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Marcus Gronholm makes WRC comeback

Double World Rally Champion Marcus Gronholm has decided to come out of retirement to contest April’s Rally Portugal in a Subaru Impreza WRC.

The Finn, 41, will drive a latest specification Impreza run by Prodrive, with backing from Rally Portugal and its sponsor Vodafone. He will be co-driven by his navigator since 1995, Timo Rautiainen.

The appearance - which for now is being billed as a one-off - will be Gronholm’s first entry in a WRC rally since his retirement after Wales Rally GB in 2007.

“I made the decision a few days ago,” Gronholm told wrc.com. “It’s okay to come back again. Everybody is looking at me, and maybe I’m stupid, but to have fun and drive again, why not?”

Gronholm, who has won 30 WRC rallies, has taken part in the last two editions of Rally Portugal, driving a Ford Focus WRC on both occasions: in 2007 as a Ford factory team driver - when he finished fourth - and in 2008 driving the event safety car.

The Finn is quite clear about his expectations: “I will not start aiming for the win, as I want to compare my speed with the regular WRC boys over the first few stages. The important thing is to feel confidence and pleasure, coming back to an event that I enjoy very much and know the stages quite well.”

Gronholm wanted to spend more time in the car before making any results predictions. “We have to test the car first, we have to do changes, and find the right feeling and then I can say more,” he said. “I drove the car a little bit last weekend in Norway and we have another test planned in March, but for the moment I don’t really know where we are. But I hope we can do some little bit good times - that’s the aim.”

Prodrive director Richard Taylor revealed that discussion with Gronholm had been going on for many months. “It’s no secret that we were talking with Marcus at the end of last year,” said Taylor. “He had some interest in coming back so we kept the discussions going and we’ve reached an agreement to go to Portugal. It’s a one-off at this time but we’ll see if he likes it.”

Gronholm’s car will be an evolution of the 2008 model used by Petter Solberg and Chris Atkinson on Wales Rally GB and will be fitted with Ohlins dampers. “We have to allow for the fact that we’re not able to homologate the 2009 car fully, but we’ll put together the best spec of car that we possibly can,” added Taylor.

Source:
http://www.wrc.com

Gronholm’s Impreza breaks cover

Prodrive has unveiled the Subaru Impreza WRC2008 Marcus Gronholm will drive on the Rally of Portugal

The two-time World Rally Champion will have three days to familiarise himself with the new car before starting his first World Rally Championship event in nearly 16 months. Gronholm drove a Subaru test car in Wales last week and will carry out a further two day pre-event test in Spain this week.

Gronholm’s Impreza is fundamentally the same as the ones used by Petter Solberg and Chris Atkinson at the Subaru World Rally Team last season.

“We have only been able to make minor changes to the car because of homologation restrictions, with the most significant difference being the Ohlins dampers,” said Prodrive technical director, David Lapworth.

“In a perfect world, Marcus would have had far more time behind the wheel, however, with his years of experience, I am absolutely confident he will very quickly find a rhythm in the Impreza,” he added.

Gronholm’s participation in the Rally of Portugal has been made possible by the support of the Portuguese Tourist Board. The car has been entered under the Prodrive team name and will be run from the same service area as the Prodrive-supported Adapta World Rally Team.

Source:
http://www.wrc.com

Suzuki and Rizla continue MotoGP partnership

Suzuki Motor Corporation and Imperial Tobacco Group are pleased to announce that they have agreed terms for Rizla - the world's leading rolling papers - to continue to be the title sponsor of the Japanese company's MotoGP team for 2009.

Rizla has been the title sponsor of the Suzuki Grand Prix motorcycle race team for the past three seasons and a further one-year extension will see Suzuki MotoGP stars Loris Capirossi and Chris Vermeulen racing the distinctive 'Rizla blue' Suzuki GSV-Rs during this season's championship.

This is further positive news for Suzuki, following on from two successful tests in 2009 at Sepang in Malaysia and recently at Losail in Qatar. Capirossi and Vermeulen both had equally impressive tests as they were consistently inside the top six at both venues and showed big improvements at the two circuits compared to last year's performances. Both riders benefited from many new developments to this year's Suzuki GSV-R, including changes to aerodynamics, chassis, engine and suspension.

