Peugeot UK driver Kris Meeke has won the all-gravel Curitiba Rally in Brazil, round two of the IRC series. The Irishman claimed all seven stages on the opening day of the rally and then controlled his advantage on the second day to end up with a 26.2 second margin over Peugeot Belgium’s Nicolas Vouilloz, who finished second.
Meeke and Vouilloz set exactly the same time on the final stage of the rally, before heading back for the podium ceremony at the Curitiba circuit, which was immediately followed by the qualifying session for the opening round of the FIA World Touring Car Championship. Before the session started, the winning car of Meeke completed a lap of the Curitiba circuit, bringing rallying and racing together in a unique way.
Vouilloz overhauled Abarth driver Giandomenico Basso on the final afternoon, who eventually finished third. The pair had been locked in a tight battle for the runner-up spot throughout the two days of the rally, with Vouilloz initially claiming an advantage before Basso passed him on the final stage of day one. This meant that the duo headed into the last day of the rally separated by just 0.3 seconds. When Basso stalled on the opening stage of the final afternoon, losing about 10 seconds, Vouilloz was able to make his move, which he defended to the end.
Peugeot Belgium’s Freddy Loix was fourth, to move into the championship lead by three points. From the beginning, Loix – who finished second in Monte Carlo – said that his objective was to claim the lead of the series in Brazil, so he was not pushing at his hardest. He also had the handicap of running first on the road throughout the opening day of the rally, which cost him a lot of time as he swept up loose gravel. Meeke also had to cope with this handicap during the second day of the rally, but it was not so bad during the afternoon when the morning stages were repeated.
Loix now leads the championship on a total of 13 points, ahead of Kris Meeke, Sebastien Ogier and Giandomenico Basso: who are all tied for second on 10 points. Nicolas Vouilloz is third in the standings with eight points.
In fifth place on the Curitiba Rally was Argentinean driver Alejandro Cancio, who put in an extremely strong performance at the wheel of his Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9. Cancio was consistently in the top-five stage times, even setting a third-fastest stage time at the end of leg one.
He beat local driver Rafael Tulio, who finished sixth overall and was also the top two-wheel drive runner in his Peugeot 206 S1600. Another Brazilian, Fiat driver Luis Tedesco, was second in the two-wheel drive category. Rounding off the points-scorers in Brazil was local man Marcos Tokarski, in his Peugeot 206.
The stunning Brazilian stages also led to some notable retirements, including Abarth’s Anton Alen. The Finn suffered some suspension damage after hitting a rock on SS3 and lost time, but worse was to follow on the second day of the event when he went too quickly into a corner and rolled out of the rally on SS9.
Other key retirements included former Production Car World Rally Championship star Marcos Ligato, who was forced to retire from sixth place on Friday after loose rubber from a front puncture damaged his Mitsubishi’s radiator. Saturday saw the retirement of Paraguayan driver Victor Galaeno (Mitsubishi) and the similar car of local hero Osvaldo Scheer.
IRC FINAL RESULTS AFTER SS13, RALLY INTERNACIONAL DE CURITIBA (BRAZIL)
1 Meeke/Nagle    Peugeot 207 S2000    2h08m05.7s
2 Vouilloz/Klinger    Peugeot 207 S2000    +26.2s
3 Basso/Dotta    Abarth Grande Punto S2000    +47.9s
4 Loix/Smeets    Peugeot 207 S2000    +2m32.1s
5 Cancio/Garcia    Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9    +5m20.0s
6 Tulio/Valandro    Peugeot 206 S1600    +19m04.0s
7 Tedesco/Furtado    Fiat Palio 1800    +20m53.0s
8 Tokarski/Gavieta    Peugeot 206 S1600    +21m48.8s
9 Valandro/Valandro    Volkswagen Gol    +32m24.7s
10 Fonseca/Cortes    Peugeot 206 S1600    +42m16.3s
Two-wheel drive winner: Rafael Tulio (Peugeot 206 S1600)
STANDINGS
Drivers
1 Loix 13     
2 Ogier 10
3 Meeke 10    
4 Basso 10    
5 Vouilloz 8
6 Sarrazin 6    
7 Kopecky 5
8 Cancio 4
9 Romeyer 3
10 Tulio 3
Manufacturers
1 Peugeot 36
2 Abarth 12
3 Mitsubishi 8
4 Skoda 5
QUOTES
"It’s been an absolutely amazing event for me; quite possibly the best rally that I’ve ever driven on in my life. We’ve had a really warm welcome from everybody here in Brazil and we all enjoyed driving on some fantastic stages. When everything comes together in the car, it all feels very natural. The car and the team has been brilliant from the very beginning, and we’ve had no real problems throughout the rally. Naturally Saturday was a little bit more difficult than Friday as we were running first on the road, but I think we were able to deal with that problem quite well."
