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Mitsubishi: Two-car team registered in 2005 FIA World Rally Championship
Rovanperä will contest all 16 rounds of the championship
7 December 2004
MITSUBISHI MOTORS CONFIRMS ITS 2005 FIA WORLD RALLY
CHAMPIONSHP PROGRAM
Two-car team registered in 2005 FIA World Rally Championship
Rovanperä, Panizzi and Galli to drive Mitsubishi Lancer WRC05
Harri Rovanperä and Risto Pietiläinen
Mitsubishi Motors today confirms that is has registered a two-car entry for
the 2005 FIA World Rally Championship and the team will contest all 16
rounds of the series with the latest specification Mitsubishi World Rally
Car, the Lancer WRC05.
Mitsubishi Motors is therefore fulfilling the commitment it gave in 2003 to
come back to the FIA World Rally Championship and participate in a three
year program until 2006.
"In October 2003 we announced our team’s three-year turn-around
program, namely that in 2004 we would come back to the series with the
Lancer and then target podium positions in 2005. For 2006, our aim is to
claim the world title again; I feel those objectives are on track", said Isao
Torii, President of Mitsubishi Motors Motor Sports.
Strong driver line-up to challenge the 16-round World
Championship in 2005
For 2005, the Mitsubishi Motors Motor Sports driver line-up includes
Finland’s Harri Rovanperä, Frenchman Gilles Panizzi - who has been
instrumental in the development of the Lancer World Rally Car this year -
and Italy’s "Gigi" Galli.
Isao Torii: "Rovanperä drives consistently and finishes rallies"
Thirty-eight-year-old Rovanperä will contest all 16 rounds of the
championship, the Finn providing the team with valuable knowledge of all
events in the series; in particular the gravel rounds the Mitsubishi Motors
Motor Sports team missed during the 2004 season.
"The championship is more and more dominated by gravel rallies and
we need a driver who knows all these events very well", said Isao Torii.
"Harri Rovanperä is a good loose surface driver, especially on the high-
speed events. We feel fortunate that he is joining the team and expect
some good performances. He drives consistently and finishes rallies;
we will be very reliant on him."
Galli will share the second Lancer WRC05 with Panizzi,
- a third car may be entered on some European events
Team-mate Gilles Panizzi, whose dedication to test and development
work this year has been invaluable to the team, will compete in selected
rounds of the series, notably the sealed-surface events where
Mitsubishi has high expectations of the Frenchman being a potential
winner.
"Gilles has been incredibly supportive of the team and has contributed
enormous amounts to our development program", added Torii. "We did
not give him the car to challenge, but next year we have big
expectations and see him as a potential winner on Tarmac, especially
in the second half of the season."
Gigi Galli’s commitment impressed the team from the outset and the
Italian’s fine sixth overall in Mitsubishi’s Group N machinery in Sardinia,
and seventh in Spain in the Lancer WRC04, has secured him a place as
the team’s third driver. He will share the second Lancer WRC05 with
Panizzi, although a third car may be entered on some European events.
"Gigi has made very good progress and although it was very difficult to
compare the results of our three young drivers this year, his
performances in Sardinia and Spain are what made us decide to retain
him in 2005", Torii concluded.
New Mitsubishi Lancer WRC05 development in progress
"We have concentrated very seriously on development of the Lancer
WRC since August this year and that strategy paid off in Spain, where
the progress we made saw two cars finish in the top seven", said Isao
Torii, President of Mitsubishi Motors Motor Sports.
"We still have more development work to do. An active differential
system and modified semi-automatic gearshift will be the main targets
in the development program and our primary focus for the first half of
the season. But we intend to get back on the podium in the second half
of next year; Rally Japan, in particular, being our target."
The Mitsubishi Motors assault on the 2005 FIA World Rally Championship
will kick-off in January with the famous Rallye Monte-Carlo (January 20-
23), one of the most unpredictable and treacherous events in the series.
