphane set some excellent split times throughout the day. The Frenchman finished in the top ten on every stage, recording the third fastest time through the final pass of the day. Chris Atkinson's encouraging start to the rally was cut short by a mechanical problem. The Australian retired from the Leg but will restart Leg two under Superally regulations.

Petter Solberg/Phil Mills: "Today has been a good start and I'm very happy. We've had no problems at all and have made the right set-up and tyre choices. I'd say that in general everything about the car has improved since the last asphalt event in Germany. It feels much, much better. Still we have more work to do, but we have a good direction now and we're posting some good times. For now, the podium is my goal and we'll be aiming to push a bit harder tomorrow."

Stephan Sarrazin/Denis Giraudet: "In general it's been a good day and things have improved steadily as we have gone along. The engineers did a good job at the midday service; they altered the set-up to better cope with the bumpy roads, and it was not such a problem in the afternoon. However, I still think there is more performance to come, both from me as a driver and the car set-up too. Tomorrow we will be looking to get more grip from the car, as well as a more comfortable driving rhythm for me."

Chris Atkinson/Glen MacNeall: "The first stage (SS1) was fine, no problems at all, and I was happy with my performance on my first Corsican stage. But when we stopped on the road section after the stage end control we just lost the drive completely. There was absolutely no warning, and although Glenn and I did our best, together with the engineers back in Ajaccio, we eventually ran out of time. Of course it's a real shame to finish the day like this but it's some consolation that we can get back out there again tomorrow."

Ford

BP-Ford World Rally Team drivers Toni Gardemeister and Jakke Honkanen ended today's opening leg of the Rallye de France Tour de Corse in third after an excellent performance over Corsica's winding asphalt. Their Ford Focus RS World Rally Car was the first of three on the top 10 leaderboard in this 14th round of the FIA World Rally Championship. BP-Ford team-mates Roman Kresta and Jan Tománek lie seventh in a similar Focus RS, while the privately-entered version of Spaniards Dani Solà and Xavier Amigo is one place ahead in sixth.

Toni Gardemeister/Jakke Honkanen: "I've enjoyed today and felt extra-confident with the car. I didn't test before the rally so I'm using a similar set-up to the one Markko Märtin used when he won the rally in a Focus last year and it's working well. They were difficult, tricky stages. This morning's first stage was wet in some corners and the second test had a few bends that were quite dirty, with gravel and stones on the road. I hit a stone on a corner in the first stage and the wheel felt slightly strange afterwards, but it wasn't a big problem. The grip was good when the road surface was smooth.

Roman Kresta/Jan Mozny: "This was like my first time here because many roads have changed," said Kresta. "I wrote new pace notes while most other drivers with recent experience have just had to modify theirs. I made a few changes during the morning stages because they were not precise enough. It was hard to drive at maximum pace in those circumstances and I needed a little more confidence in myself."

Peugeot

After the last stage of the opening day of the Rally de France-Tour de Corse, Marcus Gronholm was forced to retire with his car's transmission seized. The Finn was unable to re-start the car on the starter motor and his rally was sadly over. The second Peugeot 307 WRC, driven by Nicolas Bernardi, was delayed by gearbox problems.

Marcus Gronhölm/Timo Rautiainen: Retired

Nicolas Bernardi/Jean Marc Fortin: "Our starting position of 17th on the road handicapped us from the start, as we encountered a very dirty road and I could not find a good feeling. The car lacked precision. We changed a few settings for the second loop of stages but we did not go the right way on this. On the last stage we had gearbox problems from the start. Tomorrow we are going to try and find a better solution by going back to our conventional gearbox."

Skoda

The Skoda Motorsport World Rally Team made a solid start to the Corsica Rally with all three crews successfully completing the opening leg to the south east of Ajaccio. Alex Bengue completed the four long stages in eighth place with Armin Schwarz 13th and Jan Kopecký 15th on his Corsican debut.

Armin Schwarz/Klaus Wicha: "This morning the car was good but this afternoon I lost the power steering and that is a big problem when the roads are as twisty as they are in Corsica."

Alex Bengue/Caroline Escudero: "I was a bit too cautious this morning but I didn't want to make any mistakes. We improved the set-up this afternoon but it is very difficult to find a good compromise between the soft suspension you need for the bumpy sections and the hard settings you need for the smooth roads - often all on the same stage. Overall I'm pleased with today and I am looking forward to tomorrow."

