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PRESS RELEASE: 11th November 2012

A Season Closer

'Ciao everyone,

'Bruno again! After a long weekend we're at the end of Rally de España, the last round of the 2012 World Rally Championship. Another rally done and another good result for WRC Team MINI Portugal. Both our MINI John Cooper Works Countrymen finished safely and with Chris came home a strong seventh, picking up six more WRC points.

'Rally de España was a tough and unpredictable event. The first day on gravel was especially difficult. The unexpected bad weather made the stages extremely challenging and a lot of drivers had problems along the way. Unfortunately both Chris and Paulo succumbed to the tricky conditions and were forced to retire for the day on SS4 and SS5 respectively.

'Luckily both MINIs only had limited damage and Chris and Paulo were able to rejoin on Saturday with no problems. On the second day of competition the rally moved onto Tarmac. The asphalt stages here in Spain are fantastic and drivers really enjoy them. Chris took some time during the morning stages to get back on track after retiring the day before. He said it was difficult to take the same risks after making a mistake and doing Rally 2. However, on the afternoon loop he managed to find a good rhythm and his times really picked up.

'After finishing day two in 11th place, Chris' aim for today was to try and catch the car in front of him and reach a points scoring position. A consistent drive and the retirements of drivers in front of him made that possible and he was able to climb a couple of positions to finish seventh.

'It's been a pleasure to work with Chris this year. Since he has joined the team for ADAC Rallye Deutschland we've worked well together. I really hope we can continue to work together in future.

'Paulo successfully finished another WRC event and got a bit more experience on Tarmac which he hasn't had too many kilometres on. The water temperature of Porquinho Verde started to rise at the end of SS8 yesterday and he got a power steering problem in the afternoon, but he drove an otherwise trouble free rally. I'm delighted he could proudly wave his Palmeiras flag on the podium once again.

'It's been great working with Paulo again this year. He's a fantastic guy and everyone in the team loves him. He was quite emotional at the last service as he has a busy year ahead of him. He's running for the presidency of Palmeiras football club. I wish him the best of luck, but also hope to see him back in the WRC soon.

'It was a special weekend for everyone at Motorsport Italia, because our sister team Ralliart Italia clinched their third Production car World Rally Championship title. Benny Guerra and Borja Rozada did a great job all season and their reward was well deserved.

'It's been a great year. I'm happy with what we've achieved this season. I want to thank all the team members for their work, passion and dedication. It was a long season, but we always worked as a team and everyone gave 100% at all times.

'Thank you very much for following us during the season, we hope you enjoyed the ride with the team! :-)

'This isn't good bye, it's 'until we meet again'! I'll keep you posted.

'A presto,
Bruno'

Final Overall Classification – Rally de España

1.S.Loeb (FRA)/D. Elena (MCO) Citroen 4:14:29.1
2.J.M. Latvala (FIN)/ M. Anttila (FIN) Ford +7.0
3.M. Hirvonen (FIN)/ J. Lehtinen (FIN) Citroen +1.46.8
4.M. Ostberg (NOR)/ J. Andersson (SWE) Ford +1:56.4
5.J. Nikara (FIN)/ J. Kalliolepo (FIN) MINI +16:07.9
6.C. Breen (IRL)/ P. Nagle (IRL) Ford +18:10.4
7.C. Atkinson (AUS)/ G. MacNeall (AUS) MINI +19:14.7
8.P.G Andersson (SWE)/ E. Axelsson (SWE) +20:16.1
9.D. Sordo (ESP)/ C. Del Barrio (ESP) MINI +25:40.6
10.E. Novikov (RUS)/ I. Minor (AUT) Ford +25:46.6
...
30.P. Nobre (BRA)/ E. Paula (BRA) MINI +50:27.6
...
52.A.Nicolas (ARG)/ M. Recalt (ARG) Subaru +2:10:29.2

PRESS RELEASE: 12th October 2012

MINI ceases works involvement in the WRC.

Munich. MINI will terminate its works involvement in the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) at the end of the 2012 season. The company has made this decision after careful consideration.

Dr. Kay Segler, Senior Vice President MINI Business Coordination and Brand Management: “MINI will abandon its works involvement in the WRC at the end of the 2012 season. By the end of the season WRC Team MINI Portugal will have competed in every rally in 2012. As such, in accordance with FIA regulations, we will have achieved the WRC homologation for the MINI John Cooper Works. In doing so, we would have achieved the prerequisites to allow those interested to continue to run the car in the WRC on a customer rallying basis. BMW Motorsport will continue to further develop the 1.6-litre turbo engine in conjunction with Prodrive. In a very difficult commercial environment, MINI has played an active role in ensuring that friends of the MINI brand can continue to participate in motorsport. As such, the MINI family is retaining its presence on various international platforms and getting even closer to its customers. We would like to see the MINI John Cooper Works WRC continue to run competitively in WRC and other championships. We would like to thank Prodrive, WRC Team MINI Portugal and our partners for the good cooperation, and wish all drivers, teams and customers a successful future in rallying.”

MINI Motorsport has secured the future of its customer teams, while Prodrive will still be able to run, optimise and sell vehicles in the future. BMW Motorsport will continue to develop the 1.6-litre turbo engine and provide Prodrive with parts.

From its rallying debut early in 2011, the MINI John Cooper Works WRC turned out to be a successful model: MINI drivers collected three podiums and many top-ten finishes at the wheel of this car. Arguably the biggest success was achieved by Dani Sordo (ES) in January 2012, when he finished second at the comeback of MINI at the legendary Monte Carlo Rally. With three wins in the Principality – back in 1964, 1965 and 1967 – the Mini laid the foundation for the unique reputation of the brand in rallying.

PRESS RELEASE: 7 October 2012

Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité et...Rallye!

Bonjour tout le monde,

'It's Céline here and we've reached the end of Rallye de France. Wow, it was a long week - long days and unpredictable weather conditions, but a very positive event for WRC Team MINI Portugal with Atko finishing in 8th place overall and picking up four WRC points.

'The atmosphere is great in our service area when after such a long and difficult event you bring home a good result. It's certainly a reward to all the team for the hard work they do. It's good for morale and it helps to boost confidence for the upcoming rallies.

