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Categories:WRC, SWRC, PWRC, WRC Academy
Based:Salou
Surface:Asphalt and gravel
Last year’s RallyRACC-Rally de Espana was unique in that it was the only true mixed surface round of the 2011 World Rally Championship season with one day taking place on gravel and two days run on asphalt.
The use of asphalt and gravel stages on the same event not only increases the challenge facing the crews due to the different driving style requirements, it also adds to the workload placed on the mechanics and engineers, who have to convert their cars from gravel to asphalt specification in a restricted timeframe.
Based on Spain’s Costa Daurada in the country’s Tarragona region, the event is always one of the highlights of the WRC season and its inclusion as the final round in 2012 will doubtless increase the number of fans who travel to the popular seaside tourist town of Salou to enjoy the party atmosphere and visit the permanent service park at the PortAventura theme park.
While the opening day in Spain last season was in theory a gravel-only leg, just one repeated stage took place entirely on gravel with two repeated stages using a mixture of gravel and asphalt as a means of increasing the challenge for the drivers and raising the spectacle for the many spectators following the action.
But it’s the sweeping race circuit-style asphalt roads that characterise this event that will once again dominate the competitive route. To be quick, drivers must maximise their pace through the high-speed turns by taking the optimum line at all times.
As well as hosting the last round of the 2012 world championship season RallyRACC-Rally de Espana will host the WRC’s three support championships.
Sebastien Loeb might have won the FIA World Rally Championship for a ninth time and might be cutting back on his appearances in the global series from next season but that doesn't mean he's slowing down.
In fact, the Citroen ace has just gone fastest in Qualifying for the season-closing RallyRACC-Rally de Espana.
Driving a Michelin-shod Citroen DS3 WRC, Loeb completed the 2.94-kilometre mixed-surface test in a time of 2m06.118s. It means he will be the first driver to choose his starting position for Friday’s mainly gravel stages when the start order selection is made in Barcelona this evening.
Evgeny Novikov impressed with the second fastest time in his Ford Fiesta RS WRC, which is running on DMACK tyres. The Russian was 0.146s down on Loeb with Loeb’s Citroen team-mate Mikko Hirvonen third fastest, 0.310s behind the legendary Frenchman.
Jari-Matti Latvala was the top factory Ford pilot in fourth, 0.518s slower than Loeb, with Petter Solberg next up in the second works Fiesta. Thierry Neuville was sixth quickest with Dani Sordo the leading Spaniard seventh at the wheel of a MINI John Cooper Works WRC.
Ott Tanak, Mads Ostberg and Martin Prokop rounded out the top 10 in their Fiestas. World Rally Car newcomers Hans Weijs and Jarkko Nikara were 11th and 12th quickest respectively.
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