-Kris Meeke, Peugeot UK driver
"We had a very exciting battle with Giandomenico on Saturday where we were pushing hard throughout the day. We made a special effort in the afternoon though and luckily it paid off. He was very quick and so was Kris, so I’m sure it’s going to be a very close season. I’ve really enjoyed driving on this rally and it’s a relief to bring home a good result after retiring in Monte Carlo, so I think this gives us a solid base now for the rest of the year."
-Nicolas Vouilloz, Peugeot Belgium driver
"I really liked this rally although of course I feel slightly disappointed that we were third rather than second. I had hoped for a little bit more but in the end it was very close, also because we made a mistake and stalled the engine on Saturday afternoon. However, it’s always good to be on the podium, particularly on a rally that is as challenging as this one. I’ve really enjoyed myself, and I’d like to thank the Brazilian rally fans for making us so welcome. I’m definitely looking forward to coming back here again."
-Giandomenico Basso, Abarth driver
NEXT EVENT
The next event on the IRC calendar is round three, the legendary Safari Rally, which takes place from April 3-4 in Kenya. The Safari Rally is based in the country’s capital, Nairobi, and takes in a wide variety of gravel roads through some spectacular scenery.

Peugeot UK driver Kris Meeke won the Rally Internacional de Curitiba: an event where rallying and racing came together in Brazil

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MEEKE WINS IN BRAZIL!
Peugeot UK driver Kris Meeke has won the all-gravel Curitiba Rally in Brazil, round two of the IRC series. The Irishman claimed all seven stages on the opening day of the rally and then controlled his advantage on the second day to end up with a 26.2 second margin over Peugeot Belgium’s Nicolas Vouilloz, who finished second.
"This is one of the best rallies I have ever experienced," said Meeke. "From start to finish, it was simply awesome. The stages are just incredible: so enjoyable to drive. I had a really good feeling with the car and the team and at the end of it we got the perfect result."
Vouilloz overhauled Abarth driver Giandomenico Basso on the final afternoon, who finished third. Peugeot Belgium’s Freddy Loix was fourth, to move into the championship lead.
Abarth driver Anton Alen retired on the second stage of day two after going off the road. The rally finish, at the Curitiba circuit in Brazil, was immediately followed by the qualifying session for the opening round of the FIA World Touring Car Championship.
Freddy Loix now leads the championship on a total of 13 points, ahead of Kris Meeke, Sebastien Ogier and Giandomenico Basso – who are all tied for second on 10 points. Nicolas Vouilloz is third in the standings with eight points.
Full report, results, and points to follow later.
