5.4.2009 - Prodrive aims for more events
Following Gronholm and the Prodrive Impreza’s strong run during the first day of Rally Portugal, Prodrive is aiming to do further WRC rounds in 2009.
Despite only having little time behind the wheel of the Prodrive Impreza WRC2008 and not having competed for nearly 18 months, Gronholm comfortably held second place during day one of Rally Portugal. Having got to grips with his pace notes and becoming increasingly comfortable with the car, Gronholm was aiming to pick up the pace on day two with a target of a podium finish. Unfortunately, he ran wide on a corner early in the first stage of the day, clipping a tree and rolling the car. The resultant damage to the engine forced him to retire.
“Marcus has shown just how competitive he can be in the Impreza,” said Prodrive team principal, David Lapworth. “If it wasn’t the accident yesterday, I am sure he would have been on the podium today.
Gronholm’s appearance at the championship has also been a major bonus for the rally organisers. ACP President, Carlos Barbosa, said: “Marcus has brought a real buzz back to the World Rally Championship and made this year’s Rally Portugal even more special. We have had an amazing turn out from the fans and the media this weekend and I am sure much of that is down to Marcus.”
Driving a near identical car to Gronholm, and running out of the same service area, Adapta World Rally Team driver, Mads Ostberg, had an almost trouble-free rally, finishing sixth, his best ever result in the World Rally Championship.
“What can I say, it’s a good result. The car has been feeling great and we have been able to have a close fight with Novikov for the last two days. It was just a shame that he retired, as it would have been great to keep fighting to the end. I am now really looking forward to Sardinia, it is my favourite event, with stages that are similar to those here in Portugal.”
Final positions
1. S Loeb/D Elena FRA Citroen C4 3hr 53min 13.1sec
2. M Hirvonen/J Lehtinen FIN Ford Focus RS 3hr 53min 37.4sec
3. D Sordo/M Marti ESP Citroen C4 3hr 54min 58.5sec
4. P Solberg/P Mills NOR Citroen Xsara 3hr 55min 57.7sec
5. H Solberg/C Menkerud NOR Ford Focus RS 3hr 58min 59.4sec
6. M Østberg/O Unnerud NOR Subaru Impreza 3hr 59min 33.9sec
7. F Villagra/J Diaz ARG Ford Focus RS 4hr 06min 12.6sec
8. K Al Qassimi/M Orr UAE Ford Focus RS 4hr 11min 34.8sec
9. A Araújo/M Ramalho POR Mitsubishi Lancer 4hr 15min 31.6sec
10 M Prokop/J Tománek CZE Mitsubishi Lancer 4hr 16min 38.7sec
4.4.2009 - Gronholm retires from Rally Portugal
On the first stage of day two this morning (SS8), Marcus Gronholm was about 4 km from the start, when the car ran wide on a left hand bend and the rear clipped a tree, sending the car into a roll. The car ended up off the road but on its wheels. Marcus was able to restart the car and to continue along the stage. However, as he was pulling over to let Petter Solberg pass, an engine warning light came on. Gronholm stopped the car and the team advised him not to continue.
On further inspection on the car’s return to service it was apparent the accident led to a loss of coolant, damaging the engine. Unfortunately, this prevents the car from returning on Sunday under super rally regulations.
“It’s disappointing for me and for the team because we wanted a nice result from here,” said Gronholm. “I have not been rallying for a long time and coming back starting behind Seb and trying to do the same time in a new car, is not so easy. We were on the pace yesterday and pushing today and I made a small mistake.”
Rally Portugal is a one off event for Prodrive and Gronholm, but team principal, David Lapworth, hopes the pace Gronholm has shown in the Impreza, will help the team secure more outings this year.
“Accidents happen in rallying, but that doesn’t make it any easier to take,” said Lapworth. “Marcus had shown that we could compete on the same pace as the leading drivers yesterday and, with our road position today, we were hoping to start reeling in the cars ahead of us. I see Portugal as unfinished business for Prodrive and I hope that we will see Marcus back in the Impreza in the not too distant future.”
