It was just over two years ago that we saw the Mini Countryman WRC testing in the hills of Portugal, with aspirations of fighting for the World Rally Championship (WRC) title in 2011. Now however, Mini has announced their withdrawal from the WRC altogether, after just one and a half seasons.
Citing “a very difficult commercial environment,” BMW Senior Vice President of Mini Business Coordination and Brand Management, Dr. Kay Segler, has announced that Mini will end its factory involvement in the FIA World Rally Championship at the end of the 2012 season.
Prodrive and Mini’s 2012 season started on a high note, with driver Dani Sordo taking second at the season-opening Monte Carlo Rallye. After the split between Mini and Prodrive in February, however, the team failed to achieve any more podium finishes.
Since Mini will complete 2012 the season, Dr. Segler pointed out that, “in accordance with FIA regulations, we will have achieved the WRC homologation for the MINI John Cooper Works”, which will allow private teams to compete with the car in the series on a customer rallying basis. The company also pointed out that Prodrive will continue to run, tune and sell WRC-prepared Minis, meaning that privateer teams won’t have issues with parts availability.
The company calls its short stint in the WRC a success, with the Countryman WRC having collected three podiums and several top-ten finishes.
With profits declining and expenses climbing in the automotive industry, it’s likely to get harder for manufacturers to justify their motorsport budgets at a global level. This latest news from Mini has to make you wonder whether we might see delays from Volkswagen and Hyundai, who are looking to go rallying in their Polo R WRC and i20 WRC cars in the near future.
