bring on the new car!

"It's a real shame about Petter as he was going very well and we should have had two cars on the podium.

"It would have been really cool to have two Subarus up there. I feel sorry for Petter, obviously it sounds like it was out of his hands completely," Atkinson said.

http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/01042008/ ... ntina.html

lets just wait until petter gets the new car coz he still has what it takes to win the championship ....hes a brilliant driver

Chetan U r right !! We all waiting to see that very soon

Solberg samples new Impreza

Former world champion Petter Solberg has driven Subaru's all-new Impreza WRC2008 for the first time in Sardinia this week, autosport.com can exclusively reveal.

Solberg was unavailable for comment on his first run in the car - codenamed the S14 - but SWRT managing director Richard Taylor confirmed that both Solberg and his teammate Chris Atkinson had completed two days of testing each on the Italian island.

"It was always in the plan that they [Solberg and Atkinson] would drive the car for the first time this week," Taylor told autosport.com. "The test was part of the development process. I have no comment to make on the technical aspect of the test, but I will say that we are pleased with this stage of the programme."

The team's full-time test driver Markko Martin was on hand for the duration of the four-day test, which concludes with Atkinson's final time in the car tomorrow.

The team has been running the car - with Martin at the wheel - for much of the year and it's no secret in the WRC that much rides on Subaru's first ever hatchback rally car. The team haven't won a rally since Rally Great Britain in September 2005, making the last 25 months comfortably their longest winless streak since the marque's first victory in 1993.

Subaru's recent upturn in form - it came close to scoring second and third in Argentina – was halted on the recent Jordan Rally. Solberg's Impreza WRC2007 burst three dampers and left the Norwegian fuming about the state of the car's suspension.

The 2003 champion's event went from bad to worse when he rolled the car out of the event on Sunday.

Atkinson did manage to collect a third consecutive podium, placing the sister Subaru third in the Middle East, but the Australian managed to contain his enthusiasm, saying: "Okay, we're third and that's great – but at the same time I'm not sure how this has happened. We're five minutes behind the winner. We still have work to do."



http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/67090

http://www.wrc.com/jsp/index.jsp?lnk=101&id=1090

Finally, New Subaru confirmed for Acropolis..

http://www.wrc.com/jsp/index.jsp?lnk=10 ... 0Acropolis

Solberg back in action!!!!



This is just unbelievable! I mean, 2nd in Turkey is one thing, but we are also 2nd in the championship now, says Petter Solberg. –

It is so great to know that we actually can be up there fighting for wins, and make it! I have not been flat out all weekend, but backed off some places just to be on the safe side, and I’m really looking forward to New Zealand now.

Petter Solberg and Phil Mills took their third podium in a row today, with their 2nd in Rally of Turkey. And they also took a big climb in the championship, and is now 2nd. Sebastien Loeb won the rally and Mikko Hirvonen ended third.

Petter was second when they started this morning, and there were quite a bit excitement in the air at the Petter Solberg World Rally Team. The two first stages of the day were cancelled, and a puncture on the third one didn’t exactly help on the pressure. They also hit a three on the next stage, but manage to pull it off and secured another podium.

Next event is Rally New Zealand, 7 – 9 May.

Source: http://www.pettersolberg.com

Finally!! Hero is back!!!

Motorsport: Not a man to be kept down



Not a man to be kept down, Norwegian driver Petter Solberg is back in the saddle and coming back to New Zealand. When Subaru pulled the pin on their WRC team, it appeared Solberg wouldn't be gracing the world stage any more. However, he now has his own team which is doing rather well in the 2010 championships.
"With Petter Solberg second in the drivers' standing for the 2010 FIA World Rally Championship as the series heads to Rally New Zealand, most Kiwis will simply be pleased to see such a popular and talented driver doing well,"says Rally New Zealand's general manager Paul Mallard.
With Petter now piloting a Citroën C4WRC car – a very similar car to that driven by six-time world champion Sébastien Loeb–many Kiwis will still be cheering for the driver known as 'Hollywood' due to his trademark grin."
The Petter Solberg World Rally Team was launched by Solberg in February 2009,with Ken Rees, formerly a key member of the Subaru World Rally Team, taking on the role as Solberg's team manager.
Martin Holmes, author of the highly-regarded Pirelli World Rallying annuals, says,"Few teams have been born out of sheer determination and hard work the way the Petter Solberg World Rally Team has been. It was conceived the moment Subaru announced that their world championship team would cease to operate at the end of 2008."
The privately-owned Solberg team ran an older Citroën Xsara WRC car in all but two of 2009's 12 events to finish fifth in the WRC drivers' championship. In September he secured a C4WRC car from Citroën. He used the much newer C4 for the first time in Spain, finishing fourth."Do I need to say any more? I'm back,"said Solberg.
Petter and his long-time Welsh co-driver Phil Mills both said that fourth place was the biggest moment in their careers since some successes in 2004," says Mallard."When you see the sheer amount of hard work Petter's whole team is putting in with what is, inWRC terms, a very modest budget, you can see why the Spanish placing was such a significant moment for them all."
For 2010's campaign, due to his privateer status, Solberg benefits from being allowed greater freedom in matters like pre-event testing and the quantity of available parts.
Regrettably, the 2010 season didn't start the way Solberg wanted. Spins and off-road excursions lead to a nineth-place finish in the snow of Sweden. But a second place in Mexico, third in Jordan and second in Turkey–where Solberg was trading stage times with Loeb and Ford's best – sees Solberg arrive in New Zealand second on the leader-board, behind
Loeb.
It's only a matter of time before Solberg wins a WRC event again. He says Rally New Zealand has always been one of his favourite events. "I really look forward to arriving there soon with my own team. I really think the stages around Auckland will suit us perfectly and we're definitely aiming for another podium,"he said.
Holmes says Solberg has lost none of his driving flair despite the constant pressures. "After all, he's the most recent Nordic driver to be the sport's world champion. But nothing relieves the pressures of being the team proprietor and the driver for this enormously popular competitor. For personality and determination Solberg is most definitely a world champ; all he needs now are top podium finishes to
prove the point completely."

Source: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/motoring/news ... d=10641140

Question is...is his car as quick as Loeb's?

Tom, Most likely same!!
As per WRC regulation, There won't be any big differents between Factory Team and Private Team!! Especially same car.

It must be an ex-factory C4

Faiz - and what regulation is that?

Will wait for New Zealand