Four cars at the first roundNew crews, new colours and a new challenge for the Stobart M-Sport Ford rally team as they head to Rally Monte Carlo for the 2008 FIA World Rally Championship's season opener. This will be the third season in which the Stobart outfit will contest
the WRC as a privately-backed manufacturer team.
Nominated to score points in Monte Carlo is newly-signed Italian star Gigi Galli and his co-driver Giovanni Bernacchini, while François Duval/Eddy Chevaillier step into the fourth position in the Stobart camp for this event as the second nominated point scorers.
Henning Solberg/Cato Menkerud will again contest the event for the Stobart team, but not as nominated point scorers on this occasion, however. Despite his illustrious career in the WRC which has earned the Norwegian over 50 WRC starts, this will be just his third attempt at the dual-nation event.
Also continuing his quest with the team is British rally sensation Matthew Wilson who has been reunited with fellow countryman Scott Martin for the 2008 season. This will also be Wilson's third attempt at Rally Monte Carlo as the 20-year-old looks to improve on his solid effort from last year's event where he finished as the top-placed Stobart driver.
This year the event has reverted back to traditional stomping grounds for the fourth and final day on Sunday in the hills surrounding Monaco. The final 2.
7-kilometre test will be a circuit around the Monaco precinct which visually is one of the most spectacular stages on tour as it runs alongside the famous Monaco harbour covering many sections of the Formula 1 track.
Weather conditions are set to play a huge role with expected snow likely, less than one week from competition. Competitors can expect the challenge of snow, ice, wet and dry tarmac all on a single stage as each team bolts on a set of new Pirelli tyres, with the Italian company supplying rubber in 2008 as part of the FIA's newly-formed controlled tyre regulations.
Crews will launch into competition on Thursday night as they take on day 1 in complete darkness. The event will then continue from its Valence base, some 400 kilometres from Monte Carlo, until Sunday when it will return south for conclusion. In total, Rally Monte Carlo will offer some 365 kilometres of competitive distance.
For all 15 rounds of this year's championship, each Stobart crew will use the latest specification Ford Focus RS WRC07 car as the team looks to improve on their fantastic result from 2007 which saw three podium finishes and three occasions as overall leaders.
This Sunday sees the official unveiling of the all-new green and blue livery which is sure to turn heads come stage 1 of Rally Monte Carlo next Thursday evening. The unveiling will be made during the WRC's official 2008 launch at the Automobile Club de Monaco.
Malcolm Wilson, Team Principal:
"It's really exciting to see the Stobart team with such a strong line-up for their first event with both Gigi and François nominated for points. The team is further strengthened by Henning and Matthew who both put in strong performances on their last tarmac event in Ireland. This will be the first time the team competes with its striking new livery and it is also the first occasion where three Stobart liveried cars have competed on a round of the World Championship."
Source Stobart M-Sport Ford
