WALES RALLY GB

2019

By Hanni Gharib

February 9^th, 2020

This October, I decided to be part of something that I've been fascinated by for a good number of years. From the early days of Sega Rally down at the local arcade, I was captivated by rally. Motorsports generally fascinate me, yet rally distinguishes itself from the rest, in my opinion. Taking modest, street legal hatchbacks and converting them into nearly 400 HP beasts, that do 0-100 km/h in less than 4 seconds, is fascinating in itself. Mix that up with tracks comprised of snow, gravel, tarmac or slippery mud and that makes for an interesting combination, to say the least. It's majestic really, seeing the drivers tackle fast straights, corners and hairpins in their custom-built cars. Watching them slide from bend to bend like it was all part of a finely, choreographed automotive ballet. Except this is on-the-fly.

I find it difficult to explain the intensity of it all with words on screen, but to give you an idea: they average up to 130 km/h on some stages. That's highway speeds on narrow, slippery, tree-lined forest roads. And that's an average speed, mind you!

Furthermore the driver's have a grueling schedule. Their first race is often at daybreak, continuing throughout the day and often ending with an evening or night stage. Keeping focus at those speeds and conditions for so many hours throughout a day, is something I have a solid amount of respect for.

Combining rally with the stunning views and natural surroundings of North Wales was all-hit-and-no-miss for me. Already looking forward to my next WRC stage (World Rally Championship) - be it in Wales or somewhere else in the world.

SS3 PENMACHNO

For my very first rally stage, I took to the forest of Gwydir near the village of Penmachno. The weather conditions meant it was going to be a slippery stage for the drivers - but the drivers and spectactors alike didn't seem too bothered.

Estonian Ott Tänak driving for Toyota Gazoo Racing. Leading this year's rally going into Wales Rally GB, he was still on top of things after the 22nd and last stage in Wales.

Local favourite, Welshman Elfyn Evans, in his Ford Fiesta M-Sport WRC.

SS17 Colwyn Bay

After my very first rally stage in forestal surroundings, it was time to see an all-tarmac stage set on the promenade of Colwyn Bay. It was crowded, it was rainy but it was quite the experience. Having these high-powered machines blast by me at a distance of 3 metres was quite a different experience than the previous stage. As was shooting motorsports at ISO 12,800 in pouring rain.

SERVICE PARK LLANDUDNO

The beautiful seaside town of Llandudno was home to this year's WRC Service Park. Here the service crews have just 15, 30 and 45 minutes in the morning, midday and evening respectively to tend the cars. The cars undergo grueling conditions on the stages, so it is paramount that the service crews are efficient, synchronised and experienced to ensure the cars are ready for the following stages.

SS20 Great Orme

For my third and final stage this time round, the venue was the breathtaking headland of The Great Orme. This was one of the Wales Rally stages I was looking forward to the most. A 4,7 km stretch along the Great Orme headland where fortune favours the bold. Driving to the limits of the "track" and riding the curb is essential for a good result. Very sadly, the stage was cancelled for security reasons less than an hour before the first car was due. To mine and everyone's great disappointment. In the event of a car going off the road and cliff and into the sea, safety diver teams have to be in place for a rescue. That day the seas were too rough for them to get in position so they had to prioritize the safety of the drivers.