Rizla Suzuki MotoGP will next be in track action at Jerez in Spain at the end of March for the Official MotoGP test, which also includes a televised session. The first race of the year will be a night event, when Rizla Suzuki MotoGP return to Losail on Sunday 12th April.

Paul Denning - Team Manager:
"This is very positive news for Suzuki to continue our partnership with Rizla in today's current difficult climate. We have enjoyed a very close relationship, both on and off the track, with Rizla during the past three years and have certainly considered all the representatives of Rizla as part of the team.

"Our on track performance during the first two tests has also been very encouraging and shows how much hard work the factory has put in during the off season. The GSV-R has certainly come a long way since last year and we know there is still more to come - Chris and Loris were both very impressed with the new bike, but we know there is still a lot of work to do. The Suzuki team will continue to work hard to keep improving, and we are very positive about our prospects for 2009 in partnership with Rizla."

Graham Blashill - Imperial Tobacco Group Sales & Marketing Director:
"In difficult economic times, it is even more important to continue to support major brands and excellence in sport. Rizla and Suzuki are global brands committed to providing top quality and innovative products, and we are pleased to be continuing our partnership."

Source:
http://www.suzuki-racing.com

Rizla Suzuki ready for final MotoGP test

Rizla Suzuki MotoGP is on its way to Jerez in Spain for the final test in preparation for the 2009 MotoGP season.

Following two successful tests at Sepang in Malaysia and Losail in Qatar, Chris Vermeulen and Loris Capirossi will be planning to continue with the encouraging start to the year that has seen both riders near the top of the timesheets at both tests.

The Official MotoGP Test at Jerez will also see the launch of the Suzuki GSV-R in its new 2009 livery, following the announcement that Rizla will remain as title sponsor for this year.

The 4,423m long Jerez circuit is a regular test-track for MotoGP, and the southern Spanish venue will stage the first piece of competitive action of 2009 when the riders take to the track for a timed 45-minute session on the Sunday afternoon. The fastest rider in this allotted time will drive away with a brand-new car.

Rizla Suzuki will complete its pre-season preparations at Jerez on March 28/29 before heading back to Qatar for the first race of the season. Vermeulen and Capirossi will begin their assaults on the championship with the series' one-and-only night race on Sunday April 12th.

Chris Vermeulen:
"The Jerez test can't come soon enough for me. After the first two tests, where we have made some good advances, it will be interesting to see what improvements the factory has made after all the data we supplied from Sepang and Qatar - I am sure the technicians are doing all they can to find what we are looking for. The Jerez test will be interesting, as it will be the first time we've had a timed session - similar to a new qualifying session - with the single rule tyres. This will give us a good chance to gauge what we could possibly expect from qualifying in the coming season. This is our last test before the season starts so it will be very important for the whole team to get in as much work as possible and end the break from racing on a high!"

Loris Capirossi:
"We have had a good start to the year, but we must continue to improve. I am very fit at the moment and have been training everyday to get ready for the new season. I believe that Suzuki will give us a bike that we can win on and I can't wait to see the latest version that we get at Jerez. I am really looking forward to the new season and I feel as prepared and fresh as I ever have done, so I just can't wait to get racing!"

Source:

Madrid hosts the presentation of the Repsol Honda Team

The Palacio de Deportes de la Comunidad de Madrid was converted into an authentic spectacle of light and music so that Repsol Honda Team`s latest addition, Andrea Dovizioso, could be presented to Spanish fans. Dani Pedrosa, still recovering from the injuries he picked up in the latest practice sessions in Qatar, did not want to miss out on the presentation either, and even though he was not able to be there in person he was there as a virtual guest via satellite. This allowed him to greet all the fans in the stadium from Barcelona and even to respond to the questions made by some Repsol workers.

At the end of the presentation Dovizioso unveiled the Repsol Honda RC212V 2009, A bike that he will ride and battle to be up with best on in this season`s World MotoGP Championship, and which thanks to the latest regulations, promises to be very competitive. With the 2009 season about to start and with all eyes on the first race on 12th April, at night in Qatar, the final round of the World Indoor Trial Championship became a party for all the fans in the stadium.

