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Subaru World Rally Team

January 03, 2023

The Subaru World Rally Team (SWRT) was Subaru's World Rally Championship (WRC) team. It used a distinctive blue with yellow colour scheme that is a throwback to the sponsorship deal with State Express 555, a BAT cigarette brand popular in Asia.[2] 555 logos were found on Subaru cars from 1993 to 2003,[2] although less prevalent since 1999 due to BAT's participation in Formula One with British American Racing. Subaru's WRC efforts date back to 1980, however, in 1989 British firm Prodrive took over its operations, and its base moved from Japan to Banbury, England.[2][3]

Subaru
Full nameSubaru World Rally Team
Base Banbury, England
Team principal(s)David Richards[1]
Technical directorRichard Taylor[1]
Drivers Petter Solberg
Chris Atkinson
Co-drivers Phil Mills
Stéphane Prévot
ChassisSubaru Legacy
Subaru Impreza
TyresPirelli
World Rally Championship career
Debut1990 Safari Rally
Last event2008 Wales Rally GB
Manufacturers' Championships3 (1995, 1996, 1997)
Drivers' Championships3 (1995, 2001, 2003)
Rally wins46

Subaru used the team to showcase its symmetrical all wheel drive technology.[4] It has credited the increased sales of its vehicles, especially the Subaru Impreza, with its success in the World Rally Championship, in addition to popularizing its all-wheel-drive system.[5][6][7]

Its 2008 season drivers were Petter Solberg with co-driver Phil Mills, and Chris Atkinson with co-driver Stéphane Prévot. David Richards was the team's Principal, and a founder and chairman of Prodrive.[1] Paul Howarth was the team's operations director and team manager. He replaced David Lapworth in 2006.[1][8][9] Richard Taylor was the team's managing director.[1]

The team was a strong one, competing at the top of the WRC for over a decade. It won the manufacturers' championship three times in 1995, 1996, and 1997, and the drivers' championship three times, in 1995, 2001, and 2003. Its Impreza model won a record 46 rallies.[10] The team withdrew from WRC competition at the end of the 2008 season due to widespread economic downturn.[11]

Racing history

Main article: Subaru World Rally Team WRC results
 
Team Principal David Richards

Although Subaru had participated in the World Rally Championship at various times since 1980, it was not until September 1989, that the Subaru World Rally Team, in its current form, was created.[12] Subaru Tecnica International (STi) president Ryuichiro Kuze forged a partnership with the British firm Prodrive to prepare and enter the recently introduced Legacy RS in the World Rally Championship.[3]

1980–1989

Subaru's initial forays into the World Rally Championship were with Subaru Rally Team Japan, run by Noriyuki Koseki, the founder of Subaru Tecnica International.[13] The first Subaru car entered a world rally at the 1980 Safari Rally and since that, the team only participated in a few events per season, driving the Subaru Leone.[14] Drivers in the early years included Ari Vatanen, Per Eklund, Shekhar Mehta, Mike Kirkland, Possum Bourne, and Harald Demuth.[2] The best result and only podium was achieved by Bourne at the 1987 Rally New Zealand by finishing third. With the start of the Prodrive effort, the teams competed in parallel, before being folded into each other.[13]

1990–1992

Subaru entered its first Prodrive developed car, the Group A Subaru Legacy RS in the 1990 season, piloted by Finnish driver Markku Alén.[15] Alen remained with the team through the 1991 season. His successes included 4th place in the 1990 Rally Finland, also known as the 1000 Lakes Rally, and in 1991, a 3rd and two 4th places.[15] For the 1992 season, Subaru only entered seven of the fourteen WRC events, preferring to demonstrate the car's ability on gravel rallies. The drivers for 1992 were Finn Ari Vatanen with co-driver Bruno Berglund and Scotsman Colin McRae with co-driver Derek Ringer.[3] Both drivers were able to achieve second-place finishes.[3] Colin McRae also won the British Rally Championship in 1991 and 1992.

1993

 
1993 Legacy RS in 555 livery

For the 1993 World Rally Championship season, the Subaru team debuted its now distinctive blue and yellow color scheme, along with a new title sponsor, State Express 555.[16] Ari Vatanen and Colin McRae remained the primary drivers, with the season being McRae's first complete year of World Rally Championship competition.[16] Markku Alén, returned part-time to the team after a brief stint at Toyota in 1992, and took 4th for Subaru in Portugal.[15] McRae took the first win for Subaru, at the eighth event of the season, Rally New Zealand, the last outing for the Group A Subaru Legacy rally cars.[16][17] At the next event, Rally Finland, Subaru debuted their new Prodrive developed Group A Impreza rally car, known as the Impreza 555, driven by Vatanen and Alén.[18][19] Alén crashed on the first stage, and did not drive for Subaru again. Vatanen, however, showed the car to be quick, even leading the rally at one point, and managing a second-place finish.[16] At the end of the season, Vatanen took seventh in the Drivers' Championship, and Colin McRae finished in fifth with 50.[16] Subaru finished third in the Manufacturers' Championship.[16] Other drivers also competed for the Subaru team at selected events. New Zealand driver Possum Bourne, veteran of Subaru's early days, joined the team for the Rally New Zealand and Rally Australia.[16] Piero Liatti competed in Rallye Sanremo and Rally Great Britain. Drivers Richard Burns and Alister McRae had competed in the British Championship, which Burns won, and appeared again in Legacies for Rally Great Britain,[16] where Burns finished seventh and McRae tenth. Drivers Per Eklund and Hannu Mikkola drove for the team in Rally Sweden.[16]

1994–1995

In 1994, former World Rally Drivers' Champion Carlos Sainz joined the team with co-driver Luis Moya, and took the Impreza 555 to its first win at the Acropolis Rally in Greece.[20][21] It later took wins in New Zealand and Great Britain with McRae at the wheel.[16][17] In the Championship for Manufacturers, they achieved a second-place finish, behind Toyota, with Sainz placing second in the driver's championship, and McRae placing fourth.[21] Other drivers for the Subaru team in 1994 included Patrick Njiru, competing in the Safari Rally, Richard Burns in the Safari Rally and Rally Great Britain, Possum Bourne in New Zealand, and Piero Liatti at Rallye Sanremo.[16][21]

For the 1995 season, the primary drivers remained Sainz in the number 5 car and McRae in the number 4 car. Sainz won the season opening round at the Rallye Monte Carlo, while McRae crashed out of the event.[22] At Rally Sweden, Sainz, McRae, and third driver Mats Jonsson all retired with engine trouble.[23] Sainz won again at the Rally Portugal, while McRae finished in third place.[24] At the Rallye de France, Sainz, McRae, and third driver Piero Liatti finished in the fourth, fifth, and sixth places respectively.[25] At Rally New Zealand, McRae took his first win of the season.[26] Other drivers for the team included Possum Bourne, who finished in seventh place, and Richard Burns who retired with a mechanical failure.[26] At the Rally Australia, McRae took second place.[27] Sainz retired after his radiator failed, while third driver Bourne retired after an accident.[27] At the Rallye Catalunya, Subaru locked out the podium with a 1–2–3 finish.[28] Sainz took first, McRae took second, and third driver Piero Liatti finished third.[28] Sainz's first-place finish in Catalunya left he and McRae tied for points going into the last event of the season, the RAC Rally of Great Britain.[29] McRae won out, taking first place at his home event, clinching his first and only Driver's Championship, a first for the Subaru team.[16][17] Sainz finished close behind in second place, giving him second in the Championship, and third driver Richard Burns finished in third place, giving the team a second consecutive 1–2–3 finish.[16][29] Between McRae and Sainz the team managed to win five of the season's eight rallies for Subaru, winning the team its first Constructors Championship.[16][17][30] At the end of the season, Sainz left Subaru to join Ford World Rallye Sport.[31]

