On this week #16: let's talk about jumps!
On this week 14 years ago, a new record was set in rallying, which sums up everything the sport is all about. In short, jumps. Rally cars are well known for leaping high and far into the air: it's what makes the sport so spectacular.
But while the rally that's most famous for its jumps is undoubtedly Finland, the longest jump in the history of the WRC actually took place in Turkey, on April 18, 2010, courtesy of nine-time world champion Sebastien Loeb.
Loeb, at the wheel of his Citroen C4 WRC, went on to win the event. And on the wheels of his Citroen were Pirelli's Scorpion gravel tyres, with the Italian firm taking its first exclusive tyre supply agreement with the WRC from 2008 to 2010 (all years in which Loeb claimed the championship).
Loeb jumped for an incredible 85 metres on the Ballica stage on the final day of Rally Turkey, with victory in sight. He said: “It was an incredible sensation as we were up in the air for several seconds. Not for a moment did we imagine that we would jump so far.”
Although there have been longer jumps in specific demonstration events, such as the X Games in Los Angeles, this is still the longest recorded jump on an official WRC event. By way of comparison, Hyundai driver Thierry Neuville ‘only' jumped for about 75 metres on the Ruuhimaki stage in Finland two years ago – which is the next longest jump in the annals of rally history.
Part of the reason is the increased aerodynamics on the most modern generation of cars, which create downforce and therefore drag. It's physically less possible for the latest cars to jump much further, as they have huge wings that are pushing them back down to earth.
However, some aerodynamics at the rear are needed to make the cars fly straight, as otherwise they will jump in a heavily nose-down attitude, given the weight of the engine at the front, which inevitably leads to an accident.
For the same reason, even though it's tempting, drivers never brake just before lifting off, as this also means that the weight shifts to the front – and again results in an unbalanced take off.
For a big jump, take-off speed is usually between 150 and 170kph. On that occasion in Turkey 14 years ago, Loeb remembers that he kept the throttle pinned, as he was determined to enjoy himself; even with victory in the bag. Co-driver Daniel Elena recalls thinking that his driver had just made a huge mistake, or not heard the pace note correctly.
It's likely that they took off at more than 180kph, which is not generally advised. Drivers tend to avoid big jumps, as there's an increased risk of damage, and it's actually an inefficient way to make progress: the car is slower when flying, as it has no traction.
That historic Rally Turkey proved the devastating effectiveness of the Citroen C4, which is the second-most successful rally car of all-time, ranked by number of wins (the Volkswagen Polo WRC is at number one). Four Citroen C4s finished in the top five of the event: one of them driven by former F1 World Champion Kimi Raikkonen, who sealed his best WRC result with fifth.