MITSUBISHI MOTORS
HARRI ROVANPERA / RISTO PIETILAINEN
HARRI ROVANPERA
- Born: April 8th, 1966
- Nationality: Finnish
- Family: Married to Tiina with one child, Kalle
- Resides: Jyväskylä
Career Highlights:
1989 Rally debut
1993 Finnish Rally Championship - 1st Group N
1995 Finnish Rally Champion
1996 World 2-Liter Champion (for Makes)
1997 World 2-Liter Champion
1998 World 2-Liter Champion; 5th overall Safari Rally; 6th overall Rally GB
1999 7th Rallye Monte-Carlo; 6th Safari Rally; 5th Rally Finland; 5th China
Rally; 3rd Rally GB
2000 4th Rally of Portugal; 3rd Rally Finland
2001 5th World Rally Championship (1st Rally Sweden; 3rd Acropolis
Rally; 2nd Safari Rally; 4th Rally Finland; 3rd Rally New Zealand; 6th Rally
Australia; 2nd Rally GB)
2002 7th World Rally Championship (2nd Rally Sweden; 4th Cyprus Rally;
4th Acropolis Rally; 2nd Safari Rally; 2nd Rally New Zealand; 2nd Rally
Australia)
2003 7th World Rally Championship (4th Rally Argentina; 6th Acropolis
Rally; 2nd Cyprus Rally)
2004 8th World Rally Championship (5th Rally New Zealand; 3rd
Acropolis Rally; 5th Rally Argentina; 6th Rally Japan; 6th Rally GB; 2nd
Rally Australia)
RISTO PIETILAINEN
- Born: July 25th, 1963
- Nationality: Finnish
- Family: Married to Jaana with three children (Pia, Elli, Samuel)
- Resides: Jyväskylä
Career Highlights:
1998 Rally debut with Harri Rovanperä (Rallye de Portugal)
1st W2L Acropolis Rally; 1st W2L Rally New Zealand; 6th overall Rally GB
1999 7th Rallye Monte-Carlo; 6th Safari Rally; 5th Rally Finland; 5th China
Rally; 3rd Rally GB
2000 4th Rally of Portugal; 3rd Rally Finland
2001 5th World Rally Championship (1st Rally Sweden; 3rd Acropolis
Rally; 2nd Safari Rally; 4th Rally Finland; 3rd Rally New Zealand; 6th Rally
Australia; 2nd Rally GB)
2002 2nd Rally Sweden; 4th Cyprus Rally; 4th Acropolis Rally; 2nd Safari
Rally
2003 7th World Rally Championship (4th Rally Argentina; 6th Acropolis
Rally; 2nd Cyprus Rally)
2004 8th World Rally Championship (5th Rally New Zealand; 3rd
Acropolis Rally; 5th Rally Argentina; 6th Rally Japan; 6th Rally GB; 2nd
Rally Australia)
© 2004 Mitsubishi Motors Corporation. All rights reserved.
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Harri Rovanperä’s 14 podium finishes in World
Championship of Rallying 1999 - 2004
(position in the rally, name of the rally, make of the car, codrivers: RP=
Risto Pietiläinen, VS=Voitto Silander)
1999
3. Rally Great Britain, Seat Cordoba, RP
2000
3. Neste Rally Finland, Toyota Corolla, RP
2001
1. Rally of Sweden, Peugeot 206, RP
3. Acropolis Rally, Peugeot 206, RP
2. Safari Rally, Peugeot 206, RP
3. Rally New Zealand, Peugeot 206, RP
2. Rally Great Britain, Peugeot 206, RP
2002
2. Rally of Sweden, Peugeot 206, RP
2. Safari Rally, Peugeot 206, RP
2. Rally New Zealand, Peugeot 206, VS
2. Rally Australia, Peugeot 206, VS
2003
2. Cyprus Rally, Peugeot 206, RP
2004
3. Acropolis Rally, Peugeot 307, RP
2. Rally Australia, Peugeot 307, RP
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Harri Rovanperä WRC rallies 1993 - 2004:
91 starts:
1 group N
1 group A
21 2-litre
68 WR car
132 WRC drivers’ points for 1998-2004
(starting from the Safari Rally 1998)
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