Just one week after the Tour de Corse, crews will start another WRC asphalt event, Rally Catalunya, based in southern Spain, from 27-30 October. For the first time this season two FIA World Rally Championship events will be run 'back to back' and this will also be the first time this year that the same engines and chassis will be used for two consecutive rallies.

Although this year will be the 41st Rally Catalunya, next week marks a significant change to the format of the event. After years of being based in the Costa Brava area, the rally moves to the Tarragona region, with a single service area at the PortAventura theme park. Many of the special stages take place in the mountains around the host town Salou, with some sections previously used in 2001 and 2002 making a reappearance. Two stages, the Querol and El Montmell passes, use roads that have not been part of World Championship rallying for ten years.

Although Spain and Corsica are both sealed-surface events, the two are very different in character. While Corsica is twisty and narrow, the roads in Spain are much wider, faster and more flowing. Catalunya is likely to be the fastest asphalt event of the season. The majority of the Spanish asphalt is newer and smoother than the more abrasive Corsican surface and this event is the closest the WRC gets to a race track rally. Getting the right line into a corner is crucial and cutting corners is commonplace as drivers look for every advantage.

With its late October date, the weather could be bright sunshine and blue skies or lashing rain and fog, anything is possible. The rallying action kicks off with the ceremonial start in PortAventura on Thursday night, with the competitive action starting at 0828hrs the next day. The rally comprises 15 stages, with six on Legs one and two and three on the final day. Only one stage is used once, Pratdip on Leg one is also the longest of the rally at 28.35km. The podium finish will be in Salou on Sunday at 1330hrs.

Citroen

Citroën is hoping that Round 15 of the 16-round FIA World Rally Championship will turn out to be a decisive step in its bid to secure a third consecutive Manufacturers' title. To this end, the French team has entered two Xsara WRCs for the two-times World Champions* Sébastien Loeb/Daniel Elena and their Belgian team-mates François Duval/Sven Smeets. The objective of the Versailles-Satory team in Spain is to try to wrap up the Manufacturers' championship in its attempt to add a third crown to the titles it won in 2003 and 2004. Its current cushion of 30 points at the top of the provisional standings effectively puts it in a very comfortable position.In its bid to take the title, the team will be able to count on a number factors, from the current competitiveness of the Xsara/Michelin package and the sparkling form of Loeb/Elena to the fact that François Duval led during last year's visit to Spain. But in order to be able to capitalise on these strengths, it will first be necessary to get a firm grip on the tyre/weather situation, an equation which includes one important unknown factor: Citroën's three previous visits to the Tarragona region were all in spring.

Sébastien Loeb/Daniel Elena: "...given our current successful run, the strength of the team, the fact that the Xsara and our tyres couldn't be more competitive, nobody would believe me if I said I wasn't hoping to win. So, yes, we will try. It's an asphalt rally and, even though the Spanish stages are different to those of Germany and Corsica, the fundamentals are still pretty much the same. We are aware of course that we have some work to finish off in the Manufacturers' championship too. We really want the team to keep the title, so we won't do anything reckless. But a win would effectively be nice."

Francois Duval/Sven Smeets: "First of all, I hope I will feel better physically (Than in France). That should be OK. I drove during the team's pre-Catalunya tests and I think my car will be to my liking and competitive from the start. I was quite competitive on the stages further north last year, so I don't see why I shouldn't be competitive again this time round. I will be looking for a good result to make sure that Citroën wraps up the Manufacturers' title here in Spain."

Subaru

The Subaru World Rally Team had an encouraging Tour de Corse, achieving its best asphalt finish of the year with Petter Solberg third and Stéphane Sarrazin fourth. Stéphane's result equalled his best-ever WRC finish, which he recorded last year in Spain on his WRC debut. The Subaru World Rally Team will enter a three-car team on Rally Catalunya. The three Impreza WRC2005's will be driven by Petter Solberg (co-driven by Phil Mills), Stéphane Sarrazin (co-driven by Denis Giraudet) and Chris Atkinson (co-driven by Glenn Macneall). On this event Petter and Stéphane will be eligible to score points in the 2005 FIA Championship for Manufacturers. Petter had a largely trouble-free run on this event in 2004 to finish fifth, just behind his current team-mate Stéphane Sarrazin, who made his WRC debut at the event in a privately entered Impreza. Catalunya will be another new rally for Chris Atkinson who starts his third-ever sealed surface event after Germany and Corsica.

Petter Solberg/Phil Mills: "I think Spain will be a very interesting and exciting rally. The new roads look very good and it's always fun to try out fresh rally stages. Coming so soon after Corsica I'm still feeling positive about the way the latest tyres and suspension set-up worked. The guys at Subaru and Pirelli have worked very hard and together we've made a significant step forward in the asphalt performance. We achieved our objectives there, and I hope that we can deliver another good result in Spain. I'm looking forward to it."

Stephan Sarrazin/Denis Giraudet: "Prior experience is so important in the WRC, but the fact that this rally is largely new to all competitors should help me in Spain. It's much more of a level fight and that's better for me. My performance in Corsica has given me a lot of confidence about the car and tyres, when I push I know I am capable of getting good times. I prefer the smoother roads in Spain and I think that I can improve on my Corsica result - maybe another step up the podium - who knows."

Chris Atkinson/Glen MacNeall: "Catalunya will be another now event for me, and another opportunity to learn more about the car and tyres in some unfamiliar conditions. From what I know of the event, we're going to be facing some very different stage conditions to the ones we saw in Corsica. They're a lot quicker and we'll be taking a lot more cuts, but I think we learned some useful things last week that will help us get off to a good start."

Ford

Just four days after the finish of the Ford Focus World Rally Car's centenary event in Corsica, the current model will make its farewell appearance as a works car on Spain's Rally Catalunya - Costa Daurada (27 - 30 October).  An all-new Focus RS WRC, based on the Focus ST road car, will make its first public appearance on the final round of the FIA World Rally Championship in Australia next month.  The BP-Ford World Rally Team has scheduled that event as a major test ahead of the car's introduction for the 2006 series. Thirty-year-old Gardemeister claimed his first finish in Spain when the rally last visited Tarragona and has memories of the stages. Kresta finds himself in a position that is far from new for him this year - tackling stages for the first time.  His only previous start in Spain was in 2003 when the rally didn't visit Tarragona.

