WRC SPARKS INTO LIFE AT AUTOSPORT INTERNATIONAL
The 2019 World Rally Championship was launched in spectacular fashion ahead of thousands of fans at Autosport International on Saturday.
British rally hero Kris Meeke was delighted to see so many people attending the first series launch on a public day at Birmingham’s NEC.
“This really is a fantastic way to launch the season,” Meeke told MN. “Last year we did it on a trade day, but this year to do it on a day for the fans was just brilliant. It was pretty full-on, but it’s mega and so nice to be here with so many people.”
World Rally Championship chiefs lauded Saturday’s series launch at Autosport International as the perfect start to what’s expected to be one of the most competitive WRC seasons ever.
Thousands of fans flocked to Birmingham’s NEC after Motorsport News’ sister title
Autosport elected to shift the WRC series launch to a public day for the first time this year. All four factory teams unveiled their 2019 liveries and only Sebastien Loeb and Daniel Elena were missing, with the Hyundai crew still in Peru on the Dakar Rally.
In addition to the cars, the drivers also revealed the competition numbers which they have selected for the first time this season.
WRC managing director Oliver Ciesla told MN: “To see the fans – and so many of them – getting into contact with their heroes was fantastic. This huge crowd has really impressed me and it was a great move to come here on the Saturday.”
Those thoughts were echoed by FIA rally director Yves Matton, who added: “We have so many people this year – it’s a major improvement to have this day for the public rather than on a trade day we had last year.
“We still have clearly the memory from last year, which was one of the greatest in a long time and now we look forward to 2019.
“There are major drivers in each team and to have the two main champions [of this generation in Sebastien Ogier and Sebastien Loeb] who will battle on nearly a half championship, we will make some great stories.”
Four-time champion and Toyota team principal Tommi Makinen was impressed with the Birmingham launch – and with the knowledge and memories of the fans.
“It’s so fantastic to see so many people here,” he said. “We know in England we will have a lot of fans, the sport is very big, very popular here – and it’s nice to see that some of them can also remember the times when I was driving.”
It was Kris Meeke, Makinen’s newest driver, who got the biggest cheer when he was called up, along with Toyota team-mates Ott Tanak
and Jari-matti Latvala, to pull the covers off this year’s Yaris WRC.
Meeke, back after being dropped by Citroen mid-way through last season, said: “When a big company like that [Citroen] acts the way they did and tries to put you down on the floor and stamp on you, to walk back in to a reception like that… you must be doing something right. It’s been a really full on day, but it’s so fantastic for the fans. It was nice, it was mega.”
Rally fan Mark Collins travelled from Lancaster to see the launch. He said: “The feeling when they were walking through the show at the start, it was a really nice atmosphere. And then the cheer when Kris [Meeke] came on stage – it was a bit like the times when Colin [Mcrae] was around. The chance to see them all in their overalls, ready to go, it was amazing. I can’t wait for this year – and Rally GB.”
Hyundai’s new team principal Andrea Adamo said the interaction with the fans was vital.
“We are no longer in the Eighties,” said Adamo. “We can no longer talk about this sport between ourselves. If we continue to do this then somebody will come to ask us: ‘Why are we spending all of this money?’ Making this an open day for the normal fans is just what we needed.”
Three of the four teams showed significant changes in their liveries, with only Toyota’s Yaris WRC remaining largely unchanged for the season ahead.
Citroen’s C3 WRC is devoid of Abu Dhabi branding for the first time in five years, but Ogier’s return to Versailles means he brings Red Bull branding back to the French machine again. Hyundai’s i20 Coupe WRC has a new design, with its usual blue and orange colour scheme.
M-sport’s Ford Fiesta WRC is without Red Bull input, leaving the Cumbrian squad with a livery similar to 2016.