Ford signs Hirvonen

[Mustang]

The BP-Ford World Rally Team has signed Mikko Hirvonen and Jarmo Lehtinen to drive the all-new Focus RS World Rally Car in the FIA World Rally Championship. A three-year agreement will see the Finns joining fellow countrymen Marcus Grönholm and Timo Rautiainen in the BP-Ford World Rally Team from 2006.

Both pairs will drive the exciting new Focus RS WRC, which made its first appearance on this month's Rally Australia. Their debut in the car will be on January's Monte Carlo Rally, the opening round of the 2006 series.

This will be 25-year-old Hirvonen's second stint with Ford in the world championship. He made his breakthrough with the team in 2003, competing on all 14 rounds of the series as he gained vital experience of many rallies for the first time. After a year spent driving for another team, Hirvonen tackled six WRC events this year, the majority in a privately-entered 2003-specification Focus RS WRC.

He finished an outstanding third in the Rally Catalunya last month and fifth in Greece's Acropolis Rally, after leading on the opening day. Remarkably his performances were achieved in a car that was two years older than those of his rivals and against manufacturer-entered drivers. His efforts earned a call-up to Ford's official team for the Rally Finland, in which he finished fifth.

"Mikko's signing completes the BP-Ford World Rally Team's official line-up for the 2006 season," said Ford TeamRS director Jost Capito. "I believe the combination of Marcus, Mikko and the all-new Ford Focus RS WRC will be an ideal package for us. Both drivers will strengthen our WRC efforts and they join the team at a hugely exciting time for the Blue Oval. Ford has just completed its first season of a four-year commitment to the world championship, and the test and development programme of the new Focus RS WRC has exceeded our expectations to date.

"Ford has a realistic opportunity to reach the pinnacle of the sport and achieve victories with the new Focus RS WRC. By signing drivers of the calibre of Marcus and Mikko, we are making a clear statement of our intentions. We will use 2006 to further develop the new car in their hands, before a full-out bid for championship success in 2007 and 2008," added Capito.

BP-Ford team director Malcolm Wilson said Hirvonen's signing was a major commitment. "We've signed Mikko on a three-year contract because we are looking for long-term consistency in our plans," he said. "Nobody can fail to be impressed by his performances this season. During the last three years he has gained the experience and maturity and is now ready to make the step up to the top level in the world championship. In 2006 I expect him to progress even further.

"He will benefit by having a driver of Marcus' calibre alongside. Marcus is one of the sport's fastest and most reliable drivers and his appetite for success remains as large now as it was at the start of his distinguished career. To have two such drivers committed for the long-term emphasises the belief they have in the new car, and it's a huge confidence boost for us all," he added.

Hirvonen, who lives in Jyväskylä, host town for the Rally Finland, is delighted to rejoin his former team. "It's a dream come true to join Ford and have the opportunity to drive the new car," he said. "I've learned much in the last three seasons and feel ready to take on this role. The Focus RS is hugely promising and I can't wait to get behind the wheel to work again with my former colleagues."

[Zytek_Fan]

Ford is going to be a really strong competitor next year

[Matra et Alpine]

There's been no evidence this season that Ford have really go the package together to deliver a competitive WRC car.

I think they'll be limited to a couple of wins, but no domination :(

[Mustang]

arent they using the new Super2000 rules or something so id imagine that scooby will be up there but ford will be very close behind

[Pando]

Go Finland! :)
http://locin.jrc.it/en/images/FI.gif

[Zytek_Fan]

Welcome back Subaru domination

[Evil Ewok]

Yea seriously, I don't see the reasoning in signing him. Anyway, I 'm just happy that the season isn't going to be enitrely dominated by citroen again. It's actually going to be entertaining to watch like it used to be :P. Not another "Who won?" "The same.". I also don't think Ford will be winning more than any of the other teams, but I do think that Subaru will have a VERY strong lineup next year. The 2nd seat (stephane and atkinson) are BAD, they are really really good for how early into their careers they are. Any word from Suzuki?