Toni Gardemeister/Jakke Honkanen:  "Two of the stages in this year's route were also on the schedule in 2002 but I think much will have changed in those three years," said the Finn.  "I remember the roads as being more abrasive and more flowing than those near Lloret de Mar.  But I have heard that work has been done on the roads since then, so the asphalt is likely to be smoother."

Roman Kresta/Jan Mozny: "It will all be completely new to me," said the 29-year-old Czech.  "I'm quite used to that this year because I've started several rallies for the first time.  It means myself and Jan have to concentrate extra hard during the recce to make fresh pace notes and ensure they are as precise as possible.  But in other rallies I have been at a big disadvantage as a first-timer because most of the other drivers have more experience than me.  Here, many of the stages will be new to everyone and if the roads have been resurfaced, as we have been told, then I think most drivers will want to make new notes. "Once the rally has started, I will take no big risks.  It's important for me to finish and complete the full stage distance so that I can learn as much as possible about the rally and the characteristics of the roads.  My confidence increased every day in Corsica and I hope I can take that with me to Spain," added Kresta, whose fifth place in Corsica was a career-best finish.

Peugeot

Nicolas Bernardi deserves more than his eventual eighth place on the Rally de France-Tour de Corse, after a final leg in which he was twice in the top three stage times. After playing himself in over the opening day, Nicolas showed himself to be entirely worthy of the trust that team principal Jean-Pierre Nicolas had placed in him. Now the young Frenchman is eagerly looking forward to the start of the Catalunya Rally in a few days time. With Marcus Gronholm retiring early in Corsica, Catalunya is there for the proving. Marcus placed second in 2004.

Marcus Gronhölm/Timo Rautiainen: Peugeot have not made a quote available. Apologies.

Nicolas Bernardi/Jean Marc Fortin: "I cannot wait to get to Catalunya next week, where I can show what I am capable of on stages that nobody has ever driven before."

Skoda

With no chance to draw breath after Corsica the Škoda Motorsport World Rally Team heads to main- land Europe for the penultimate round of the 2005 World Rally Championship, the Catalunya-Costa Daurada Rally (October 27-30). The same three crews will contest this final asphalt event with Armin Schwarz/Klaus Wicha leading the team as usual while the second Fabia WRC 05 is driven by the French crew of Alex Bengue/Caroline Escudero and a third Fabia will be in the hands of Czech Champions Jan Kopecký/Filip Schovánek.

Armin Schwarz/Klaus Wicha: Catalunya is a completely different character to Corsica. The stages don't have the same rhythm but they are still very fast. Most of the surface is new so the roads aren't as abrasive as they used to be. Any of the stages I knew from the past seem to be being run in the opposite direction this time so I think this rally will be as new for me as everyone else.

Alex Bengue/Caroline Escudero: This will be a very interesting rally for me. I only did the recce before but this year everything is new! Hopefully that will mean that no one has a real advantage. The roads are much faster than Corsica but there are still a lot of corners and if the grip levels are good then we can go quite well.

Jan Kopecký/Filip Schovánek: I have done this rally once before but the stages this year will be new for everyone so different levels of previous experience won't matter so much. After having to drive carefully in Corsica it will be nice to be able to really try my best in Spain and I'm looking forward to it very much.

Mitsubishi

While the nature of this year's rally has changed, Harri Rovanperä has useful experience of the Spanish roads. The Finn has competed here on no fewer than four occasions and while seventh overall is his best result (2002), the experience and knowledge he gained on Corsica of sealed surface competition will once again assist. This will be the fourth time team-mate Gigi Galli has competed in Spain, the Italian fourth in the FIA Junior World Rally Championship category in 2002 and a fine seventh overall in the Mitsubishi Lancer WRC04 in 2004. He has been nominated for the event to gain additional experience.

Harri Rovanpera/Risto Pietilainen: "I remember some of these Tarragona stages from years before, where there is good grip and nice rhythm", said Harri. "Spain is a much faster rally than Corsica, so the stages should suit our car more. With Pirelli we have also made progress with the tires and we now know we have a good option for dry conditions and our wet tire was always working well".

Gigi Galli/Guido d'Amore: "I have to keep in mind my experience; that's the best attitude to have and if things feel okay, then maybe we can do something good", said Gigi. "I go to the rally with good memories as last year I achieved what was then my best result in the WRC. But for sure it will not be an easy event for everyone, as the route is very different and we have to start with new pace notes. I remember some of the stages from 2002 and when I have tested there many years ago, but that is not really a great help. I am however confident that Spain will be better than Corsica for us; we have some solutions and the stages are faster, which will help".

Event Timetable

Thursday 27 October: Ceremonial start

Start Salou                  20.00

Friday 28 October: Leg 1 Port Aventura - Port Aventura

Start Port Aventura              07.15
SS1 Querol 1        25.43km 08.28
SS2 El Montmell 1        24.14km 09.16
Serv A Port Aventura (30 mins)  10.54
SS3 Vilaplana 1        28.33km 11.57
SS4 Pratdip                    28.35km 13.32
Serv B Port Aventura (30 mins)  14.55
SS5 Querol 2        25.43km 16.38
SS6 El Montmell 2        24.14km 17.26
Serv C Port Aventura (45 mins)  19.11
Finish Port Aventura              19.56

Saturday 29 October: Leg 2 Port Aventura - Port Aventura

Serv D Port Aventura (10 mins)  07.30
SS7 El Lloar - La Figuera 1      20.01km 08.38
SS8 Capafonts 1        27.54km 10.06
Serv E Port Aventura (30 mins)  11.14
SS9 Colldejou 1        28.48km 12.39
SS10 Riudecanyes 1        11.27km 13.32
Serv F Port Aventura (30 mins)  14.20
SS11 El Lloar - La Figuera 2      20.01km 15.48
SS12 Capafonts 2        27.54km 17.16
Serv G Port Aventura (45 mins)  18.26
Finish Port Aventura              19.11

Sunday 30 October: Leg 3 Port Aventura - Port Aventura

Serv H Port Aventura (10 mins)  07.30
SS13 Colldejou 2        28.48km 08.35
SS14 Riudecanyes 2        11.27km 09.28
Serv I Port Aventura (30 mins)  10.11
SS15 Vilaplana 2        28.33km 11.21
Serv J Port Aventura (20 mins)  12.59
Finish Salou                          13.29

Event Statistics

- The 41st Rally Catalunya marks a turning point in the event's history because, for the first time, Lloret de Mar is not the host town. The event has effectively upped camp from the Costa Brava to head south to the region of Tarragona where it has established a new base in Salou, on the Costa Daurada.

