World Rally News

Citroen team leader Sebastien Loeb will want to regain the upper hand in Finland next weekend and put the problems he has experienced in Poland, Greece and Sardinia firmly behind him.

Rally of Great Britain event co-ordinator Andrew Kellitt believes that the decision to base the service park in Cardiff Bay this year will definitely be a step forward.

Former Peugeot and Ford WRC ace Markko Martin sampled the new Ford Fiesta R2 recently and the Estonian was immediately impressed, declaring it 'very fast and fun to drive'.

New Zealand motorsport identity Malcolm Stewart passed away peacefully on Wednesday morning.

The organisers of the Rally of Great Britain confirmed the route for this year's event today at the official launch of the 2009 edition in the Wales Millennium Centre near Cardiff Bay.

Marcus Gronholm battled a problem with the engine on his Ford Fiesta to secure second place in the Unlimited Class on his debut in the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb.

The World Rally Championship candidate event in Bulgaria was cancelled over the weekend after a fatal accident during the seventh stage. The Peugeot 207 S2000 driver by Swiss driver Brian Lavio went off the road during the stage on Sunday morning and hit a rock on the side of the road.

BP Ford Abu Dhabi team director Malcolm Wilson reckons that everything is looking very positive for the World Rally Championship now following the measures announced by the World Motor Sport Council at the end of last month.

Citroen's Sebastien Loeb will make his debut on the famous 1.16-mile Goodwood Hill Climb in his Citroen C4 WRC car this Saturday.

Sebastien Ogier was robbed of a podium on Rally Poland on Sunday, when he was forced to retire from the event with just two 'proper' stages left to go.

BP Ford Abu Dhabi team director Malcolm Wilson has confirmed that Jari-Matti Latvala will definitely do the Rally Finland at the end of next month, despite another gaff at the weekend in Poland.

BP Ford Abu Dhabi's Jari-Matti Latvala has crashed out of Rally Poland in the final stage of the event, the repeat run through the short 2.5 kilometre Mikolajki super special.

SS14 - Milki 1 (27.07km): Ogier quickest through a narrow and muddy SS14; Loeb second - 2.5 seconds slower; Latvala third followed by Hirvonen and Henning Solberg; Holowczyc completes top six; Sordo made a mistake in a hairpin; Petter Solberg had an oil leak; Ostberg lost over 25 minutes;

'We will need more power to push as hard as we want', that's was Petter Solberg's frank assessment following his pre-event test with his Citroen Xsara WRC for Rally Poland.

The Richard Burns Foundation has made a final call for volunteers to assist with fundraising at the Goodwood Festival of Speed 2009.

Multiple WRC champion, Sebastien Loeb has conceded that the title race is now wide open following his crash on the Acropolis Rally and his failure to score.

Henning Solberg was 'frustrated' and 'really cross' following his retirement from day two of the Acropolis Rally. The Stobart Ford man had begun the second leg in fifth place, something that gave him an excellent start position for the rough, dusty stages.

BP Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team boss and M-Sport founder Malcolm Wilson has been awarded an OBE in The Queen's Birthday Honours List. The 53-year-old has been honoured for his services to British motorsport which span a 30-year career.

Citroen number two driver Dani Sordo has retired from day two of the Acropolis Rally of Greece. Sordo's Citroen C4 WRC car suffered a broken suspension arm in the final test this morning, the 24.15 kilometre run through Kefalari 1.

Current WRC points leader Sebastien Loeb has admitted that preserving tyres could play a key part in deciding who comes out on top in the Acropolis Rally this weekend.

Andreas Mikkelsen is to make his return to the World Rally Championship after confirming he will contest Rally Poland at the wheel of a Skoda Fabia WRC.

Tyre giant Hankook is to step up its rally activities following the release of a planned five-round assault on the Intercontinental Rally Challenge this year.

Ford of Europe has announced that Mark Deans is to retire from his role as senior manager of motorsport at the end of the month, ending an 18-month long stint in the role.

Multiple World Rally Championship title winner Marcus Gronholm will take part in the annual Pike's Peaks International Hill Climb in July after the Olsberg Motor Sport Evolution team confirmed it will give the new Ford Fiesta its US racing debut in the event.