The recently crowned three times World Indoor Trial Champion, Toni Bou, made a spectacular entrance into the hall alongside Andrea Dovizioso. The two jumped onto the stage riding trial bikes, a fantastic sight that was a great warm-up for the official presentation of the riders that will defend the Repsol colours in the 2009 World MotoGP Championship. Music from Melocos and a spectacular light show were the atmospheric setting that gave a chance to all the fans packed into the Palacio de Deportes to get to know the new member of the Repsol Honda Team, and his brand new official RC212V.

The party carried on with the final round of the World Indoor Trial Championship, something that gave Bou a chance to offer his fifth world title to the public – this is his third indoor title – after he wrapped the championship by winning the penultimate round in Italy. The next time the Repsol Honda Team is together will be at the Official MotoGP Test that will take place in Jerez in two weeks, but only Andrea Dovizioso will be there. For Dani Pedrosa things are different, his objective is to be fit enough for the first race of the year: on 12th April at the Circuit of Losail, Qatar.

Dani Pedrosa
“I feel fine – that is making progress at a normal pace – and taking things with a lot of patience, because I still have two weeks left before I can begin to bend my knee. That is why I have not been able to be with the fans that have gone to see the presentation in Madrid, I have to let my body recover, which after all is what you have to bear in mind in a case like this. But being able to greet the fans that have gone to the presentation thanks to the video-conference from Barcelona, I am glad that I was able to be present, even though it was through a monitor. I would like to be fit enough to do more practice, but I will have to find another way to prepare. The objective is stil the same, try to be fit for the first race in Qatar in a month`s time.”

Andrea Dovizioso
“Becoming an official rider in the Repsol Honda Team is a dream come true for me. It is a great experience and an incredible challenge, something I have already had a chance to see in the pre-season practice sessions. Being in the official team means that you carry more responsibility, I now have to help develop the motorbike, and that in the world of MotoGP is quite complex. All I did before was to ride and go as fast as possible, refining the setup, but now I also have to think about how the bike behaves so that its overall performance can be improved. The bike is going quite a bit better as we have more power coming from the engine, and a new chassis has really helped us with the sensations that the front end transmits to us, it now leans over better. I am very pleased to be in Madrid for the presentation of the Repsol team, and from now on I will do all I can in the fight for the world title.”

Source:
http://www.repsol.com

The Hungarian GP falls from the calendar

The World MotoGP Championship was going to inaugurate a new circuit later on this year: the Balatonring, and to be exact on 20th September 2009. However, the Hungarian GP has been suspended after work at the circuit fell a long way behind schedule. The organisers of the World MotoGP Championship have taken this decision after a request was made by the company promoting the GP to suspend it.

Balatonring Zrt., the organisers of this year`s race in Hungary, has explained that the bad weather experienced in the zone as well as the worldwide recession have made it very difficult to make progress with the building work. This setback does not however put the relationship between the two parties in peril as they are going ahead with the project to organise a World MotoGP Championship race in Hungary.

The building work will carry on but the next date in its calendar is the inauguration of the circuit with a MotoGP race in 2010. The agreement between Balatonring and Dorna Sports (the company that organises the World Championship) has a duration of five years.

The suspension of the race in Hungary and its removal from this year`s calendar will not alter any of the other race dates. The FIA has also decided not to replace it with another GP race and so this year`s definitive calendar contains a total of 17 races.

Source:
http://www.repsol.com

Things get complicated for Gibernau in latest MotoGP test

Working on the sophisticated electronic package used by the Ducati Desmosedici GP9 Sat machine, Sete Gibernau’s three days of testing in Sepang last week left the Spaniard and his team with more questions than answers. The former MotoGP World Championship runner-up was characteristically honest about the situation upon the conclusion of the test, using any setbacks as motivation for the coming months of preseason.

”I don’t think today was the best day for us. Even though we have done quite a lot of work on the electronics we haven’t been able to get too many answers, because we had a few problems in the afternoon that prevented us from completing as many laps as we would have liked,” revealed Gibernau after recording a quickest time of 2’02.727 on Saturday.

“In general it has been a positive three days, but things went from better to worse. We did a great job on the first day but the job seemed to get more and more complicated. It is all part of the process for a new team but the potential is there and what we need to do now is keep working hard; there is a long way to go -especially for me.

Gibernau returns to the MotoGP World Championship in 2009 after two seasons in temporary retirement.

Source:
http://www.motogp.com