- The total length of the new route is 1,341.56 km, including 358.75 km divided into 15 stages (8 different).

- The stages feature a mixture of tests previously run in 1995 ('Querol', 'El Montmell'), 2001 ('Vilaplana', 'Colldejou') and 2002 ('Pratdip', 'El Lloar/La Figuera', 'Riudecanyes'). The 2005 versions of de 'Pratdip' and 'Colldejou' are actually the same stage but run in opposite directions. The same goes for 'Vilaplana' and 'Capafonts'.

- The single service park is located in the Port Aventura theme park, 4.5 km from Salou. The same location was used for the southern loop of the 2001 and 2002 events.

- The engines and chassis are the same as those used in Corsica, except in cases where a failure led to retirement on the Mediterranean island. In that case, replacements are authorised without incurring a penalty.

- Tyres. Two tread patterns are authorised (dry weather and intermediate/wet weather patterns). The barcode references of each driver's quota of 75 tyres (of which 45 may be used) were communicated to the FIA on October 24th, the day after the finish of the Tour of Corsica.

- Recce is scheduled for Tuesday October 25th (08:30 until 19:00) and Wednesday October 26th (08:30 until 19:00).

- Shakedown (Thursday October 27th, 08:00 until 11:00) uses a 4.5 km stage on the T-740 between Porrera and Falset, some 30 km from Port Aventura. There will be a specific service park for this session in the village of Falset.

- The start ceremony takes place on Thursday October 27th 20:00 (Passeig Jaume I, seafront, Salou).

- One safety car crew per driver is authorised to cover each stage once in keeping with a timetable laid down by the clerk of the course (World Council decision of 29/06/05 relative to asphalt events).

- Leg 1 (Friday October 28th): 590.93 km, including 155.82 km divided into 6 stages. Starts from the Port Aventura service park at 07:15. SS1 (Querol 1, 25.43 km) and SS2 (El Montmell 1, 24.14 km). Regroup in Port Aventura (10:46, 8 minutes). Service A (10:54, 30 minutes). SS3 (Vilaplana 1, 28.33 km) and SS4 (Pratdip, 28.35 km). Regroup in Port Aventura (14:47, 8 minutes). Service B (14:55, 30 minutes). SS5 (Querol 2) and SS6 (El Montmell 2). Service C (19:11, flexi-service, 45 minutes). Cars enter parc ferme (Port Aventura) before 21:30.

- Leg 2 (Saturday October 29th): 501.15 km, including 134.85 km divided into 6 stages. Starts from the service park at 07:30. Service D (07:30, 10 minutes). SS7 (El Lloar/La Figuera 1, 20.01 km) and SS8 (Capafonts 1, 27.54 km). Regroup in Port Aventura (11:06, 8 minutes). Service E (11:14, 30 minutes). SS9 (Colldejou 1, 28.48 km) and SS10 (Riudecanyes 1, 11.27 km). Regroup in Port Aventura (14:12, 8 minutes). Service F (14:20, 30 minutes). SS11 (El Lloar/La Figuera 2) and SS12 (Capafonts 2). Service G (18:26, flexi-service, 45 minutes). Cars enter parc ferme (Port Aventura) before 21:00.

- Leg 3 (Sunday October 30th): 249.48 km, including 68.08 km divided into 3 stages. Starts from the service park at 07:30. Service H (07:30, 10 minutes). SS13 (Colldejou 2) and SS14 (Riudecanyes 2). Service I (10:11, 30 minutes). SS15 (Vilaplana 2). Service J (12:59, 20 minutes). Rally finishes at the service park out control at 13:19. Podium ceremony in Salou at 13:29.

Standings after Leg One:

1 LOEB/ELENA            CITROEN TOTAL                      1:27:24.0
2 DUVAL/SMEETS          CITROEN TOTAL                        +00:53.3
3 GRÖNHOLM/RAUTIAINEN    MARLBORO PEUGEOT TOTAL              +01:11.7
4 GARDEMEISTER/HONKANEN  BP FORD WORLD RALLY TEAM            +01:23.7
5 GALLI/DAMORE          MITSUBISHI MOTORS MOTOR SPORTS      +01:35.4
6 KRESTA/MOZNY          BP FORD WORLD RALLY TEAM            +01:53.9
7 HIRVONEN/LEHTINEN      FORD FOCUS WRC                      +01:59.7
8 SOLA/AMIGO COLON      BP FORD WORLD RALLY TEAM            +02:07.8
9 PONS/DEL BARRIO        XSARA WRC                            +02:16.2
10 BERNARDI/FORTIN        Peugeot 307 WRC                      +03:03.1
11 WARMBOLD/ORR          BP FORD WORLD RALLY TEAM            +03:32.3
12 BENGUE/ESCUDERO        SKODA MOTORSPORT                    +03:35.6

Leg One News

Sebastien Loeb (Citroen) continued where he left off in Corsica last weekend.  The Frenchman was fastest on five of the six stages, only Solà interrupting a clean sweep.  François Duval (Citroen) and Marcus Grönholm (Peugeot) fought tooth and nail for second.  Both spun on the opening stage before Duval initially got the better of his rival.  The Finn fought back to move ahead on stage four but Duval retook the place and pulled clear on the final two stages to end the day 18.4sec ahead.  Gigi Galli (Mitsubishi) was happier than in Corsica and held fifth but team-mate Harri Rovanperä experienced similar gearshift problems to last weekend and lies 14th. Petter Solberg (Subaru) was the day's leading retirement. The Norwegian crashed into a bank near the finish of stage three and the impact damaged the track control arm at the front right corner.  He will restart tomorrow under SupeRally regulations.  Team-mate Stéphane Sarrazin also retired, the Frenchman rolling on the last stage.  His car caught fire and burned out but there were no injuries.