'This was Atko's first time at the Alsace-based Rallye de France as he had only taken part in the event back when it was based in Corsica where the roads are a lot twistier with higher grip and warm surfaces. Also, in Corsica crews had to contend with a lot of lateral g, while pace notes used to be very technical. Despite his lack of experience here he did a great job driving consistently all weekend and not making any mistakes. Atko hasn't actually made one mistake in any of the three rallies he's done with WRC Team MINI Portugal. Friday was a tough day, and the unpredictable weather conditions made the job more difficult. However, after working with the team on a new solution for Saturday his times improved a lot and consistently, his feeling with the MINI getting better and better. Today it was just a matter of getting through the stages without making mistakes in order to score another Top 10 finish.

'This was also a special weekend for Atko as after a few years he was back in the car with his old co-driver and fellow Australian Glenn MacNeall. They used to drive together in the WRC until 2007 so they know each other very well and I bet the atmosphere in the car is great - Glenn (or GMac as we call him) is great fun! Prévot will be back for Rally Italia Sardegna but - due to previous commitments - he can't make it to Rally de España and Glenn will join the team again for the last round of the season.

'Rallye de France was right up to the last moment a very positive event for Paulo too. He drove most of the stages with no major problems. Apart from a small issue with the gearshift yesterday - easily fixed by the boys during last service - he had an otherwise trouble free weekend during which he learnt a lot about driving on Tarmac and he's becoming more and more comfortable on asphalt based events. Unfortunately he hit a tree on SS21 - the penultimate stage of the rally - and was forced to retire. But that's rallying and these things happen!

'As far as my job is concerned, today is probably the hardest day. We have to pack everything to be ready to travel back home tomorrow morning to prepare for Rally Italia Sardegna in less than two weeks. Packing is a very long and exhausting job, luckily the boys always give us a hand even though they have their hands pretty full as well!

'Managing a team's hospitality means long hours, a lot of planning and budgeting but also loads of flexibility. For example, when a driver retires for us it means longer hours but we're part of a team and that's how things work - we're all in this together after all! :-)

'I've also learnt a lot during this season about how a team works logistically and operationally. I think it's always good to learn things that go beyond your area of expertise, you never know but you could end up needing them in the future.

'I have to admit that - at the beginning - being the voice of the team for Rallye de France felt a bit awkward as I'm more used to being behind-the-scenes but as soon as I got into it I really started to enjoy myself and it was also flattering as many people told me they've found my columns interesting and learnt about a different aspect of the WRC.

'After all the rally world isn't only about the drivers, the speed and the cars (although those aspects are pretty awesome! ;-)) - there's a lot more behind it that people don't often see. It was truly an honour invite you into my part of the WRC world and I hope you've enjoyed it as much as I have.

'We head to Rally Italia Sardegna now, the penultimate round of the Championship and a new challenge for WRC Team MINI Portugal. Being Motorsport Italia's home event I really hope it will bring us another positive result! :-)

'And finally...from all the team a big congratulations to my countryman Séb Loeb and his co-driver Daniel Elena. Super bien fait!!

'Merci pour tout et a bientôt,'
Céline

Final Overall Classification – Rallye de France

1.S.Loeb (FRA)/D. Elena (MCO) Citroen 3:32:53.0
2.J.M. Latvala (FIN)/ M. Anttila (FIN) Ford +15.5
3.M. Hirvonen (FIN)/ J. Lehtinen (FIN) Citroen +44.1
4.T. Neuville (BEL)/ N. Gilsoul (BEL) Citroen +1:07.3
5.M. Ostberg (NOR)/ J. Andersson (SWE) Ford +1:16.4
6.O. Tanak (EST)/ K. Sikk (EST) Ford +2:27.9
7.E. Novikov (RUS)/ I. Minor (AUT) Ford +5:51.6
8.C. Atkinson (AUS)/ G. MacNeall (AUS) MINI +6:42.4
9.M. Prokop (CZE)/ Z. Hruza (CZE) Ford +8:46.8
10.S. Chardonnet (FRA)/ T. De La Haye (FRA) Citroen +8:59.7

2012 FIA Drivers' Championship Standings

S. Loeb 244/ M. Hirvonen 173/ J.M. Latvala 131/M. Ostberg 125/ P. Solberg 119/ E. Novikov 69/ T.Neuville 52/ M. Prokop 42/ O.Tanak 37/ D. Sordo 31/ S. Ogier 31/ N. Al-Attyiah 28/ C. Atkinson 14/ A.Araujo 11/ F. Delecour 8/ D. Kuipers 8...S. Chardonnet 1

PRESS RELEASE: 16 September 2012

A Solid Finish

'G'day everyone,

'Atko calling at the end of Wales Rally GB.

'Today's itinerary featured three stages repeated twice totalling 83.10km of stages that I know from the past and I was really hoping to set some good times. We made some set-up changes to the engine map last night, which seemed to be heading in the right direction as this morning we had good grip and the feeling with the MINI was great. Unfortunately a sensor in my MINI's gearbox (which meant that the monitor showed sixth gear whichever gear I was in!) cost us some time on the morning loop.

'The problem was fixed by the mechanics at midday service but of course it made our morning a bit more difficult than we had hoped for. We set off this afternoon ready to clock some good times on the second loop. We were promoted into the Top 10 and the points scoring positions when Ott retired on SS17 – the first stage of the second pass. However, it just wasn't our day!

'Towards the end of the last stage with two splits to go we broke our left-rear toe control link, the function of which on the car is to align the wheel. We held Ogier off, but in one stage we dropped one minute and 30 seconds to Nasser and fell back down to 11th. Fortunately, I was able temporarily to jury rig the spare wheel so that we could get the car back to service.

'Overall I'm happy and positive that we're in a good place for the forthcoming gravel events. I'm satisfied with what Stéphane, myself, the team and our MINI achieved together here in Wales. We finished the rally in 11th overall and our pace was nice and consistent, always close to the targets we set coming into the event. We were hoping to be one kilometre per second off the pace and we've been there or thereabouts most of the time. And we're especially pleased that between here and Germany, we've contested 32 stages and completed all 32 successfully!

'Unfortunately my team mate Paulo was forced to retire after midday service today due to vibration causing an alternator cable to fail. I'm gutted for him, he was doing a good job and having loads of fun – it's incredible how he never gives up and how much he enjoys what he does.