1996

 
Colin McRae's 1996 Impreza 555

For the 1996 World Rally Championship season, Colin McRae was again the lead driver for Subaru.[16] Following his 1995 Championship victory, his Impreza 555 wore the #1 plate.[31] He was joined by team drivers Kenneth Eriksson, in the #2 car, and Piero Liatti, with their co-drivers, Staffan Parmander and Mario Ferfoglia, respectively.[16][31] At the first event of the season, Rally Sweden, McRae took third, Eriksson took fifth, and Liatti took twelfth.[32] 1994 World Drivers' Champion Didier Auriol also drove for the Subaru team in Sweden, taking his #3 car to tenth place.[32] At the second round, the Safari Rally, Liatti's number was changed from #10 to #3.[33] He took fifth place.[33] McRae took fourth while Eriksson took second.[33] At the Rally Indonesia, Liatti finished in second place, while McRae and Eriksson both retired following accidents.[34] McRae's first victory of the season was at the Acropolis Rally, the fourth round of the championship.[16][35] Liatti and Erikkson placed fourth and fifth respectively.[35] Eriksson took third and Liatti fifth at Rally Argentina.[36] McRae crashed out of Rally Argentina and the following event, Rally Finland.[36][37] Liatti didn't compete in Finland, though Eriksson managed to finish in 5th place.[37] McRae, Eriksson, and Liatti finished 4th, 2nd, and 7th respectively at Rally Australia.[38] In Sanremo, McRae took victory, with Eriksson finishing in 5th.[16][39] Liatti retired following an electrical failure.[39] At the last round of the season, Rallye Catalunya, McRae took a second consecutive victory.[16][40] Subaru took a 1–2 finish with Liatti finishing second.[40] Eriksson finished in seventh position.[40] Thanks to consistent podium finishes, Subaru successfully defended its Constructors' Championship, but McRae lost the Driver's Championship to Tommi Makinen.[16][17]

1997–1998

For 1997, McRae again led the team, however his co-driver Derek Ringer was replaced by Welshman Nicky Grist.[41] Secondary driver/co-driver teams included Piero Liatti/Fabrizia Pons (first in Monte Carlo), Olivier Burri/Christophe Hofmann and Kenneth Eriksson/Staffan Parmander (first in Sweden and New Zealand).[41] Once again the team successfully defended its Constructors Championship, winning eight victories out of the fourteen rallies, but McRae again lost the Driver's Championship to Tommi Makinen, this time by just one point.[17][41]

In 1998 the team had an almost unchanged line-up, although Jahu Kangas/Pentti Kuukkala and Jarno Kytölehto/Arto Kapanen participated in one round each.[41] McRae took wins in Portugal, Corsica and Greece. However, bad weather and mechanical failures hurt the team, and Subaru and McRae finished third in their respective championships.[41] At the end of the season, McRae left the team to join Ford, with the tantalizing prospect of driving their brand-new car, the Ford Focus WRC.[17]

1999–2001

Subaru had an all new line up for the 1999 season, with the nominated driver/co-driver teams of Richard Burns/Robert Reid, Juha Kankkunen/Juha Repo, and third team of Bruno Thiry/Stéphane Prévot.[42][43][44] The new car, the WRC99, featured an electronically controlled Paddle shifter with a drive-by-wire throttle. Due to technical difficulties, the team struggled until the season's 7th round in Argentina.[44] From there on, the teams earned the podium in seven out of eight events, with five wins, three of which were 1–2 finishes.[44] Subaru finished second in the Manufacturers' Championship, just four points behind Toyota. Burns scored victories in Greece, Australia, and Wales, for second place and Kankkunen took fourth in the Drivers' Championship, with wins in Argentina and Finland.[44]

Burns and Kankkunen continued to drive for Subaru for the 2000 season, with Petter Solberg joining the team halfway through the season, driving in the Rallye de France.[45][46][47][48] The team finished third in the championship, and Burns took second in the Drivers' Championship for the second year in a row.[47]

Burns and Solberg composed Subaru's nominated line-up for the 2001 season with Markko Märtin/Michael Park and Toshi Arai/Tony Sircombe competing in selected events.[47] Subaru again won the Driver's Championships in 2001 with Richard Burns and co-driver Robert Reid. Burns left Subaru for Peugeot at the end of the 2001 season.[47]

2002–2003

For the 2002 season, Burns was replaced by Tommi Mäkinen and co-driver Kaj Lindström. Petter Solberg continued with the team, and Pasi Hagstrom was the team's test driver.[49][50] Following the October 2001 signing of four time driver's Championship winner Mäkinen, expectations for the team ran high.[50] However, after a season opening win in Monte Carlo, he was only able to finish five more events during the entire season.[50][51][52] His teammate, Solberg fared much better, finishing nine events, five of which were podium finishes, including his first ever WRC win, at Rally Great Britain, the season's last round.[50] The win propelled him past Ford's Carlos Sainz into second in the Drivers' Championship.[50]

For the 2003 season, the driver line-up remained unchanged from the previous year. Solberg drove the #7 car, Mäkinen the #8 car. The season got off to a poor start, with neither driver finishing the Rallye Monte Carlo.[53] Solberg then scored four outright wins, in Cyprus, Australia, France, and finished the season with his second straight win in Britain, securing him the Driver's Championship for himself and co-driver Phil Mills, narrowly beating Sébastien Loeb by one point.[54][53][55] The team only managed to achieve third place in the manufacturers' championship, beaten by Citroën and Peugeot.[53][56] At the end of the season, Tommi Mäkinen retired from the WRC.[51]

2004–2005

 
Subaru Impreza WRC2005 being driven by Petter Solberg at the Cyprus Rally

For the 2004 season, it was originally planned that Solberg would be partnered with the returning Richard Burns. However the Englishman would never get to return to the team because of a brain tumour he developed in late 2003, and would eventually pass away because of cancer in November 2005. Guy Wilks was also approached to join the team for the 2004 season, but missed out on this opportunity as he was under contract to Suzuki. Solberg was therefore joined by Finnish driver Mikko Hirvonen and his co-driver Jarmo Lehtinen.[57] Subaru managed to consolidate third place in the Manufacturer's Championship again, while Solberg was second in the Driver's Championship, winning five of the season's rallies: New Zealand, Greece, Japan, Italy and a third consecutive win at Rally Wales.[46] Hirvonen ended the season in seventh place, failing to impress the Subaru team management.[57] He was not re-signed for the 2005 season.[58]