Citroen

The Citroëns of Sébastien Loeb/Daniel Elena and François Duval/Sven Smeets have provided further evidence of their asphalt form today by taking a commanding one-two lead in the new look, Tarragona region-based Rally Catalunya.

Sébastien Loeb/Daniel Elena: "A very positive day. It's such a buzz getting the line just right over these very fast stages which run on a mostly uniform surface. The first pass was a bit delicate though after only two, low-speed runs in recce. They come at you very differently at rally speed."

Francois Duval/Sven Smeets: "I will try to do the same thing tomorrow to keep him (Gronholm) at bay if the conditions aren't too bad. If the weather takes a turn for the worse, we will see. My aim is to stay on the road. I don't have much experience of the Xsara in the wet."

Subaru

The Subaru World Rally Team had an eventful first Leg of the 2005 Rally Catalunya. Chris Atkinson completed Leg one without major incident to finish the day in 15th overall, however his team-mates Stéphane Sarrazinand Petter Solberg retired from the Leg.

Petter Solberg/Phil Mills: "I was coming up to a left-hand corner just over a crest about 3km from the end of the stage, but I braked a little late and went off the road. The car hit a bank on the right hand side, which broke a link bolt to the track control arm on the front right corner. We didn't have any steering and it was impossible to go on any further. We're going to get it fixed now and will be back again."

Stephan Sarrazin/Denis Giraudet: "I started to spin at the end of a long fifth gear corner on stage six. I thought I had caught it, but then the car went off so quickly I think it may have clipped something. The car bounced at the rear and landed off the road damaged and unable to continue. About fifteen minutes later the gorse caught fire, probably from the hot exhaust and then very quickly the whole car went up. It's reallydisappointing as my performance was increasing, I had good pace and the car felt easy. My confidence was growing and now I'm just sorry I'm stopped and we won't be going any further."

Chris Atkinson/Glen MacNeall: "Today hasn't been so bad. It's good to be here at the end of the day! After some poor tyre calls this morning this afternoon wasn't so bad and for tomorrow the plan is to try and keep building experience. On gravel I know what the car is going to do, but on tarmac I do not yet have that knowledge and confidence to push as hard, as I know I am here to learn."

Ford

BP-Ford World Rally Team drivers Toni Gardemeister and Jakke Honkanen and team-mates Roman Kresta and Jan Tománek each held top six places after a fluctuating opening day of the Rally Catalunya - Costa Daurada.  They led a quartet of Ford Focus RS World Rally Cars in the top eight points-scoring positions after a demanding day's action on fast asphalt mountain roads south of Barcelona.

Toni Gardemeister/Jakke Honkanen: "Today has been good overall but the weather was difficult and I gambled a lot on tyres.  There was a lot of gravel in the tight corners but nothing on the fast sections - they are quite strange conditions.  The leaderboard is different to Corsica but I'm pleased that I'm up still up there near the top."

Roman Kresta/Jan Tomanek: "I destroyed my tyres on the dry roads in stage three and had no grip for the next one. It was my choice to choose soft tyres and to soften the suspension and it wasn't the correct one.  On stage three I spent the entire 28.33km thinking about my tyre choice and my mistake."

Peugeot

Marcus Gronholm has ended a difficult first leg of the Catalunya Rally in third place behind the two Citroens, while Nicolas Bernardi had an unlucky day that he ended in 10th place.

Marcus Gronhölm/Timo Rautiainen: "I am generally quite happy, although I lost my way a bit on the last pair of stages. I did not have complete confidence in the handling of the car in totally dry conditions: I am not quite sure why. Our tyre choices have been quite good all day and this has been the key to our position tonight. But tomorrow I think it will be more a question of defending our place from Toni Gardemeister and the rest behind, rather than attacking the Citroens in front."

Nicolas Bernardi/Jean Marc Fortin: "Out of three tyre changes we got three wrong, so it was difficult to have a lot of confidence with the car. It is a pity, because when things go well the general feeling is good. But I wanted to finish higher up the general classification, and while there is a very good and clear reason why this has not happened, it still annoys me! We just have to hope for better luck tomorrow."

Skoda

Alex Bengue heads the Skoda Motorsport World Rally Team drivers after the opening leg of the new-look Catalunya-Costa Daurada Rally. He was always the leading Fabia WRC 05 driver but a timing error at the start of SS4 cost him one minute and left him in 12th position on his debut at the Spanish rally. Jan Kopecký made a steady start and let his confidence build until he ended today's six stages in 13th place while Armin Schwarz finished the leg in 16th.

Armin Schwarz/Klaus Wicha: "We have had similar handling problems here to the ones we had in Corsica but thankfully not quite so severe. It is impossible for me to push harder."

Alex Bengue/Caroline Escudero: "The conditions have been very difficult today. It has been impossible to find a set up of suspension and tyres that works perfectly on both the wet and dry roads that we have seen in each pair of stages today. However I've been able to set some good times when everything was right and fourth fastest on today's final stage was really good for us."

Jan Kopecký/Filip Schovánek:  "I tried to start today the way I finished in Corsica. It's been tricky because of the conditions but my confidence is growing with every stage and so I'm fairly happy with the way the day has gone."

Mitsubishi

The Mitsubishi Motors Motor Sports WRC crew of "Gigi" Galli and Guido d'Amore lead the team's assault in Rally Catalunya, the penultimate round of the FIA World Rally Championship. The Lancer WRC05 crew hold fifth overall, just 11.7 seconds adrift of fourth, after setting top stage times in the final asphalt event of the season. Running a different specification to their team-mates, Harri Rovanperä and Risto Pietiläinen suffered with similar problems to Corsica this morning, but modifications to the set-up have improved their Lancer WRC05s performance. The loss of time this morning, however, has dropped the crew to 14th overnight.

