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Say, when are Mini actually entering their WRC cars? Wikipedia says we'll see a couple of S2000 entries in Portugal but i await the works cars and Sordo more eagerly...

According to WRC.com: The MINI WRC Team has confirmed that it will contest six rounds of this year's world championship starting from Rally d'Italia Sardegna in May.

The car looks great.

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Here are some more pics of the Mini WRC car.

[vlad]

Funny little car...
Will it be safe enough?

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Funny little car...
Will it be safe enough?

Ya, sure it's the same size as the Fiesta and DS3.

WRC has scaled right down this year

[vlad]

I would like to see that little machine in action. They will have plenty of space on every track!

[Frontrunner]

I just hope that Mini is competitive. WRC need more cars in there other than Ford and Citroen.

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I just hope that Mini is competitive. WRC need more cars in there other than Ford and Citroen.

They sure do. I wish Renault would consider an entry. The Clio would be the perfect car to use now.

I have heard though that Volkswagen are considering a WRC Entry.

Citroen team principal Olivier Quesnel says he does not fear Volkswagen and its reported monster budget for next year's World Rally Championship.

This week's AUTOSPORT magazine reveals that VW will confirm its WRC programme at Rally Portugal later this month and, with some sources reporting a budget of 100 million euro the team is expected to arrive in the sport at the highest possible level.

But despite the talk of a big-money new rival, Quesnel remains confident in Citroen's ability to keep on winning.

"They did the same [big budget] in Dakar," said Quesnel, "and Mitsubishi won with no money. And, don't forget, Mitsubishi was red too!

"No, I don't worry about this, this is the way the German guys can work. For me, it's good for the sport and for the championship that they are coming and that we have Mini as well."

It has yet to be decided whether Volkswagen will continue to run its Dakar entry alongside the WRC effort, but its motorsport director Kris Nissen has previously suggested that with the investment already made in the Race Touareg 3, running the two programmes side-by-side would not be prohibitive.

Volkswagen has won the Dakar for the last three straight years, ending Mitsubishi's seven-year run in 2009.

Citroen has won six of the last eight World Rally Championship manufacturer titles and taken Sebastien Loeb to the last seven drivers' title

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Hirvonen off to a good start.

Leading positions after SS1:

Pos Driver Team/Car Time/Gap
1. Mikko Hirvonen Ford 2m49.6s
2. Sebastien Loeb Citroen + 1.3s
3. Petter Solberg Solberg Citroen + 2.1s
4. Sebastien Ogier Citroen + 2.9s
5. Jari-Matti Latvala Ford + 3.7s
6. Federico Villagra Munchi's Ford + 3.9s
7. Kimi Raikkonen Ice 1 Citroen + 5.1s
8. Matthew Wilson Stobart Ford + 6.2s
9. Henning Solberg Stobart Ford + 6.5s
10. Armindo Araujo Italia Mini + 8.0s

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SS2 Results:

It looks like being first on the road is not hurting Hirvonen that much.

[Frontrunner]

i think the Fiesta is a good match for the DS3 and maybe better. Hopefully Ford can win this one

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SS6 Results:

Nothing in it between the top 5. Solberg has dropped back by a min due to a puncture on SS4 though.

Hirvonen is either destroying everyone or there is little or no punishment for being first out.

[texasmr2]

God I miss not having WRC coverage and that Mini looks cool. Volkswagen should teamup with HPA for their WRC entry .

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SS8 Results:

Nothing but punctures for Solberg. He has had 4 I think and is 11 mins back now. Outside top 10.

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Hirvonen has had a puncture on SS9 but decided to make sure Leob didn't pass him and rightfully so.

Loeb slams Hirvonen over delay

Sebastien Loeb accused Mikko Hirvonen of deliberately delaying him when the Ford rejoined after changing a puncture on SS9 in Portugal.

Hirvonen had to change the tyre on the Vascao stage, leaving him two minutes off his rally-leading team-mate Jari-Matti Latvala.

The Ford rejoined as soon as the new tyre was fitted, and Hirvonen felt he was far enough ahead of Loeb not to hold the Citroen up - but the Frenchman vehemently disageed. Loeb lost time on the stage and is now 32.5 seconds away from the lead, blaming the delay from running in Hirvonen's dust.

"He had the puncture and started eight seconds in front of me, and he didn't let me past to protect Jari-Matti," said Loeb.

"For sure it's a good strategy for Ford, but it's destroyed my race. I didn't have a puncture, he did."

Loeb nudged Hirvonen car after the end of the stage to express his displeasure, but Hirvonen was adamant he had done nothing wrong and had been sufficiently clear of Loeb when he restarted.

"I'm sure Sebastien's really, really mad," said Hirvonen. "I'm sorry about that, but when I've changed the tyres, I go. That's how the rules are now."

The incident has allowed Latvala and Citroen's Sebastien Ogier to break away the front of the field, with 5.6s between them now.

[scotty]

Just seen Block's crash, there was one especially brutally abrupt impact amongst the others... ouch.

S2000 Mini is going like crap of a shovel!