F1Weekly podcast # 693

Clark continues to cry in his glass of Chimay over the results of the United States Grand Prix and the Mexican Grand Prix whilst Nasir sees all this as a another great Formula 1 season with great talent and great racing. We also want to give you an up date on our friends at Citroen Racing and their activities in the upcoming Junior WRC  Rally of Great Britain.

EMPESTINI, VEIBY & FOLB BATTLE FOR JWRC PODIUM

– With five wins from six events, Quentin Gilbert is already certain to be crowned 2015 FIA Junior WRC champion*.

– The final round of the season will however see a three-way fight between the Italian Simone Tempestini, the Norwegian Ole Christian Veiby and the Frenchman Terry Folb for second and third places.

– Chris Ingram, the rising star of British rallying, joins the FIA Junior WRC at Wales Rally GB in a line-up of eight DS 3 R3-MAXs.

– This final meeting of the season will also decide the outcome of the FIA WRC3 title, which will go to either Quentin Gilbert or Simone Tempestini.

The last event of a seven-round calendar, Wales Rally GB is set to host the FIA Junior WRC drivers and teams for the end-of-season finale.

Eight DS 3 R3-MAXs line up for this final showdown. The Italian Simone Tempestini, who won in Poland, Ole Christian Veiby, who scored podium finishes in Monte-Carlo and Finland, and Terry Folb, runner-up in France and Spain, are all in with a chance of ending the season as runner-up in the FIA Junior WRC.

Whereas Tempestini and Veiby’s fates rest in their own hands – a win would be enough for either one to secure second place – Terry Folb also needs his rivals to underperform in order to finish as runner-up.

Five other drivers will be looking to add to their experience and make a real impact.

The youngest competitor in the category at just 18 years old, Pierre-Louis Loubet is set to continue learning about the World Championship. Runner-up in Portugal, he had to withdraw from Rally Poland and retired in Finland. He took a lot from his fifth place finish on the mixed-surface event in Spain and his appearance in Wales should help him to acquire new knowledge.

Making big strides with a revised system of pace notes, Mohammed Al Mutawaa finished just outside the top three in Catalonia. The Abu Dhabi driver can dream of moving up another step in Wales.

After taking part in Rally de Portugal earlier in the season, the Irishman Dean Raftery makes his return to the series in North Wales. Familiar with the roads of the British Isles, he’ll be competing in his second consecutive Wales Rally GB, after finishing second in his category last year. His experience of the road surface will undoubtedly be a real advantage.

New entrants for the event include the Belgian William Wagner and the British driver Chris Ingram. For his third outing in the World Championship, after winning his class in the Tour de Corse, Wagner is now set to test himself against the leading lights of the two-wheel drive category. As for Chris Ingram, although he is only 21 years old, he has been competing in British and European rallies for six seasons. He will need to get to grips with the DS 3 R3-MAX, but will undoubtedly be one of the drivers to look out for as the curtain comes down on 2015.

Already certain to secure the FIA Junior WRC title and the DS 3 R5 programme handed to the winner*, Quentin Gilbert will be competing at Wales Rally GB (outside of the Junior standings) in a DS 3 R3-MAX, as he looks to beat the Italian Simone Tempestini to the FIA WRC3 title. Nineteen points currently separate the two drivers, with the advantage held by the Frenchman.

QUOTE, UNQUOTE

Simone Tempestini: “I’m not entirely satisfied with my season, because my goal was to win the FIA Junior WRC title. Not everything went according to plan and Quentin Gilbert produced some very strong performances. We have nevertheless shown that we are capable of fighting at the front at each round, on every surface and we have always been quick. Only the final results haven’t been quite what we hoped for. I have learned a lot this year and I’m determined to use that in the future. Experience will be an advantage in Wales. I already know this rally and I’m aiming for the win, although I know that the British drivers will be very competitive. I’ll also be keeping an eye on the WRC3 standings. Once again, my goal will be to score as many points as possible and we’ll do the sums at the end.”

Chris Ingram: “I’m pleased to be taking part in Wales Rally GB, for the final round of the FIA Junior WRC calendar. It’s an opportunity measure myself against the championship’s regular drivers. I have competed here twice before and each time, I won the R2 category. This will be the first time I have raced in a turbo-charged car. I’ll have to get used to the DS 3 R3-MAX and this feature. I did some good testing in Wales in the worst possible conditions. I’m not setting myself any specific goals for my debut in the FIA Junior WRC. There’s no real pressure on me, I’m just going to do my best. I’ll look to my very passionate and experienced team to help me enjoy myself behind the wheel as much as possible.”

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