| 2006 Rally Australia 19th Telstra Rally Australia | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Round 14 of the 2006 World Rally Championship
| |||
 Dani Sordo during SS19. | |||
| Dates run | 26 October – 29 2006 | ||
| Stages | 26 | ||
| Stage surface | Gravel | ||
| Results | |||
| Overall winner |  Mikko Hirvonen  BP Ford World Rally Team | ||
| Crews | 56 at start, 45 at finish | ||
The 2006 Telstra Rally Australia was the fourteenth round of the 2006 World Rally Championship season. It took place between 26 and 29 October 2006.
Ford's Mikko Hirvonen won the rally, taking his first victory of his career. His teammate Marcus Grönholm was only the Fifth to mathematically give the world championship to Sébastien Loeb, who was out of this race due to injury. Grönholm hit a rock, resulting in him losing eleven minutes and falling to 55th place. In order to maintain his chances for the championship, Grönholm had to rise to at least third place, but he was only able to collect four points, so Loeb, who witnessed the rally from home, celebrated the championship with two more races left.
All dates and times are AWST (UTC+8).
| Day | Stage | Time | Name | Length (km) | Winner | Time | Rally leader |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 (26/27 Oct) | SS1 | 19:12 | Perth City Super 1 | 2.00 | Marcus Grönholm | 1:21.1 | Marcus Grönholm |
| SS2 | 19:21 | Perth City Super 2 | 2.00 | Marcus Grönholm | 1:20.7 | ||
| SS3 | 09:23 | Murray North 1 | 15.92 |  Chris Atkinson | 8:55.4 | Chris Atkinson | |
| SS4 | 09:56 | Murray South 1 | 20.12 | Chris Atkinson | 11:34.9 | ||
| SS5 | 10:36 | Holyoake | 3.13 | Chris Atkinson | 1:53.4 | ||
| SS6 | 11:49 | Murray North 2 | 15.92 |  Petter Solberg | 8:50.0 | Mikko Hirvonen | |
| SS7 | 12:22 | Murray South 2 | 20.12 | Petter Solberg | 11:31.1 | Petter Solberg | |
| SS8 | 16:32 | Beraking 1 | 22.84 | Marcus Grönholm | 13:05.7 | ||
| SS9 | 17:18 | Flynns 1 | 18.78 | Marcus Grönholm | 11:07.2 | Mikko Hirvonen | |
| SS10 | 19:25 | Perth City Super 3 | 2.00 | Marcus Grönholm | 1:22.6 | ||
| SS11 | 19:34 | Perth City Super 4 | 2.00 |  Xavier Pons | 1:22.2 | ||
| 2 (28 Oct) | SS12 | 09:20 | Bannister North 1 | 17.70 | Mikko Hirvonen | 8:34.7 | |
| SS13 | 09:52 | Bannister Central 1 | 17.85 | Mikko Hirvonen | 9:20.8 | ||
| SS14 | 10:36 | Bannister Loop | 3.61 | Marcus Grönholm | 1:57.5 | ||
| SS15 | 11:55 | Bannister North 2 | 17.70 | Marcus Grönholm | 8:30.5 | ||
| SS16 | 12:27 | Bannister Central 2 | 17.85 | Mikko Hirvonen | 9:15.0 | ||
| SS17 | 16:32 | Beraking 2 | 22.84 | Petter Solberg | 12:34.5 | ||
| SS18 | 17:18 | Flynns 2 | 18.78 | Marcus Grönholm | 10:48.1 | ||
| SS19 | 19:25 | Perth City Super 5 | 2.00 | Marcus Grönholm | 1:21.8 | ||
| SS20 | 19:34 | Perth City Super 6 | 2.00 | Marcus Grönholm | 1:21.5 | ||
| 3 (29 Oct) | SS21 | 07:03 | Atkins 1 | 4.42 | Petter Solberg | 3:06.1 | |
| SS22 | 07:33 | Helena North 1 | 29.93 | Mikko Hirvonen | 17:06.0 | ||
| SS23 | 08:14 | Helena South 1 | 17.30 | Mikko Hirvonen | 8:57.8 | ||
| SS24 | 11:03 | Atkins 2 | 4.42 | Petter Solberg | 3:01.3 | ||
| SS25 | 11:33 | Helena North 2 | 29.93 | Petter Solberg | 16:59.1 | ||
| SS26 | 12:14 | Helena South 2 | 17.30 | Petter Solberg | 8:55.9 |
 | ||
 | This motorsport-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
 | This article related to sport in Australia is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
Petter Solberg is a Norwegian former professional rally and rallycross driver.
Marcus Ulf Johan Grönholm is a Finnish former rally and rallycross driver, being part of a family of the Swedish-speaking population of Finland lineage. His son, Niclas Grönholm, is an upcoming FIA World Rallycross Championship driver. Grönholm's nicknames are either "Bosse" or "Magic Marcus". Gronholm is one of the most successful WRC drivers of all time, ranking third in rally wins (34), and winning two championships, in 2000 and 2002. After Peugeot withdrew from the World Rally Championship, Grönholm moved to Ford for the 2006 season and placed second in the drivers' world championship, losing out to Sébastien Loeb by one point. The next year he again placed second, four points behind Loeb. He and his co-driver Timo Rautiainen retired from rallying after the 2007 season but returned to the championship in 2009 driving a private Subaru for a short period of time, and in the 2019 World Rally Championship where he competed in a Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT-maintained Toyota Yaris under the GRX Team banner.
