McRae- possible Subaru drive at Wales Rally GB
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McRae- possible Subaru drive at Wales Rally GB
Even though he didn't get a WRC drive this year and the fact that he has stated publicly that he's considering never going back to the WRC fulltime, I can definitely understand the desire to compete in his home event.
Hopefully, if he does well enough, someone will offer him a drive next year (whether he takes it or not would be another story).
http://origin.wrc.com/News.aspx?PO_ID=2907&lang=en_GB
Former world champion Colin McRae is set to return to the World Rally Championship in a privateer Subaru Impreza WRC2004 on this year’s Rally GB, according to a story in this week’s Autosport magazine.
McRae was dropped by Citroen at the end of 2003, and was beaten in the race to fill Richard Burns’ seat at Subaru by young Finn Mikko Hirvonen. The Scot spent January competing in the Paris-Dakar endurance event, and will race at Le Mans with a Prodrive-run Ferrari 360 in June.
He is keen to contest his home round of the WRC, though, and has been in talks with Subaru and privateer team RED Motorsport to drive one of this year’s cars on the event. The outfit has long links with the McRae family, and Colin’s brother, Alister, currently drives for them in the Production class. Colin won his drivers' title with Subaru in 1995, and last competed with the outfit on Rally GB in 1998.
“There is something in the pipeline,” he said. “I’m enjoying my time off. There’s a chance that I might be doing something, but that’s all there is to say at the moment.”
RED Motorsport boss Neil Gatt said he be delighted to run a big-name star, such as McRae, at the top level of the sport as part of his long-term goals for the team. Subaru team principal David Lapworth also admitted the prospect of seeing McRae back on Rally GB was enticing, but there remain questions over the availability of this year’s WRC2004 cars – which McRae would certainly want to drive – for Rally GB in its earlier, September date.
“It’s not impossible,” he said. “But at the same time, the 2004 cars don’t become available for customers until October or November. We have talked about what Colin might be doing – he’s been around Prodrive because of his involvement with the Ferrari programme – and rallying is a natural progression of any conversation.”
Hopefully, if he does well enough, someone will offer him a drive next year (whether he takes it or not would be another story).
http://origin.wrc.com/News.aspx?PO_ID=2907&lang=en_GB
Former world champion Colin McRae is set to return to the World Rally Championship in a privateer Subaru Impreza WRC2004 on this year’s Rally GB, according to a story in this week’s Autosport magazine.
McRae was dropped by Citroen at the end of 2003, and was beaten in the race to fill Richard Burns’ seat at Subaru by young Finn Mikko Hirvonen. The Scot spent January competing in the Paris-Dakar endurance event, and will race at Le Mans with a Prodrive-run Ferrari 360 in June.
He is keen to contest his home round of the WRC, though, and has been in talks with Subaru and privateer team RED Motorsport to drive one of this year’s cars on the event. The outfit has long links with the McRae family, and Colin’s brother, Alister, currently drives for them in the Production class. Colin won his drivers' title with Subaru in 1995, and last competed with the outfit on Rally GB in 1998.
“There is something in the pipeline,” he said. “I’m enjoying my time off. There’s a chance that I might be doing something, but that’s all there is to say at the moment.”
RED Motorsport boss Neil Gatt said he be delighted to run a big-name star, such as McRae, at the top level of the sport as part of his long-term goals for the team. Subaru team principal David Lapworth also admitted the prospect of seeing McRae back on Rally GB was enticing, but there remain questions over the availability of this year’s WRC2004 cars – which McRae would certainly want to drive – for Rally GB in its earlier, September date.
“It’s not impossible,” he said. “But at the same time, the 2004 cars don’t become available for customers until October or November. We have talked about what Colin might be doing – he’s been around Prodrive because of his involvement with the Ferrari programme – and rallying is a natural progression of any conversation.”
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http://www.worldrallynews.com/artman...icle_237.shtml
Colin McRae has confirmed that he is hoping to return to the World Rally Championship for the Wales Rally of Great Britain, but denied that he has done a deal with Subaru.
The former World Champion believes he is close to finding a sponsor for the September event and said that he intends to approach other manufacturers, including Ford, assuming he can raise the funds. He would need over 250,000 euros for a one-off drive.
However, he wasted no time in playing down the likelihood of challenging the World Championship regulars, far less making a full-time return.
“I haven’t driven a rally car since November, so to turn up nearly a year later and expect to be competitive isn’t really reasonable,” McRae said. “I want to give myself a fair chance, but I’m committed to doing a deal for a raid programme. From what I’ve read, it [the World Championship] is too up in the air and a mess. I’m not missing it at all. There’s no real possibility of getting back into it full time. But I still want to go and do the best I can, so I want the best car I can.”
© Copyright worldrallynews.com 2000-2004
The former World Champion believes he is close to finding a sponsor for the September event and said that he intends to approach other manufacturers, including Ford, assuming he can raise the funds. He would need over 250,000 euros for a one-off drive.
However, he wasted no time in playing down the likelihood of challenging the World Championship regulars, far less making a full-time return.
“I haven’t driven a rally car since November, so to turn up nearly a year later and expect to be competitive isn’t really reasonable,” McRae said. “I want to give myself a fair chance, but I’m committed to doing a deal for a raid programme. From what I’ve read, it [the World Championship] is too up in the air and a mess. I’m not missing it at all. There’s no real possibility of getting back into it full time. But I still want to go and do the best I can, so I want the best car I can.”
© Copyright worldrallynews.com 2000-2004
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