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BRENTWOOD,
26 March, 2003 –
A radical new look hints at the
most technically advanced and revolutionary Ford Focus world rally car,
unveiled today prior to its competition debut on the Rally New Zealand on
April 11.
Significantly
different in both looks and mechanics to the 2002 car, the Ford Focus RS
WRC 03 is over 80 per cent new and is the first design from Ford Rallye
Sport technical director Christian Loriaux.
Highlights include radical changes to styling and aerodynamic
package, new rear suspension system, improved weight distribution and new,
lighter 2.0-litre turbocharged Duratec engine developed and built by
Cosworth Racing.
Ford
Rallye Sport and Ford’s mainstream engineering teams worked side by side
on the project, including assessment of aerodynamic and cooling systems in
Ford’s climatic wind tunnel in Cologne.
“I’m
genuinely excited by what the team has developed here and I think the car
looks sensational,” said Martin Whitaker, Ford's European director of
motorsport. “Ford is at the
forefront of rally technology with this car and I believe it takes the
sport to a new, higher level.”
Team
director, Malcolm Wilson, insisted the revolutionary approach to the new
car would not affect the Ford Focus’ record-breaking reliability.
“We have enjoyed incredible reliability with the Focus, which has
scored world championship points on each of the last 17 rallies, a feat
unprecedented in the modern era of the sport.
The next step is to raise the performance level and we’re
confident that will not be at the expense of overall reliability,” he
said.
“We've
made tremendous weight savings everywhere, with significant help from
Cosworth Racing and Pi Research, allowing us to ensure weight is at the
minimum level. We could have
gone below that figure and so that has enabled us to add weight by
strengthening parts in key areas to achieve a weight distribution which
best benefits the balance and handling of the car.
Such strengthening included
increasing the weight of the roll cage to improve driver safety.
“The Focus has a reputation for being a strong and safe car but
we took the decision that if we could raise driver safety levels to an
even greater level then that’s something we should do,” explained
Wilson.
The Ford
Focus RS WRC 03 will undergo the necessary parts inspections by the FIA
later this week and is due to be officially homologated as a World Rally
Car on April 1.
Markko Märtin and co-driver Michael Park and Belgian teammates
François Duval and Stéphane Prévot will drive the new cars in 2003.
The team’s third pairing of Mikko Hirvonen and Jarmo Lehtinen
will continue to drive a 2002-specification Focus WRC for the rest of the
season.
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