[henk4]

Yea seriously, I don't see the reasoning in signing him. Anyway, I 'm just happy that the season isn't going to be enitrely dominated by citroen again. It's actually going to be entertaining to watch like it used to be :P. Not another "Who won?" "The same.". I also don't think Ford will be winning more than any of the other teams, but I do think that Subaru will have a VERY strong lineup next year. The 2nd seat (stephane and atkinson) are BAD, they are really really good for how early into their careers they are. Any word from Suzuki?

Citroen only fully participated for the last three l years in WRC. So saying this is another season dominated by Citroen is a bit harsh, certainly seeing the string of championships by Tommy Makinen. Obviously your memory is short or you don't like Citroen to win.

[Evil Ewok]

I don't think you understand what I was saying. The last three years have basically been dominated by Citroen, and if you are arguing with that then your daft to an extreme. Considering that Loeb and Citroen both broke all and any records that were conceivable in the confines of wrc. Tommi Makinen was my favorite driver after Ari Vatenen so no, my memory is perfect, and as Tommi's era was strung to a point of multiple titles, so has Loebs. I don't like it when one person is dominant and that's all I was trying to get across thru what I had said. A sport needs to have competition and be entertaining to be able to appeal to a mass group of people. If it wasn't then there would only be one type of fan.

[henk4]

I don't think you understand what I was saying. The last three years have basically been dominated by Citroen, and if you are arguing with that then your daft to an extreme. Considering that Loeb and Citroen both broke all and any records that were conceivable in the confines of wrc. Tommi Makinen was my favorite driver after Ari Vatenen so no, my memory is perfect, and as Tommi's era was strung to a point of multiple titles, so has Loebs. I don't like it when one person is dominant and that's all I was trying to get across thru what I had said. A sport needs to have competition and be entertaining to be able to appeal to a mass group of people. If it wasn't then there would only be one type of fan.

what I was trying to make clear is that Citroen only entered WRC 4 years ago, and in the first year only on a test basis. It took them only two seasons to become totally dominant, so to call 2005, "another" year of Citroen dominance sounds like this has been going on for ages, while it was actually only the third. Mitsubishi and Subaru are running the same model (basically) for six or seven years now, and in spite of all their experience they could not keep the pace of the Citroens. Admittedly Loeb is an extraordinary driver, as shown by his LeMans efforts, and without Loeb the dominance might not have been that spectacular.

Why you use the word "daft" in your post is unclear to me.

[spi-ti-tout]

Mitsubishi and Subaru are running the same model (basically) for six or seven years now, and in spite of all their experience they could not keep the pace of the Citroens.
I'll argue there P.

Mitsubishi may have been running the "same model" but it's really only the "same name" and underneath (and itself) the shell, there lies a new car with new aerodynamics and such and such. You will remember quite clearly that after Makinen left Mitsubishi to go to Subaru, Mitsubishi's head-engineer resigned and the Evo VII WRC was complete rubbish because all they could do without both was transfer parts from one to another, and they went down faster than cockroaches scuttling from the light. This year was mostly a testing season for their attack in 2006 (and I'm happy that they've got a decent and balanced driver line-up - one for tarmac, one off-road, and one both), and if anybody disagrees I can show you the changes they've made while testing, one which I noticed myself is the front grill which was changed from the Pontiac-GTO styling to the Evo IX styling, and a small gap left there too for better air intake somewhere in the middle of the year, months before the Evo IX was said to come out. They've also made changes to the spoiler and so on. So while it may just be a "Lancer Evolution", and they may have a long rally heritage, but this year they had no more of a head start than anyone.

[henk4]

that all proves that Mitsubishi was able to make a mess out of a winning car.