In 2005, Petter Solberg again led the team in the #5 car, while Hirvonen was replaced by Chris Atkinson in the #6 car. The young Australian debuted with the Uddeholm Swedish Rally, and finished third at Rally Japan.[59] Petter Solberg achieved back-to-back victories in Mexico and Sweden, early in the season.[60][61] He finished the season behind Sébastien Loeb, tied for second place with Marcus Grönholm.[58] In the Manufacturer's championship, Subaru only managed to finish fourth overall, ahead of Mitsubishi and Skoda.[62]

2006

 
Chris Atkinson

Petter Solberg again led the team throughout the 2006 season, with the second car piloted by Chris Atkinson and co-driver Glenn MacNeall on gravel events, while on tarmac events, it was driven by ex-Formula One driver Stéphane Sarrazin.[63] The WRC2006 had several changes from the previous year's car due to rule changes which banned active differentials as well as water injection, as well as mandating that teams must re-use cars and engines on selected 'pairs' of events.[64][65] Due to the rule changes, the car was introduced on the first round of the season.[63][64]

Subaru's season got off to a poor start, with Solberg unable to score in the first two rallies due to mechanical failures.[66] Due to the teams lacklustre performance, after a decade of running the team, team boss David Lapworth was replaced by Paul Howarth.[8][66] Not until the third rally of the season, Rally Mexico, would Petter manage to score, achieving a second-place finish.[67] He picked up another second-place finish at Rally Argentina, and again at Rally Australia.[68] The team finished the season in third place in the manufacturer's championship, while Solberg finished in sixth place in the driver's championship.[69][70] However, the team was not able to achieve a single win, and achieved podium results only four times.[70] Subaru's 2006 season was characterized as disappointing, and was the subject of a Discovery Channel series called Engineering the World Rally.[8][71][72][73] In the programme, Subaru's dismal season was described as 'The Season from Hell'.

2007

 
Solberg's WRC2007 at Rally GB

Solberg again led the team for the 2007 season, driving the #7 Impreza. Sarrazin left the team, leaving Chris Atkinson as the single number two driver, piloting the #8 car.[74] Atkinson managed to grab fourth place at the season opening event in Monte Carlo, after passing the works Ford of Mikko Hirvonen.[59] At the 2007 Rally Portugal, Solberg came in second, following the Ford cars' disqualification due to the glass in their rear windows being too thin. Following the rally, Atkinson's co-driver, Glenn MacNeall, elected to leave the team, and was replaced by Stéphane Prévot, who had previously been with the team as co-driver for Bruno Thiry.[75][76] At the 2007 Acropolis Rally Solberg managed to achieve a podium position.[77]

After the summer break, the team was joined at the 2007 Rally Finland by Xavier Pons and co-driver Xavier Amigo, driving a third car, #25, not nominated for manufacturer points.[78] However, in the rally, Solberg had to retire on day two, after monstrous handling and steering problems which the team engineers were unable to deal with.[79][80] Solberg finished fifth in Ireland, calling it "the most difficult rally he has ever done."[81] At the final event of the season, Wales Rally GB, Solberg won the battle for fourth with Dani Sordo, propelling Subaru to third place in the manufacturer's standings.[82] In the driver's championship, Solberg came in 5th, while Atkinson took 7th.[83] Richard Taylor called the season a "poor" one, with Subaru only achieving two podium finishes, and no overall wins for the second year in a row.[71][83] Phil Mills called it the "second season from hell."[84]

2008

Petter Solberg and Chris Atkinson continued with the team through the 2008 season.[46][59] Xavier Pons left the team.[85][86] With the FIA mandated switch to Pirelli tires, tyre mousse had been banned, and fewer compounds were available.[87][88]

At the first rally of the season, the 2008 Monte Carlo Rally, Atkinson scored his first podium finish on tarmac, after a close battle with François Duval while Solberg finished in fifth.[86][89] In the 2008 Swedish Rally, Solberg finished in fourth place while Atkinson finished in 21st position following a spin on Special Stage 3, which cost him over 15 minutes.[46][90][91] Immediately after the Swedish Rally, the team completed a gravel test in Spain, in preparation for Rally Mexico, the last test using the WRC2007 car.[92] At the 2008 Rally Mexico, Atkinson placed second, his best ever result.[93] Solberg was forced to retire on the second day after a driveshaft failure to his front left wheel. He continued under SupeRally rules on Sunday, finishing 12th.[93][94] Going into the final day of the 2008 Rally Argentina, Solberg and Atkinson were comfortably in second and third position, poised to put two cars on the podium, a feat Subaru has not accomplished in several years.[95][96][97] However, on Special Stage 19, Petter's car suffered an electrical failure, forcing him to retire.[96][98] Atkinson inherited Solberg's position, and achieved a second-place finish for the second consecutive time.[99][97][100] At the 2008 Jordan Rally, on SS6, Solberg's retired after his Impreza suffered from a damper failure, which then spilled oil, lighting a fire under the hood of the car.[101] Solberg restarted under SupeRally rules on Saturday, but crashed on the day's final stage after brake problems.[102][103] Atkinson managed to secure a third podium in a row, following the suspension failure of Latvala, and the retirements of Solberg and Loeb.[102][103]

Withdrawal from WRC

On 16 December 2008, it was announced that Subaru would no longer be competing in the World Rally Championships.[104] The decision was taken by Subaru's parent company, Fuji Heavy Industries (FHI), partly as a result of the economic downturn but also because it was felt Subaru had achieved its sporting and marketing objectives. Ikuo Mori denied that alterations to the WRC technical regulations in 2010 or a rumoured deterioration in the working relationship with Prodrive had any impact on the decision. He also said that the possibility of a Subaru car back in the top category of WRC in the future is not zero, but recent events have cited that Subaru will be making a return to WRC.[105]

Vehicle development

Group A Leone, 1980–1989

As Subaru Rally Team Japan, Subaru entered the first World Rally with the second generation Group A Subaru Leone DL at the 1980 Safari Rally. In 1984 the model was changed to the 3rd generation Leone coupé, one year later installed with a turbo. The other model used simultaneously with the coupé turbo until 1989 was the Leone sedan RX Turbo.[106]

Group A Legacy RS, 1989–1993

Prodrive's vehicle development began upon the team's formation in September 1989, creating the Group A Subaru Legacy RS rally car, based on the road going Subaru Legacy sedan. The Legacy was powered by a longitudinally mounted boxer engine, giving it a low centre of gravity. Already equipped with a symmetrical all wheel drive system, it made a good starting point for a rally car. David Lapworth described the development of the car as a "steep learning curve." The car lacked power and a weak transmission and braking system also hampered the car.[107] To correct its flaws, Prodrive completed a new car, the 1992 Legacy RS, which featured a totally redesigned fuel injection system, during the 1991 season, introduced on the season's last rally.[3][107] The team campaigned the 1992 Legacy during the first part of the 1993 season, and on its last rally, achieved the car's first and only win.