'It was a big weekend for my co-driver Stéphane as well as he was awarded with the Michael Park 'Beef' Trophy to honor his career in the WRC. We started to work together in 2007 and even when we stopped competing in the World Rally Championship we continued to work together in the FIA Asia Pacific Rally Championship. He's been doing other things in the meantime as well but we clicked from the start and have always worked really well together. From my side I can say he's an amazing co–driver - he's very professional, focused and the feeling in the car is always great. For me, that's exactly what I need from a co-driver and our relationship both in and out of the car is fantastic.

'I want to add a special thank you to my mechanics. They’ve worked tirelessly all weekend! I'm really happy with their work, they are all very professional and always put their best effort in making sure the MINI is in top form. We have Italian, Portuguese, Brazilian and Irish mechanics in the team but they all work together in a fantastic way!

'I'm now staying in Europe for a while so I don't have to fly back and forward to and from Australia, which means... no jetlag. Bonus! An even bigger bonus is that my family is going to join me and I'll get to spend some time with them before I head to Strasbourg for Rallye de France, which’ll be my third event with WRC Team MINI Portugal and after Germany we’re keen for a good follow up result on Tarmac.

'I've never competed in Rallye de France since it was moved from Corsica to Alsace, but in 2010 I was (half of) Ken Block's gravel crew so I know more or less what to expect from the stages.

'Thanks to everyone for following me and WRC Team MINI Portugal this weekend, it's great to have support from all over the world.

Catch you soon,
Atko’

Final Overall Classification – Wales Rally GB

1.J.M Latvala (FIN)/ M. Anttila (FIN) Ford 3:03:40.3
2.S. Loeb (FRA)/ D. Elena (MCO) Citroen +27.8
3.P. Solberg (NOR)/ C. Patterson (GBR) Ford +28.7
4.M. Ostberg (NOR)/ J. Andersson (SWE) Ford +1:10.6
5.M. Hirvonen (FIN)/ J. Lehtinen (FIN) Citroen +1:29.5
6.E. Novikov (RUS)/ I. Minor (AUT) Ford +3:37.0
7.T. Neuville (BEL)/ N. Gilsoul (BEL) Citroen +4:11.9
8.M. Wilson (GBR)/ S. Martin (GBR) Ford +6:00.4
9.M. Prokop (CZE)/ Z. Hruza (CZE) Ford +6:58.9
10.N. Al-Attiyah (QAT)/ G. Bernacchini (ITA) +9:32.1
11.C.Atkinson (AUS)/ S. Prévot (BEL) MINI +9:37.0

2012 FIA Drivers' Championship Standings
S. Loeb 219/ M. Hirvonen 158/ P. Solberg 119/ M. Ostberg 114/ J.M. Latvala 113/ E. Novikov 63/ M. Prokop 40/ T.Neuville 38/ D. Sordo 31/ S. Ogier 31/ N. Al-Attyiah 28 O.Tanak 26/ A.Araujo 11/C. Atkinson 10/ F. Delecour 8/ D. Kuipers 8...M. Arzeno 1

PRESS RELEASE: 28 August 2012

Maximum Achievement

'Hello everyone,

'Maxi the MINI here for the last time! - I'm so excited because we just finished fifth overall at ADAC Rallye Deutschland. It was three tough days of competition, 15 special stages a lot of hard work but also loads of fun with Chris, Stéphane and the team. 368.63km of special stages later and we clocked the best result achieved by WRC Team MINI Portugal so far and Chris' highest finish ever in Germany. Not to mention that we clocked the fifth time overall in today's Power Stage.

'Not to brag (too much) but I was the top MINI finishing the rally this weekend. I'll try not to mention it too often to the other MINIs in the workshop back in Italy but I think I'll probably get away with mentioning it (and my Top 5 finish) once or twice.

'I'm really proud that I was part of Chris and Stéphane's success this weekend, they are a great pairing - well we're more like a trio, really - and I felt a connection with them from our very first outing together.

'I think that they like me too, today I heard Chris saying that I was fantastic this weekend. I think we make a perfect match and I already can't wait to compete again. Although, I'll have to wait about a month as my next event will be Rallye de France. I'm having a rest and keeping my Tarmac set-up whilst one of the boys will head out to Wales Rally GB with Chris ready for the rougher gravel. I said that they can copy my livery and put it on the GB car if they want.

'Today we cruised through the last three stages and made sure we didn't make any mistakes and kept our position. Of course we could have been a bit faster, but the conditions today were especially tricky due to the heavy rain so we decided to take it easy!

'When Chris came to get me at Parc Fermé this morning he was quite chilled and said to me: 'Come on Maxi, let's do it!' He always knows how to cheer me up and boost my confidence.

'When we got to the finish of the last stage - Circus Maximus - Chris was all smiles, it felt so good to see him happy. We scooped a very good result together and I'm sure there's still a lot more excitement to come. He said to me: 'There you go, Maxi! Fifth on your first rally and my best result ever here in Germany. You did an amazing job all weekend - and in return, I made sure there wasn't a scratch on you so you'll look pretty for your photos on the finish ramp!'

'Wow, going over the final ramp was really awesome and I could sense Chris was very excited too.

'Tomorrow I go back to Italy together with my friend Porquinho Verde. I'm a bit sad because I already miss Chris loads, because he's heading halfway round the world to Australia, but I'll see him in about a month and I'm already counting down the days.

'This weekend was really special and it was an honour to be your host - I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did! Chris asked me to thank you all for the great support he has been given and to say that he can't wait for Wales Rally GB.