Harri Rovanpera/Risto Pietilainen: "It's been a frustrating day, but we try again tomorrow with some different settings to see what we can do".

Gigi Galli/Guido d'Amore: "It's been a good day, but I have to say the pace is high. The improvements we have made in the short time after Corsica are a step forward and tomorrow we will again try to maintain our pace. I try to reach the edge, to understand more about the car and find out where the limits are. But today has been good, and our position is nice".

Leaderboard after day two:

1. S. Loeb/D. Elena (Citroën Xsara)      1 h 27 min 24 s
2. F. Duval/S. Smeets (Citroën Xsara)  + 53,3 s
3. M. Grönholm/T. Rautiainen (Peugeot 307)  + 1 min 11,7 s
4. T. Gardemeister/J. Honkanen (Ford Focus)  + 1 min 23,7 s
5. G. Galli/G. D’Amore (Mitsubishi Lancer)  + 1 min 35,4 s
6. R. Kresta/J. Tománek (Ford Focus)  + 1 min 53,9 s
7. M. Hirvonen/J. Lehtinen (Ford Focus)      + 1 min 59,7 s
8. D. Solà/X. Amigo (Ford Focus)    + 2 min 07,8 s
9. X. Pons/C. Del Barrio (Citroën Xsara Kronos) + 2 min 16,2 s
10. N. Bernardi/J-M. Fortin (Peugeot 307)  + 3 min 03,1 s

Unofficial News from Leg Two

Sebastien Loeb (Citroen) extended his advantage after winning three of the six stages and leads team-mate François Duval by 57.8sec. Marcus Grönholm (Peugeot) was untroubled until the final stage as he maintained third. However, a rising water temperature and water leak signified engine problems and his car stopped on the liaison section to service with a broken radiator. Private entrant Xavi Pons climbed from ninth to third but the Spaniard is just 7.7sec ahead of Hirvonen. Alex Bengue (Skoda) was the day's first retirement, the Frenchman stopping with a broken gearbox on the second stage. Also out is Gigi Galli (Mitsubishi). The Italian posted fastest time on the same stage but crashed into a wall and rolled just after the flying finish.

Overnight rain continued into isolated showers throughout the day. Humidity was high and temperatures ranged from 14°C to 22°C

The final Leg of Rally Catalunya features just three tests and 68 competitive kilometres. Crews leave parc fermé from 0730hrs for a 10 minute service before a loop of two stages, both of which were run during Leg two. After a 30 minute service crews will then negotiate the final test of the event, the classic Vilaplana, before returning to Salou for the podium finish at 1329hrs.

Citroen

Sébastien Loeb/Daniel Elena and François Duval/Sven Smeets have come through Leg 2 of the Rally Catalunya unscathed and their Xsara WRCs continue to monopolise the top two places this evening. They are joined on the provisional podium by the privately-entered Xsara of Xevi Pons who moved up a notch when Mikko Hirvonen took a 20-second penalty for lateness out of service tonight. It is a fitting reward for the young Spaniard who has put in a superb run and posted some first class times with his Team Kronos Racing-run car.

Sébastien Loeb/Daniel Elena: The day began in earnest therefore at 10:18 a.m. when SS8 (Capafonts) kicked off 12 minutes late. “It’s not really a stage I like,” explained Sébastien. “There a are a lot of big steps on the insides of corners, so I took it carefully." “There are still 68 km of stages to go, and we’ve already done them once,” commented Seb. “But before being certain of scoring a possible tenth win, there are still some potentially difficult tyre choices to make and hazards to avoid… Yesterday, we had our biggest scare of the year. Remembering that will force us to stay on our guard…”

Francois Duval/Sven Smeets: First Stages: “The conditions were damp but the fog reported earlier by the safety crews had disappeared by the time we started. Our choice of soft compound tyres was the right option." ”The conditions weren’t easy. Tomorrow I will no doubt lift a little to make sure we score this fantastic result for Citroën.”

Subaru

The Subaru World Rally Team focussed on development during Leg two of Rally Catalunya. Chris Atkinson continued to move up the overall classification as his experience on asphalt increased and achieved his best stage finish on a sealed-surface event with seventh in the third stage of the day. The Australian finished the Leg in 9th position. Petter Solberg rejoined under Superally regulations following his accident in Leg one and concentrated on accumulating valuable asphalt data by testing new settings on his Impreza WRC2005. The Norwegian nevertheless set competitive times, including fourth quickest in SS10. Team-mate Stéphane Sarrazin did not restart the rally after his car was badly damaged in the final stage of Leg one.

Petter Solberg/Phil Mills: Today has been a good day with the end much better than the start! We've been trying lots of different things to try to improve the car and I think that we've found a few small areas that we can work on. I'm very happy with the way that the car drives now, although there's more to try tomorrow in the suspension and diffs, so we'll keep pressing on.

Stephan Sarrazin/Denis Giraudet: Retired

Chris Atkinson/Glen MacNeall: Today was probably our best day on tarmac. Sometimes it can be frustrating that we are not challenging the top of the leaderboard, however we have to be realistic given our limited tarmac experience. Tomorrow's a short day, so we'll probably only make some minor setup changes and try not to make any mistakes. The car is working well and I'm getting into a good rhythm and feeling comfortable with the car on tarmac. We've improved a lot today from yesterday and we're going to try and carry that forward again tomorrow.

Ford

Two Ford Focus RS World Rally Cars held top five positions after today's drama-filled second leg of Spain's Rally Catalunya - Costa Daurada. BP-Ford World Rally Team drivers Roman Kresta and Jan Tománek are fifth after an incident-packed leg. But pride of place among the Ford drivers goes to privately-entered Finns Mikko Hirvonen and Jarmo Lehtinen who are third in a 2003-specification car on their first asphalt rally for a year. BP-Ford's Toni Gardemeister and Jakke Honkanen held a comfortable fourth until going off the road following a freak brake problem. They eventually regained the asphalt but the time loss plunged them to 14th. A second privately-entered Focus RS, driven by Antony Warmbold and Michael Orr, lies seventh.

