Hirvonen
to give
WRC Academy
guest lecture

As well as contesting six rounds of the world championship, the WRC Academy drivers and co-drivers receive advice and guidance from key figures from within the WRC, including drivers, team representatives and suppliers.

Other guest lecturers this season have included Ken Block of the Monster World Rally Team, Mario Isola of tyre firm Pirelli and Petter Solberg, who is campaigning a privately entered Citroen DS3 WRC this season.

Hirvonen’s lecture will take place on Monday 25 July, three days before the third round of the WRC Academy season gets underway. The Finn, who hails from Jyvaskyla where the rally is based, took part on his first Rally Finland in 2002 and claimed a momentous victory on the event in 2009.

The Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team driver is one of the favourites to win this year’s event in his Fiesta RS WRC.

“I’m really looking forward to meeting the WRC Academy drivers in Finland,” said the 30-year-old Hirvonen. “They have a fantastic opportunity to gain experience driving on the same rally stages as myself and Jari-Matti [Latvala] and I hope to give them some valuable advice before they start Neste Oil Rally Finland.”

He continued: “It’s the best rally in the world with amazing speeds and jumps and I hope they all enjoy the event. It’s my home event in my hometown and the support from the public is something quite unique. I hope I can pass on some advice about competing in Finland which will help them during the rally.”