'Bye for now!'
Maxi

Final Overall Classification – Rally Finland
1.S. Loeb (FRA)/ D. Elena (MCO) Citroen 3:41:52.4
2.J.M Latvala (FIN)/ M. Anttila (FIN) Ford +2:00.1
3.Hirvonen (FIN)/ J. Lehtinen (FIN) Citroen +2:31-4
4.M. Ostberg (NOR)/ J. Andersson (SWE) Ford +3:24.4
5. C.Atkinson (AUS)/ S. Prévot (BEL) MINI +9:10.4
6.S. Ogier (FRA)/ J. Ingrassia (FRA) Skoda +9:50.8
7.A. Mikkelsen (NOW)/ O. Floene (NOR) Skoda +12:22.7
8.N. Al-Attyiah (QAT) - G. Bernacchini (ITA) Citroen +12:50.4
9.O. Tanak (EST)/ K. Sikk (EST) Ford +13:01.3
10.D. Sordo (ESP)/ C. Del Barrio (ESP) MINI +14:17.3

2012 FIA Drivers' Championship Standings ?
S. Loeb 199/ M. Hirvonen 145/ P. Solberg 104/ M. Ostberg 102/ J.M. Latvala 87/ E. Novikov 55 / M. Prokop 38/ T.Neuville 32/ S. Ogier 31/ D. Sordo 30/ O.Tanak 28/ N. Al-Attyiah 27/ A.Araujo 11/C. Atkinson 10/ F. Delecour 8/ D. Kuipers 8...M. Sthol 1

PRESS RELEASE: 22 July 2012

Prodrive eyes success in Germany

The Prodrive WRC Team has started its preparations for Rally Germany with a two day test at its private proving ground in Warwickshire.

Dani Sordo and Carlos Del Barrio completed more than 100 km in the MINI John Cooper Works WRC and were able to trial the Michelin tarmac tyre for the first time this year with various combinations of suspension set-up and weight distribution.

The team created a tarmac stage to simulate the roads it will find in the Mosel Valley at the end of August. The 4km loop used parts of Prodrive's main circuit, adverse handling circuit as well as perimeter roads.

"It the first time we have used our own track in this way," said team principal, Dave Wilcock. "Fortunately the tarmac surface on our track is quite similar to that we will find in Germany and we have a number of tight and twisty sections and were able to create some longer drags and hairpins on the wider section by simply using tyres and cones. Very different weather over the two days also meant we could try various tyre combinations and gain invaluable data ahead of our pre-event test in the Mosel Valley at the end of the month."

At Rally Deutschland in 2011, Sordo gave MINI its first podium, finishing third. He then went on to narrowly miss out on a maiden win at the following event in France.

Wilcock added: "Without doubt we are going to Germany in the knowledge that it is our best chance to date of a debut WRC win for the MINI. The car works well in tarmac set up and Dani showed last year how much he loved the roads. If we get some good fortune and things go our way, who knows where we will be come the powerstage."

PRESS RELEASE: 4 June 2012

Brother Rally New Zealand Day Three

Prodrive finishes New Zealand on a high with two stage wins for Sordo

Dani Sordo #37 6th +3:03.1

Dani Sordo won the two runs through the super special stage today in his MINI John Cooper Works WRC and combined this with some more impressive times on the final day's five other stages to finish Rally New Zealand in sixth overall.

Sordo was one of the few leading drivers who still had a full set of the Michelin soft compound tyres and it was expected that the heavy rain in the morning followed by scattered showers throughout the day would have favoured cars on this tyre. As it turned out, the hard compound tyre also worked very well on the northern stages.

"We really thought we could make up considerable time today on those ahead who had used up all their soft compound tyres on Friday morning; as it turned out they seemed to have only marginal advantage at best," said Wilcock. "Still it has been a good day for Dani and the team. Two stage wins, two top threes and the remainder in the top six is the kind of pace we had been looking for throughout the event. However, it was always going to be difficult to recover from the wrong tyre choice on Friday and even though the car ran faultlessly all weekend after the minor gearbox sensor issue on the first couple of stages, it proved very difficult to make up this lost time."

The team's next event is on the sealed surface of Rally Germany at the end of August, where last year Sordo brought MINI its first podium. "We are now turning our attention to developing the pace of the new evolution of MINI WRC on tarmac and have a series of tests planned to optimise the performance for the stages of the Mosel Valley. We know we have lifted the base performance of the car to last year and it would be great to get an even better result," said Wilcock.

Sordo said: "Today has been good. I had hoped the soft tyres would have been better in the rain, but still it was nice to win the two stages, particularly in front of all the MINI fans. I think we had all hoped this rally would have been a little better for us, but the car has been very good and now I am looking forward to having a much better fight on tarmac in Germany."

The MINI WRC of Armindo Araujo finished the rally in the points in eighth place while Paulo Nobre was in 17th position.

The Prodrive WRC Team will next compete at Rally Germany in August and Rally GB in September and will confirm its remaining events for 2012 in the coming weeks.

PRESS RELEASE: 18 June 2012

Prodrive looks for podium in New Zealand

The Prodrive WRC Team returns to the World Rally Championship next week at the Brother Rally New Zealand two months following its last outing at Rally Portugal. After proving his pace by taking six fastest stage times in the newly upgrade MINI John Cooper Works WRC in Portugal the team believes that Dani Sordo can challenge for the podium on the gravel stages of New Zealand.

While Sordo has not competed in the WRC in the MINI since Portugal he stood in for the injured Jari Latvala and drove the Ford Fiesta WRC in Rally Argentina. If it wasn't for an electrical fault on the final powerstage he would have taken his second podium of the year. However, just two weeks later he gave the new MINI its first major international event win by winning the Tour de Corse in the Intercontinental Rally Challenge. This time, Sordo was driving the tarmac specification MINI John Cooper Works S2000.

"We were really impressed by Dani's pace in Portugal. The upgrades really made a difference to the car and Dani got into a great rhythm on day two after the unfortunate electrical problems forced him to stop on the first leg," said Dave Wilcock, Prodrive WRC Team principal. "It is mid winter in New Zealand and the smooth fast and what could very easily be damp conditions should suit the MINI and Dani's style. He showed what he could do in similar circumstances in Portugal and proved why he is such a highly regarded WRC driver by so nearly taking another podium in his very first outing in a new car in Argentina."

In between events, Sordo has been using his spare time to keep in peak condition, by competing in the second Carrera Solidaria Santander, a 160 km mountain bike race and managing to finish near the head of the field of 250 riders. He also took the opportunity to fly to the UK to shake down his Rally New Zealand event car and to try some new developments for rallies later in the year, which will include Rally GB and Rally Germany among others.

"The MINI had very good pace in Portugal and I got a really good feeling for new car," said Sordo. "The car is particularly good in the flowing high speed sections and I think it will be very well suited to the stages in New Zealand. However, so much will depend on our road position and the weather as it could be cold and wet."