[Evil Ewok]

what I was trying to make clear is that Citroen only entered WRC 4 years ago, and in the first year only on a test basis. It took them only two seasons to become totally dominant, so to call 2005, "another" year of Citroen dominance sounds like this has been going on for ages, while it was actually only the third. Mitsubishi and Subaru are running the same model (basically) for six or seven years now, and in spite of all their experience they could not keep the pace of the Citroens. Admittedly Loeb is an extraordinary driver, as shown by his LeMans efforts, and without Loeb the dominance might not have been that spectacular.

Why you use the word "daft" in your post is unclear to me.

I used the word daft to express how you weren't getting the point of my statement. Citroen had been running for around 4 years or more including the year of testing with the kit car. Now if you consider that 2 years out of that they won the wrc title that is obviously domination. Skoda has not been able to get a driver into the top 3 drivers standings in the 7 years they have been a part of the league. It wasn't a bad statement, and it wasn't trying to offend anybody who was a over reactive fanboy of a certain team, it was a relief in the fact that we will be able to have a year of different teams winning. This year was decided 4 wins into the title fight and there was never a sign of doubt that Loeb wasn't going to win. Congratulations for them to be able to bring something to the table that no other team has been able to since the 90's.

[henk4]

I used the word daft to express how you weren't getting the point of my statement. Citroen had been running for around 4 years or more including the year of testing with the kit car. Now if you consider that 2 years out of that they won the wrc title that is obviously domination. Skoda has not been able to get a driver into the top 3 drivers standings in the 7 years they have been a part of the league. It wasn't a bad statement, and it wasn't trying to offend anybody who was a over reactive fanboy of a certain team, it was a relief in the fact that we will be able to have a year of different teams winning. This year was decided 4 wins into the title fight and there was never a sign of doubt that Loeb wasn't going to win. Congratulations for them to be able to bring something to the table that no other team has been able to since the 90's.

Citroen actually won the title 3 times, but in the first year Loeb had to consolidate the team lead in 2003 and was not allowed to go for a win in the RAC rallye to defend his minute chances to become world champion (Solberg did). On these forums Citroen is getting little clout, because, unlike in the case of Subaru and the EVO there are no comparable 'civilised' cars available for the the general public, with which the real fanboy can associate. The Xsara is a rather bland FWD model, of which production stopped already over a year ago. (except for the break version).
It will be very interesting to see whether Loeb in the "private" Kronos team will still be on par with the factory teams, or even better. IIRC during this season the only privately entered cars that made it to the podium were Xsaras from last year.

[Evil Ewok]

what I was trying to make clear is that Citroen only entered WRC 4 years ago, and in the first year only on a test basis. It took them only two seasons to become totally dominant, so to call 2005, "another" year of Citroen dominance sounds like this has been going on for ages, while it was actually only the third. Mitsubishi and Subaru are running the same model (basically) for six or seven years now, and in spite of all their experience they could not keep the pace of the Citroens. Admittedly Loeb is an extraordinary driver, as shown by his LeMans efforts, and without Loeb the dominance might not have been that spectacular.

Why you use the word "daft" in your post is unclear to me.

Btw, as husni said, the Evo was different in a few accounts. Before Delecour started driving the VII the VI was an entirely different car. You can just look at the two and tell the difference, not only in the exterior but in every item of design that had been engineered for the chassis and engine. The VII was RUBBISH, the car was so quirky that even Tommi couldn't drive the beast anymore, and he was said to be the only person who had mastered the original Evo's style. They took a year off with the P.O.S. to recooperate and get back on track, came back with the VIII which was a different design but still in the same era as the design of the VII, it was better but it was their first year back and they needed to test to get everything organized. The next year, with basically the same car but while incorporating new parts to make the car run better they were able to pull a podium in their first race. That's improvement. With a few good outings and shows from the team they ran a good year and were able to get some great feedback for this next season when everything should be coming together for them.

Subaru is another case, and I'm tired of typing so I might post about it later.