Subaru Impreza, 1994–2008

See also: Subaru Impreza WRC

Vehicle Preparation

Before each rally, each bodyshell is completely rebuilt.[4] In 1993, each bodyshell rebuild took 160 hours.[5] In 2003 it took 650 man hours.[4] In 2006 it took 780 hours.[5]

  •  

    Burns' WRC2001

  •  

    Hirvonen's WRC2004

  •  

    Atkinson's WRC2006

  •  

    Prototype of the WRC2008

Technical personnel

Graham Moore is the overall chief engineer. Moore was a member of the team from 1991 to 2002, and then rejoined the team in 2006.[108] Jonathan Carey is the chief engineer for Petter Solberg and Richard Thompson is the chief engineer for Chris Atkinson.[1] Chris Wattam is the chief mechanic.[1]

See also

Notes

Note on vehicle nomenclature: Prodrive and Subaru have different nomenclature for the same vehicles. In information published by the Subaru World Rally Team, for cars produced from 1997 to 2000, the car is referred to as the WRCXX, with XX being the last two digits of the year it was produced, e.g. WRC99.[107] For years 2000 forward, the car is referred to as the WRCXXXX, XXXX being the year it was produced, e.g. WRC2003.[107] Prodrive, however, refers to the cars using a different nomenclature.[109] The earliest record of this occurred with the WRC99, which Prodrive referred to as the S5. Each following car got a new designation: the WRC2000 is equivalent to the S6, WRC2001 is equivalent to the S7, WRC2002 is equivalent to the S8, WRC2003 is equivalent to the S9, WRC2004 is equivalent to the S10, WRC2005 is equivalent to the S11, WRC2006 is equivalent to the S12, and the WRC2007 is equivalent to the S12b, and the WRC2008 is equivalent to the S14. The S12b Imprezas that were used in 2008 before the S14 came, due to some differences, are sometimes referred to as S12c; however, this nomenclature is not official.[109][110][111] This article will use the Subaru World Rally Team's nomenclature.

