2011 Rally Australia
The Rally Australia in 2011 was the tenth round of the World Rally Championship in 2011 and the fifth round of the Production World Rally Championship in 2011. The rally was from 8 - 11th September 2011, fought in the area of Coffs Harbour in New South Wales.
- 3.1 final
- 3.2 stages
Background
After a year break, the Rally Australia was added to the 2011 season back in the calendar of the World Rally Championship. In recent years, the Rally Australia had changed several times their location. Following riots in the final staging in 2009, the rally moved to New South Wales Coffs Harbour.
Kimi Raikkonen renounced his team Ice 1 Racing organizational reasons for the start of the Rally Australia in 2011, though he had already signed up for the event. A like Ice 1 Racing in the WRC inscribed to manufacturer points team needs due to the regulations appear to all the reported events and complete at least two rallies outside Europe per season. Raikkonen had previously only competed with his team at a rally overseas, and after the Rally Australia was no further more in the calendar so that it no longer would be able to fulfill the requirement. As a result, Räikkönen had 16,200 euro penalty to the race stewards for his non-appearance to pay and also the Ice 1 Racing team was taken from the manufacturers' standings.
Citroën factory driver Sébastien Loeb traveled as league leaders with 25 points ahead of his teammate Sébastien Ogier to Australia. Mikko Hirvonen as the best Ford driver had already 36 points behind Loeb before the rally.
Reports
Day 1 ( Thursday, September 8 )
On Thursday evening, the first two of a total of 26 special stages were on the program. The best times made the two Citroën factory driver from among themselves, with Ogier 0.6 seconds ahead, took on Loeb, with the second day.
Day 2 (Friday, 9 September),
On Friday morning Sébastien Loeb took the lead of the overall standings. However, he turned over to the subsequent WP 4 because of a driving error, after which he could no longer continue the ride. Then, his team-mate Sébastien Ogier went back in the lead. But this was short-lived. In WP6 Ogier went off on slippery track conditions of the road and hit a tree, so that he was also forced to close. The two Ford factory drivers Mikko Hirvonen and Jari -Matti Latvala led the rally. At the end of the day had Hirvonen, after ten stages, a lead of seven seconds on Latvala. Third-placed Citroen privateer Petter Solberg was already back 44.3 seconds.
Day 3 (Saturday, September 10th)
After the accident the day before, the two Citroën factory riders were allowed to start again under the SupeRally regulations with repaired vehicles on Saturday. However, Ogier and Loeb had conceded 20 even 30 minutes time penalties, the driver played no role in the struggle for the top places. In the first four special stages on Saturday morning the leading Ford duo continue the pace was before. Since Hirvonen had on the track first, and thus the " street sweeper " played, be -started behind him team-mate Latvala was now at an advantage. Latvala sat on all four tests, the best times and drove out a lead of 17.2 seconds Hirvonen. Petter Solberg, however, continued to lose ground. In the afternoon remained at WP 15 of the Stobart Ford of previously fourth-placed Henning Solberg with technical defect are. After WP 16 Latvala's lead was already 26.2 seconds. On the following two tests, it was a little quieter Latvala and Hirvonen tackle reduced his deficit to 22.6 seconds. At the end of the day Latvala had completed after 20 special stages a lead of 22.7 seconds to Hirvonen. 59.5 seconds behind Solberg was already too far behind to come near again under normal circumstances. Loeb and Ogier had driven all the best times in the afternoon and rolled on the field from behind. While Ogier had driven up to eleventh place and within reach of scoring points, Loeb was still in 16th place
Day 4 ( Sunday, September 11 )
On Sunday, six special stages took place. Because of a rollover on WP 22 fell from the previously ninth -placed Evgeny Novikov. Hirvonen made in the morning for a few seconds Latvala well and had its backlog by 24 WP already reduced to 13.4 seconds. In WP 25, the team orders making the decisions. Latvala stopped on the check and waited a few seconds. He gave his almost certain victory as his team-mate Hirvonen, who then took over the lead in the rally. Also Citroën resorted to strategic resources. Instead of backing up a possible eighth, Ogier held also on the test and lost almost ten minutes. Loeb moved thereby to Ogier past tenth place, the last points placement. The bonus points in the Power Stage secured Loeb, Latvala and Petter Solberg. Hirvonen finally won 14.7 seconds ahead of Latvala and Petter Solberg 44.8 seconds before. Favored by numerous failures managed to placed behind Matthew Wilson and Khalid Al Qassimi good rankings. Some PWRC vehicles could drive up into the points, although already with a large gap to the top. Hayden Paddon won the PWRC standings thus securing the title early in the PWRC class. Hirvonen was able to reduce its deficit with the victory in the World Cup on Loeb to 15 points. Ogier were missing 29 points for the standings at this time.