Mini in funding hope after Monte podium

26th January 2012

By Charlie Contadeli

 Mini team chief Dave Wilcock is hoping Dani Sordo’s second place on last week’s Monte Carlo Rally will kick-start further investment in the programme. 

The Mini name returned to the podium of the world’s most famous rally for the first time since Rauno Aaltonen finished third in 1967 after the British cars had dominated the event in the mid-Sixties.

Mini delayed entering this year’s WRC and is only expected to tackle a limited campaign due to a lack of funds having previously intended to run two cars on all 13 events. The financial plight could keep the team’s number two Kris Meeke out of a seat for the entire season.

Wilcock said: “We’d like to think this result is going to help things along. After three podiums from our first seven rallies, we don’t feel we have anything to prove to anybody, but we’re hoping this will help BMW’s engagement in the programme and encourage further investment into the team.”


The team was only given the green light to go to Monte Carlo 16 days before the start of the WRC opener and Wilcock admitted preparations had been tough.


“It was a massive challenge,” he said. “But we got a three-day test organised and got on with things. This is the perfect start.”