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January 03, 2023
subaru, world, rally, team, swrt, subaru, world, rally, championship, team, used, distinctive, blue, with, yellow, colour, scheme, that, throwback, sponsorship, deal, with, state, express, cigarette, brand, popular, asia, logos, were, found, subaru, cars, from. The Subaru World Rally Team SWRT was Subaru s World Rally Championship WRC team It used a distinctive blue with yellow colour scheme that is a throwback to the sponsorship deal with State Express 555 a BAT cigarette brand popular in Asia 2 555 logos were found on Subaru cars from 1993 to 2003 2 although less prevalent since 1999 due to BAT s participation in Formula One with British American Racing Subaru s WRC efforts date back to 1980 however in 1989 British firm Prodrive took over its operations and its base moved from Japan to Banbury England 2 3 SubaruFull nameSubaru World Rally TeamBaseBanbury EnglandTeam principal s David Richards 1 Technical directorRichard Taylor 1 DriversPetter Solberg Chris AtkinsonCo driversPhil Mills Stephane PrevotChassisSubaru LegacySubaru ImprezaTyresPirelliWorld Rally Championship careerDebut1990 Safari RallyLast event2008 Wales Rally GBManufacturers Championships3 1995 1996 1997 Drivers Championships3 1995 2001 2003 Rally wins46Subaru used the team to showcase its symmetrical all wheel drive technology 4 It has credited the increased sales of its vehicles especially the Subaru Impreza with its success in the World Rally Championship in addition to popularizing its all wheel drive system 5 6 7 Its 2008 season drivers were Petter Solberg with co driver Phil Mills and Chris Atkinson with co driver Stephane Prevot David Richards was the team s Principal and a founder and chairman of Prodrive 1 Paul Howarth was the team s operations director and team manager He replaced David Lapworth in 2006 1 8 9 Richard Taylor was the team s managing director 1 The team was a strong one competing at the top of the WRC for over a decade It won the manufacturers championship three times in 1995 1996 and 1997 and the drivers championship three times in 1995 2001 and 2003 Its Impreza model won a record 46 rallies 10 The team withdrew from WRC competition at the end of the 2008 season due to widespread economic downturn 11 Contents 1 Racing history 1 1 1980 1989 1 2 1990 1992 1 3 1993 1 4 1994 1995 1 5 1996 1 6 1997 1998 1 7 1999 2001 1 8 2002 2003 1 9 2004 2005 1 10 2006 1 11 2007 1 12 2008 1 13 Withdrawal from WRC 2 Vehicle development 2 1 Group A Leone 1980 1989 2 2 Group A Legacy RS 1989 1993 2 3 Subaru Impreza 1994 2008 2 4 Vehicle Preparation 3 Technical personnel 4 See also 5 Notes 6 Sources 7 External linksRacing history EditMain article Subaru World Rally Team WRC results Team Principal David Richards Although Subaru had participated in the World Rally Championship at various times since 1980 it was not until September 1989 that the Subaru World Rally Team in its current form was created 12 Subaru Tecnica International STi president Ryuichiro Kuze forged a partnership with the British firm Prodrive to prepare and enter the recently introduced Legacy RS in the World Rally Championship 3 1980 1989 Edit Subaru s initial forays into the World Rally Championship were with Subaru Rally Team Japan run by Noriyuki Koseki the founder of Subaru Tecnica International 13 The first Subaru car entered a world rally at the 1980 Safari Rally and since that the team only participated in a few events per season driving the Subaru Leone 14 Drivers in the early years included Ari Vatanen Per Eklund Shekhar Mehta Mike Kirkland Possum Bourne and Harald Demuth 2 The best result and only podium was achieved by Bourne at the 1987 Rally New Zealand by finishing third With the start of the Prodrive effort the teams competed in parallel before being folded into each other 13 1990 1992 Edit Subaru entered its first Prodrive developed car the Group A Subaru Legacy RS in the 1990 season piloted by Finnish driver Markku Alen 15 Alen remained with the team through the 1991 season His successes included 4th place in the 1990 Rally Finland also known as the 1000 Lakes Rally and in 1991 a 3rd and two 4th places 15 For the 1992 season Subaru only entered seven of the fourteen WRC events preferring to demonstrate the car s ability on gravel rallies The drivers for 1992 were Finn Ari Vatanen with co driver Bruno Berglund and Scotsman Colin McRae with co driver Derek Ringer 3 Both drivers were able to achieve second place finishes 3 Colin McRae also won the British Rally Championship in 1991 and 1992 1993 Edit 1993 Legacy RS in 555 livery For the 1993 World Rally Championship season the Subaru team debuted its now distinctive blue and yellow color scheme along with a new title sponsor State Express 555 16 Ari Vatanen and Colin McRae remained the primary drivers with the season being McRae s first complete year of World Rally Championship competition 16 Markku Alen returned part time to the team after a brief stint at Toyota in 1992 and took 4th for Subaru in Portugal 15 McRae took the first win for Subaru at the eighth event of the season Rally New Zealand the last outing for the Group A Subaru Legacy rally cars 16 17 At the next event Rally Finland Subaru debuted their new Prodrive developed Group A Impreza rally car known as the Impreza 555 driven by Vatanen and Alen 18 19 Alen crashed on the first stage and did not drive for Subaru again Vatanen however showed the car to be quick even leading the rally at one point and managing a second place finish 16 At the end of the season Vatanen took seventh in the Drivers Championship and Colin McRae finished in fifth with 50 16 Subaru finished third in the Manufacturers Championship 16 Other drivers also competed for the Subaru team at selected events New Zealand driver Possum Bourne veteran of Subaru s early days joined the team for the Rally New Zealand and Rally Australia 16 Piero Liatti competed in Rallye Sanremo and Rally Great Britain Drivers Richard Burns and Alister McRae had competed in the British Championship which Burns won and appeared again in Legacies for Rally Great Britain 16 where Burns finished seventh and McRae tenth Drivers Per Eklund and Hannu Mikkola drove for the team in Rally Sweden 16 1994 1995 Edit In 1994 former World Rally Drivers Champion Carlos Sainz joined the team with co driver Luis Moya and took the Impreza 555 to its first win at the Acropolis Rally in Greece 20 21 It later took wins in New Zealand and Great Britain with McRae at the wheel 16 17 In the Championship for Manufacturers they achieved a second place finish behind Toyota with Sainz placing second in the driver s championship and McRae placing fourth 21 Other drivers for the Subaru team in 1994 included Patrick Njiru competing in the Safari Rally Richard Burns in the Safari Rally and Rally Great Britain Possum Bourne in New Zealand and Piero Liatti at Rallye Sanremo 16 21 For the 1995 season the primary drivers remained Sainz in the number 5 car and McRae in the number 4 car Sainz won the season opening round at the Rallye Monte Carlo while McRae crashed out of the event 22 At Rally Sweden Sainz McRae and third driver Mats Jonsson all retired with engine trouble 23 Sainz won again at the Rally Portugal while McRae finished in third place 24 At the Rallye de France Sainz McRae and third driver Piero Liatti finished in the fourth fifth and sixth places respectively 25 At Rally New Zealand McRae took his first win of the season 26 Other drivers for the team included Possum Bourne who finished in seventh place and Richard Burns who retired with a mechanical failure 26 At the Rally Australia McRae took second place 27 Sainz retired after his radiator failed while third driver Bourne retired after an accident 27 At the Rallye Catalunya Subaru locked out the podium with a 1 2 3 finish 28 Sainz took first McRae took second and third driver Piero Liatti finished third 28 Sainz s first place finish in Catalunya left he and McRae tied for points going into the last event of the season the RAC Rally of Great Britain 29 McRae won out taking first place at his home event clinching his first and only Driver s Championship a first for the Subaru team 16 17 Sainz finished close behind in second place giving him second in the Championship and third driver Richard Burns finished in third place giving the team a second consecutive 1 2 3 finish 16 29 Between McRae and Sainz the team managed to win five of the season s eight rallies for Subaru winning the team its first Constructors Championship 16 17 30 At the end of the season Sainz left Subaru to join Ford World Rallye Sport 31 1996 Edit Colin McRae s 1996 Impreza 555 For the 1996 World Rally Championship season Colin McRae was again the lead driver for Subaru 16 Following his 1995 Championship victory