Mitsubishi Motors - Ralliart Italy

New Zealand driver Hayden Paddon turned in an exceptional performance on Rallye Deutschland, which ended in Trier this afternoon, to clinch second place on the latest round of the FIA Production Car World Rally Championship. The Kiwi was comfortably the fastest and most consistent of the Pirelli Star Drivers.

Paddon’s result, which means he has taken three consecutive PWRC podiums in his rookie season in the series, was all the more astonishing considering he had never competed on an asphalt rally. The Mitsubishi Lancer driver had employed the services of a driver coach while staying in Britain prior to the start of Rallye Deutschland, but beyond that all of his experience in the sport had come on gravel roads and loose surface stages. From the start of the event, Paddon was on the pace, posting the second fastest time on the second stage. He moved into second position in the PWRC standings on SS4 and never dropped lower than the runners-up spot. And he threatened to go one better by maintaining the pressure on reigning Production Car World Rally Champion Armindo Araújo, who eventually won the category.

For the two previous events in the Pirelli Star Driver programme, the 22-year-old Estonian Ott Tänak had held a commanding position, only to let it slip on the final day, crashing heavily in Turkey and Portugal. This time around, he started the event with advice ringing in his ears. There were concerned looks when Tänak talked about having to modify his pace on the first morning for fear of crashing, but in the end he turned in a perfect performance. He was still in the fight for first place in PWRC when rapid local driver Juha Salo bounced his Mitsubishi off a bank and broke the suspension. When the Finn faltered, Tänak moved in and led from SS7 until the end of the event.

For a while on Saturday lunchtime, it looked as though the Pirelli Star Driver programme could supply a one-two, with New Zealander Hayden Paddon turning in an exceptional rookie performance to take third position in PWRC. He moved up to second on stage 14, but a puncture slowed him in SS15 and left him on the bottom step of the podium at the end of the second day.

Alex Raschi was 12th in PWRC after the first stage, but made up six places to end the event fifth on Saturday. Raschi’s car, like the rest of the Ralliart Italia-tuned Lancers, ran without any problems during the 19-stage Rally Finland. Kenyan driver Peter Horsey and Lebanon’s Nick Georgiou engaged in their own private battle for the final points-paying positions. Georgiou was the quicker of the pair for the first day, but Horsey bounced back and passed his team-mate on Saturday afternoon.

18th Ott Tänak (EST)/Kuldar Sikk (EST) 2 hr 46 min 50.5sec (1st in PWRC)
21st Hayden Paddon (NZ)/John Kennard (NZ) 2 hr 49 min 56.5sec (3rd in PWRC)
28th Alex Raschi (RSM)/Rudy Pollet (I) 2 hr 57 min 03.6sec (5th in PWRC)
40th Peter Horsey (KEN)/Calvin Cooledge (GBR) 3 hr 05 min 15.6sec (9th in PWRC)
41st Nick Georgiou (LBN)/Joseph Matar (LBN) 3 hr 05 min 58.2sec (10th in PWRC)

Competing in the hottest conditions in Finland for more than 80 years, the Pirelli Star Drivers played their part in some of the hottest competition in this event‍ 60-year history. There was much to celebrate in Jyväskylä n this week’s latest round of the FIA World Rally Championship, n t least all five of the young drivers finishing in the Production Car World Rally Championship points.

Neste Oil Rally Finland is always a special event, but this year’s 60th anniversary w s even more special – and more demanding as the three-day schedule w packed into an arduous two-day flat-out race through the fastest forests in Finland. And, at the end, Pirelli Star Driver Ott Täna finished first in the PWRC after a faultless, sure-footed drive.

Pirelli Star Driver report
Ott Tänak was under tremendous pressur when he arrived at the start of Rally Finland on Thursday evening. For the two previous events in the Pirelli Star Driver programme, the 22-year-old Estonian had held a commanding position, only to let it slip on the final day, crashing heavily in Turkey and Portugal.

The tag line for Neste Oil Rally Finland is ‘More than a rally.’ The organisers are absolutely right. This is more than a rally: it’s a flying lesson. For four of the five Pirelli Star Drivers, this event will provide them with an insight into what it’s like to fly without wings. Estonian Ott Tänak has been here before, but, prior to this season, for Nick Georgiou, Peter Horsey, Hayden Paddon and Alex Raschi, Rally Finland has been the stuff of legends.