IRC FINAL RESULTS AFTER SS13, RALLY INTERNACIONAL DE CURITIBA (BRAZIL)*
1 Meeke/Nagle    Peugeot 207 S2000    2h08m05.7s
2 Vouilloz/Klinger    Peugeot 207 S2000    +26.2s
3 Basso/Dotta    Abarth Grande Punto S2000    +47.9s
4 Loix/Smeets    Peugeot 207 S2000    +2m32.1s
5 Cancio/Garcia    Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9    +5m20.0s
6 Tulio/Valandro    Peugeot 206 S1600    +19m04.0s
*subject to final confirmation
Two-wheel drive leader: Rafael Tulio (Peugeot 206 S1600)

Irishman Kris Meeke’s Peugeot UK 207 S2000 won the Rally Internacional de Curitiba in style

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Peugeot UK driver Kris Meeke has claimed the lead after the opening day of the Curitiba Rally in Brazil, making a perfect start by winning all seven of the gravel special stages that were run as leg one. Meeke did not put a foot wrong from the very beginning, and he returns to parc ferme tonight at the Curitiba circuit – which also hosts the opening round of the FIA World Touring Car Championship this weekend – with a 48.6-second cushion over his nearest rival.
While the contest for the lead was clear cut, the battle for second place was much closer. On the final stage of the day, factory Abarth Grande Punto driver Giandomenico Basso got past the Peugeot Belgium 207 S2000 of Nicolas Vouilloz, concluding a battle that had lasted throughout the afternoon. Both drivers enjoyed a clean run throughout the day with no major problems, but in the end it was Basso who overhauled the reigning IRC champion, who had started the rally by taking the FIA WTCC title-holder Yvan Muller for a ride during the shakedown on Thursday morning.
Both Basso and Vouilloz were happy with their performances when it came to the competitive action today, and they are looking forward to resuming their epic battle over the six gravel stages that will make up the final day of the rally tomorrow. They will start tomorrow’s leg separated by just 0.3 seconds.
In fourth place at the end of day one was Argentinean driver Alejandro Cancio, driving a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution for the Tango Rally Team. Cancio was extremely strong, setting times that were never out of the top six and concluding the day with a third-fastest time on the final stage of the day.
Peugeot Belgium’s Freddy Loix, who finished second on January’s opening round of the IRC in Monte Carlo, was first on the road today and so had the unenviable task of sweeping it clean for all the following competitors. He consquently lost a lot of time sliding on loose gravel and has ended up in a provisional fifth place overall, 18 seconds behind Cancio.
The Paraguayan Victor Galeano is sixth overnight, ahead of the top Brazilian driver who is Oswaldo Scheer, in a similar Mitsubishi. Another Brazilian, Paulo Nobre, rounds out the points-scoring places with eighth, also in a Mitsubishi.
The flat-out Brazilian gravel roads, with a hard and compacted surface, claimed a couple of high-profile victims today. Factory Abarth driver Anton Alen had an impact with a rock on a first gear corner towards the end of SS3, which punctured his rear-left tyre and also broke a suspension joint. The Finn – who had been running in a strong second place – was forced to make emergency repairs by the roadside, and then lost time driving slowly through the following stage. Once back at service, the Abarth mechanics restored the car to full health and Alen was able to continue at his previous pace, setting second-fastest time on the final stage of the day.
Argentinean driver Marcos Ligato, Cancio’s team mate in the Tango Rally Team and a well-established frontrunner in the Production Car World Rally Championship, was running in an excellent fifth place until SS4, when he picked up a puncture that he did not stop to change. Unfortunately the flailing rubber damaged his Mitsubishi’s radiator, and although he got to the end of the stage with not much time lost, the damage inflicted proved to be terminal.
The IRC 2WD Cup is led by local driver Rafael Tulio in a Peugeot 206 S1600. His compatriot Luis Tedesco is second, just over a minute behind in a Fiat Palio S1600. Another Brazilian, Peugeot’s Marcos Tokarski, is third in this hotly-contested category.
