Rising rally star Osian Pryce will swop steering wheel for microphone when he joins the Ralïo TV broadcast team for S4C’s biggest ever coverage of Wales Rally GB 4-7 October. The 450th Ralio programme will see three stages broadcast live, a preview and nightly highlights package, and seven hours of rally coverage. Ralïo will broadcast eight shows in five days, and it will be the … [Read more...]
Edwards & Garrod win place on WRGB
Matt Edwards and Darren Garrod overcame late dramas on Saturday’s Eventsigns Woodpecker Stages Rally to take their fourth victory of the year in the Pirelli MSA Welsh Forest Rally Championship, writes Peter Hughes. That win also secured for them a free entry on Wales Rally GB, part of the Road to Wales initiative of IMS, promoters of the British round of the World Rally … [Read more...]
Elfyn Evans claws way onto Portugal podium
Elfyn Evans has returned to the FIA World Rally Championship podium with an impressive second place finish on last weekend’s Vodafone Rally de Portugal, round six of this year’s WRC series. It was the first time the 29-year-old Welshman and co-driver Daniel Barritt have stood on the podium since sensationally winning last October’s momentous Wales Rally GB to become the first Welsh driver in … [Read more...]
Road rallying returns for WRGB WRC round
Closed public roads in Great Britain will be used to host a World Championship Rally for the first time this October in north Wales, writes Gary Jones. The momentous milestone is part of a new-look competitive route for this year’s Wales Rally GB 4-7 October. The introduction of landmark legislation allowing local authorities in England and Wales to suspend the Road Traffic Act for … [Read more...]
Weekend roadtest: Hyundai i30N Performance
Some car-makers shout about their performance models which can quietly disappoint, yet Hyundai play it the other way in the i30N and have a normal looking model which excites every time you take the wheel. The Korean brand has electrified the World Rally Championship and it’s now quietly building on that performance with its subtle yet sporty i30N fastback. You can choose the … [Read more...]
VW Polo GTI R5 undergoes winter testing
The new Volkswagen Polo GTI R5 has been successfully put through its paces in Sweden – by three world rally champions before its sold to private teams later this year. Petter Solberg (N), 2003 WRC champion, was joined at the wheel of the four-wheel drive rally car for customer sports by 2000 and 2002 world champion Marcus Grönholm (FIN), and Pontus Tidemand (S), junior world champion in 2013 … [Read more...]
Let battle commence …..
The 2018 FIA World Rally Championship hit top gear with a high-profile launch at the Autosport International show in Birmingham last week, writes Gary Jones. Manufacturer teams representing Citroën, Hyundai, M-Sport Ford and Toyota lined up side-by-side on the central stage for their public unveiling. All the big-name drivers, co-drivers and team principals were present to share their … [Read more...]
New Polo GTI R5 AWD unveiled
The Volkswagen Polo GTI R5 will be on the WRC scene in 2019. Initial tests have gone very well and homologation is planned for summer next year, meaning it cannot do a full WRC campaign until the following year, but it may be seen on selected events next year as VW evaluate different events and publicity opportunities. The development of the new 4WD rally sports car incorporated the … [Read more...]
Evans secures 2018 M-Sport drive
Fresh from his history-making victory on last month’s Wales Rally GB, comes confirmation that Welsh rally star Elfyn Evans will be promoted within the title winning M-Sport team for the 2018 FIA World Rally Championship. Ending weeks of speculation, the Cumbrian-based outfit has announced that the 28-year-old from Dolgellau has been rewarded for an impressive 2017 season with elevation to one … [Read more...]
VW will return to WRC
Volkswagen will return to the WRC in 2019. A tantalizing sketch of the car it will be testing from the middle of next year was released this week. With the Polo GTI R5, Volkswagen returns to rallying under a new guise. In the second half of 2018, Volkswagen will make the 270 hp rally version of the Polo available to professional teams and aspiring drivers to enable them to compete in … [Read more...]