Having set the Pirelli Star Driver pace on the first two rounds of the 2010 young driver programme, Tänak is likely to repeat that form in Finland. On his first visit to the rally last season, he was fastest of the conventional Group N cars until mechanical failure forced his car off the road. Tänak also has the added bonus of a certain Markko Martin to count on as a mentor; Martin is one of just eight non-Finns to have won from the previous 59 starts.

The five drivers had some insight into what sort of speed they can expect from their Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution Xs on the faster sections of stages in Turkey and Portugal, but nothing compares with a quick section in the forests around the event’s base in Jyväskylä, north of the country’s capital Helsinki.

And this event is not just popular with the drivers either. Georgiou, Horsey, Paddon, Raschi and Tänak can count on seeing more spectators than ever before on Neste Oil Rally Finland – with around half a million expected to line the roads for the ever-popular eighth round of the FIA World Rally Championship.

The rally ahead - Neste Oil Rally Finland
This year’s event has undergone some significant changes, with the route being compacted from three to two days. But, if the drivers think they’re in for an easy ride, they can forget it. Those two days of sport will be flat out, with barely time to think between the rapid-fire runs through the world’s fastest stages.

Finland is the rally everybody loves; it’s the rally where spectators come to watch their heroes with their right feet buried on the throttle. If you don’t believe cars can fly, this is the event for you.

Four of the five Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution Xs made it to the finish in the Vodafone Rally of Portugal, with only Ott Tänak failing to get through the arrival. The Estonian driver had set the pace through the first two days on this second of six World Rally Championship outings for the young drivers. Unfortunately for Tänak, he hit a bank in SS15 and retired in the stage, leaving Hayden Paddon to finish as the highest classified Pirelli Star Driver.

Ott Tänak set the pace among the conventional Group N cars from the first stage proper, leading . ahead of the Mitsubishi of local hero and reigning FIA Production Car World Rally Champion Armindo Araújo.

In a repeat of the Rally of Turkey result, New Zealander Hayden Paddon bounced back from a SupeRally return on Saturday to end the event as top Pirelli Star Driver. Paddon suffered damaged steering on SS7 after hitting a rock, leaving him with a five-minute penalty for not completing the test.

Alex Raschi (San Marino) suffered a similar fate to Paddon in the second run through Almodovar on Saturday afternoon. He clouted a rock and also damaged the steering on his Mitsubishi, forcing him into retirement and out of 26th overall. Raschi drove a sensible final day to end the event 30th.

Nick Georgiou (Lebanon) and Peter Horsey (Kenya) made up for using SupeRally on the Rally of Turkey by driving the complete route on this event. The pair ended the Rally of Portugal 33rd and 35th respectively.

In the Rally of Turkey, round 1 of the Pirelli Star Driver programme second year, all of the drivers showing encouraging times and New Zealand's Hayden Paddon finishing highest of the PSD crews in the overall classification. Estonian driver Ott Tanak had set the pace for the first two days of the event, before crashing heavily on the final morning after running in the top 10 overall for the duration of the rally.

Hayden Paddon going off the road on the opening stage of the rally forced him to use SupeRally to return on Saturday morning. Three other drivers retired from Friday: Alex Raschi, Nick Georgiou and Peter Horsey. Horsey's departure was the only terminal one after his Mitsubishi was destroyed in a second-stage fire.

The sole survivor of what had been an exceptionally tough first loop of stages close to the rally's Istanbul base was Tanak. Ott had taken a measured approach to the first day, and continued that policy into Saturday, only to be caught out by a fast right-hander over a crest on SS20. He rolled his Lancer and was unable to continue.

Raschi finished the event close to Paddon. The San Marino driver went off the road on SS2. He returned, only to suffer damaged suspension on Saturday morning. The car was fixed and he made it to the end of the event without any more problems.