It is 40 years since a 1275 GT Mini Clubman won the 1972 Heatway International Motor rally in New Zealand, driven by Scotsman Andrew Cowan. The small car headed home the factory backed Toyota team as well as a group of BMWs, Ford Escorts and Holden Torana XU1 competitors. As in Monte Carlo eight years earlier it was the 95 bhp Minis agility which overcame the more powerful competition.

PRESS RELEASE: 28 May 2012

All Home Safely

Ciao a tutti,

'It's Bruno again and this is my last column for the Acropolis Rally and for the season in fact, because as we head to New Zealand our Chief Engineer Tomo will take over as your guide!

'It was a weekend - or a week rather - of mixed fortunes I have to say, it feels like we've lived a season's worth of drama in one event! This is one of those rallies we'll all remember for how hard it was from the very beginning.

'After a rocky start to the week (in more ways than one!), this morning we all cleared our minds and started the day with a positive attitude trying to make the most of the remaining stages and use the experience for the rest of the season. Both crews aim for today was to cut a steady path through the stages to make sure they got their MINIs over the finish ramp. Despite the time loss due to Rally 2 penalties, Armindo made his way up on the leaderboard to finish in 11th place overall. For us as a team, there is a private satisfaction with this result. After coming to the Acropolis last year and retiring on Day Two, our main aim was to finish the event successfully this season and to have not one but two MINIs at the end is great.

'It was a rough event, there's no better way to describe it. However we tried to face its challenges as best as possible always learning something from our mistakes and misfortunes. For us we face every problem as a team and find a solution as a team, and more than anything that's been our strength this weekend.

'Tomorrow we head back to Italy to the Motorsport Italia headquarters and we'll have a busy couple of weeks preparing for Rally New Zealand. We'll be working very hard in the workshop to make sure our cars are spot on for the next event which we'll once again head to intent on securing the best result possible.

'That's all from me, despite everything it's been a fantastic Rally Greece.

'I hope you have enjoyed this MINI adventure as much as I have and I would like to thank you for the support the WRC Team MINI Portugal has been receiving here and from all over the world!

'A Presto!
Bruno De Pianto

Final Overall Classification – Acropolis Rally

1.S. Loeb (FRA)/ D. Elena (MCO) Citroen 4:42:03.3
2.Hirvonen (FIN)/ J. Lehtinen (FIN) Citroen +40.0
3.J.M Latvala (FIN)/ M. Anttila (FIN) Ford +3:04.8
4.M. Ostberg (NOR)/ J. Andersson (SWE) Ford +6:16.4
5.M. Prokop (CZE)/ Z. Hruza (CZE) Ford +7:46.5
6.T. Neuville (BEL)/ N. Gilsoul (BEL) Citroen +9:41.4
7.S. Ogier (FRA)/ S. Ingrssia (FRA) Skoda +12:59.9
8.Y. Al Rajhi ( / M. Orr (GBR) Ford +20:12.2
9.O. Tanak (EST)/ K. Sikk (EST) Ford +23:18.9
10.A. Alkuwari (QAT)/ N. Arena (ITA) MINI +28:40.5
11.A. Araújo (PRT)/ M. Ramalho (PRT) MINI +30:28.6
...
17.P.Nobre (BRA)/ E. Paula (BRA) MINI +59:10.2
...
32.H. Kaltsounis (GRE)/ A. Peridis (GRE) Opel +2:24:04.5

2012 FIA Drivers' Championship Standings

S. Loeb 119/ M. Hirvonen 89/ M. Ostberg 80/ P. Solberg 73/ J.M. Latvala 45/ E. Novikov 43/ M. Prkop 36/ N. Al-Attyiah 23/ S. Ogier 22/ T.Neuville 22...A. Araújo 7...A. Alkuwari 1

PRESS RELEASE: 30 April 2012

Thank you Argentina and your wonderful fans!

'Hola everybody, it's 'Palmeirinha' again!

'Today at Rally Argentina I drove the longest Special Stage of my entire rally career, the 65.74km Matadero - Ambul stage. Of course I've driven longer stages in cross country but in a rally it was the fist time. The stage was really fast and I got so tired by the end of it, but - gosh - it was incredibly beautiful. I really hope it continues to be part of the itinerary of Rally Argentina in the future because it's a really great stage.

'After that there were two small Special Stages - Mina Clavero and El Condor - and for me those are the most iconic stages of Rally Argentina, when I think of Rally Argentina I think of those stages. They are really twisty and narrow tests with a lot of rocks, quite tough for my MINI 'Porquinho Verde'! We completed them really well in the morning and we arrived in the Service Park at lunchtime really happy and motivated to finish the rally. This was a great boost of confidence after all the problems Edu and I had in Sweden, Mexico and Portugal.

'However, in the afternoon loop the car didn't survive many many hits. It wasn't one specific hit or one specific stone that the car couldn't survive but a combination of many. Then parts started to brake on the MINI and eventually the suspension broke and finally the wheel came off on SS17. It was game over, we had to stop!

'Where we stopped there was an Argentine family who made us coffee and tea and gave us some food. Everybody else left the Special Stage after it was finished, there were many many people - it was incredible how many spectators came to watch the rally - but even after everybody else left the kind family stayed, they started a fire and gave us more drinks. They were very very kind. Normally Brazilians think that because of the the rivalry in soccer, Argentinians will treat them very badly but wow these people were so kind with us because we all loved rally!

'Unfortunately our team mates Armindão and Miguelito retired on the same stage as us, It was a real shame as they were getting consistently good times but they suffered constantly on the stages despite their incredible control of the MINI. They stopped two kilometers after us with a broken steering arm and while they were waiting for the recovery vehicle, Armindo fell asleep in his MINI and the fans took a lot of pictures of him sleeping in the car and they came to show us and the family. It was quite funny!

'This is the fourth rally in a row I haven't finished. Of course that's not good for our motivation but I need to realize that rally isn't easy and that is why it means so much when you succeed. If you can't handle it you have to change sport and play chess! Now it's a new page for a new rally. Rally Argentina wasn't the first bad rally of my career and it won't be the last. My head is now on the Acropolis Rally, an event that I know a little bit because I competed there last year - I'm really hoping for a better result there!