Toni Gardemeister/Jakke Honkanen: Gardemeister, like Kresta, lost time this morning after also opting for harder tyres. "I had little grip because the stage that ran was mostly wet and it was hard to drive on asphalt with so much mud on the road. It's a shame I didn't have the opportunity to drive the first stage, our tyres would have worked well. It was an unlucky choice but we thought the roads would dry more quickly." Two stages later and his podium challenge was over when he slid off the road and more than 12 minutes passed before the 30-year-old Finn could restart. "The brake pedal went to the floor before a fourth gear corner and the car went straight on and became stuck on top of a bank, with all four wheels off the ground. Beyond the bank was a 20 metre vertical drop and I was sitting pressing the brake pedal and waiting to go straight over the top. We were lucky. The spectators did a great job to lift us back onto the road again. It's disappointing because with Grönholm's retirement, I could have been on the podium," he said.

Roman Kresta/Jan Mozny: Kresta, climbed to fifth but spins on each of the next two stages cost a place, a position he regained before the cars returned to Salou for the final overnight halt. Rain affected the final few kilometres of the Colldejou stage and he spun his Focus RS on a muddy section, narrowly avoiding a tree. He was luckier in the next stage when he spun across a ditch. "The second incident was almost a big accident," he said. "I made a mistake in a right-left curve and the car bounced across a ditch. It took 20 seconds to regain the road. "They were similar stages to yesterday's but I couldn't make the same pace and the feeling wasn't as good. Twice we were lucky this afternoon and I was thinking about that on the final two stages. I drove to the maximum that I thought was safe because I need to finish and score points," he said.

Mikko Hirvonen/Jarmo Lehtinen: Hirvonen started the day in seventh and, in contrast to Kresta, benefited from the stage cancellation. "I was lucky because I chose softer tyres which worked well on the second stage," he said. "They would not have been so good on the first test. After service, there was light rain on the next stage as well and I find it difficult in damp conditions. It's just a lack of confidence because I lack experience in that type of weather." However, the Finn recovered and powered to fastest time on the final stage. He climbed to third, but incurred a 20sec penalty when an oil pump drive belt was changed in service and exceeded the time allowed. He is just 7.7sec behind Xavi Pons. "That was my second fastest time in the WRC," he said. "When it's dry I can drive fast on the asphalt but if it's wet and damp tomorrow it will be hard to maintain my dry weather pace. I enjoy driving on asphalt because I'm confident with this car and the tyres and to be a WRC driver, you must be fast on both gravel and asphalt."

Peugeot

The second leg of the Catalunya Rally was one of mixed fortunes for Peugeot. On the positive side, Nicolas Bernardi really got to grips with his 307 WRC to move from tenth to sixth place after an excellent drive. But Marcus Gronholm, who had held a strong third place, was forced to retire on the road section after the final stage as the result of a broken radiator. Nicolas Bernardi, fresh from his faultless performance on leg one, once again did not put a single foot wrong and was able to drive to the best of his abilities over the 135 competitive kilometres of stages. Despite some minor brake problems, he set some excellent stage times – including two times that were faster than those of his illustrious team mate Marcus Gronholm.

Marcus Gronhölm/Timo Rautiainen: Retired

Nicolas Bernardi/Jean Marc Fortin: Things are going very well now, and we did not have any of the wrong tyre choices that handicapped our progress yesterday. I felt fully confident with the tyres and the car, and the stage times show the result. Tomorrow there is everything to play for: I am currently ten seconds behind Roman Kresta in the Ford. I know that I have already been able to take time out of him so I am going to go for it and make the most of this opportunity…"

Skoda

Jan Kopecky heads the Škoda Motorsport World Rally Team drivers in a points-scoring eighth place after day two of the Catalunya-Costa Daurada Rally. Despite a failing gearbox on the day’s final stage Armin Schwarz finished the leg 11th and remains poised to score manufacturers’ championship points. Jan set 10th fastest time with the Fabia WRC 05 on today’s second stage to move into 12th place before moving up to 10th place on the next stage. Seventh fastest on SS10 took him into ninth overall and he consolidated that position with sixth fastest time on SS11. Finally he set another seventh fastest time on the day’s last stage to go eighth and will start tomorrow just seven seconds behind Antony Warmbold. Alex Bengue was forced to retire from a points position with gearbox failure on the second of today’s six stages. He had set a good time on the day’s opening stage before spectator problems caused it to be cancelled but stopped 10kms into the next, unable to select gears. He will not restart tomorrow.

Armin Schwarz/Klaus Wicha: I  think we’ve tried everything to find the cause of the handling problems we’ve been having on these two events. The gearbox lost a couple of gears and that made both the final stage and the uphill drive into the service area very difficult.

Alex Bengue/Caroline Escudero: Everything seemed OK for the first 10kms but then I tried to change from fourth to fifth and nothing happened. The engine revs went high but there was no chance to find a gear, either with the automatic system or the manual one. It’s very disappointing.

Jan Kopecký/Filip Schovánek: It was a better day today and we set some good times but it was really tough this morning. Some stages were dry at the start and the finish but wet in the middle. When we got the tyre choice right everything felt fine and I could push hard with confidence. Tomorrow will be interesting!

Mitsubishi

The Mitsubishi Motors Motor Sports WRC crew of "Gigi" Galli/Guido d’Amore hold ninth position at the end of the second leg of the Rallye de France - Tour de Course. Lancer WRC05 team-mates Harri Rovanperä/Risto Pietiläinen have moved into 11th, while Gilles and Hervé Panizzi have been forced to retire the car from the leg due to engine-related problems.

Harri Rovanpera/Risto Pietilainen:  "We had to switch to the manual gearshift again in the first stage this morning and it’s not so easy", said Harri. "This afternoon we had the same problems, but also tried harder springs at the front which made the car a little more precise on the smooth surfaces, but when it was rough the car was bumping more. Positively, for sure we can see that Pirelli’s evolution tire is much better".