IRC RESULTS AFTER SS7, RALLY INTERNACIONAL DE CURITIBA (BRAZIL)
1 Meeke/Nagle    Peugeot 207 S2000    50m47.0s
2 Basso/Dotta    Abarth Grande Punto S2000    +48.6s
3 Vouilloz/Klinger    Peugeot 207 S2000    +48.9s
4 Cancio/Garcia    Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9    +1m03.6s
5 Loix/Smeets    Peugeot 207 S2000    +1m22.5s
6 Galeano/Fabiani    Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9    +2m31.6s
7 Scheer/Rocha    Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9    +5m36.6s
8 Nobre/Paula    Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9    +7m03.6s
9 Tulio/Valandro    Peugeot 206 S1600    +8m22.2s
10 Alen/Alanne    Abarth Grande Punto S2000    +9m32.9s
Two-wheel drive leader: Rafael Tulio (Peugeot 206 S1600)
QUOTES
"It’s been the perfect day for me. I’ve really enjoyed myself driving this car over these fantastic roads. I have to say that this is one of the best rallies I have ever driven on. It’s amazing how when you have a good feeling with the car, everything just comes easily. The contrast with Monte Carlo could not be greater: I think Monte Carlo was the most difficult rally I have ever done. Here, I’m feeling very confident. But tomorrow is sure to be a much more difficult day than today. I’m going to be first on the road and that means I’ll definitely lose time. It’s going to be hard to set fastest times tomorrow but if we can look after the margin that we have, then that’s obviously a great result. If it rains that should help us too, so I’m going to do a rain dance tonight!"
-Kris Meeke, Peugeot UK driver
"It’s been a good day, where we’ve had no problems, and it’s nice to end it with an exciting battle like we had with Nicolas this afternoon. I wasn’t so comfortable with the car on the first stage of the afternoon loop, but we were able to push progressively harder towards the end of it and set some good times. Tomorrow though I think will be a lot more tricky: the route is a lot more technical and also narrower, so there is a bigger risk of punctures and getting into trouble. So far we’ve managed to avoid that, so hopefully we can keep it this way tomorrow."
-Giandomenico Basso, Abarth driver
"Kris seems to have been in a league of his own today and unfortunately there’s not much we can do to compete with that but of course we have our own big battle with Giandomenico, which will continue tomorrow. I like the stages a lot but they are not so easy: it’s important to settle into a rhythm so that the car flows properly and that’s not so obvious. The stages tomorrow are quite different and it looks like the weather could be wet as well, so I think it’s going to be a very exciting finish to the rally."
-Nicolas Vouilloz, Peugeot Belgium driver
THE ROUTE TOMORROW
Saturday’s final day of action in Brazil sees the crews complete a total of six stages, making up 119.51 competitive kilometres. The day starts at 07:20, followed by a loop of three stages that includes the longest and most challenging stage of the rally, the 28.05-kilometre Bocaiuva test. The cars then return for a 20-minute service at the Curitiba circuit at 10:20.
This service halt is followed by three more stages. The cars will return to the Curitiba circuit for the finish at 14:05, which will be followed by the FIA WTCC qualifying session.
TV TIMES
Eurosport will broadcast highlights from the Curitiba Rally regularly, and video highlights can also be viewed on the official IRC website: www.rally-irc.com. To watch highlights from Brazil and the rest of year, please click on ‚watch video highlights‘. Alternatively, click on the flag of your preferred language in the Yahoo Eurosport box. All times listed below are Central European Times.
Friday 6 March
– 00h00 => 00h30     Highlights of Day 1 (Eurosport)
– 00h30 => 01h00     Highlights of Day 1 (Eurosport 2)
– 02h30 => 03h00     Highlights of Day 1 (Eurosport Asia-Pacific)
Saturday 7 March
– 10h05 => 10h35     Highlights of Day 2 (Eurosport 2)
– 00h00 => 00h30     Highlights of Day 2 (Eurosport)
– 02h00 => 02h30     Highlights of Day 2 (Eurosport Asia-Pacific)
Sunday 8 March
– 04h45 => 05h15     Highlights of Day 1 (Eurosport Asia-Pacific)
– 05h15 => 05h45     Highlights of Day 2 (Eurosport Asia-Pacific)
– 08h00 => 08h30     Highlights of Day 2 (Eurosport 2)
– 08h30 => 09h00     Highlights of Day 2 (Eurosport)
– 16h00 => 16h30     Highlights of Day 2 (Eurosport Asia-Pacific)
Tuesday 10 March
– 23h30 => 24h00      Rally Highlights (Eurosport)
Wednesday 11 March
– 08h30 => 09h00      Rally Highlights (Eurosport Asia-Pacific)
– 17h45 => 18h15      Rally Highlights (Eurosport Asia-Pacific)
– 18h30 => 19h00      Rally Highlights (Eurosport 2)
Thursday 12 March
– 17h00 => 17h30      Rally Highlights (Eurosport 2)
Monday 16 March
– 21h00 => 21h30      Rally Highlights (Eurosport Asia-Pacific)
Thursday 19 March
– 03h30 => 04h00      Rally Highlights (Eurosport Asia-Pacific) 

Kris Meeke was on dominant form to win all the stages on the opening day of the Curitiba Rally in his Peugeot UK 207 S200

www.rally-irc.com.

