The original Mini was a rather unlikely rally star, winning the Monte Carlo rally in 1964, 1965 and 1967, as well as a host of other rallies which suited its diminutive nature and ability to take corners without actually slowing down.
But in the interim, the world of international rally moved on a bit. The Germans dominated, with the Audi Quattro, which changed the sport forever. The Japanese then took the German’s idea and improved it, with Subaru and Mitsubishi becoming synonymous with the sport.
The sport gradually became frighteningly expensive, and it wasn’t uncommon for a top rally team to spend more than a top Formula One team through a season. This, coupled with The Great Recession, drove some of the stalwarts out of the sport, a situation which brought the head of Subaru to tears during a press conference.
World Rally announced plans almost immediately to cut cost, and this year the biggest change came into effect, the car’s are now smaller – much smaller. We’re talking Ford Fiesta’s here. Which suits Mini just fine.
Unveiling their official contender yesterday, the Mini John Cooper Works WRC, the team will join the World Tour in Sardinia on the weekend 5-8th May, with two entries driven by Briton Kris Meeke and Spaniard Dani Sordo.
And Mini are certainly in with a shout. They’ve got Prodrive running the team, a world-renowned collection of geniuses who successfully ran Subaru’s rally outfit for years.
With Subaru still out of the sport, I reckon I might just get behind the Brits. Maybe.