[Evil Ewok]

Citroen actually won the title 3 times, but in the first year Loeb had to consolidate the team lead in 2003 and was not allowed to go for a win in the RAC rallye to defend his minute chances to become world champion (Solberg did). On these forums Citroen is getting little clout, because, unlike in the case of Subaru and the EVO there are no comparable 'civilised' cars available for the the general public, with which the real fanboy can associate. The Xsara is a rather bland FWD model, of which production stopped already over a year ago. (except for the break version).
It will be very interesting to see whether Loeb in the "private" Kronos team will still be on par with the factory teams, or even better. IIRC during this season the only privately entered cars that made it to the podium were Xsaras from last year.

That was the year that Citroen had won the manufacturers title. He admitted that even if he was able to push he wouldn't have been able to catch petter out in front. 2003 Wales Rally GB SOURCE; http://www.rallye-info.com/article.asp?sid=0&stid=2556
"Considering the rather particular circumstances of this race, I am pleased that I put in a spotless performance," said Sébastien Loeb. "I would like to congratulate Petter. As I said, even if I had been attacking full out, I am not sure that I would have been able to overtake him. However, we have confirmed here what we had already shown in Australia: we can now fight for overall victory on every surface, demonstrating the huge amount of excellent work undertaken by the team during 2003."

[henk4]

That was the year that Citroen had won the manufacturers title. He admitted that even if he was able to push he wouldn't have been able to catch petter out in front. 2003 Wales Rally GB SOURCE; http://www.rallye-info.com/article.asp?sid=0&stid=2556
"Considering the rather particular circumstances of this race, I am pleased that I put in a spotless performance," said Sébastien Loeb. "I would like to congratulate Petter. As I said, even if I had been attacking full out, I am not sure that I would have been able to overtake him. However, we have confirmed here what we had already shown in Australia: we can now fight for overall victory on every surface, demonstrating the huge amount of excellent work undertaken by the team during 2003."


I think that Loeb's statement shows his PR qualities. He was clearly asked/told to keep a conservative pace to ensure the team world title. If he then at the end of the rallye would have said he would have been able to catch Solberg, he would have antagonised his team. :)

[spi-ti-tout]

that all proves that Mitsubishi was able to make a mess out of a winning car.
It could have happened to anybody.
What would happen to Citroen if Loeb left, the guy incharge of the Xsara left and funding to them from the PSA was cut all at once?

Two losses in one year were quite enough, with their lead driver AND head of the WRC program/car leaving out, and they TRIED their best but unfortunately it didn't work out.

Then instead of sitting down and crying and despite declines in the Manufacturer's total world finance they brought up a fresh new team of engineers and with determination and will they designed a new car to bring back their former glory, and to this date are still working on it and trying to develop it furthur - because they believe in winning. Otherwise what's the use of getting back in? To be the loosers all over again? To waste more money? It's one thing that I admire about the Mitsubishi and Skoda teams, AND Citroen as well - the determination. Before the Evo '04 WRC came out, I was just anyother fanboy. But now I support them with understanding; however fanboyish I may seem. Just because of a year of setback, it doesn't mean that they've made a mess of anything and contrary to your claim, the new Evo WRC (made from scratch) has recently been winning!

[henk4]

It could have happened to anybody.
What would happen to Citroen if Loeb left, the guy incharge of the Xsara left and funding to them from the PSA was cut all at once?


we will know that in 2006, when Loeb will be running this year's Xsara on a shoestring budget.....but probably with some factory support. Factory development will go into the C4 and not the Xsara.

[spi-ti-tout]

we will know that in 2006, when Loeb will be running this year's Xsara on a shoestring budget.....but probably with some factory support. Factory development will go into the C4 and not the Xsara.
Note I was referring to Mitsubishi's past and using Citroen as an example

And I also mentioned Loeb leaving.

But yeah, I guess this year will take a turn for the better, more action and more unpredicted results - some very surprising ones too.