his Impreza 555 wore the 1 plate 31 He was joined by team drivers Kenneth Eriksson in the 2 car and Piero Liatti with their co drivers Staffan Parmander and Mario Ferfoglia respectively 16 31 At the first event of the season Rally Sweden McRae took third Eriksson took fifth and Liatti took twelfth 32 1994 World Drivers Champion Didier Auriol also drove for the Subaru team in Sweden taking his 3 car to tenth place 32 At the second round the Safari Rally Liatti s number was changed from 10 to 3 33 He took fifth place 33 McRae took fourth while Eriksson took second 33 At the Rally Indonesia Liatti finished in second place while McRae and Eriksson both retired following accidents 34 McRae s first victory of the season was at the Acropolis Rally the fourth round of the championship 16 35 Liatti and Erikkson placed fourth and fifth respectively 35 Eriksson took third and Liatti fifth at Rally Argentina 36 McRae crashed out of Rally Argentina and the following event Rally Finland 36 37 Liatti didn t compete in Finland though Eriksson managed to finish in 5th place 37 McRae Eriksson and Liatti finished 4th 2nd and 7th respectively at Rally Australia 38 In Sanremo McRae took victory with Eriksson finishing in 5th 16 39 Liatti retired following an electrical failure 39 At the last round of the season Rallye Catalunya McRae took a second consecutive victory 16 40 Subaru took a 1 2 finish with Liatti finishing second 40 Eriksson finished in seventh position 40 Thanks to consistent podium finishes Subaru successfully defended its Constructors Championship but McRae lost the Driver s Championship to Tommi Makinen 16 17 1997 1998 Edit For 1997 McRae again led the team however his co driver Derek Ringer was replaced by Welshman Nicky Grist 41 Secondary driver co driver teams included Piero Liatti Fabrizia Pons first in Monte Carlo Olivier Burri Christophe Hofmann and Kenneth Eriksson Staffan Parmander first in Sweden and New Zealand 41 Once again the team successfully defended its Constructors Championship winning eight victories out of the fourteen rallies but McRae again lost the Driver s Championship to Tommi Makinen this time by just one point 17 41 In 1998 the team had an almost unchanged line up although Jahu Kangas Pentti Kuukkala and Jarno Kytolehto Arto Kapanen participated in one round each 41 McRae took wins in Portugal Corsica and Greece However bad weather and mechanical failures hurt the team and Subaru and McRae finished third in their respective championships 41 At the end of the season McRae left the team to join Ford with the tantalizing prospect of driving their brand new car the Ford Focus WRC 17 1999 2001 Edit Petter Solberg Subaru had an all new line up for the 1999 season with the nominated driver co driver teams of Richard Burns Robert Reid Juha Kankkunen Juha Repo and third team of Bruno Thiry Stephane Prevot 42 43 44 The new car the WRC99 featured an electronically controlled Paddle shifter with a drive by wire throttle Due to technical difficulties the team struggled until the season s 7th round in Argentina 44 From there on the teams earned the podium in seven out of eight events with five wins three of which were 1 2 finishes 44 Subaru finished second in the Manufacturers Championship just four points behind Toyota Burns scored victories in Greece Australia and Wales for second place and Kankkunen took fourth in the Drivers Championship with wins in Argentina and Finland 44 Burns and Kankkunen continued to drive for Subaru for the 2000 season with Petter Solberg joining the team halfway through the season driving in the Rallye de France 45 46 47 48 The team finished third in the championship and Burns took second in the Drivers Championship for the second year in a row 47 Burns and Solberg composed Subaru s nominated line up for the 2001 season with Markko Martin Michael Park and Toshi Arai Tony Sircombe competing in selected events 47 Subaru again won the Driver s Championships in 2001 with Richard Burns and co driver Robert Reid Burns left Subaru for Peugeot at the end of the 2001 season 47 2002 2003 Edit Tommi Makinen For the 2002 season Burns was replaced by Tommi Makinen and co driver Kaj Lindstrom Petter Solberg continued with the team and Pasi Hagstrom was the team s test driver 49 50 Following the October 2001 signing of four time driver s Championship winner Makinen expectations for the team ran high 50 However after a season opening win in Monte Carlo he was only able to finish five more events during the entire season 50 51 52 His teammate Solberg fared much better finishing nine events five of which were podium finishes including his first ever WRC win at Rally Great Britain the season s last round 50 The win propelled him past Ford s Carlos Sainz into second in the Drivers Championship 50 For the 2003 season the driver line up remained unchanged from the previous year Solberg drove the 7 car Makinen the 8 car The season got off to a poor start with neither driver finishing the Rallye Monte Carlo 53 Solberg then scored four outright wins in Cyprus Australia France and finished the season with his second straight win in Britain securing him the Driver s Championship for himself and co driver Phil Mills narrowly beating Sebastien Loeb by one point 54 53 55 The team only managed to achieve third place in the manufacturers championship beaten by Citroen and Peugeot 53 56 At the end of the season Tommi Makinen retired from the WRC 51 2004 2005 Edit Subaru Impreza WRC2005 being driven by Petter Solberg at the Cyprus Rally For the 2004 season it was originally planned that Solberg would be partnered with the returning Richard Burns However the Englishman would never get to return to the team because of a brain tumour he developed in late 2003 and would eventually pass away because of cancer in November 2005 Guy Wilks was also approached to join the team for the 2004 season but missed out on this opportunity as he was under contract to Suzuki Solberg was therefore joined by Finnish driver Mikko Hirvonen and his co driver Jarmo Lehtinen 57 Subaru managed to consolidate third place in the Manufacturer s Championship again while Solberg was second in the Driver s Championship winning five of the season s rallies New Zealand Greece Japan Italy and a third consecutive win at Rally Wales 46 Hirvonen ended the season in seventh place failing to impress the Subaru team management 57 He was not re signed for the 2005 season 58 In 2005 Petter Solberg again led the team in the 5 car while Hirvonen was replaced by Chris Atkinson in the 6 car The young Australian debuted with the Uddeholm Swedish Rally and finished third at Rally Japan 59 Petter Solberg achieved back to back victories in Mexico and Sweden early in the season 60 61 He finished the season behind Sebastien Loeb tied for second place with Marcus Gronholm 58 In the Manufacturer s championship Subaru only managed to finish fourth overall ahead of Mitsubishi and Skoda 62 2006 Edit Chris Atkinson Petter Solberg again led the team throughout the 2006 season with the second car piloted by Chris Atkinson and co driver Glenn MacNeall on gravel events while on tarmac events it was driven by ex Formula One driver Stephane Sarrazin 63 The WRC2006 had several changes from the previous year s car due to rule changes which banned active differentials as well as water injection as well as mandating that teams must re use cars and engines on selected pairs of events 64 65 Due to the rule changes the car was introduced on the first round of the season 63 64 Subaru s season got off to a poor start with Solberg unable to score in the first two rallies due to mechanical failures 66 Due to the teams lacklustre performance after a decade of running the team team boss David Lapworth was replaced by Paul Howarth 8 66 Not until the third rally of the season Rally Mexico would Petter manage to score achieving a second place finish 67 He picked up another second place finish at Rally Argentina and again at Rally Australia 68 The team finished the season in third place in the manufacturer s championship while Solberg finished in sixth place in the driver s championship 69 70 However the team was not able to achieve a single win and achieved podium results only four times 70 Subaru s 2006 season was characterized as disappointing and was the subject of a Discovery Channel series called Engineering the World Rally 8 71 72 73 In the programme Subaru s dismal season was described as The Season from Hell 2007 Edit Solberg s WRC2007 at Rally GB Solberg again led the team for the 2007 season driving the 7 Impreza Sarrazin left the team leaving Chris Atkinson as the single number two driver piloting the 8 car 74 Atkinson managed to grab fourth place at the season opening event in Monte Carlo after passing the works Ford of Mikko Hirvonen 59 