Gigi Galli/Guido d'Amore: "Yesterday morning I drove like my mother; this morning I was driving like my aunt!" said Gigi. "This afternoon I had a little more confidence, but my feeling is still not where I want it to be. We have been trying different settings for the height, suspension and roll bar during the day and we are understanding more all the time, but I am not taking risks; it is important to finish and gain information for the team".

Unofficial Leaderboard after final Leg:

1. S. Loeb/D. Elena (Citroën Xsara)  3 h 31 mn 07 s
2. F. Duval/S. Smeets (Citroën Xsara)      + 1 mn 21,9 s
3. M. Hirvonen/J. Lehtinen (Ford Focus)      + 2 mn 46,7 s
4. X. Pons/C. Del Barrio (Citroën Xsara Kronos) + 2 mn 47,9 s
5. R. Kresta/J. Tománek (Ford Focus)            + 3 mn 24, 6 s
6. N. Bernardi/J-M. Fortin (Peugeot 307)        + 4 mn 09,4 s
7. A. Warmbold/M. Orr (Ford Focus)              + 5 mn 00,3 s
8. J. Kopecky/F. Schovánek (Škoda Fabia)      + 5 mn 22,3 s
9. Ch. Atkinson/G. Macneall (Subaru Impreza)    + 5 mn 40, 2 s
10. H. Rovanperä/R.Pietiläinen (Mitsubishi Lancer) + 7 mn 39,3 s


Unofficial News from Final Leg

In a remarkable feat of supremacy and consistency, Sébastien Loeb set another record by winning every stage of the event to claim his first victory on the island. The Frenchman had a winning margin of one minute 51.7 seconds over Ford's Toni Gardemeister, the Finn equaling his best results of the season. Petter Solberg finished third with Subaru team-mate Stéphane Sarrazin equaling his best FIA WRC event result, in fourth. Roman Kresta gave Ford a double-points haul with fifth position while Škoda finished sixth with Alexandre Bengué in the Fabia WRC. François Duval, who had held second, retired after losing a wheel this morning.

Temperatures ranged between 15°C in the early morning and 24°C by the final stage. Early morning mist was present in the first test, however no rain fell during the day.

Citroen

It's done: for the third time in three years since it began competing full-time in the WRC, Citroën has won the FIA Manufacturers' world title*. This success follows last Wednesday's announcement that the French firm will return to the World Championship in 2007 and polishes off a weekend that the Versailles-Satory team is unlikely to forget for a long, long time to come. Sébastien Loeb/Daniel Elena and François Duval/Sven Smeets scored a second one-two finish after their similar result in last August's Deutschland Rally to add a fitting touch of panache to the occasion. By taking his personal record to 20 WRC wins, Sébastien, who claimed his and Daniel's second Drivers' crown in Japan, joins Didier Auriol as the fifth most successful driver in WRC history. He also extends his own record to ten wins in a single season and to twelve consecutive podium finishes. Concerning the number of different rallies won (13), Seb and Daniel join another top name from the past, Carlos Sainz, who spent all this weekend with the Citroën team.

Sébastien Loeb/Daniel Elena: "I always wanted to win here one day," admits Seb. "It's great to have succeeded. But more important still for me is the fact that Citroën not only finished 1st and 2nd thanks to François, but also came close to monopolising the podium with the privately-run Xsara of Xevi Pons! At the same time, in addition to wrapping up the Manufacturers' title today, Citroën has also sewn up the JWRC thanks to Dani Sordo and his C2 Super 1600. It's been a dream weekend, the end result of the passion and the work put in by everyone in the team. This tenth win is a symbol of our perfect season and I would like to dedicate it to the them."

Francois Duval/Sven Smeets: Apologies

Claude Satinet: "One of the objectives this year was to hold on to the Manufacturers' title," says Claude Satinet, the Managing Director of Automobiles Citroën. "For us, the Manufacturers' title complements the Drivers' crown because it calls for the performance and reliability of two cars, and two crews. It places the spotlight even more clearly on the ability of a make and on the skill and motivation of its technical staff."

Guy Fréquelin: "Now that Citroën has achieved its goal, Guy Fréquelin can take time to savour and re-live the past season. "The year got off to a difficult start. After Sweden and Mexico, Claude Satinet and I said something along the lines of 'every year is different'. I believe it's a fitting tribute to the team that not only was this season different to the others but it also turned out to be even better. Once again, I want to say how proud I am of them and I want to thank all those who brought their special talent to the table; Sébastien, François, Daniel, Stéphane and then Sven all contributed in their own way to Citroën's third title. Nor do I want to forget of course Carlos and Marc who helped us out in the difficult moments I was referring to. And I must thank Michelin too. Their tyres brought out the very best in the Xsara WRC. Last but not least, I am very pleased with the results obtained by those privateers who placed their confidence in us. Xevi Pons and his Xsara finished just off the podium today, while Dani Sordo is the 2005 Junior World Champion with his C2 Super 1600. This is all so motivating as we prepare to wrap up the season in Australia and prepare our comeback."

Subaru

The Subaru World Rally Team overcame the disappointment of two Leg one accidents to take some positives away from the 41st Rally Catalunya. Chris Atkinson, on just his third tarmac event, set top ten times on all three of Leg three's special stages and achieved his best-ever finish on a sealed surface with 9th overall. After Leg one accident damage ruined any hope of a podium for Petter Solberg, he worked hard on his car's set-up on Legs two and three and was rewarded with a stage win and two crucial manufacturer points. The team now goes to Australia and the final event of 2005 determined to secure second in the drivers' and third in the manufacturers' championship.

Petter Solberg/Phil Mills: Today was getting better! We've been fine-tuning the setup on dampers and diff settings, and I think that being able to run these last two days and spend time testing the car in rally conditions, will be very useful for the event here next March. Of course it was disappointing not to be fighting for a podium after the accident on Friday, but that's how it is sometimes. At least we've got two manufacturer points and a lot of useful data to take away. In Australia you will see a big fight as it is always very close and I can't wait to get down there and into it!