26th Hayden Paddon (NZ)/John Kennard (NZ) 4 hr 06min 27.1s (7th in Group N4)*
27th Alex Raschi (RSM)/Rudy Pollet (I) 4hr 07min 23.4s (8th in Group N4)*
29th Nick Georgiou (LBN)/Joseph Matar (LBN) 4h17m00.6s (10th in Group N4)*
Ott Tanak (EST)/Kuldar Sikk (EST) Accident SS20, retired
Peter Horsey (KEN)/Moses Matovu (UGA) Accident/fire SS2, retired

14.04.2010 PIRELLI STAR DRIVER START IN TURKEY

The Rally of Turkey will be the first of the 2010 FIA WRC rallies for the younh drivers of the Pirelli Star Driver programme. The other rounds will be Rally de Portugal (27-30 May); Rally Finland (29-31 July); ADAC Rally Deutschland (19-22 August); Rallye de France (1-3 October) and the Rally of Great Britain (11-14 November)].

Friday, April 16 the list f the 5 Lancers Evo X Group N prepared and managed by RalliArt Italy will start as follows: N.36 Nicholai ‘Nick’ Georgiou - Joseph Matar – coming the 2009 FIA Middle East Rally Championship. N. 37 Peter Horsey and Moses Matovu from the FIA African Rally Championship. N. 38 Hayden Paddon and John Kennard from the FIA Asia Pacific Rally Championship. Finally from the European Championships the numbers 39 and 40 for the car drived by Alex Raschi - Rudy Pollet and by Ott Tänak and Kuldar Sikk respectively

All the crews are enthusiastic and all the people loving rallies are waiting the debut with warm interest, because these five young drivers are quick and the 20009 PSD Programme by FIA and Pirelli was really a big success. The Rally of Turkey will finish Sunday, April 18.

31.03.2010 PRESENTATION

The five drivers and co-drivers forming the 2010 Pirelli Star Driver programme met for the first time in Scotland Sunday 14 March for a training and education course in Edinburgh before leaving for Pisa, Italy on Wednesday afternoon (17 March), where they test the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X they will drive on six rounds of the FIA World Rally Championship [Rally of Turkey (15-18 April). In addition to the Istanbul-based event, the five drivers and co-drivers will also compete on Rally de Portugal (27-30 May); Rally Finland (29-31 July); ADAC Rally Deutschland (19-22 August); Rallye de France (1-3 October) and the Rally of Great Britain (11-14 November)].

The five crews involved in this year’s scheme are: Nick Georgiou and Joseph Matar from the FIA Middle East Rally Championship; Peter Horsey and Moses Matovu from the FIA African Rally Championship; Hayden Paddon and John Kennard from the FIA Asia Pacific Rally Championship; Alex Raschi and Rudy Pollet and Ott Tänak and Kuldar Sikk – all from the FIA European Rally Championship.

The crews arrived at the test site, close to Pisa, where they were met by the Ralliart Italia team. After introductions to the team of engineers and technicians who will run their Mitsubishi rally cars this season, the crews saw their cars for the first time. While there was an emphasis on the driving, Ralliart Italia had also prepared demonstrations and workshops on how to work on all areas of the car, to ensure all drivers and co-drivers had a solid understanding of the mechanics of the Lancer as well as how to get the best out of the set-up for the car. Thursday was the day when the drivers and co-drivers got their hands dirty. They were busy changing wheels, altering the set-up of the Mitsubishis and generally familiarising themselves with the cars. The team had supplied three of last year’s Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution Xs. Following a strip down, re-jig and rebuild the cars were like brand new. Two cars were running in gravel trim, with the third in asphalt specification.

Friday was spent with the five drivers getting accustomed to the latest-specification rally cars, with a gravel and an asphalt car being used on the test. All five of the drivers were in the car for the same amount of time during the test. Following this, the drivers all returned home and will not meet again before the opening round of this year’s Pirelli Star Driver programme – the Rally of Turkey.

Paul Hembery, Pirelli Motorsport Director, said:
“It’s very exciting to see the five drivers and co-drivers embarking on what will be a fantastic season of learning for them. From what I’ve seen, this year’s crews are a great bunch of guys and they will all have taken a lot from the training and the testing they have done this week. Now, though, they’ll all be looking forward to getting in the car for the first competition. Pirelli is very proud to be working with the FIA and moving into the second year of the Star Driver scheme.”