Prevot Returns to Citroen
Belgian codriver Stephane Prevot is to partner Russian Citroen Junior team driver Evgeniy Novikov for the rest of the season. They are to start together on the Barum Rally, the IRC event which Novikov will contest privately in a Skoda Fabia S2000, then tackle the Spain and GB world championship events with Citroen. Prevot competed on six rallies with Citroen in 2005 with Francois Duval, parting company after an accident in Cyprus that year. He will replace Dale Moscatt, which leaves Australia on the eve of their world championship event with no competitor in the WRC this year. Novikov had not planned to compete in Australia, however.

Petter Withdraws from Australia
Petter Solberg has reluctantly withdrawn from Repco Rally Australia today. An entry was lodged shortly before the closing time but then notice was given that the team would not be able to take part. Difficulty of availability of parts was the main reason for the decision. This is only the second out of 167 world championship rallies that he and Phil Mills have had to miss. Meanwhile plans to contest the two final rounds of the 2009 World Championship (Spain and GB) are going ahead. Solberg was forced to retire from last week's Neste Oil Rally Finland with suspension trouble, having earlier been lying second overall.

Nasser Excluded from Acropolis
Nasser Al Attiyah has been excluded from the results of the Acropolis Rally held in mid June, at a special meeting of the event Stewards held in Jyvaskyla. Nasser had finished second PCWRC competitor on the event and was leading the PCWRC championship. The final results of the event had been announced subject to a complete engine inspection for the car. During the inspection, it was found that the crankshaft had been balanced in a way which entailed removal metal, a procedure forbidden under Group N preparation rules, but which the team claims had been unofficially authorised earlier by the FIA. The team stated they believed that every Group N engine prepared by the Prodrive company had been subjected to similar treatment, and the team stated they would appeal the decision. It is widely believed by the team that the problems started due to misunderstandings within the FIA. The result of an appeal will no doubt be eagerly awaited by Group N competitors round the world but the fact of the appeal will seriously disturb the competitors in the PCWRC. If Nasser stays excluded, the leader now is Araujo at 37 points ahead of Al Attiyah at 31 and Sandell with 28. All three have only one rally left to run. While fourth placed driver Eyvind Brynildsen (22 points) has both Australia and Britain to contest. Nasser’s team Barwa had decided not to enter Australia and had seconded their entry to the New Zealand driver Richard Mason. Araujo himself had made alternative contingency plans as to which car he would drive in Australia the existing Errani team entry, or by special permission his own team’s entry and still does not know what to do.

Ford’s Super 2000 On Schedule
M-Sport confirmed that development work on the 2011 new-generation Super 2000-based car was continuing on schedule, with the first prototype car about to run for the first time in September, with the aim for homologation at the FIA in January 2011. Team Director Malcolm Wilson said “We are encouraged by the idea of the proposed FIA’s World Cup project for new-generation World Rally Cars which will be allowed to run on world championship rallies in 2010. We are waiting for details of how the World Cup will work but we plan to run cars ourselves.” Work is progressing at M-Sport on the assumption that the new-generation World Rally Cars will use normally-aspirated two-litre engines. Wilson: “There are many discussions at this time, but we cannot see how a 1.6-litre turbo engine formula could begin until the originally defined 2013 schedule, and of course by then maybe the World Engine concept will have progressed instead.” Wilson confirmed that basic Super 2000 development work is progressing in parallel to future World Rally Car work, for normal customer Group N work. “We are hoping we have the chance to produce around 50 of these cars.” More than 70 Peugeot 207 Super 2000 cars have already been produced.

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