WRC Update: The 2008 Corona Rally Mexico

Last weekend’s Corona Rally Mexico was the first WRC event of the year on the loose stuff—for you and me, that’s gravel. It also marked the first gravel-course trial for Pirelli’s test tire, which apparently proved its mettle. On the punishing and rock-strewn course through Mexico’s Sierra de Lobos and Sierra de Guanajuato mountains, a few teams were caught out by punctures. And with the removal of the internal "mousse" system—the pressurized rubber foam that would expand rapidly to refill the tire if it was punctured, allowing the car to continue running—drivers sometimes had to pull over and change tires. In related tire news, Pirelli is now the official tire of WRC events, eliminating the choice that teams previously had between Pirelli and BF Goodrich. What’s more, teams are no longer allowed to "cut" additional grooves into the tread to alter traction characteristics in relation to the track surface.

Unfortunately for Team Suzuki and the new SX4, they were caught out with engine failures in the thin mountain air, where cars are raced hard at 6000-plus feet above sea level. Giggi Galli driving for Ford and Dani Sordo driving for Citroen were both caught out with broken rear sway arms after hitting rocks on the outer corners. The young Jari-Matti Latvala, driving for Ford, was leading the rally until a stone went through his intercooler and caused the turbo to fail. Mikko Hirvonen was also battling the stones as two punctures saw him drop from 2nd to 5th, though he was ultimately able to pull through with a 4th-place finish. Matthew Wilson had a different problem, as a fan threw a rock at his car, damaging his windscreen.

Amidst all the automotive carnage, it was Sebastien Loeb who came out on top, winning this year’s Corona Rally Mexico. Congrats to the Citroen team! And check out these awesome close-ups from the race at the Grassroots Motorsports forum.