SUBARU IN INTERNATIONAL RALLYING: 2006
ONE LAST RESTYLE AND A FRUSTRATING YEAR
Petter Solberg in action during shakedown, Tour de Corse 2006. Photos: SWRT.com
SUBARU ENTERED THE 2006 WORLD RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP (WRC) SEASON WITH A RESTYLED BODY AND MECHANICALS THAT COMPLIED WITH CHANGES IN WRC REGULATIONS. DRIVERS/CO-DRIVERS PETTER SOLBERG/PHIL MILLS, CHRIS ATKINSON/GLENN MACNEALL, AND STÉPHANE SARRAZIN/STÉPHANE PRÉVOT RETURNED FOR 2006 – SARRAZIN/PRÉVOT FOR FOUR OF THE EVENTS.
THE IMPREZA WRC2006 – BEYOND A NEW LOOK
Stéphane Sarrazin in action during pre-event shakedown, Rally Monte Carlo 2006.
The 2006 WRC season began full of hope for the new Impreza WRC2006, which was unveiled at the first event in Monte Carlo. The Andreas Zapatinas-styled three-part nose and new lighting assemblies were the apparent changes. Reflecting the new styling of the Impreza road cars, the restyled WRC2006 improved aerodynamically.
Testing was required to take advantage of the revised body. That led to improved engine cooling and the addition of a roof vane, which enhanced rear-end stability at high speeds.
Under the skin, mechanical modifications improved the car as well as conformed it to new rules. For 2006, engine water injection no longer was permitted, and neither were actively controlled front and rear differentials. So the team had to re-engineer much of the drivetrain.
Petter Solberg in action on SS3 during leg one, Uddeholm Swedish Rally 2006.
The new car’s engine had revised control and fuel systems, as well as lighter componentry. Response improved from a lighter-weight engine.
The semi-automatic transmission was refined, making the electronically controlled unit faster and improving control over the center differential.
Other mechanical and electrical improvements were made to the body wiring, fuel system, and electrical system. In addition, the locations of many of the systems in the cockpit were revised.
Petter Solberg in action during pre-event shakedown, Rally Monte Carlo 2006.
Also, safety improvements were made inside the cabin. The roll cage was strengthened at high-stress points, and it was redesigned for new seats for both driver and co-driver. The seats were stronger, deeper, and longer. Further, they were supported by the roll cage at two additional mounting points. With a stronger safety cell, the vehicle was intended to provide improved protection in side impacts.
WRC ROLLER COASTER
The 2006 season was a roller-coaster ride for the Subaru World Rally Team (SWRT). Throughout the 16-race season, Chris Atkinson matured as a driver, and Petter Solberg often proved his own capabilities and those of the Impreza WRC2006.
The SWRT 2006 team drivers at the launch in the harbor of Monaco, Monte Carlo Rally 2006.
The three cars often performed brilliantly: For 10 of the 16 rounds, Solberg/Mills finished in the top 10, including podium appearances in Mexico (2nd), Argentina (2nd), Australia (2nd), and Great Britain (3rd). Both Solberg and Atkinson finished in the top 10 for the Drivers’ Championship. Tarmac specialist Sarrazin never finished lower than 8th in his four events.
Once again, all teams chased Sébastien Loeb/Daniel Elena, who eventually won the Drivers’ Championship by one point over Marcus Grönholm/Timo Rautiainen.
Although Solberg, Atkinson, and Sarrazin placed 6th, 10th, and 18th respectively in the Drivers’ Championship, they accumulated enough points to give SWRT a 3rd in the Manufacturers’ Championship.
SUBARU WORLD RALLY TEAM
SWRT IN 2008
SWRT fielded two driver/co-driver teams for 2008 – Petter Solberg/Phil Mills and Chris Atkinson/Stéphane Prévot.
Petter Solberg in action on SS10, Day 1 of Rally Japan 2008.
Starting the first round in Monte Carlo, Atkinson/Prévot demonstrated a tenacity that eventually earned Atkinson 5th in the Drivers’ Championship. They drove to five podium finishes along the way – two 2nds (Mexico and Argentina) and three 3rds (Monte Carlo, Jordan, and Finland). Solberg/Mills finished the season 6th, with one podium finish – 2nd in the Acropolis Rally.
At midseason, the all-new Impreza WRC2008 replaced the Impreza WRC2007. The team didn’t miss a beat with the new car. Altogether, the two drivers/co-drivers accumulated 22 top-10 finishes with the two cars in the 2008 WRC’s 15 rounds – good for a solid 3rd in the Manufacturers’ Championship.
SWRT AND THE FUTURE
On December 16, 2008, Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd. (FHI) surprised the motorsports world by announcing that it was withdrawing from the WRC.
Petter Solberg in action on SS2, Day 1 of Rally of Finland 2008.
In part, the release read: “FHI has participated in the WRC together with Prodrive, a motorsports and automotive engineering group in the UK, over the past 19 years to pursue its goal and philosophy in motor sports activities to enhance Subaru brand awareness by showing that Subaru vehicles offer safe, comfortable and pleasurable driving no matter the weather or road conditions, featuring Horizontally-Opposed engine and the Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive system as its core technologies, and to transfer results of race-tested technical improvements into Subaru passenger vehicles.
“Subaru has won three manufacturer’s championship titles and three driver’s championship titles in its history of rally racing. This has helped enhance the value of the Subaru brand as well as the sales expansion of Subaru vehicles all over the world.”
IMPREZA WRC2006