The reigning IRC champion, Nicolas Vouilloz, got the Rally Internacional de Curitiba off to an unusual beginning when he took the reigning FIA World Touring Car Champion, Nicolas Vouilloz, for a ride in his Peugeot 207 S2000 on the shakedown stage prior to the start of the event.
For the two French Champions, the short gravel stage on the outskirts of Curitiba was an interesting ride – although both admitted to feeling slightly nervous about the experience.
Muller, who has some experience of rally driving in the past and drove his Seat Leon TDi to victory on last year’s FIA WTCC, commented: "For any driver, it’s not easy to sit in the passenger seat, so I was a bit nervous to begin with. But in the end I was able to appreciate the experience, and I really like rally cars. It’s very hard though to compare the driving style with what we do on the circuit. For a start, on the shakedown stage I was in the right-hand seat, which is an unusual place for me to be. Secondly, there is a world of difference between driving on a rally stage on gravel and driving on a circuit on asphalt. But it was fun, and this experience has certainly re-awakened my enjoyment of rallying."
While gravel may be a comparatively new experience for Muller, he has plenty of knowledge of how to slide a competition car through corners, as he is a multiple ice racing champion. Nicolas Vouilloz’s background is slightly more unusual, as he came to rallying via downhill mountain bike racing, where he is a 10-time World Champion. Nonetheless, he said that driving the reigning World Touring Car Champion was a rare privilege.
"Yvan said before the start that he was a little bit apprehensive, which I understand completely as I would be exactly the same in a similar situation," explained Vouilloz. "So I made sure that I drove well within my limits, although we were still going at a good pace, because I wanted him to experience it properly. Actually it was quite strange for me, because normally even on the shakedown stage my co-driver, Nicolas Klinger, reads me pace notes but obviously on this occasion I did not have them. It meant that I had to really concentrate, but I hope that Yvan enjoyed it and that the experience hasn’t put him off rallying forever!"
Vouilloz now faces the first of 13 special stages on the Rally Internacional de Curitiba this morning, round two of the IRC, while Muller will embark on his title defence with the opening two FIA WTCC races on Sunday.

Two champions meet: Yvan Muller (left) enjoyed a ride with Nicolas Vouilloz on the shakedown stage before the Rally Internacional de Curitiba

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RALLY INTERNACIONAL DE CURITIBA PREVIEW

THE CHALLENGE
The Intercontinental Rally Challenge will embrace a new concept with the Rally Internacional de Curitiba, which gets underway in Brazil on Friday. This event will be held at the same venue as the opening round of the FIA World Touring Car Championship – which is also promoted by Eurosport Events.
The rally runs around the city of Curitiba, to the south of Rio de Janeiro, with the service park based in the Curitiba International circuit, alongside the FIA World Touring Car Championship paddock. The special stages get underway on Friday morning and finish on Saturday lunchtime, just before qualifying for the World Touring Car races. With this innovative timetable, rallying and racing has come together in a way that has not yet been seen before. A number of activities are scheduled to take place before the rally that will see the racing drivers get close to their rallying counterparts and vice versa.