'Now I'm looking forward to go to my house in Brazil to recharge my battery but I know that in a few days my rally 'bug' will be reignited and I'll be ready for another rally!

'I really hope you've enjoyed this ride on board with me and the WRC Team MINI Portugal. We'll be back for more action from 24 to 27th May at the Acropolis Rally in Grecce, stay tuned!

'Thank you very much for all your support throughout this weekend!

Paulo 'Palmeirinha' Nobre

PRESS RELEASE: 2 APRIL 2012

SORDO SHOWS THE PACE OF THE IMPROVED MINI

Pos: 12th 37 D. SORDO, DNF 52 P. SANDELL

Dani Sordo claimed six fastest stage times in Portugal, including winning the final powerstage, to show just how competitive the new MINI John Cooper Works WRC is on gravel. Dani’s car featured more than 100 modifications, including a more powerful engine and new Ohlins gravel dampers, helping him to finish in first or second place or more than 50% of the stages he completed.

Meanwhile Patrik Sandell, competing for only the second time in the MINI WRC, was running as high as fourth on day three, before a suspension problem dropped him back down the field. He returned under Rally 2 for day four and was again showing strong pace before he went off the road on stage 21 and retired.

Dave Wilcock, team principal:

“Dani’s drive on the powerstage was just excellent in those conditions. It has capped a rally that we generally have to be very pleased with, in spite of the overall finishing positions, because it has shown the world that the MINI WRC now has the pace to win on gravel as well as tarmac. Patrik was doing tremendously well to run as high as fourth and it was bitterly disappointing for him to have to retire on day three. Still he continues to mature and the experience will do him no end of good as he continues his development as a WRC driver.”

Dani Sordo:

“I am really happy to win the powerstage, it is a great way to finish the rally. I have had some really good moments on this rally and I have a lot of confidence in the car and the performance is fantastic. I can’t wait until we compete again as I think, with more luck on our side, we now have a real opportunity to do something very special with this car.”

Patrik Sandell:

“My target for this event was to finish in the top five and until yesterday afternoon, I was beating this. I am really disappointed to have not finished the event, but that is rallying and the conditions here were very tricky. I have got more and more confident in the car and my pace has been good all weekend, particularly on Saturday and this morning. Having seen the speed of Dani in the new car, I cannot wait to try it for myself.”

PRESS RELEASE: 25 March 2012

Prodrive WRC Team targets debut podium

The Prodrive WRC Team will make its debut at Rally Portugal next week running two MINI John Cooper Works WRCs for Dani Sordo #37 and Patrik Sandell #52.

Dani Sordo’s MINI will feature more than 100 modifications compared to the car that competed at Rally Sweden. The enhancements have all been homologated under FIA regulations. The major developments are a three percent increase in power from the engine; a revised front bumper to improve cooling and the aerodynamic performance; improved Ohlins gravel dampers; and some significant weight savings primarily thanks to the use of a lithium ion battery for the first time.

The new MINI John Cooper Works rally car made its debut at Rally Portugal a year ago in Super Production specification. 2012 will be the debut of the World Rally Car on this event, which will see an extended partnership with BP.

Team principal, Dave Wilcock, believes the team should be targeting a podium finish on this rally. He said: “The newly homologated parts make a significant improvement to the car and should we run error free, I would certainly hope that Dani could be up there fighting for a podium. However, the competition does have the significant advantage of having already competed on gravel this year in Mexico, but Dani certainly knows the Portuguese event well and has achieved podium finishes here on his last three outings.”

Since Rally Sweden, Dani Sordo has extensively tested the new car and will get further time in the MINI WRC in the run up to the event. Sordo said: “I am really looking forward to getting back behind the wheel of the MINI. We did our first test in the new car and it felt really really good. The team at Prodrive have done a great job. The new car feels like a big step forward and I could immediately feel the difference. I have been on the podium the last three times I have been at Portugal and I will be fighting hard to get MINI’s first podium on a gravel event.”

Patrik Sandell is competing in the MINI WRC for the second time after his excellent debut at Rally Sweden, where he finished eighth beaten only by more experienced WRC drivers. Sandell said: “Eighth place was a great result for me in Sweden. As the rally went on I got more and more confident in the car and my speed increased. I would like to continue in Portugal where I left off in Sweden and keep improving my pace. I think we can definitely finish in a higher position than before and I will be aiming for a top five finish.”

Former Chilean Formula One driver, Eliseo Salazar, who is competing at Rally Argentina in a MINI WRC, is conducting a two day test in Portugal next week and will then be joining the team for Rally Portugal.

PRESS RELEASE: 11 March 2012

ARAUJO SEVENTH IN RALLY MEXIC0

For Armindo Araujo the Rally Mexico ended almost as it had started. After the short sprint stage which opened the first long-haul event of the 2012 WRC season to the joyous cheering of thousands of fans, Armindo lay in a provisional eighth place. Three days and over 400 competitive kilometres later he crossed the line – one place up and seventh overall. On the face of it, it seems like an uneventful drive through the highlands of Mexico for the driver from the WRC Team MINI Portugal. The reality, though, is entirely different.

“The rally was not easy,” said Armindo after the Power Stage, which brought the third WRC event of the year to a close on Sunday afternoon Mexican time. However, he was extremely pleased with his seventh place despite having earlier indicated that an even better finish was possible. “It’s just a pity we were running first on the road, because we know we can go much quicker,” he had said on Saturday. Instead Armindo was reduced to sweeping the stages for following drivers, which cost him time.

In addition the challenging stages held on rough gravel roads at altitudes of over 2000 metres did not make life easy for contestants. Cars and crews were often pushed to the limit. Armindo in particular faced trying conditions, but still managed to hold his own against the best ten drivers on the event.
Looking forward to his home event.

Seventh place, as the final result turned out to be for Armindo in Mexico, meant just one thing to him: mission accomplished, for he had targeted a top ten finish, having placed tenth on his debut here in 2010. His latest result means he scored six points in the drivers' championship to add to the points earned through consistent performances which enabled him to finish tenth on the Monte Carlo Rally, and fifteenth in Sweden. In addition, the Rally Mexico provided a good test ahead of the next WRC round, to be held on gravel roads in Portugal at the end of March. That means: home rally for Armindo.

