08 Mar 12

WRC
Academy
set to
thrill
in 2012

A thrilling second season of FIA WRC Academy action is in store in 2012 after 11 rising stars beat the entry deadline and signed up to contest the training series, which supports six rounds of the FIA World Rally Championship powered by Nokia.

The 11 drivers are: Fredrik Ahlin (aged 20, from Sweden), Chris Duplessis (24, from USA), Elfyn Evans (23, from United Kingdom), Alastair Fisher (23, from United Kingdom), Ashley Haigh-Smith (19, from South Africa), Yeray Lemes (24, from Spain), John MacCrone (22, from United Kingdom), Brendan Reeves (23, from Australia), Joao Silva (24, from Portugal), Jose Suarez (20, from Spain) and Timo van der Marel (22, from Netherlands).

Ahlin, Fisher, Lemes, Reeves, Suarez and van der Marel completed full WRC Academy campaigns in 2011. Duplessis and Haigh-Smith contested selected events, while Evans, MacCrone and Silva will be WRC Academy rookies when the series kicks-off on Vodafone Rally de Portugal at the end of March.

In order to promote driver skill, all competitors will use Ford Fiesta R2s prepared by the British M-Sport organisation from a facility in Krakow, Poland. Italian firm Pirelli supplies control tyres.