For the majority of the regular drivers, the Rally Internacional de Curitiba will also be a brand new event, marking the IRC’s first gravel round of the season and the first time that the series has visited South America. The roads contain a wide mixture of fast and flowing gravel stages, which will allow every crew to exploit the capabilities of their cars to the maximum. However, there are a number of traps to catch out the unwary, giving the local drivers a distinct advantage in terms of experience.
The weather in Brazil is another factor that is sure to play a part. At this time of year, weather conditions around Curitiba are expected to be uncertain, and rain has been forecast along with warm temperatures. This makes tyre choice a vital element of success, and with no previously established data to go on, crews will have to rely on both accurate information and a little bit of luck.
The first stage of the Curitiba Rally gets underway at 09:00 on Friday 6 March, after the cars leave parc ferme at the Curitiba circuit, located just outside the city centre. The competitors will contest seven stages on the opening day, with the last of those stages starting at 15:15. Day two, Saturday 7 March, will see the crews start off again at 09:00 to take in six more stages, including the most challenging stage of the rally – the 28 kilometres of Bocaiuva – which is run twice as SS8 and SS11. The final stage of the rally begins at 14:45, concluding the 234 competitive kilometres after a total of 13 tough special stages. The finish then takes place at the Curitiba circuit, just before the FIA World Touring Car qualifying session starts. For more information about the event, please visit the rally’s official website: www.rallydecuritiba.com.br.
THE COMPETITORS
The Rally Internacional de Curitiba will see five of the IRC’s regular stars battle it out against a strong contingent of local drivers, who know the terrain well and are strongly poised to spring a surprise. A total of 35 cars are scheduled to take the start.
The first car off the ramp is the Peugeot UK 207 S2000 of up-and-coming British star Kris Meeke. After setting a fastest stage time on the opening round of this year’s IRC series in Monte Carlo, Meeke proved himself to be capable of fighting for the podium until his impressive progress was halted by a big accident. Consequently, Meeke will have a new Peugeot prepared for him by Kronos Racing – which is actually the same car that Sebastien Ogier used to win the Monte Carlo Rally in January and Juho Hanninen used to triumph in Russia last year.
Two more Peugeots will be entered by Peugeot Belgium on the Curitiba Rally, for reigning IRC Champion Nicolas Vouilloz and last year’s runner-up, Freddy Loix. With Vouilloz failing to score in Monte Carlo following an off-road excursion, the Frenchman will be out to redress the balance in Brazil. Loix, who finished second in Monte Carlo, has stated by contrast that he will not be going all-out to take a win at any cost, as he can afford a certain safety margin.
The Abarth factory team will be represented by Giandomenico Basso and Anton Alen, both driving the Grande Punto S2000 The event is brand new to both drivers but 30 years ago Markku Alen – Anton’s famous father – contested and won the very first Rally do Brasil, in 1979 with a Fiat 131 Mirafiori. That event marked the last time that Fiat entered a rally in Brazil as a factory team, so some history will be recreated in Curitiba this weekend and both Abarth drivers are looking forward to the challenge, in order to reclaim the initiative in the manufacturers’ championship.
The regular IRC drivers will also face strong competition from some of the local crews in Mitsubishi Lancers. Oswaldo Scheer is set to be the top Brazilian, starting as car number 10 in his Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9, but a star attraction is sure to be Argentinean driver Marcos Ligato, who was for many years a frontrunner in the Production Car World Rally Championship. Ligato will give the new Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 10 its IRC debut in Brazil, and the experienced Argentine is sure to be a top contender throughout both full days of action.
In the IRC 2WD Cup category, Peugeot currently trails Fiat by two points following the Monte Carlo Rally, but the French manufacturer has a chance to make up lost ground thanks to a strong entry in Brazil. Roberto Theodoro will drive a 1600cc-engined 206 for the Metsistem Rallye Team, Fabiano Botelho will pilot a similar car under the Senior Sistemas/Corpflex banner, while Luciano Fleck has been entered in another 1600cc 206, run by his own Fleck Motorsports team.
