News November 30 2006

Fiat plans to race Punto in Oz

Fiat has been spied testing a Fiat Punto Sport at Sydney's Eastern Creek raceway leading to speculation that the newly launched diesel hot hatch is about to make its motorsport debut in Australia.

"Yes, we've been testing the Punto with a view to participation in Motorsport in Australia," confirms David Stone, General Manager for Fiat Cars in Australia. "But it is very much in the early stages and we have not firmed up exactly in which motor sport arena we will compete."

The Fiat Punto, which heralded the return to Australia of the Fiat brand earlier this year, has got its motorsport career off to a stunning start in Europe with the Fiat Punto S2000 rally car taking both the European and Italian Rally Championship titles (see details below).

"The Fiat Punto S2000 rally car is an outstanding car, but it has little in it that could be used in a Punto on an Australian racetrack," explains Mr Stone. "It has been built around the new Super 2000 rally rules, so it is a turbo 2.0 litre with four wheel drive. Not exactly what we sell in Australia! We would like to promote the performance offered by our diesel range so we are looking at a showroom category in which the Punto Sport, with its 1.9 turbo diesel engine, can compete. Initial testing has shown that it has the performance and the chassis to mount a strong campaign and we have started talking to teams who are interested in running the Punto in 2007."

Fiat cannot confirm which teams it is talking to, but the company is confident that it will be back on Australian race tracks in 2007.

Fiats were a regular sight on Australian racetracks in the 1960s, 70s and 80s with cars ranging from the diminutive Fiat 500 challenging the Mini, through to larger Fiats such as the Fiat 124, 128 and 128 Coupé in a wide range of events, including Bathurst, and at most race tracks across Australia.

The Fiat Grande Punto wins the European Rally Championship

With a victory in the Vinho da Madeira Rally in Portugal, the official Fiat Grande Punto driven by Giandomenico Basso and Mitia Dotta has won the European Rally Championship, three races before the end. It is a record for the Grande Punto, which has won the prestigious, coveted European title in its first year of competition and only five months from its debut. It is Fiat's fourth European Rally Championship, after those won in 1972, 1975 and 1981. Having won this title, the Grande Punto is still competing for two more titles: the International Rally Challenge which it leads, again with Basso, with just one more race, and the Italian Rally Championship, which it leads with Paolo Andreucci.

After having come close to the title last year, driving a Punto Super 1600, this year Basso and Dotta are the new European champions, thanks to their brilliant wins in the rallies of Turkey, Belgium and Bulgaria, plus fourth place in Poland: four wins in six races is an amazing achievement, if we remember how selective these rallies are, competing against the fastest international drivers.

The Vinho da Madeira Rally concluded today, Saturday August 5, on the Funchal coast road after two legs, 930 kilometres and 19 special speed trials on tortuous paved roads (285 km timed). The Grande Punto driven by Basso-Dotta won 11 of the speed trials, and led the race from the second speed trial until the finish. The official Grande Punto held off the Mitsubishis of Araujo and Peres.

Young Umberto Scandola was less fortunate; driving a private car under the Aci-CSAI young drivers' project, he was forced to retire in the penultimate speed trial, when he was in fifth place, after damaging his left rear suspension in a collision.

The next event in the European Rally Championship will be the Barum Rally Zlin, in the Czech Republic from August 25 to 27. The San Remo Rally, on September 14 to 16, will conclude the International Rally Challenge.

"It is an incredible experience," confessed Basso on the podium, "because it is the first important title in my career. We have made up for seeing victory escape us in the final race last year, but this is still more important, because we have also brought the Grande Punto its first title. It is a car that has begun well, reliable and fast on all the terrains we have come across. They have not been easy races; each one was different with roads that could be very fast, or tortuous and full of holes. Plus the fact that each time we were competing against leading local drivers who were familiar with the roads and drove excellent cars. We have won the title, but the season is not over. We still have time to win some more."

(Turin, August 5, 2006)

Final Vinho da Madeira Rally placings:
1. Basso-Dotta (Fiat Grande Punto) 3h07'23.4"; 2. Araujo-Ramalho (Mitsubishi) + 1'14.8"; 3. Peres-Silva (Mitsubishi) + 2'51.6"; 4. Magalhaes-Grave (Peugeot 206) + 3'07.1"; 5. Freitas-Figueiroa (Renault Clio) + 4'02.2"

2. European Driver's Rally Championship (after six events):

1. Basso (Fiat) 45; 2. Iliev (Mitsubishi) 11; 3. Andreucci (Fiat), Kuzaj (Subaru) and Solowow (Mitsubishi) 10; 6. Cantamessa (Subaru), Isik (Fiat), Svedlund (Mitsubishi), Princen (Renault) and Araujo (Mitsubishi) 8

International Rally Challenge placings (after three events):

1. Basso (Fiat) 20; 2. A. McRae (Mitsubishi) 10 points; 3. Princen (Renault), Kuun (Volkswagen) and Araujo (Mitsubishi) 8; 5. Cols (Mitsubishi), Lourens (Toyota) and Peres (Mitsubishi) 6

STOP PRESS: Punto is voted Scottish Small Car of the Year!

The new Fiat Punto has been elected Scottish Small Car of the Year by the Association of Scottish Motoring Writers.

"Keen pricing, a fantastic choice of engines and a striking sense of style, ensured that the Grande Punto nudged ahead of the Renault Clio and the Peugeot 207 to secure the Scottish Small Car of the Year accolade," said Stephen Park, President of The ASMW. "The days when compact runabouts or 'city' cars broke into a heavy sweat whenever they ventured outside the concrete jungle are thankfully over. Today's breed offers much more, including comfort, refinement and versatility. The current crop, exemplified by Fiat's new Punto, has transformed the small car sector out of all recognition in recent times."