Leaderboard after Day 2
1. S Loeb/D Elena FRA Citroen C4 2hr 56min 15.6sec
2. M Hirvonen/J Lehtinen FIN Ford Focus RS 2hr 56min 42.4sec
3. D Sordo/M Marti ESP Citroen C4 2hr 57min 12.0sec
4. P Solberg/P Mills NOR Citroen Xsara 2hr 58min 15.2sec
5. M Wilson/S Martin GBR Ford Focus RS 2hr 59min 38.5sec
6. H Solberg/C Menkerud NOR Ford Focus RS 2hr 59min 39.4sec
7. E Novikov/D Moscatt RUS Citroen C4 3hr 01min 15.0sec
8. M Østberg/O Unnerud NOR Subaru Impreza 3hr 01min 15.8sec
9. C Rautenbach/D Barritt ZIM Citroen C4 3hr 03min 06.2sec
10 F Villagra/J Perez Companc ARG Ford Focus RS 3hr 05min 50.7sec
4.3.2009 - Gronholm well placed to challenge for podium
Marcus Gronholm finished the first day of Rally Portugal in fourth place after setting some impressive times during the day’s six stages. Until the final stage of the day, Gronholm was comfortably lying in second place, but caught the slowing Ford of Al Qassimi and lost time, before being able to pass him.
Just six seconds behind third placed Loeb, and 24 seconds off the lead, Gronholm is well placed to attack the cars ahead of his Prodrive Impreza WRC2008. On day two he may have a small benefit from road cleaning on the morning stages from the three cars ahead of him.
The two time World Rally champion set a strong pace in the morning’s stages in his Prodrive Impreza WRC2008, setting two second and one third fastest stage time to lie second overall, just 3.2 seconds off Sordo at the lunchtime service. During the repeats of the morning stages, Gronholm was setting top five stage times and comfortably maintaining second place.
“The road position was quite good for us, but I struggled a little with the notes at the beginning, they were not perfect and it was difficult to find a rhythm,” said Gronholm. “The second pass through the afternoon stages was a bit rougher and not so much fun. Then, on the last stage, we came across Khalid and lost some time getting past him and then there was some vibration through the steering, so we took it steady.
“The plan for tomorrow is to follow the others, I think they will be very quick. But we’ll see what we can do.”
Prodrive team principal, David Lapworth, was very impressed with Gronholm’s performance. “To come out and set these times after such a long break and so little time in the car, is extremely impressive,” said Lapworth. “Clearly the road position favoured Marcus, but he is definitely finding a rhythm and pace he is comfortable with. I think we can be very pleased with the way everything has gone today.”
Leaderboard after Day 1
1. M Hirvonen/J Lehtinen FIN Ford Focus RS 1hr 24min 12.6sec
2. D Sordo/M Marti ESP Citroen C4 1hr 24min 27.6sec
3. S Loeb/D Elena FRA Citroen C4 1hr 24min 30.6sec
4. M Grönholm/T Rautiainen FIN Subaru Impreza 1hr 24min 38.5sec
5. P Solberg/P Mills NOR Citroen Xsara 1hr 24min 54.8sec
6. S Ogier/J Ingrassia FRA Citroen C4 1hr 25min 16.6sec
7. M Wilson/S Martin GBR Ford Focus RS 1hr 25min 27.2sec
8. E Novikov/D Moscatt RUS Citroen C4 1hr 25min 46.3sec
9. H Solberg/C Menkerud NOR Ford Focus RS 1hr 25min 46.4sec
10 M Østberg/O Unnerud NOR Subaru Impreza 1hr 26min 54.7sec
2.4.2009 - Gronholm feeling confident after shakedown
Marcus Gronholm is looking forward to tonight’s first competitive stage of Rally Portugal, the super special in the Estadio Algarve, and has a good feeling about the weekend.
Prodrive chose to only make two early runs through this morning’s 5.5 km shakedown stage, and while Marcus held the fastest time in his Prodrive Impreza WRC2008 after the early passes, the stage soon cleaned dramatically increasing grip leading to times tumbling times later on. Marcus made two runs later on, but this time his co-driver, Timo Rautiainen, was exchanged for the Portuguese tourism minister.
