| Full name | MINI WRC Team |
|---|---|
| Base | Banbury, United Kingdom |
| Team principal(s) | David Richards |
| Drivers | Kris Meeke[1] Dani Sordo[2] |
| Co-drivers | Paul Nagle[1] Carlos del Barrio[2] |
| Chassis | Mini John Cooper Works WRC |
| Tyres | Michelin |
| World Rally Championship career | |
| Debut | 2011 |
| Constructors' Championships | 0 |
| Drivers' Championships | 0 |
| Rally wins | 0 |
The MINI WRC Team is the name given to Mini's World Rally Championship (WRC) team. In July 2010 it was announced that MINI would compete at selected rounds of the 2011 World Rally Championship season, ahead of a full season from 2012 onwards. Mini's history in world rallying dates back to the 1960s. Prodrive will develop the car, the Mini John Cooper Works WRC, in cooperation with MINI.[3] The team have set a target of winning the World Rally Championship in 2013.[4]
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Mini's history in international rallying dates back to the 1960s, when the Mini Cooper S won the legendary Monte Carlo Rally on three occasions, in 1964, 1965 and 1967, as well as wins on the Acropolis Rally, RAC Rally and 1000 Lakes Rally,[5] and the European Rally Championship in 1965.
Reports began emerging in mid-2009 that Mini, now owned by BMW, was planning a return to rallying. The reports went even further when Prodrive said that it would not field an entry for the 2011 Formula One season, in order to focus on a return to rallying.[6] On July 27, 2010, Mini ended months of speculation by confirming its rally programme in cooperation with Prodrive.
Previous Mini rally cars includes the Mini 850 which was first driven to victory by Pat Moss.[7]
Reports had emerged before the rally team was founded that the car was being planned. When the rally team was confirmed BMW confirmed that the car would be used on a limited schedule in the 2011 World Rally Championship. A complete rally programme will be implemented from 2012 onwards, with the car being powered by a BMW-developed 1600cc turbocharged engine.[8] The team intended to compete in six rounds of the World Rally championship however they announced that they were considering increasing the amount of rallies they participate in [9]
Prodrive confirmed that work on the Mini WRC started in late 2010, and its first shakedown is due in November 2010.
The factory will be at Prodrive's facilities in Banbury, previously the base of the Subaru World Rally Team. 430 people work at that factory with many working on the world rally car.[7]
BMW-owned Mini had reached an agreement with Prodrive to mastermind the return of the Mini name to the world rally championship. So far no details about personnel have been released except that David Richards will be team principal. The team also signed Kris Meeke a former IRC rally champion, as one of its rally drivers. [10] Meeke announced that for him he was incredibly excited to be part of the rally plans intended for Mini and that he loved serving the honour of the brand [11] In January 2011 the second driver was announced and Dani Sordo signed up for the 2011 World Rally Championship season that will see Sordo take part in at least six WRC events. The former Citroen world rally driver, and team mate of 8 time champion Sébastien Loeb[2]
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