Fiat is represented in the IRC 2WD Cup by the Palios of Luis Tedesco and Marcelo Franco, while additional entries from Volkswagen and Honda mean that nearly all the IRC-registered manufacturers will be present in Brazil.
For the complete entry list, please visit the IRC website, www.rally-irc.com, or the Curitiba Rally website, www.rallydecuritiba.com.br.
THE EXPECTATIONS
“This kind of rally suits my driving style because the stages are quite fast with some crests and that’s what I like. I can see the rally being a bit like a sprint because the stages are quite short. But my target will be to take it steady. There are five Super 2000 cars competing and it’s important to be in one of the top places at the finish. I want to show that I can be quick but my last gravel event was in Russia last July where I finished fourth. Because I have not driven on gravel for a very long time it will take me some time to find a good rhythm and it’s important not to take too many risks.”
Freddy Loix, Peugeot Belgium driver.
“I’m looking forward to Brazil now. What happened in Monte Carlo, when I went off the road, was just down to my inexperience of these conditions. Brazil is going to be a level playing field and I’m sure we can get back on track there I’m very excited by both this rally and the whole IRC in general. It really hands drivers such as me a fantastic opportunity, and I’m absolutely delighted to be here. Nobody has any particular advantage in terms of experience here, so I think that will help me.”
Kris Meeke, Peugeot UK driver
“There’s a little bit of family history here as my dad won the rally back in 1979: before I was even born! But as for me, I’m not really so sure what to expect. I hear though that it is a very nice gravel rally with some quite quick places, so hopefully it should suit us well. We’ve done some testing in Italy and I think the car is in good shape, so I’m aiming for a good result here. We had a bit of a disappointing start to the season in Monaco, so we need to make up for it.”
Anton Alen, Abarth driver.
TV TIMES
A key feature of the IRC is high-quality television broadcasts. Coverage of the Monte Carlo on Eurosport, Europe’s largest television channel, will be at the times listed below (all times are CET). There will also be video highlights on the internet allowing on-demand viewing. Simply click on www.rally-irc.com for a direct link to the heart of the rally action.
Friday 6 March
– 00h00 => 00h30     Highlights of Day 1 (Eurosport)
– 00h30 => 01h00     Highlights of Day 1 (Eurosport 2)
– 02h30 => 03h00     Highlights of Day 1 (Eurosport Asia-Pacific)
Saturday 7 March
– 10h05 => 10h35     Highlights of Day 2 (Eurosport 2)
– 00h00 => 00h30     Highlights of Day 2 (Eurosport)
– 02h00 => 02h30     Highlights of Day 2 (Eurosport Asia-Pacific)
Sunday 8 March
– 04h45 => 05h15     Highlights of Day 1 (Eurosport Asia-Pacific)
– 05h15 => 05h45     Highlights of Day 2 (Eurosport Asia-Pacific)
– 08h00 => 08h30     Highlights of Day 2 (Eurosport 2)
– 08h30 => 09h00     Highlights of Day 2 (Eurosport)
– 16h00 => 16h30     Highlights of Day 2 (Eurosport Asia-Pacific)
Tuesday 10 March
– 23h30 => 24h00      RallyHighlights (Eurosport)
Wednesday 11 March
– 08h30 => 09h00      RallyHighlights (Eurosport Asia-Pacific)
– 17h45 => 18h15      RallyHighlights (Eurosport Asia-Pacific)
– 18h30 => 19h00      RallyHighlights (Eurosport 2)
Thursday 12 March
– 17h00 => 17h30      RallyHighlights (Eurosport 2)
Monday 16 March
– 21h00 => 21h30      RallyHighlights (Eurosport Asia-Pacific)
Thursday 19 March
– 03h30 => 04h00      RallyHighlights (Eurosport Asia-Pacific)

The Rally Internacional de Curitiba, which gets underway on Friday, will see rallying and racing come together – as the venue also hosts the opening round of the FIA World Touring Car Championship

www.rally-irc.com