Jan Kopecký/Filip Schovánek: "It has been very difficult for me today. I spun at the first corner of the first stage and I am very aware that this is a rally where experience counts for everything. I was happy that I could be a lot quicker on the second run through the stages but I will not be taking any risks here."

Mitsubishi:

The Mitsubishi Motors Motor Sports WRC crews experienced a difficult opening leg of the Rallye de France - Tour de Corse and the trio of Lancer WRC05 crews hold 10th, 12th and 16th overnight, with "Gigi" Galli/Guido d'Amore the highest-placed.

Harri Rovanpera/Risto Pietilainen: "This morning we had to switch to the manual gearshift and it's not so easy when you are trying to shift quickly driving one-handed on fast and narrow roads. We've had similar problems this afternoon and also a big tire vibration from a broken EMI in both stages. We ended up swapping the right rear with the spare, then put that one on the front right as well as the front left! It's very difficult to feel where the problem is, but it was obviously the rear left!"

Gilles Panizzi/Herve Panizzi: "Obviously we lost a lot of time with a broken shock absorber this morning, but then we also lost the brakes this afternoon. They were sometimes okay in SS3, but then they went completely in SS4 and every time I went to brake the pedal just went to the floor. For me, the car is generally very nervous; it's difficult to imagine it is the same car with the same set-up as during our first lap at shakedown yesterday."

Leading positions after the second day of the rally:

1. S Loeb/D Elena F Citroen Xsara 2hr 38min 10.7sec
2. T Gardemeister/J Honkanen FIN Ford Focus RS 2hr 39min 41.2sec
3. P Solberg/P Mills N Subaru Impreza 2hr 40min 05.8sec
4. F Duval/S Smeets B Citroen Xsara 2hr 40min 30.4sec
5. S Sarrazin/D Giraudet F Subaru Impreza 2hr 40min 38.4sec
6. R Kresta/J Tománek CZ Ford Focus RS 2hr 42min 06.8sec
7. A Bengue/C Escudero F Skoda Fabia 2hr 42min 52.6sec
8. X Pons/C Del Barrio E Citroen Xsara 2hr 42min 55.3sec
9. G Galli/G D'Amore I Mitsubishi Lancer 2hr 43min 37.5sec
10 N Bernardi/J-M Fortin F Peugeot 307 2hr 44min 04.5sec

News from Leg Two

Sebastien Loeb (Citroen) continued his domination and now leads by 1min 30.5sec.  He was fastest on all four stages and has now won all eight tests to date.  Team-mate François Duval had major brake problems on the opening two stages, losing almost 80 seconds and dropping to fifth.  However, the Belgian was second fastest on both afternoon stages to climb back to fourth. He is just 24.6sec behind third-placed Petter Solberg (Subaru), who has had a trouble free leg.  Stéphane Sarrazin (Subaru) lies fifth, the Frenchman also problem free.  Differential troubles continued to hinder team-mates Gigi Galli and Harri Rovanperä (Mitsubishi), the Italian being the team's top runner in ninth.  Armin Schwarz (Skoda) had massive handling problems on the opening stage, which badly wore his front tyres and he retired for safety reasons before the start of the second test.  Another major retirement was Gilles Panizzi (Mitsubishi) who stopped in the final stage with engine problems.

Driver's comments after Leg 2

Citroen

Sébastien Loeb, Daniel Elena and their Citroën Xsara WRC profited from the second leg of the 2005 Tour of Corsica to add a further four fastest stage times to their record, taking their total for the weekend to eight from eight. The two-times World Champions* profited from an entirely trouble-free run today to pull even further clear at the top of the provisional leaderboard.

Sébastien Loeb/Daniel Elena: "Eight fastest times from eight. everything's fine. Everybody is now asking whether I can make it a grand slam. That's not my objective, but if I can win more stages driving at this pace, which is sufficiently quick to ensure the Xsara is easy to drive and for me to remain fully concentrated, then that will be a bonus. However, my main aim is to win to try to score maximum points for Citroën."

Francois Duval/Sven Smeets:  "I would like to finish on the podium. But I think catching Petter will be difficult. Helping Citroën's bid to win the Manufacturers' title continues to be the priority. I will therefore stay at the pace I adopted for today's second loop, and we will see."