At the 2007 Rally Portugal Solberg came in second following the Ford cars disqualification due to the glass in their rear windows being too thin Following the rally Atkinson s co driver Glenn MacNeall elected to leave the team and was replaced by Stephane Prevot who had previously been with the team as co driver for Bruno Thiry 75 76 At the 2007 Acropolis Rally Solberg managed to achieve a podium position 77 After the summer break the team was joined at the 2007 Rally Finland by Xavier Pons and co driver Xavier Amigo driving a third car 25 not nominated for manufacturer points 78 However in the rally Solberg had to retire on day two after monstrous handling and steering problems which the team engineers were unable to deal with 79 80 Solberg finished fifth in Ireland calling it the most difficult rally he has ever done 81 At the final event of the season Wales Rally GB Solberg won the battle for fourth with Dani Sordo propelling Subaru to third place in the manufacturer s standings 82 In the driver s championship Solberg came in 5th while Atkinson took 7th 83 Richard Taylor called the season a poor one with Subaru only achieving two podium finishes and no overall wins for the second year in a row 71 83 Phil Mills called it the second season from hell 84 2008 Edit Petter Solberg and Chris Atkinson continued with the team through the 2008 season 46 59 Xavier Pons left the team 85 86 With the FIA mandated switch to Pirelli tires tyre mousse had been banned and fewer compounds were available 87 88 At the first rally of the season the 2008 Monte Carlo Rally Atkinson scored his first podium finish on tarmac after a close battle with Francois Duval while Solberg finished in fifth 86 89 In the 2008 Swedish Rally Solberg finished in fourth place while Atkinson finished in 21st position following a spin on Special Stage 3 which cost him over 15 minutes 46 90 91 Immediately after the Swedish Rally the team completed a gravel test in Spain in preparation for Rally Mexico the last test using the WRC2007 car 92 At the 2008 Rally Mexico Atkinson placed second his best ever result 93 Solberg was forced to retire on the second day after a driveshaft failure to his front left wheel He continued under SupeRally rules on Sunday finishing 12th 93 94 Going into the final day of the 2008 Rally Argentina Solberg and Atkinson were comfortably in second and third position poised to put two cars on the podium a feat Subaru has not accomplished in several years 95 96 97 However on Special Stage 19 Petter s car suffered an electrical failure forcing him to retire 96 98 Atkinson inherited Solberg s position and achieved a second place finish for the second consecutive time 99 97 100 At the 2008 Jordan Rally on SS6 Solberg s retired after his Impreza suffered from a damper failure which then spilled oil lighting a fire under the hood of the car 101 Solberg restarted under SupeRally rules on Saturday but crashed on the day s final stage after brake problems 102 103 Atkinson managed to secure a third podium in a row following the suspension failure of Latvala and the retirements of Solberg and Loeb 102 103 Withdrawal from WRC Edit On 16 December 2008 it was announced that Subaru would no longer be competing in the World Rally Championships 104 The decision was taken by Subaru s parent company Fuji Heavy Industries FHI partly as a result of the economic downturn but also because it was felt Subaru had achieved its sporting and marketing objectives Ikuo Mori denied that alterations to the WRC technical regulations in 2010 or a rumoured deterioration in the working relationship with Prodrive had any impact on the decision He also said that the possibility of a Subaru car back in the top category of WRC in the future is not zero but recent events have cited that Subaru will be making a return to WRC 105 Vehicle development EditGroup A Leone 1980 1989 Edit As Subaru Rally Team Japan Subaru entered the first World Rally with the second generation Group A Subaru Leone DL at the 1980 Safari Rally In 1984 the model was changed to the 3rd generation Leone coupe one year later installed with a turbo The other model used simultaneously with the coupe turbo until 1989 was the Leone sedan RX Turbo 106 Group A Legacy RS 1989 1993 Edit Prodrive s vehicle development began upon the team s formation in September 1989 creating the Group A Subaru Legacy RS rally car based on the road going Subaru Legacy sedan The Legacy was powered by a longitudinally mounted boxer engine giving it a low centre of gravity Already equipped with a symmetrical all wheel drive system it made a good starting point for a rally car David Lapworth described the development of the car as a steep learning curve The car lacked power and a weak transmission and braking system also hampered the car 107 To correct its flaws Prodrive completed a new car the 1992 Legacy RS which featured a totally redesigned fuel injection system during the 1991 season introduced on the season s last rally 3 107 The team campaigned the 1992 Legacy during the first part of the 1993 season and on its last rally achieved the car s first and only win Subaru Impreza 1994 2008 Edit See also Subaru Impreza WRC Vehicle Preparation Edit Before each rally each bodyshell is completely rebuilt 4 In 1993 each bodyshell rebuild took 160 hours 5 In 2003 it took 650 man hours 4 In 2006 it took 780 hours 5 Burns WRC2001 Hirvonen s WRC2004 Atkinson s WRC2006 Prototype of the WRC2008Technical personnel EditGraham Moore is the overall chief engineer Moore was a member of the team from 1991 to 2002 and then rejoined the team in 2006 108 Jonathan Carey is the chief engineer for Petter Solberg and Richard Thompson is the chief engineer for Chris Atkinson 1 Chris Wattam is the chief mechanic 1 See also EditDavid Richards BP Ford World Rally Team Suzuki World Rally Team Citroen Total World Rally TeamNotes EditNote on vehicle nomenclature Prodrive and Subaru have different nomenclature for the same vehicles In information published by the Subaru World Rally Team for cars produced from 1997 to 2000 the car is referred to as the WRCXX with XX being the last two digits of the year it was produced e g WRC99 107 For years 2000 forward the car is referred to as the WRCXXXX XXXX being the year it was produced e g WRC2003 107 Prodrive however refers to the cars using a different nomenclature 109 The earliest record of this occurred with the WRC99 which Prodrive referred to as the S5 Each following car got a new designation the WRC2000 is equivalent to the S6 WRC2001 is equivalent to the S7 WRC2002 is equivalent to the S8 WRC2003 is equivalent to the S9 WRC2004 is equivalent to the S10 WRC2005 is equivalent to the S11 WRC2006 is equivalent to the S12 and the WRC2007 is equivalent to the S12b and the WRC2008 is equivalent to the S14 The S12b Imprezas that were used in 2008 before the S14 came due to some differences are sometimes referred to as S12c however this nomenclature is not official 109 110 111 This article will use the Subaru World Rally Team s nomenclature Sources Edit a b c d e f g Team Profiles Subaru World Rally Team Archived from the original on 23 January 2008 Retrieved 23 February 2008 a b c d Subaru Manufacturer Profile amp Rally History Rallye Info com Retrieved 25 February 2008 a b c d e Subaru in International Rallying 1990 1992 Years of Legacy Drive Performance Magazine Archived from the original on 24 July 2008 Retrieved 23 February 2008 a b c Rettie John Prodrive Mecca for WRX Fans drive Subaru com Drive The Magazine from Subaru Archived from the original on 3 April 2007 Retrieved 22 March 2008 a b c Introducing the Impreza Subaru World Rally Team Retrieved 1 April 2008 dead link About Subaru Subaru World Rally Team Archived from the original on 15 February 2008 Retrieved 22 March 2008 David Lapworth 11 June 2002 Subaru Impreza Story Documentary Duke Event occurs at 12 30 a b c Engineering the World Rally Episode Guide The Discovery Channel Retrieved 25 February 2008 WRC Subaru Work with new car going well Crash net 14 January 2008 Retrieved 23 February 2008 Top 10 Greatest World Rally Championship Cars of All Time SnapLap 13 August 2016 Retrieved 15 July 2020 Subaru to withdraw from World Rally Championship Swrt com 16 December 2008 Archived from the original on 17 December 2008 Retrieved 16 December 2008 David Lapworth 11 June 2002 Subaru Impreza Story Documentary Duke Event occurs at 12 50 a b Motorsport History 1990 Subaru Global Archived from the original on 17 August 2007 Retrieved 25 February 2008 Subaru Leone Coupe Specifications amp History Rallye Info com Retrieved 25 February 2008 a b c Markku Alen RallyBase Retrieved 23 February 2008 a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t Subaru in International Rallying 1993 1996 Drive Performance Magazine Archived from the