Sébastien Loeb is a French professional rally, racing, and rallycross driver. He competed for the Citroën World Rally Team in the World Rally Championship (WRC) and is the most successful driver in WRC history, having won the world championship a record 9 times in a row. He holds several other WRC records, including most event wins, most podium finishes and most stage wins. Loeb announced his retirement from World Rallying at the end of the 2012 season. Participating in selected events in the 2013 WRC season, he raced a full season in the FIA GT Series driving a McLaren MP4-12C before moving on with Citroën to the FIA World Touring Car Championship in 2014. In the 2018 season he was one of the official drivers of the Team Peugeot Total. Currently he drives part time in the WRC for M-Sport Ford World Rally Team and part time in the World Rally-Raid Championship for Bahrain Raid Xtreme, and Full time in the Extreme E Championship for Team X44 among other series and events.
Rally Japan (ラリージャパン) is a rally competition held in Hokkaidō, Japan. The event made its debut in the FIA World Rally Championship during the 2004 season. From 2004 to 2007, the event was held on the twisty and narrow gravel roads of the Tokachi region near Obihiro. For the 2008 season, the event was moved to the region close to Sapporo, Hokkaidō's main city. Rally Japan was not held in 2009, but returned in 2010 for one year. Rally Japan was planned to return in 2020 to the new location of Nagoya, but was cancelled on August 19 due to COVID-19 pandemic in Japan. It was cancelled again in 2021, and has been confirmed to make its debut as the last rally of the season in 2022.
François Duval is a Belgian rally driver.
Mikko Hirvonen is a Finnish former rally driver, and a current Rally-Raid driver, who drove in the World Rally Championship. He placed third in the drivers' championship and helped Ford to the manufacturers' title in both 2006 and 2007. In 2008, 2009, 2011 and 2012 he finished runner-up to Sébastien Loeb. Hirvonen's co-driver was Jarmo Lehtinen from the 2003 season until his retirement in 2014, Lehtinen had replaced Miikka Anttila who co-drove with Hirvonen in the 2002 season.
The 2005 World Rally Championship was the 33rd season in the FIA World Rally Championship. The season began on January 21 with the Monte-Carlo Rally and ended on November 13 with the Rally Australia.
The 2006 World Rally Championship was the 34th season in the FIA World Rally Championship. The season began on January 20 with the 74th Monte Carlo Rally where Finland's Marcus Grönholm, in a Ford Focus RS WRC, took the win ahead of France's Sébastien Loeb. After the Swedish Rally ended with the same top-two, Loeb and Kronos Citroën went on to win five rallies in a row. Despite an injury in a mountain-biking accident before the Rally of Turkey, forcing Loeb to miss last four rallies, he secured his third drivers' title, whereas Ford won their first manufacturers' title since 1979.
Daniel "Dani" Sordo Castillo is a Spanish rally driver. He competes in the World Rally Championship for Hyundai Motorsport. He achieved his first WRC victory at the 2013 Rallye Deutschland.
Harri "Rovis" Rovanperä is a Finnish rally driver who competed in the World Rally Championship from 1993 to 2006. He drove for SEAT (1997–00), Peugeot (2001–04), Mitsubishi (2005) and Red Bull Škoda Team (2006). Rovanperä was known as a loose surface specialist. He is the father of current World Rally Championship driver Kalle Rovanperä.
The 2007 World Rally Championship was the 35th season in the FIA World Rally Championship. The season began on 19 January, with the Monte Carlo Rally and ended on 2 December, with the Wales Rally GB. Citroën's Sébastien Loeb won his fourth consecutive drivers' world championship ahead of Ford's Marcus Grönholm and Mikko Hirvonen. Ford took the manufacturers' title.
The 21º Corona Rally México, the fourth round of the 2007 World Rally Championship season, took place between March 9–11 2007. The rally consisted of 20 special stages, of which five were super specials. The event was won by Citroën's Sébastien Loeb, followed by Ford drivers Marcus Grönholm and Mikko Hirvonen.
The Ford World Rally Team, also known as the Ford Motor Co. Team prior to 2005, is Ford Motor Company's full factory World Rally Championship team. In its current form, it has been a competitor since the 1997 season, when Ford Motor Company's motorsport arm selected the Malcolm Wilson Motorsport company to run its factory team, entering the Ford Escort World Rally Car. The new team took their first victory in the 1997 Acropolis Rally.
The 2007 Rally Ireland, 15th round of 2007 World Rally Championship, was run on November 15 - November 18. It took place over eight counties on both sides of the border between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. Event started in Stormont, Belfast and finished in Mullaghmore, County Sligo.
The Citroën Total World Rally Team was the Citroën factory backed entry into the World Rally Championship, run by Citroën Racing.
The 74ème Rallye Automobile de Monte-Carlo, the first round of the 2006 World Rally Championship season took place between January 20 and 22, 2006.
The 20º Corona Rally México, the third round of the 2006 World Rally Championship season took place from March 3–5, 2006.
The 42º Rally RACC Catalunya - Costa Daurada, the fourth round of the 2006 World Rally Championship season, took place from March 24 to 26, 2006.
Peugeot Sport is the department of French carmaker Peugeot responsible for motorsport activities.
The 2007 Monte Carlo Rally was a rallying autosports race held over four days between 18 January and 21 January 2007, and operated out of Valence, Drôme, France. It was the first race of the 2007 World Rally Championship (WRC) season. Contested over fifteen stages at a length of 328.54 kilometres, Sébastien Loeb won the race for the Citroën Total World Rally Team. Dani Sordo finished second in the other Citröen works car, with Marcus Grönholm finishing third in a Ford.