Subaru

After today's second Leg of the Tour de Corse, Petter Solberg holds third place overall, with one full day of competition remaining. All three of the Subaru World Rally Team's cars ran faultlessly and Solberg finished in the top three in three of the day's four stages.

Petter Solberg/Phil Mills: "I must say, I'm happy with what we've done today. It's been better than I expected actually. The car and the tyres are working very well in these conditions and I think the development work that we've done recently is a massive step forward. We haven't had any problems to report, apart from the near miss with a pig on the first stage, and I hope we can have another trouble free run tomorrow."

Stephan Sarrazin/Denis Giraudet: "Yes, it was good, not fantastic, but we struggled a bit with too much understeer for my liking. But to be fifth overall is not bad and there are still another 95 kilometres to go tomorrow. I liked the roads today, they were very exciting, and tomorrow I hope to be able to push a bit harder. Everything can happen over the remaining four stages, I will push to the maximum."

Chris Atkinson/Glen MacNeall: "After our departure from the rally yesterday, today has almost been a test, and not a bad one at all. I'm happy with the pace that we showed all day, there was steady improvement in our times and it's encouraging to see the progress on the time sheets. We've gathered a lot of feedback from the car, especially on how it reacts in different situations. There are so many surface changes on this event that we've been finding our way a bit. We made a few little mistakes, but we're learning more all the time and it's definitely going to help us when we come back here again."

Ford

BP-Ford World Rally Team drivers Toni Gardemeister and Jakke Honkanen powered their Ford Focus RS World Rally Car into second place during today's middle leg of the Rallye de France Tour de Corse.  Team-mates Roman Kresta and Jan Tománek ensured the BP-Ford squad held two strong points-scoring positions with one day of this 14th round of the FIA World Rally Championship remaining by climbing into sixth in their similar car.

Toni Gardemeister/Jakke Honkanen: "I chose slightly harder tyres this afternoon and that was the right selection, even though I don't have such a good feeling with them.  Petter will really want second place tomorrow and François Duval will be trying hard to make up time he lost today, so I have to concentrate on keeping them back."

Roman Kresta/Jan Tomanek: "It's been a better day than yesterday. I feel more confident, I made good tyre choices and the car feels perfect.  I've made no changes to the set-up.  I didn't like these stages on the recce but at rally speed I really enjoyed them.  They were very twisty and I had two or three close escapes.  The stages were quicker to drive this afternoon but more difficult because of all the dirt dragged onto the road during the first pass.  I hope everything will be OK tomorrow, but as long as I don't make any mistakes or have any problems then I think I can keep Alex behind me."

Peugeot

Nicolas Bernardi has driven an excellent second leg of the Rally de France-Tour de Corse, regularly improving his times and entering the overall top 10 tonight.
Nicolas, classified 14th at the end of the opening leg, was one of the first cars on the road today - but for once this was not a handicap. The weather remained dry and warm throughout the leg's four stages, giving the Frenchman the opportunity to show what he can do. Nicolas consistently increased his pace, ending the day with a fourth-fastest time on the final stage - the quickest of all the Pirelli runners.

Marcus Gronhölm/Timo Rautiainen: Retired

Nicolas Bernardi/Jean Marc Fortin: "I made a cautious start as I did not want to throw away this amazing chance to drive a factory car, which I have been waiting for since the start of my career. After changing some aspects of the set-up, and with more experience of the 307WRC, I felt much more at ease today and I was able to attack without holding back. With every kilometre my confidence is growing, so I hope for a good finish to this rally tomorrow, in order to start the Catalunya Rally with every opportunity to be quick from the start."

Skoda

The Skoda Motorsport World Rally Team completed the second leg of the Corsica Rally with Alex Bengue in seventh place and Jan Kopecký 12th. Armin Schwarz withdrew from the rally after the day's opening stage.

Armin Schwarz/Klaus Wicha: "We had a severe handling problem on today's opening stage that caused an excessive level of tyre wear. It wasn't the fault of Michelin but it meant that it was really too dangerous to continue until we could find out what was causing the problem."

Alex Bengue/Caroline Escudero: "The first stage today was very slippery and I was probably a bit too careful but the second stage was better. On the third stage I had a tyre vibration for the last 24kms so I couldn't push to the maximum and lost seventh place to Xavi Pons but I got it back on the final stage. It has been a great battle with Xavi today and I hope I can stay ahead of him tomorrow."