original on 13 May 2008 Retrieved 23 February 2008 a b c d e f g Colin McRae Obituary The Times London 17 September 2007 Retrieved 25 February 2008 Markku Alen Subaru Team of 93 Subaru Global 9 August 2003 Archived from the original on 13 February 2009 Retrieved 23 February 2008 Ari Vatanen Subaru Team of 93 Subaru Global 9 August 2003 Archived from the original on 13 February 2009 Retrieved 23 February 2008 The Car Overview amp Impreza Pedigree Subaru World Rally Team Archived from the original on 20 February 2008 Retrieved 25 February 2008 a b c World Championship for Drivers 1994 RallyBase Retrieved 25 February 2008 63eme Rallye Automobile de Monte Carlo RallyBase Retrieved 26 March 2008 44th International Swedish Rally RallyBase Retrieved 26 March 2008 29º TAP Rallye de Portugal RallyBase Retrieved 26 March 2008 39eme Tour de Corse Rallye de France RallyBase Retrieved 26 March 2008 a b 25th Smokefree Rally New Zealand RallyBase Retrieved 26 March 2008 a b 8th Telstra Rally Australia RallyBase Retrieved 26 March 2008 a b 31º Rallye Catalunya Costa Brava RallyBase Retrieved 26 March 2008 a b 51st Network Q RAC Rally RallyBase Retrieved 26 March 2008 World Championship for Drivers 1995 RallyBase Retrieved 26 March 2008 a b c World Championship for Drivers 1996 RallyBase Retrieved 26 March 2008 a b 45th International Swedish Rally RallyBase Retrieved 26 March 2008 a b c 44th Safari Rally Kenya RallyBase Retrieved 26 March 2008 21st Bank Utama Rally Indonesia RallyBase Retrieved 26 March 2008 a b 43rd Acropolis Rally of Greece RallyBase Retrieved 26 March 2008 a b 16º Rally Argentina RallyBase Retrieved 26 March 2008 a b 46th Neste 1000 Lakes Rally RallyBase Retrieved 26 March 2008 9th API Rally Australia RallyBase Retrieved 30 March 2008 a b 38º Rallye Sanremo Rallye d Italia RallyBase Retrieved 30 March 2008 a b c 32º Rallye Catalunya Costa Brava RallyBase Retrieved 30 March 2008 a b c d e Subaru in International Rallying 1997 1998 Drive Performance Magazine Archived from the original on 29 January 2009 Retrieved 23 February 2008 Burns Career on hold BBC 3 November 2003 Retrieved 28 February 2008 Richard Burns RallyBase Retrieved 23 February 2008 a b c d Subaru in International Rallying 1999 Foundation for Success Drive Performance Magazine Archived from the original on 24 July 2008 Retrieved 23 February 2008 Juha Kankkunen RallyBase Retrieved 23 February 2008 a b c d Petter Solberg RallyBase Retrieved 23 February 2008 a b c d Subaru in International Rallying 2001 Assaulting the Championship Drive Performance Magazine Archived from the original on 10 October 2007 Retrieved 23 February 2008 Subaru in International Rallying 2000 Evolving For Success Drive Performance Magazine Archived from the original on 12 February 2009 Retrieved 23 February 2008 555 Subaru World Rally Team Test Bulletin Subaru Global 9 September 2002 Archived from the original on 12 February 2009 Retrieved 25 February 2008 a b c d e Subaru in International Rallying 2002 Drive Performance Magazine Archived from the original on 24 July 2008 Retrieved 23 February 2008 a b Tommi Makinen RallyBase Retrieved 23 February 2008 Delight for Solberg but disappointment for Mak Crash net 3 November 2002 Retrieved 25 February 2008 a b c Subaru in International Rallying 2003 Back on Top Drive Performance Magazine Archived from the original on 13 May 2008 Retrieved 21 March 2008 The Car Overview Subaru World Rally Team Archived from the original on 20 February 2008 Retrieved 25 February 2008 World Championship for Drivers 2003 RallyBase Retrieved 23 February 2008 World Championship for Manufacturers 2003 RallyBase Retrieved 23 February 2008 a b World Championship for Drivers 2004 RallyBase Retrieved 23 February 2008 a b World Championship for Drivers 2005 RallyBase Retrieved 23 February 2008 a b c Chris Atkinson RallyBase Retrieved 23 February 2008 WRC Q amp A Petter Solberg Crash net 5 September 2005 Archived from the original on 29 July 2012 Retrieved 23 February 2008 WRC Q amp A David Lapworth Crash net 7 July 2005 Archived from the original on 21 February 2013 Retrieved 23 February 2008 World Championship for Manufacturers 2005 RallyBase Retrieved 23 February 2008 a b WRC Preview Rallye Automobile Monte Carlo Crash net 19 January 2006 Retrieved 23 February 2008 a b WRC First picture 2006 Subaru Impreza Crash net Archived from the original on 21 February 2013 Retrieved 23 February 2008 WRC FIA confirms twinning measures for 06 Crash net Archived from the original on 21 February 2013 Retrieved 23 February 2008 a b WRC Lapworth stands down as Subaru boss Crash net Archived from the original on 11 March 2007 Retrieved 23 February 2008 WRC Solberg feeling pretty confident Crash net Archived from the original on 18 July 2006 Retrieved 23 February 2008 WRC Subaru We can win next two rounds Crash net Archived from the original on 31 July 2012 Retrieved 23 February 2008 World Rally Championship for Manufacturers 2006 RallyBase Rallybase nl Retrieved 27 November 2011 a b World Rally Championship for Drivers 2006 RallyBase Rallybase nl Retrieved 27 November 2011 a b WRC Q amp A Richard Taylor Crash net Retrieved 23 February 2008 WRC Q amp A Paul Howarth Crash net Retrieved 23 February 2008 WRC Subaru WRC on the Discovery Channel Crash net Archived from the original on 5 May 2007 Retrieved 23 February 2008 WRC Atkinson It is great to continue with Subaru Crash net 4 October 2006 Archived from the original on 23 July 2012 Retrieved 27 November 2011 Glenn MacNeall RallyBase Retrieved 23 February 2008 Stephane Prevot RallyBase Retrieved 23 February 2008 Petter We ve found solution to biggest problem Crash net 20 July 2007 Retrieved 12 March 2008 Xavier Pons RallyBase Archived from the original on 5 January 2007 Retrieved 23 February 2008 NEWS FLASH Petter pulls out of leg 2 Crash net 4 August 2007 Retrieved 12 March 2008 Subaru Petter s car not safe Crash net 4 August 2007 Retrieved 12 March 2008 Petter It s the most difficult rally I ve done Crash net 18 November 2007 Retrieved 20 February 2008 Solberg helps Subaru reclaim third Crash net 2 December 2007 Retrieved 28 February 2008 a b World Championship for Drivers 2007 RallyBase Retrieved 23 February 2008 WRC Q amp A Phil Mills Crash net 2 September 2007 Retrieved 23 February 2008 WRC Pons to be dropped by Subaru Crash net 27 December 2007 Retrieved 23 February 2008 a b Q amp A Chris Atkinson Crash net Retrieved 23 February 2008 WRC New tyre rules good for WRC says Mikko Crash net Retrieved 23 February 2008 WRC Loeb Tyre changes create a lot of unknowns Crash net Retrieved 23 February 2008 P5 for Petter on opener Crash net Retrieved 23 February 2008 Sweden day 1 Latvala looking good Crash net 8 February 2008 Retrieved 31 March 2008 Result Swedish Rally Crash net 10 February 2008 Retrieved 31 March 2008 Petter We ve made some good steps Crash net 26 February 2008 Retrieved 26 February 2008 a b Rally reactions Rally Mexico Day 3 Crash net 2 March 2008 Retrieved 3 March 2008 Petter to SupeRally Crash net 1 March 2008 Retrieved 3 March 2008 Rally reactions Rally Argentina Leg 2 Crash net 29 March 2008 Retrieved 31 March 2008 a b NEWS FLASH Disaster for Petter Crash net 30 March 2008 Retrieved 31 March 2008 a b Post event press conference Argentina Crash net 30 March 2008 Retrieved 31 March 2008 Rally Argentina SS19 Crash net 30 March 2008 Retrieved 31 March 2008 Atkinson Subaru is back Crash net 30 March 2008 Retrieved 1 April 2008 Rally reactions Rally Argentina Leg 3 Crash net 30 March 2008 Retrieved 31 March 2008 Jordan Rally day one bulletin Subaru World Rally Team 26 April 2008 Retrieved 28 April 2008 dead link a b Rally reactions Rally Jordan Leg 3 Crash net 27 April 2008 Retrieved 28 April 2008 a b Another podium for Atkinson Crash net 27 April 2008 Retrieved 28 April 2008 Subaru pull out of World Rallying BBC News 16 December 2008 permanent dead link Subaru doesn t rule out WRC return WRC 16 December 2008 Retrieved 6 October 2013 Subaru Leone 1800 Details Rallye Info com Retrieved 16 October 2008 a b c d Major Works Machines subaru global com Archived from the original on 7 October 2007 Retrieved 28 February 2008 Engineers Graham Moore Jonkka World Rally Archive Retrieved 23 February 2008 a b Cars for sale PDF prodrive sales com Archived from the original PDF on 21 January 2016 Retrieved 28 February 2008 Subaru Impreza WRC S12b PDF prodrive com Archived from the original PDF on 14 July 2009 Retrieved 28 February 2008 Bajnokok Rallysport hu in Hungarian 29 December 2003 Retrieved 27 February 2008 External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Subaru World Rally Team Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Subaru World Rally Team amp oldid 1126423787, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, 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