MINI Currently Leading WRC Rally of France
As I type this MINI’s WRC team is shocking the automotive world but leading the WRC Rally of France. With 7:03.8 mins on Special Stage 8, Dani Sordo (@DaniSordo on twitter) jumped to the overall lead of the rally. It’s the first time a factory MINI team has lead a world championship rally event in over 40 years. And it’s not just Sordo. The other factory MINI driver, Kris Meeke has moved up to 4th overall. Details after the break.
Here are further details courtesy of WRC.com:
>Sordo was fastest by 0.8s through the stage and now leads Solberg by 1.0s heading into the second day of the event. Sebastien Ogier, who had been out front at the start of the afternoon loop in his factory Citroen, is now 2.8s behind Sordo.
>“I’m really, really happy,” said the Spaniard. “We have been working so hard for this and now we’re in a good place. There are still two days [to go] but today has been really good. To be leading Citroen at home is very nice.”
Source: WRC.com
<p>Go Get ‘Em, Dani!</p>
<p>Go, go Dani!! How’s Kris doing? Anybody know?</p>
<p>looks like 4th overall. 54.4 seconds out of 1st.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.wrc.com/results/2011/rallye-de-france-alsace/stage-times/?category=wrc&stageno=8" rel="nofollow ugc">http://www.wrc.com/results/2011/rallye-de-france-alsace/stage-times/?category=wrc&stageno=8</a></p>
<p>I heard a few minutes ago that Meeke spun out at some point. Something to do with poor visibility (angle of the sun, I believe). </p>
<p>Go get ’em Team MINI!</p>
<p>Good luck mini team!</p>
<p>Oh, is this so good! From WRC.com, a helicopter-POV video of Sordo:</p>
<p><a href="http://www.wrc.com/video/browse-all/australia-2011-loeb-wins-the-power-stage/?vid=2330" rel="nofollow ugc">http://www.wrc.com/video/browse-all/australia-2011-loeb-wins-the-power-stage/?vid=2330</a></p>
<p>“MINI” on the white roof is fully visible at about half way through. </p>
<p>This is so great! It will be tuff to win overall but this is an unbelievable start….. </p>
<p>Go Mini World Rally Team….</p>
<p>Absolutely fantastic MINI!</p>
<p>good job so far, MINI!</p>
<p>“This is the first time a factory MINI team has lead[sic] a world championship rally event in over 40 years.”</p>
<p>Sigh… Haven’t we covered this already? I’ll give you a few options:</p>
<p>A) This is the first time a factory MINI team has ever led a world championship rally event.</p>
<p>B) This is the first time a BMW factory team has led a world championship rally event in more than 20 years.</p>
<p>c) A BMC factory team has not led a world championship rally event in more than 40 years, and likely never will again. But that is irrelevant because we are discussing MINIs, not Minis, and BMW, not BMC.</p>
<p>I feel all that, and when I see photos like this one I can’t help but lament the differences (read girth):</p>
<p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/search/?w=all&q=mini+wrc+countryman&m=text" rel="nofollow ugc">http://www.flickr.com/search/?w=all&q=mini+wrc+countryman&m=text</a></p>
<p>But, didn’t BMW buy Rover/BMC Mini? Clearly, it’s a different company and a (radically) different car. A baton exists, and it’s been passed, a heritage carried forward.</p>
<p>Yes, BMW acquired the Mini brand along with the rest of Rover Group (ex BMC, ex British Leyland). BMW promptly spit out the rest of Rover but retained rights to Mini, which they “updated” to MINI. So I agree that something has been carried forward.</p>
<p>2nd Place overall for Sardo/MINI … impressive! Congrats!!!</p>
<p><a href="http://www.wrc.com/news/wrc-wrap-home-triumph-for-ogier/?fid=15521" rel="nofollow ugc">http://www.wrc.com/news/wrc-wrap-home-triumph-for-ogier/?fid=15521</a></p>
<p>Impressive, indeed.</p>
<p>It’s fun to watch MINI inch their way up the podium. Sordo was obviously splendid. Chapeau! Sorry to see Meeke crash out, but somehow I get the feeling he’s been over-reaching and I wasn’t all that surprised. Next Spain, then Wales Rally GB. It goes without saying that closing MINI’s debut season with a win in GB would be fitting. Not as poetic as winning France, but epic nonetheless. </p>