Stephan Sarrazin/Denis Giraudet: Retired

Chris Atkinson/Glen MacNeall: This rally has been good for us. It's just our third asphalt rally and we're achieving the pace targets that we agreed before the event. We've had no problems at all and have learnt a lot. I think that the set-up and driving style are coming together and I've been able to lift my speed all the time. From here we're off to my home rally in Australia and after getting such a good result last year I'm looking forward to doing even better this year, as it will be my first time in a World Rally Car there. The event really suits my style and I'm hoping for a good bit of home support to give us a further boost!

Ford

The 'old shape' Ford Focus RS World Rally Car ended its career as a works car with a double points haul on Spain's Rally Catalunya - Costa Daurada today. BP-Ford World Rally Team drivers Roman Kresta and Jan Tománek and team-mates Toni Gardemeister and Jakke Honkanen both claimed points on this 15th and penultimate round of the FIA World Rally Championship to strengthen Ford's hold on third in the manufacturers' standings. Private entrants Mikko Hirvonen and Jarmo Lehtinen brought more joy to the Focus' farewell by finishing third in a 2003-specification car after a thrilling final stage showdown with fellow private entrant Xavi Pons. The Finns came from behind to snatch a podium position in the final 5km section of the 358.75km, three-day asphalt event in the mountains south of Barcelona. Another privately-entered Focus RS, driven by Antony Warmbold and Michael Orr, finished seventh. Twenty-nine-year-old Kresta was fifth, matching his career-best result set in Corsica just seven days earlier. Gardemeister was 14th after a troubled rally in which he twice went off the road. The points double was a fitting farewell to the current specification Focus RS WRC. An all-new Focus RS rally car, based on the Focus ST road car, will make its first public appearance on the final round of the championship in Australia next month.

Toni Gardemeister/Jakke Honkanen: "I missed a pace note and slid into a ditch," he explained. "It's a problem for me when I'm not driving at 100 per cent because it affects my concentration. I wasn't concentrating fully and braked 10 metres too late for a corner and I was off the road. It was good to score a point for Ford but it was a disappointing weekend for me personally. It looked good until yesterday and without the brake problem and a lack of concentration, it could have been a podium result."

Roman Kresta/Jan Mozny: It was another good result, especially considering that a lot of people drove really well here. I made a few mistakes but that's part of the sport. Tyre selection was tough but the team and Michelin gave us good advice and we made some good decisions. Today went very well, especially the opening stage where I had a great feeling with the Focus and set second fastest time. The time gaps were still quite close so I couldn't relax too much."

Mikko Hirvonen/Jarmo Lehtinen: "I've finally scored my first podium and I can't believe it was on asphalt and not gravel," said Hirvonen. "It was my first asphalt rally for a year and it proved I can be quick on both surfaces. We had great help from Michelin with the tyres. When I saw Pons mess up his start on the final stage I decided to really attack and try to make my dreams come true. It was a great battle and I can't believe I had such a good weekend considering how long it is since I drove on this surface."

Peugeot

Nicolas Bernardi and Jean Marc Fortin have driven faultlessly for three days in order to bring their Peugeot 307 WRC home in sixth place on the Catalunya Rally. Their well-deserved result earns Peugeot Sport five points in the manufacturers championship. The third and final leg of the all-asphalt Catalunya Rally was made up of three special stages totalling 68 kilometres. Nicolas Bernardi found himself with big gaps to the drivers in front and behind, so he chose not to take any risks and get his car safely to the finish.

Marcus Gronhölm/Timo Rautiainen: Retired

Nicolas Bernardi/Jean Marc Fortin: I have the experience of two good rallies behind me, and I am very pleased with the results we have achieved. I started off carefully in Corsica, as unlike the other drivers I did not know my car intimately. I worked very well with my engineer Eric Mommet and the entire team has supported me brilliantly. From that Saturday of Corsica onwards, I was in the rhythm. I feel very proud that I was able to fight with and occasionally set times that were comparable with those of such an established star like Marcus Gronholm. Tomorrow I will get back behind the wheel of my Peugeot 206 WRC in order to get ready for the next round of the French Championship, which I hope to win this year.

Skoda

The Catalunya Rally saw Škoda Motorsport World Rally Team drivers Jan Kopecký and Armin Schwarz bring the Fabia WRC 05 home in points scoring positions. For Jan it was the first WRC drivers point of his career but as he was not registered for manufacturers' points it was only Armin who added to the team's 2005 total. Alex Bengue was denied a likely points finish for both drivers and manufacturers by a rare gearbox failure during yesterday's second leg. On today's three stages, Jan elected for a cautious approach to ensure that he made the finish but he again showed his increasing confidence with sixth fastest time on the second stage to consolidate eighth place from a charging Chris Atkinson and to finish three positions ahead of his team mate.

Armin Schwarz/Klaus Wicha: The first stage today was incredible. There was really thick fog that seemed to come over the stage like a curtain. One minute it was there and the next it was completely gone. You never knew what was around the next corner!

Alex Bengue/Caroline Escudero: Retired

Jan Kopecký/Filip Schovánek: This morning was not a time to take unnecessary risks. I had proved that I had the speed when the conditions were right but there was so little visibility at times that I decided that eighth place was better than going off the road trying to catch Antony Warmbold."

Mitsubishi

The Mitsubishi Motors Motor Sports WRC crew of "Gigi" Galli and Guido d'Amore finished the Rallye de France - Tour de Corse, the 14th round of the FIA World Rally Championship, in ninth position. Team-mates Harri Rovanperä and Risto Pietiläinen were 10th, claiming the final Manufacturer's Championship point, while Gilles and Hervé Panizzi failed to re-start this morning following what is now confirmed as a problem with the engine ECU.

Harri Rovanpera/Risto Pietilainen: "It's disappointing that the car hasn't worked as we thought this weekend", said Harri. "It's not what we expected and all we can say really is that we finished. On the positive side I am happy with the evolution of Pirelli's dry weather tire; that is good news for the future and we are certainly closer to the competition now".

Gigi Galli/Guido d'Amore: "It's been a very difficult weekend", said Gigi at the finish. "The thing I am the most sorry about is that every day I have not been able to do what I like with the car; this is the first time with the Lancer I have felt like that. Every other rally I have been able to make something good, even if it was only for one stage. That is frustrating, but I am confident things will be better in Spain".