Every year at Rally Australia time there seems to be a chorus of detractors from Western Australia and New Zealand grizzling that the event is no longer held in their state or country. Yes, we all terribly miss Langley Park and the Bunnings forest complex, and there’s nothing better than watching the world’s best drivers on the world’s best roads in New Zealand.
But the fact of the matter is that the WA Government didn't want Rally Australia anymore, and New Zealand no longer have a round on the calendar. Get over it, get behind the NSW Government-backed Coffs Harbour event, and let’s thank our lucky stars that Australia still has a round of the World Rally Championship, when so many other countries don’t.
Rally Australia's night stage adding lights, glowing brake discs and plenty of spectacle for rally fans.Rally Australia’s night stage was a tremendous spectacle that was loved by every spectator we spoke to, and provided a real special touch for the event – something that many spectators had never experienced before.
Of course, many of the drivers whinged about the dust and that they were disadvantaged … the same drivers who may well complain about the pea-soup fog that could descend on Wales Rally GB in November.
Again, they need to get over it.
The sport is about the atmosphere, the theatre and the fans, not just about prima donna drivers who think every road should be swept clean before they arrive, and that conditions should be perfect from start to finish.
Even former World Champion co-driver, Robert Reid (now an FIA Steward) loved the night stage, and was quite rightly disappointed by comments from Sebastien Ogier and Kris Meeke at the end of the night stage. The stage didn’t decide the rally, and let’s hope it returns again next year.
In the probable event that the drivers get their way and a Rally Australia night stage is axed by the FIA, the organisers should stand their ground and push to retain the event’s point of difference.
A tarmac night stage on gravel tyres could work just as well, eliminating the dust element and giving the fans another look at bright lights and glowing brake discs as the cars rocket down the road past their vantage points.
Following their victory in the World Manufacturers’ Championship, most of the VW team departed Coffs Harbour on a specially chartered jet late on Sunday afternoon. A celebration back in Germany was on the cards.
Not so for VW’s number two team of Jari-Matti Latvala and Mikka Antilla though, who were seen checking it at Coffs Harbour airport on Monday morning, long after their victorious team-mates were Germany bound.
Mal Keough's Audi Quattro S1 replica thrilled the crowds, but apparently it's not for sale - even to Nasser Al Attiyah.One of the most popular cars on the event was Mal Keough’s superb Audi Quattro S1 replica. Wealthy privateer, Nasser al Attiyah, reportedly approached the NSW driver at the start of the event, offering to buy his car.
The Qatari wasn’t concerned about the price, and was prepared to pay cash, but we’re led to believe that Keough politely refused the offer.
Despite the value of the car and the time it has taken to build, Keough attacked the stages with vigour and was great to watch – particularly over Sunday’s Wedding Bells jump!
Speaking of money, we hear that Citroen’s current sponsor, Abu Dhabi, approached Volkswagen with an interest in backing the World Champions. It was reported that VW’s response was in the negative, along the lines of “we have enough funding for the next five years”.
Smile Kris, you're a works driver!What was up with Kris Meeke during Rally Australia. For a driver who led the event for quite some time, he seemed continuously grumpy, even refusing to chat to end-of-stage reporter Julian “The Guru” Porter on more than one occasion.
Meeke whinged about the dust, his road position, the dust (again) and that his car was not as fast as the rival Volkswagens.
While we understand that Meeke’s spot in the Citroen team is under review, showing a little personality wouldn’t do him any harm.
He’s driving for one of the best team’s in the World Rally Championship and is being paid big bucks, something every rally driver in the world would give their right arm for.
Perhaps it’s time the Irishman simply sucked it up and got on with the job he’s paid to do.
Malcolm Wilson and Elfyn Evans gave an interesting talk to members of RallySport Magazine’s spectator tour group on the Wednesday night before the event.
Interviewed by WRC Live’s Becs Williams, the M-Sport boss and his Welsh driver were entertaining and generous of their time.
While their result in the rally wasn’t what either had been hoping for, it was further experience of the stages for Evans, while the latest spec Ford Fiesta RS WRC again performed reliably.
Malcolm Wilson chats to Thierry Neuville and Nicolas Gilsoul at Saturday's regroup.Thierry Neuville was strangely off the pace for much of Rally Australia, and was soundly beaten by his team-mate, Hayden Paddon. With the silly season fast approaching and news of Paddon’s plans for 2016 soon to be announced, it will be interesting to see where Neuville fits in, and if he remains with the Hyundai team next season.
He and co-driver Nicolas Gilsoul were seen laughing and joking during a lengthy conversation with M-Sport’s Malcolm Wilson at the Saturday regroup, and while they may have just been having a friendly chat, it was interesting to watch …..
It was great to see Scott Pedder running in his WRC2 Fiesta at Rally Australia, and his speed at shakedown on Thursday morning looked impressive. Unfortunately things went downhill pretty quickly after that for the current Aussie champ.
He hit a gatepost on Friday morning, tearing a rear wheel off his car, and was playing catch up from then on.
It was a disappointing result for Pedder, but he’ll no doubt bounce back in the next event, eager to prove that his fourth place WRC2 finish in Finland was no flash in the pan.
Young gun Harry Bates set plenty of tongues wagging with his performance in his front-wheel drive Corolla.
Harry Bates impressed with his speed and car control in the front-wheel drive Corolla.Bates looked impressive, so much so that on the night stage he was just 0.9 of a second slower than multiple Australian Rally Champion Eli Evans in his factory Citroen.
Evans said on social media after the event, “Not looking forward to you in an S2000 ….”, a comment regarding Harry’s expected ARC entry in the ex-Neal Bates Corolla S2000 next year.
Clearly Neal Bates’ son could be one of Australian rallying’s future champions.
Former World Champion co-driver, Luis Moya, is now working for the VW team, and spent some of the weekend guiding corporate guests around to show them the WRC action.
The likeable Spaniard was more than happy to chat to spectators over the weekend, and as always, his enthusiasm for the sport was clear to see.
Luis believes that VW’s number one driver, Sebastien Ogier, could even be better than his fellow Frenchman, Sebastien Loeb. If that’s the case, Ogier could have at least another eight World titles left in him.
Crowds at the podium finish on Sunday afternoon were disappointed that seven of the top 10 drivers over the podium weren’t interviewed.
Not even Hyundai’s Hayden Paddon was asked for his thoughts on his brilliant fifth place, much to the disappointment of those who had made the effort to get from the final stage back into Coffs Harbour.
- Words / Photos: Peter Whitten
SUBSCRIBE BELOW TO READ THE FULL STORY