“The car felt quite nice in the test and shakedown and we made no set up changes this morning,” said Gronholm. “I am going to start the first stage like normal, trying to push and to do well right from the beginning. Tomorrow the road position is a small advantage and if everything goes well, I think it is possible to get a podium by Sunday.”
26.3.2009 - Gronholm ready for rally comeback
Marcus Gronholm is looking forward to his WRC comeback at Rally Portugal, following a successful pre-event test in his new Prodrive Impreza World Rally Car.
“I have the same feeling I had when I last drove competitively nearly 18 months ago,” said Gronholm. “The test was good, the car ran well and we made some improvements to the set up of the car. All I have to do now is to remember how to make my pace notes!”
Gronholm today finished a 200 km, two day test in Spain near the Portuguese border, in which he refined the set up of his car, finalising the differential and suspension settings he will use for next week’s shakedown. The car will now be transported to Faro, where Prodrive will rebuild it ready for the rally.
Prodrive will be running Gronholm alongside Mads Ostberg in the Adapta World Rally Team service area. Ostberg is also competing in a Prodrive Impreza WRC2008 at Rally Portugal. He shared today’s second day of testing with Marcus and has chosen a near identical set-up to the two-times word rally champion.
“We had a very good day of testing. I am really happy with the final set up we achieved and I have good confidence in the car,” said Ostberg.
In addition to Ostberg, Prodrive will also be supporting 2006 Production World Rally Champion, Nasser Al Attiyah, who is competing at Rally Portugal in the new Prodrive Impreza N2009 with the Barwa World Rally Team.
More information: Watch a video from MGR testing in Spain at MGR fan website...
20.3.2009 - Prodrive reveals Gronholm’s Impreza
The Prodrive Impreza WRC2008, which Marcus Gronholm will drive at the Rally of Portugal, has successfully completed its first shakedown.
Gronholm will drive the test car in Wales this week, before undertaking a full two day pre-event test in Spain next week. This means the two-time World Rally Champion will have three days to familiarise himself with the new car before starting his first World Rally Championship event in nearly 16 months.
The Prodrive Impreza WRC2008 is fundamentally the same car used by the Subaru World Rally Team last season. “We have only been able to make minor changes to the car because of homologation restrictions, with the most significant difference being the Ohlins dampers,” said Prodrive technical director, David Lapworth. “In a perfect world, Marcus would have had far more time behind the wheel, however, with his years of experience, I am absolutely confident he will very quickly find a rhythm in the Impreza.”
Gronholm’s participation in the Rally of Portugal has been made possible by the support of the Portuguese Tourist Board. The car has been entered under the Prodrive team name and it will be run out of the same service area as the Prodrive-supported Adapta World Rally Team.
23.2.2009 - Marcus Grönholm enters WRC Portugal with Subaru World Rally Car
Two times World Rally Champion Marcus Grönholm returns behind the steering wheel of a World Rally Car in WRC Portugal. Flying Finn with his co-driver Timo Rautiainen enters WRC Portugal with Prodive Subaru Impreza WRC 2008 rally car.
– Prodrive approached and offered me a chance to compete in WRC Portugal with Subaru Impreza WRC 2008 rally car. After having a test in WRC Norway I decided to take the challenge, Grönholm tells.
– When 1½ years ago I made a decision to retire from WRC I didn't say never to come back. However WRC Portugal is juse a single event and nothing more. After the rally I have to analyze my feelings and to see what happens next, Grönholm continues.
Speed from Vasaloppet
Before WRC Portugal the drivers measure their speed in WRC Cyprus. When drivers tackle on twisty Cyprus stages Grönholm concetrates his thoughts by having a ski journeys. At first weekend of March Grönholm participates to the Worlds' biggest single skiing event - Swedish Vasaloppet.
- After my active career I've just enjoyed life. A year ago I drove few European rallycross events and in this year I decided to challenge myself in 90 kilometres of skiing. I must do something to get my condition better for the WRC Portugal, Grönholm joked.
WRC Portugal is to be driven in first weekend of April.
