Pirelli 2003 World Rally Championship

Subarus Solberg Wins First Drivers Crown and
Pirellis 19 th World Championship

Rome, Georgia, Nov. 10, 2003 – Petter Solberg drove his
Pirelli-fitted Subaru Impreza WRC to a dominant victory yesterday
at the Rally Great Britain, 14 th and last WRC event for the 2003
season. This was the Norwegians 4th win this season (most in the
series) and 5th of his career, thereby earning him the 2003 FIA
World Rally Drivers Championship. Citron scored its
first World Rally Championship for Manufacturers.
On the very tricky gravel stages of Wales, Pirelli scored a really
impressive result. This 130 th win of P Zero tires in the World
Championship history becomes even more precious if you consider
that Solberg won 13 stages out of 18 of the last WRC event. On the
slippery Welsh gravel, Pirelli fitted the Imprezas WRC with its P
Zero KM tires in soft and super-soft compounds which offered the
maximum performance and durability under the conditions. The P Zero
supremacy was confirmed by four-time World Champion Tommi
Makinens 3 rd place, and also by the fantastic 7 th place
scored by Manfred Stohl at the wheel of and old
Peugeot but nevertheless capable of fighting at same level with the
works 206 WRCs.
With this victory, Pirelli recorded its 19 th World Rally Crown: 8
for Drivers and 11 for Manufacturers. This years
success brings even more satisfaction, considering that Subaru and
Pirelli had been unable to win a single rally until May, and from
then one they scored 4 wins out of the 8 remaining events. Some of
these victories clearly came thanks to a superb tire performance,
as happened in Cyprus, on the flooded Corsican asphalt and once
again in Great Britain. A special thanks to the Subaru
Team, commented Paul Hembery, head of Pirelli Motorsport.
With them, Pirelli scored a total of 6 World Rally Crowns in
10 consecutive WRC seasons.
This was Pirellis second championship of the
week as Guy Mannino, president of Pirelli North America, received
the J.D. Power & Associates trophy for Highest in
Original Equipment Tire Customer Satisfaction last Tuesday
evening at the SEMA Show in Las Vegas.

RALLY GREAT BRITAIN – Final standings
1 Solberg-Mills Subaru Impreza WRC2003 3h28m58.1
2 Loeb-Elena Citron Xsara WRC +43.6
3 Makinen-Lindstrom Subaru Impreza WRC2003 +2m58.8
4 C. McRae-Ringer Citron Xsara WRC +5m28.1
5 Duval-Prevot Ford Escort03 WRC +7m16.1
6 Loix-Smeets Peugeot 206 WRC +8m06.5
7 Stohl-Minor Peugeot 206 WRC +3m33.0
8 Kresta-Tomanek Peugeot 206 WRC +3m59.6

2003 RALLY WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP – Final standings
DRIVERS: 1. Solberg p. 72; 2. Loeb 71; 3. Sainz p.63;
4. Burns 58; 5. Martin 49; 6. Gronholm 46; 7. C. McRae 45; 8.
Makinen e Duval 30; . . .
MANUFACTURERS: 1. Citron p.160; 2. Peugeot 145; 3.
Subaru 109; 4. Ford 92; 5. Skoda 20; 6. Hyundai 12

PIRELLI’s 19 WORLD RALLY CROWNS

Photos of Sunday’s victory can be downloaded from www.RacingPR.com using “Pirelli” for the Username and
Password.