Jan Kopecký/Filip Schovánek: "I am continuing to learn this rally and am working very hard to not take risks. I can drive quicker on the second runs through the stages which is how it should be so I am quite happy."

Mitsubishi:

The Mitsubishi Motors Motor Sports WRC crew of "Gigi" Galli/Guido d'Amore hold ninth position at the end of the second leg of the Rallye de France - Tour de Course. Lancer WRC05 team-mates Harri Rovanperä/Risto Pietiläinen have moved into 11th, while Gilles and Hervé Panizzi have been forced to retire the car from the leg due to engine-related problems.

Harri Rovanpera/Risto Pietilainen: "We had to switch to the manual gearshift again in the first stage this morning and it's not so easy. This afternoon we had the same problems, but also tried harder springs at the front which made the car a little more precise on the smooth surfaces, but when it was rough the car was bumping more. Positively, for sure we can see that Pirelli's evolution tire is much better."

Gilles Panizzi/Herve Panizzi: Retired (Engine)

Final positions after the third day of the rally:

1 LOEB/ELENA CITROEN TOTAL 3:35:46.7
2 GARDEMEISTER/HONKANEN BP FORD WORLD RALLY TEAM +01:51.7
3 SOLBERG/MILLS SUBARU WORLD RALLY TEAM +02:42.0
4 SARRAZIN/GIRAUDET SUBARU WORLD RALLY TEAM +03:34.2
5 KRESTA/MOZNY BP FORD WORLD RALLY TEAM +05:21.5
6 BENGUE/ESCUDERO SKODA MOTORSPORT +05:27.8
7 PONS/DEL BARRIO XSARA WRC +05:41.8
8 BERNARDI/FORTIN Peugeot 307 WRC +06:32.1
9 GALLI/DAMORE MITSUBISHI MOTORS MOTOR SPORTS +06:37.8
10 ROVANPERA/PIETILAINEN MITSUBISHI MOTORS MOTOR SPORTS +09:22.5
11 VOUILLOZ/PIVATO SKODA Fabia WRC +10:29.5
12 KOPECKY/SCHOVANEK SKODA Fabia WRC +10:49.3
13 WARMBOLD/ORR BP FORD WORLD RALLY TEAM +11:47.1

News from Final Leg

Sebastien Loeb (Citroen) created rallying history by setting fastest time on all 12 speed tests en route to his ninth win of the season. No driver has ever claimed a clean sweep on a world rally before. Petter Solberg (Subaru) secured third behind Gardemeister (Ford) despite a late scare. He had a gear selection problem on the penultimate stage and then struggled to move the car off the line at the start of the final test. Team-mate Sarrazin took fourth while sixth for Alex Bengue (Skoda) was his best result and the best finish of the year for the Czech team. Nicolas Bernardi (Peugeot) claimed the final drivers' point on his debut for the French team while 10th for Harri Rovanperä (Mitsubishi) was enough for the final manufacturers' point after a troubled rally.

Driver's comments after Leg 3

Citroen

In a year that has seen the Citroën team establish a long list of new WRC records, Sébastien Loeb, Daniel Elena and the Xsara WRC today picked up an emphatic, memorable win over the challenging mountain roads of Corsica, winning every single stage in the process for the first time in world class rallying's history.

Sébastien Loeb/Daniel Elena: "Everyone was expecting me to win in Corsica, so I had to do something a little different. I really wanted to win here, not only because this is my home rally but also because I love the Corsican stages. I admit that at the beginning of the season the two objectives I set myself were to win in Finland and Corsica. Marcus [Grönholm] proved the man to beat in Finland, but like him I am very pleased to have won my home round, with a little touch of panache."

Francois Duval/Sven Smeets: Retired (Accident)

Subaru

The Subaru World Rally Team recorded a strong final result at the Tour de Corse with Petter Solberg on the podium in third and Stéphane Sarrazin fourth.

Petter Solberg/Phil Mills: "I'm pleased, it was a good rally and we had some good fun out there, let me tell you. The car is going very well on this surface now, of course it's not a win yet, but it's a positive result for Subaru and Pirelli, we've made a real step in the right direction and I think it looks good for Catalunya."

Stephan Sarrazin/Denis Giraudet: "I'm happy with fourth place here, it's a good result for me and the team too. It will be interesting to see how we get on in Catalunya because we have seen this weekend how much improved the car is on asphalt. I'd like to think that we can aim for a higher placed finish next week - I hope I can improve on the fourth place I got there last year."