“Last year in Portugal marked my first event in a MINI, und naturally it’s great to see the fans there. Portugal could very well be the biggest event of the year for us,” says Armindo. Teammate Paulo Nobre will also be present in Portugal. The rally further marks the next planned appearance of Dani Sordo in the MINI John Cooper Works WRC entered by Prodrive, with Patrick Sandell of the Swedish World Rally Team making his second appearance of the season.

Thus MINI fans can look forward to no less than four MINI WRC cars contesting the Rally Portugal. The fourth round of the WRC season starts on 29 March.

Rally Mexico:
1. Sébastien Loeb 4:15:32.7
2. Mikko Hirvonen 4:16:15.1
3. Petter Solberg 4:17:44.1
4. Mads Ostberg 4:20:24.2
5. Ott Tanak 4:20:35.3
7. Armindo Araujo 4:28:19.6

PRESS RELEASE: 12 Feb 2012

RALLY SWEDEN

Patrik Sandell has finished eighth at Rally Sweden today and the highest placed local driver on his debut in the MINI John Cooper Works WRC. The Swedish driver finished the day in the same position he started and extended his lead over the chasing driver, Prokop.

It has been a very strong debut for the Swede in his first outing in a World Rally Car with only established and far more experienced WRC drivers ahead of him. Sandell was in eighth position after stage one and, except for one stage, maintained this position throughout the event.

There was disappointment in the team that Dani Sordo had to retire on Friday while he was running in fifth place. The loss of the water pump drive belt caused his engine to overheat resulting in damage that meant he could not return under rally 2. Having led the rally after the first stage, Dani was showing a strong pace on the MINI WRC’s snow debut and the team fully expected him to maintain this fifth place for the event.

The Prodrive team will now return to Banbury to prepare for a development test on the MINI WRC later this month. In March the team will introduce a number of performance enhancements on the engine, chassis and aerodynamics ready for the MINI WRC’s next outing on the World Rally Championship.

Dave Wilcock, team principal:

“Patrik has a very mature rallying head on his shoulders. He has maintained a consistent pace throughout the rally, managed his Michelin tyres very well and hasn’t put a mark on the car. He has achieved all his goals and to be honest, eighth place is a good as he and we could have hoped for on his debut with so many experienced WRC drivers ahead of him. I think he has a great future and I fully expect him to be challenging for podiums. I was also pleased to see how well everyone in the team got behind Patrik, encouraging him every step of the way. We are homologating a number of new parts for the MINI on March 1st and these will all be on the car the next time we compete.”

Patrik Sandell:

“It’s been a fantastic experience and to finish in eighth on my debut in a World Rally Car with so many great drivers ahead me is a very good result. The balance of the MINI WRC has been really good and it is so easy to drive fast.

Over the weekend my speed has been coming more and more and I hope next time out in a WRC to be in the top five and after that to aim for a podium. The way the Prodrive team has supported me has been fantastic and I have learnt so much from them. Without their support I don’t think I would have improved so much during the weekend.”

PRESS RELEASE: 22nd January 2012

17th – 22nd January - 1st of 13 rounds of the FIA World Rally Championship

MINI CLAIMS SECOND STEP ON PODIUM IN MONTE CARLO

Monaco, 22nd January 2012. The MINI WRC Team concluded the fifth and final day of the Monte Carlo Rally by bringing Dani Sordo (ES) and Carlos del Barrio (ES) and Pierre Campana (FR) and Sabrina de Castelli (FR) to the finish on the principality’s harbourside second and seventh respectively. This was only the team’s seventh FIA World Rally Championship event, but it was the third podium for the Spanish crew.

The sun was shining and the roads were dry for the final stage of the rally - the 5.16 kilometre Power Stage at Ste Agnès – Col de la Madone – but this didn’t mean it was an easy stage. It was twisty and narrow and all the crews knew it could be difficult. Sordo set the fourth fastest time, while Campana was tenth quickest, despite suffering a problem with the power steering on his MINI John Cooper Works WRC. This stage was the 18th of the rally, which included 433.36 kilometres of competitive mileage in its total distance of 1,780.47 kilometres. The top three went to the Place du Palais Princier in front of the royal palace for the prize giving, and there will be a Gala Dinner in the Sporting Club this evening.

Dirk Hollweg, Head of MINI Motorsport:
“I am very happy that the brand has returned to this legendary event and scored a very impressive result with not just Dani on the podium, but also Pierre really doing a great job for such a relatively inexperienced driver. It was even more gratifying for us to see the results of the other members of the MINI Motorsport family, as the privateers also put in some impressive results. The fans are always really enthusiastic here and make a special atmosphere on the entire rally. They really welcomed us back to our old hunting ground, and we were proud to give them this result.”

Dave Wilcock, Team Principal:
“This is my first event as Team Principal so to get a second in Monte Carlo with the MINI WRC Team is absolutely fantastic. Obviously we are all extremely pleased. We had all our fingers crossed wanting to get through the Power Stage with no problems. Dani was fourth quickest through it, which is fine, even though we were hoping for another drivers’ championship point, but what you want doesn’t always happen! We are extremely happy with the result as both Dani and Pierre have done very good jobs for the team. The whole team has worked so hard for this and it is well deserved.”

Dani Sordo (MINI John Cooper Works WRC No 37):
“We had no problems at all today. Yesterday I was ‘sleeping’ a little bit in the stages so lost a bit of time to Petter, but I am happy with the result. This is great for both me and the team. I think the crucial decision was the tyres we used on day three when we had snow on stage12. Petter (Solberg) lost time to me there and this was really important, as to be honest we took it a bit carefully and he was fast. Without this stage he would have been really close. Being second for the second time for our new team is really, really good.”

Pierre Campana (MINI John Cooper Works WRC No 52):
“I have really enjoyed this rally. It is a very good result for me and I have made good progress on every day. The car really feels nice and I am happy with this performance, which is my best WRC result. The Power Stage was very narrow and twisty, and it was unfortunate I had a problem with the power steering. As you can imagine this made turning the car a bit difficult.”

