Portugal Rally - Sordo, Sandell get nod for Portugal
Dani Sordo will lead Prodrive's Mini team on next month's Rally of Portugal with Patrik Sandell again alongside him in the second John Cooper Works WRC.
Dani Sordo will lead Prodrive's Mini team on next month's Rally of Portugal, with Patrik Sandell again alongside him in the second John Cooper Works WRC.
Sordo will miss the next round of the series, Rally Mexico, but is expected to contest up to seven rallies in this year's World Rally Championship for the Banbury-based team. The original plan for Sordo and Kris Meeke to enter the whole series ran into trouble amid the dispute between Prodrive and Mini owner BMW that led to Prodrive losing its full factory status.
The Faro-based event will be Sandell's second Mini outing of the season after Sweden, with the former Junior champion benefiting from backing from the Sweden World Rally Team.
"I've done this rally twice before, so I know the roads and have an idea on what awaits me," said Sandell. "But it still feels a bit special to know that I will be sitting in a WRC car this time."
Sweden World Rally Team manager Jan Pettersson said Sandell's eighth-place on his home event earlier this month was the main reason for his speedy return to the car.
"We have reasoned together with Prodrive, and concluded that Portugal is a perfect next step for us in the WRC investment we are making," said Pettersson. "It is also important for Patrik to get back into the car as soon as possible, while he has the momentum going from the Swedish Rally."
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Good to see Prodrive bringing a bit of stability to the second driver situation, although it's still obviously a round-by-round basis... and although it should have been Meeke all along. I hope the "real" Prodrive Minis will continue to make the factory look silly by beating the "works" Team Portugal Minis by miles!
Minis are rubbish anyhow so you're best off out of it. Reliability of my neighbours car reflects that of a 1970s British Leyland built during the strikes so at least BMW got that right even if they put the mini brand through a kitchen blender with the fugly cars which are anything but mini.
Who cares after the disgraceful manner in which BMW have handled Kris Meeke I cancelled my order for a Mini and will be purchasing a VW for the wife instead.
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