2011 Rallye de France
The Rallye de France in 2011, officially Rallye de France - Alsace, was the eleventh round of the World Rally Championship in 2011 and also a round of the Super 2000 World Rally Championship 2011, and to the WRC Academy 2011 Rallye de France -. Alsace took place in 2011 held for the second time and was held from 30 September to 2 October around Strasbourg in Alsace.
- 3.1 final
- 3.2 stages
Background
The Ford plant vehicles by Mikko Hirvonen, Jari -Matti Latvala and Khalid Al Qassimi wore at the Rally France a special matt black finish with white lettering.
The organizers of the rally had set up on the insides of many curves controversial metal posts, which should prevent the time-saving cutting corners. Thus, the drivers were forced to change their pace notes from the previous year. Such a metal post was Sébastien Ogier in the exploration journey undoing, as he it damaged the radiator of his exercise vehicle. In competition, some metal rods were later damaged or disappeared and thus made the pace notes partially useless.
Following the WRC field the participants belonging to the French Rally Championship Rallye de France Alsace started - Grand National on the same stages. However, only one time has been covered in contrast to the WRC each special stage. Since this is officially negotiated a stand-alone event, did not apply the regulations of the WRC. Therefore, the generation of World Rally Cars were allowed to continue until 2010, by which finally launched six.
Before the start of the rally was the reigning world champion and Citroën factory driver Sébastien Loeb with 196 points in the best position in the battle for the world championship. While Mikko Hirvonen lagged as the best-placed Ford driver 15 points, had Loeb's team-mate Sebastien Ogier a deficit of 29 points on the table top.
The Rallye de France 2011, a pilot project was launched: the first time could be followed live stages in free live stream on the website of the WRC. The distributed on the first two days of the event transmission time totaled 14 hours.
Reports
Day 1 (Friday, September 30)
Sébastien Loeb went at the beginning of the rally lead. Before the start of the third special stage is an unusual incident occurred. When heating the tires Kimi Raikkonen drove on to the vehicle in front of him Henning Solberg. Raikkonen damaged thereby a suspension on his car went off the road and landed in a ditch. Räikkönen could not continue the rally then. Also previously the Loeb had on the third special stage ( WP3) give up after his Citroën was left lying on the track with engine failure. Incorrect installation of the engine had caused the failure of the oil pump. Loeb gave up a possible under SupeRally regulations start the next day to use in the Rally of Catalonia in 2011 a new engine allowed. Also lost the Ford factory driver on this stage their chances of victory: because driving errors Mikko Hirvonen had just one and Jari- Matti Latvala already captured nearly one and a half minutes behind. New leader after SS3 was Loeb's team-mate Sébastien Ogier. Just a few seconds behind were Citroen privateer Petter Solberg and mini - factory driver Daniel Sordo. In the afternoon, put Ogier's followers up the pace and it was a close three-way battle at the top. Sordo scored on WP6 - coinciding with Petter Solberg - the first fastest time for the new Mini WRC team. On the long WP7 Petter Solberg set the fastest time alone. He took 7.6 seconds to Ogier out who had to contend with vibrations on the brakes, and so took the lead in the overall standings. Meanwhile, Mads Østberg fell back due to a puncture. The best time to WP8, as the last special stage of the day, The lead changed to Daniel Sordo. For the first time now led the new mini to a WRC rally. The top three were at the end of the day within just 2.8 seconds.
Day 2 (Saturday, Oct 1)
On the morning of the second day, the three-way battle for the lead continued initially continued. Petter Solberg, who had even brought back to WP10 with a best time overall leadership, suffered on the following WP11 but a puncture. He thus lost about 40 seconds, so he could no longer engage in the struggle for the victory. Sébastien Ogier had once again held the lead, but he lost to WP12 short of Daniel Sordo. Sordo took a lead of 0.2 seconds with Ogier in the lunch break. In the afternoon Ogier regained the lead back to WP13. The second mini- factory driver Kris Meeke, who had delivered a duel with Latvala for fourth place by then, came up with this exam in a quick right turn off the road and crashed into a tree stump. The rally was thus finished for him. Ogier scored on the other special stage three more best times and extended his lead on Sordo until the end of the day to 9.5 seconds.
Day 3 ( Sunday, October 2nd )
At the beginning of the third day the difference previously seventh -placed privateer Armindo Araújo Mini after a contact with the wall on WP18. Daniel Sordo decided unlike Sébastien Ogier for the soft tire compound. He did so, in cool, misty conditions, at first some ground well and had his deficit reduced to 4.9 seconds after the first two stages. Then built at the higher temperatures from his tires and he did not come closer to Ogier. The fastest times went now Jari- Matti Latvala, who unlocked gradually to Petter Solberg. But on WP22 followed Latvala a team order and acted intentionally two penalty minutes. Thus he fell back in the championship behind his teammate Mikko Hirvonen better positioned. The bonus points on the final Power Stage secured Latvala, Sordo and Ogier. Ogier won the overall victory by a margin of 6.3 seconds Sordo, who make the best up to this point result for the Mini WRC team import. Petter Solberg reached the finish third fastest. However, he was later disqualified because his car was four kilograms under the regulations requiring a minimum weight of 1200 kg. This all moved in. behind him winning drivers a position before; new party has now Hirvonen. A strong rally also drove Ford privateer Dennis Kuipers, who scored his best result and also the best placement of a Dutchman in the history of the WRC with fifth place. While Ken Block came to his first points in the 2011 season, Pierre Campana took the FFSA Mini his first WRC points one at all. A superior SWRC victory won Ott Tanak in the WRC Academy won Alastair Fisher. 34 participants counted.
In the championship, the top three drivers were, pushed along after this rally. Since the world championship leader Sebastien Loeb missed out because of the failure, his pursuers Mikko Hirvonen and Sébastien Ogier could unlock. Hirvonen was now equal on points with Loeb, Ogier parted just three points from the top.