PRESS RELEASE: 12th January 2012

Monte Carlo Rally- 17th – 22nd January
1st of 13 rounds of the FIA World Rally Championship

Munich, 13th January, 2012. Rally fans will be able to celebrate a double return next week when the first round of the 2012 FIA World Rally Championship is held. Even though the MINI WRC Team will be taking part in the Monte Carlo Rally for the first time, this is an event that the Mini-Cooper ‘S’ won three times in the sixties, and the rally will be back in the WRC for the first time since 2008.

Flying the MINI flag will be Dani Sordo (ES) and Carlos del Barrio (ES) in the MINI John Cooper Works WRC number 37, and newcomers to the works team, Pierre Campana (FR) and Sabrina de Castelli (FR), in the number 52 sister car. Sordo, a veteran of 91 WRC starts, proved how quick he was last year by gaining two podiums for the team in Germany and France in its testing year. Campana made his WRC debut with a customer MINI in 2011 and in Rally France finished ninth overall. He is no stranger to the Monte Carlo Rally where he won the IRC 2WD Cup last year, and even co-drove on it in 2008. Pierre’s career has been supported by the French motorsport federation, the FFSA, who also gave its backing to Sébastien Loeb (FR) in his early career.

For 2012, David Richards passes the role of team principal to the team’s technical director, Dave Wilcock. Wilcock will combine the two roles and will be supported by team manager, Campbell Roy. Richards will continue to oversee the MINI WRC Team and will attend many of the events in 2012, mentoring Wilcock in the new role. “It was always my intention to take a step back in the team’s second season and pass the responsibility over to Dave,” said David Richards, chairman of Prodrive. “During the last year he has proved he has all the right skills to lead the team and I have no doubt the MINI WRC Team will continue to go from strength to strength under his leadership.”

Both drivers have been in France this week testing ahead of the event. Campana was driving on Monday and Sordo on Tuesday. They then moved locations to where they would be guaranteed snow and the drivers completed half a day each.

Dave Wilcock, Team Principal:
“It would be incredible to go to the Monte Carlo Rally for the first time in more than 40 years and replicate the feats of the original Mini Coopers in the 1960s. However we have to be realistic about this event, where tyre choice on some part snow covered stages can be a lottery. Still, much of the route is new for everyone and we have proved in 2011 just how competitive the MINI John Cooper Works WRC is. I know Dani is eager to get back behind the wheel, while Pierre is keen to impress his local fans.”

Dani Sordo (MINI John Cooper Works WRC No 37):
“This is a rally I like very much as the stages are really nice. I can’t remember exactly how many times I have done it, but it could be three times. We have been testing and that has gone very well, so I am happy with the car. The most important thing is to do tyre testing and we have been able to do this with Michelin, so I know we have some very good tyres. The issue will be the conditions as at the moment it is dry with very little snow. However, this can change very quickly.”

Pierre Campana (MINI John Cooper Works WRC No 52):
“I am thrilled to have been selected by MINI to join its squad for Monte Carlo following our achievements last year. It is a rally I know well and enjoy. I won the 2WD class last year, so I am pleased to bring my experience and to showcase my abilities on such a competitive event. I have enjoyed my time driving the MINI John Cooper Works WRC car in WRC and French championship events in 2011 with Drive-Pro and together with the French Federation support, and I am honoured to be able to continue my association with this tremendous manufacturer into 2012 with this Monte Carlo participation.”

Dirk Hollweg, Head of MINI Motosport:
"After what, from a sporting point of view, was a very successful 2011 season for us with our MINI John Cooper Works WRC in the World Rally Championship, we are now looking forward to the start of the 2012 season at the Monte Carlo Rally. We have a big tradition at this event, which has been the scene of some fantastic successes for us. The new season starts here with Dani Sordo and Pierre Campana in the MINI WRC Team, as well as with our MINI privateers, and we are hoping to score more positive results for the MINI Motorsport family."

History and Background:
No true rally fan will ever forget the Monte Carlo Rally exploits of the Minis in the sixties with wins for Paddy Hopkirk (GB) in 1964, Timo Mäkinen (FI) in 1965 and Rauno Aaltonen (FI) in 1967. The brand even returned last year to take part in the Historic Monte Carlo Rally with Aaltonen (FI) at the wheel. However, it is now the MINI John Cooper Works WRC that will herald the first works car from the marque in this iconic event since 1968.

The 80th Monte Carlo Rally is back in the FIA World Rally Championship after an absence of three years. This year’s event is considerably longer than the majority in the WRC as it run over five days. It also has different locations for its start and finish. The start is in the town of Valence in the Drôme region, which is in south eastern France, 105 kilometres south of Lyon on the left bank of the river Rhône. Meanwhile, as would be expected, the finish is in the principality of Monaco.

There will be a ceremonial start at the Champs de Mars in Valence at 18.00 on Tuesday, 17th January, but the first stages will not be until the next day. On Wednesday the first car will leave Valence at 08.00 and then return there for service and an overnight halt at 17.52. During the day there will be a lunch time service in Valence and the cars will compete on four stages, covering 134.70 kilometres of competition in an overall route of 471.82 kilometres.

On the 19th January the first car will leave Parc Fermé at 07.55 for another six stages over 131.76 competitive kilometres on a route that is 441.96 kilometres long. Again there will be a service back in Valence halfway through the day.

Day three starts in Valence with the first car out of Parc Fermé at 08.44. The competitors return for a service at lunch time, but this is the last time the rally goes back to Valence before it heads to Monaco, where the first car is due that evening at 19.59. There are just three stages which total 77.30 kilometres, but the total mileage is 545.72 kilometres.

The Monaco start on day four is late as the first car is not due out of Parc Fermé until13.15. The cars return for service at 17.53 and then the end of the day’s competition sees the first car into final service for the day at 21.32. In terms of total distance the crews travel 272.50 kilometres and the four stages are a total of 84.44 kilometres.

The final and fifth leg is very short with just one stage over 5.16 kilometres in a total distance of 48.47 kilometres. The first car leaves the Monaco Parc Fermé at 09.05, the stage – the Power Stage at Ste Agnes – Col de la Madone – starts at 10.11, and the first car is due back into Parc Fermé at Quai Antoine 1er for the finish at 11.17. In total there will be 433.36 kilometres over stages in a total distance of 1,780.47 kilometres. There will be a Prize Giving at 15.00 at Place de Palais Princier and then, in true Monegasque style, there will be a Gala Dinner at the Sporting Club at 20.30.