Chris Atkinson/Glen MacNeall: "It's a shame we weren't able to complete the stages today, but looking at the bigger picture this has been a very useful rally for Glenn and I. We've learned heaps and basically improved our pace on every stage. This is only the second tarmac rally of my career and of course it's pretty tough going up against drivers with so much more experience. The past couple of days gave us a good opportunity to test some different set-ups and finding the limit, like we did today, is part of that process. I'm satisfied that the lessons we have learned will help us significantly both next week and in the future."

Ford

Ford World Rally Team claimed its best result of the season in Corsica today to celebrate the centenary appearance of the Ford Focus World Rally Car. Toni Gardemeister and Jakke Honkanen finished second on the Rallye de France Tour de Corse in a Focus RS WRC, securing the 60th podium finish for the car on its 100th start in the FIA World Rally Championship. Team-mates Roman Kresta and Jan Tománek were fifth in another Focus RS to emphasise Ford's best performance of 2005.

Toni Gardemeister/Jakke Honkanen: "It means a lot to me to be second behind a driver who was fastest on every stage. It's my best asphalt performance. I felt sure I could take a good result because I knew the Focus RS is a great car on asphalt and I quickly realised that if I didn't make any mistakes, then everything would be fine. The car, Jakke, and I worked well together all weekend.

Roman Kresta/Jan Tomanek: "I feel very proud this afternoon. Proud for Ford, proud for my country and proud for myself. The team sent me Bengue's split times all day and I was able to pace myself accordingly so as not to take unnecessary risks. I was worried before the start on Thursday evening. I knew this would be a difficult event because I had little experience of the roads. But things went a lot better than I expected. On Friday I drove carefully but it was probably worth it because it settled my nerves."

Peugeot

Nicolas Bernardi deserves more than his eventual eighth place on the Rally de France-Tour de Corse, after a final leg in which he was twice in the top three stage times. After playing himself in over the opening day, Nicolas showed himself to be entirely worthy of the trust that team principal Jean-Pierre Nicolas had placed in him. Now the young Frenchman is eagerly looking forward to the start of the Catalunya Rally in a few days time.

Marcus Gronhölm/Timo Rautiainen: Retired

Nicolas Bernardi/Jean Marc Fortin: "I deliberately started off the rally quite sensibly, because psychologically it was difficult for me to get over the fear of being in one of the best cars and not being able to make the most of it. The road conditions were very tricky on the opening day, with a lot of loose gravel on the stages. But after working closely with my engineers I was much more at ease over the following two days, and I am delighted with the pace that we were able to demonstrate. I cannot wait to get to Catalunya next week, where I can show what I am capable of on stages that nobody has ever driven before."

Skoda

Skoda Motorsport World Rally Team driver Alex Bengue equalled the best ever finish for the Skoda Fabia WRC 05 and set a career best result when he finished a challenging sixth place in Corsica. Jan Kopecký was 12th on his first visit to the twisting asphalt roads of the Mediterranean island while Armin Schwarz withdrew from the rally after yesterday's opening stage.

Armin Schwarz/Klaus Wicha: Retired

Alex Bengue/Caroline Escudero: "This was a fantastic result for me and for the team. I'm really pleased with how the car performed and how we were able to fight with Xavi and Roman today. I'm very happy to have given the team its best result of the season on such a difficult rally."

Jan Kopecký/Filip Schovánek: "I came here to learn and to make the finish so I am happy to have achieved both those things and am now looking forward to Catalunya."

Mitsubishi:

The Mitsubishi Motors Motor Sports WRC crew of "Gigi" Galli and Guido d'Amore finished the Rallye de France - Tour de Corse, the 14th round of the FIA World Rally Championship, in ninth position. Team-mates Harri Rovanperä and Risto Pietiläinen were 10th, claiming the final Manufacturer's Championship point, while Gilles and Hervé Panizzi failed to re-start this morning following what is now confirmed as a problem with the engine ECU.

Harri Rovanpera/Risto Pietilainen: "It's disappointing that the car hasn't worked as we thought this weekend. It's not what we expected and all we can say really is that we finished. On the positive side I am happy with the evolution of Pirelli's dry weather tire; that is good news for the future and we are certainly closer to the competition now."

Gilles Panizzi/Herve Panizzi: Retired (Engine