WRC - Rally Espana: Preview

07.11.12
Preview of the 2012 Rally RACC Catalunya - Costa Daurada, Rally de Espana

 

2012 RALLYRACC CATALUNYA-COSTA DAURADA, RALLY DE ESPAÑA
  

The final round of the 2012 FIA World Rally Championship takes the contenders to the coastal resort of Salou for RallyRACC Catalunya-Costa Daurada, Rally de España. This is the only true mixed surface round of the series, with Friday’s opening day of competition run on gravel and the following two days contested on asphalt. As a consequence, final service on Friday has been extended to give the teams the opportunity to change the cars from gravel to Tarmac specification.

This year’s itinerary includes two new innovations; the start ceremony moves to Barcelona, the capital of Catalonia and the second largest city in Spain, and an all-new super special stage has been introduced on the beach-front in Salou.

Rally de España is the only event this season that will play host to all three support Championships. While the WRC titles have provisionally been won, and Elfyn Evans has claimed victory in the FIA WRC Academy Cup, the winning co-driver in this series will be decided in Spain. Additionally, the fight for the FIA Super 2000 and FIA Production Car World Rally Championship titles will go to the wire in this, the final round of the season.
  
RALLY DE ESPAÑA – ROUTE GRAPHICS
    
spain-2012-map.jpg
     
CHANGES TO THE ROUTE SINCE 2011 
     
This year’s route will remain familiar to the crews, with some modifications to stages run last year. However there are two new stages; the seven kilometre Gandesa (SS1) that opens the event on Friday, and the two kilometre Salou stage (SS6) – run over both gravel and asphalt – which concludes the action the same day. In Spain, the Power Stage is the penultimate stage of the event (SS17, Santa Marina).
     
RALLY DATA

 

Total distance:
Stage distance:
Number of stages:
1,391.73 km 
405.46 km
18

 

RALLYE DE ESPAÑA TIMETABLE AND MEDIA OPPORTUNITIES ORGANISED BY THE FIA

 

Thursday 8 November
Free Practice (P1 and P2)
Qualifying (P1 and P2)
Optional shakedown
Optional shakedown (non-priority drivers)
Start Order Selection, Barcelona
Autograph session (selected P1 and P2 drivers), Barcelona
FIA Press Conference, Press Room, Barcelona
Official photo-shoot, Barcelona (P1 and P2 drivers)
Ceremonial Start, Barcelona
   
Friday 9 November
First car arrives for regroup, service and Media Zone
First car arrives for final service and Media Zone
End of day Press Conference, Service Park
   
Saturday 10 November
First car arrives for re-group, service and Media Zone
First car arrives for final service and Media Zone
End of day Press Conference, Service Park
WRC Academy Cup, winning co-driver’s Press Conference, 
Press Room
   
Sunday 11 November
First car arrives for re-group, service and Media Zone
First car arrives for final service and Media Zone
Prize-giving and podium ceremony, Salou
FIA Press Conference, Press Room

  
 

08:00-09:30 hrs
10:00 hrs
11:00-12:30 hrs
12:30-13:30 hrs
17:30 hrs
18:00-19:00 hrs
18:15 hrs
19:00 hrs
19:30 hrs  
  
   

11:12 hrs
17:15 hrs
During the 1h15’ service
  
  
12:16 hrs
18:12 hrs
During the 45’ service
20:30 hrs
  
  
  
10:37 hrs
14:39 hrs
15:15 hrs
16:30 hrs

  

FIA PRESS CONFERENCE ATTENDANCE

 

Thursday 8 November
   
  
  
  
  
 

 

 

Sunday 11 November
  
  

 

 

 

 

Benito Guerra, FIA Production Car World Rally Championship
Michal Kosciuszko, FIA Production Car World Rally Championship
Craig Breen, FIA Super 2000 World Rally Championship
Per-Gunnar Andersson, FIA Super 2000 World Rally Championship
Brendan Reeves, FIA WRC Academy
Jose Suarez, FIA WRC Academy
Sébastien Loeb, Citroën Total World Rally Team
Malcolm Wilson, Ford World Rally Team
Mads Ostberg, Adapta World Rally Team
Dani Sordo, Prodrive WRC Team
 

Winning FIA Production Car World Rally Championship crew
Winning FIA Super 2000 World Rally Championship crew
Top three crews in the overall classification
Representative of the winning entrant
FIA Production Car World Rally Champions* (if not the event winners)
FIA Super 2000 World Rally Champions* (if not the event winners)
  
* Subject to official confirmation of the results by the FIA

ADDITIONAL MEDIA OPPORTUNITIES

   
‘Meet the Crews’: On Friday and Saturday the top three drivers will attend a ‘Meet the Crews’ session for media and fans. This will take place in the service park on the ‘WRC Stage’ at the earliest opportunity during the end of day service.

Autograph Signing Session: On Friday and Saturday selected crews will be available for a 15 minute autograph session. This will take place in the service park during the end of day service at the teams’ service areas.

STAGE CHART

Shortly after the finish of the event on Sunday, a downloadable stage chart showing the progressive positions of the leading crews during the rally will be available. This is copyright free for editorial purposes and available at the following link:

http://www.fia.com/en-GB/sport/championships/wrc/2012/spain/Pages/stage_chart.aspx