Mazda Rally Team Europe

The Mazda Rally Team Europe was a rally team created by Achim Warmbold that competed in the World Rally Championship from 1985 to 1991.

MRT/E, Mazda
Full nameMazda Rally Team Europe
Base Brussels, Belgium
Team principal(s)Achim Warmbold
Driverssee below
ChassisMazda 323 GTX
Mazda RX-7 Rally
Mazda Familia 4WD
TyresMichelin
Pirelli
World Rally Championship career
Debut1985
Constructors' Championships0
Drivers' Championships0
Rally wins3[1]

History

Group B Mazda RX-7

The Mazda Rally Team Europe was created by Achim Warmbold as European Mazda preparation business based in Brussels, Belgium. Mazda headquarters appeared to ignore it. Although eventually Warmbold gained their attention, this did not seem to help the project much at first. Warmbold first created a Group A Mazda 323. This 323 was old fashioned and front wheel drive, but did feature a turbo engine. The 323 was short lived as it was only a warm-up for a Group B Mazda RX-7 with a Wankel engine. It managed to get a podium in the 1985 Acropolis Rally.

Mazda finally realized the potential for a rally team, but they did not want to support the Group B RX-7, and instead wanted to throw their effort behind a Group A 323 again. There was a new model 4x4 323 with a turbo engine, and it promised to be just as good as the Group B car, even though it was in a lower class. The timing of this project could not have been more perfect: the 323 4WD Turbo debuted in the 1986 Monte Carlo Rally. While this was before the Group B accidents at the Rally Portugal and the Tour de Corse, its launch was only one year away from the ban of Group B and by the time Group A became compulsory only Mazda had a well proven 4x4 turbo car. With Ingvar Carlsson and Timo Salonen at the wheel, the 323 AWD brought Mazda three wins in the World Rally Championship.

Drivers

Group B Era (1984-1985)

Year Car Driver 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 WDC Points WMC Points
1984 Mazda RX7 Ingvar Carlsson MON SWE POR KEN FRA GRC
Ret
ARG BRA FIN ITA CIV GBR
Ret
- 0 14th 2
Achim Warmbold MON SWE POR KEN FRA GRC
9
ARG BRA FIN ITA CIV GBR 53rd 2
Philippe Wambergue MON SWE POR KEN FRA GRC ARG BRA FIN ITA CIV GBR
Ret
- 0
1985 Mazda RX7 Ingvar Carlsson MON SWE
8
POR KEN FRA GRC
3
NZL ARG FIN ITA CIV GBR
10
16th 16 10th 22
Achim Warmbold MON SWE POR KEN FRA GRC
6
NZL ARG FIN ITA CIV GBR 34th 6
Mike Montgomery MON SWE POR KEN FRA GRC NZL
11
ARG FIN ITA CIV GBR 60th 2
Neil Allport MON SWE POR KEN FRA GRC NZL
Ret
ARG FIN ITA CIV GBR - 0
Stuart Eyre MON SWE POR KEN FRA GRC NZL
Ret
ARG FIN ITA CIV GBR - 0
Minna Sillankorva MON SWE POR KEN FRA GRC NZL ARG FIN
Ret
ITA CIV GBR - 0
Rod Millen MON SWE POR KEN FRA GRC NZL ARG FIN ITA CIV GBR
9
60th 2

Group A Era (1986-1991)

Year Car Driver 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 WDC Points WMC Points
1986 Mazda 323 4WD Ingvar Carlsson MON
Ret
SWE
Ret
POR KEN FRA GRE NZL ARG FIN
Ret
CIV ITA GBR
10
USA 70th 1 11th 9
Achim Warmbold MON
Ret
SWE POR KEN FRA GRE NZL ARG FIN CIV ITA GBR USA - 0
Rod Millen MON SWE POR KEN FRA GRE NZL
7
ARG FIN CIV ITA GBR USA
10
44th 5
1987 Mazda 323 4WD Timo Salonen MON
Ret
SWE
1
POR
Ret
KEN FRA GRE USA NZL ARG FIN
Ret
CIV ITA GBR 14th 20 6th 52
Ingvar Carlsson MON
4
SWE
4
POR
Ret
KEN FRA GRE USA NZL ARG
Ret
FIN
Ret
CIV ITA GBR 17th 20
Rod Millen MON SWE POR KEN FRA GRE USA
4
NZL ARG FIN CIV ITA GBR 26th 10
1988 Mazda 323 4WD Timo Salonen MON
5
SWE
Ret
POR KEN FRA GRC
Ret
USA NZL ARG FIN
4
CIV ITA GBR
2
5th 33 4th 66
Hannu Mikkola MON
Ret
SWE
Ret
POR
4
KEN FRA GRC
Ret
USA NZL ARG FIN
Ret
CIV ITA GBR
Ret
30th 10
Ingvar Carlsson MON
Ret
SWE POR
Ret
KEN FRA GRC USA NZL ARG FIN CIV ITA GBR - 0
Ray Wilson MON SWE POR KEN FRA GRC USA NZL
2
ARG FIN CIV ITA GBR 18th 15
Rod Millen MON SWE POR KEN FRA GRC USA
8
NZL ARG FIN CIV ITA GBR 59th 3
1989 Mazda 323 4WD Ingvar Carlsson SWE
1
MON POR KEN FRA GRC NZL
1
ARG FIN AUS
Ret
ITA CIV GBR
8
7th 43 3rd 67
Timo Salonen SWE
22
MON
Ret
POR KEN FRA GRC NZL ARG FIN
2
AUS ITA CIV GBR
6
12th 21
Thorbjörn Edling SWE
Ret
MON POR KEN FRA GRC NZL ARG FIN
5
AUS ITA CIV GBR 34th 8
Mikael Sundström SWE
Ret
MON POR KEN FRA GRC NZL ARG FIN
Ret
AUS ITA CIV GBR
7
52nd 4
Hannu Mikkola SWE MON
4
POR KEN FRA GRC NZL ARG FIN
Ret
AUS ITA CIV GBR
9
27th 12
Rod Millen SWE MON POR KEN FRA GRC NZL
2
ARG FIN AUS
5
ITA CIV GBR 11th 23
Ray Wilson SWE MON POR KEN FRA GRC NZL
7
ARG FIN AUS
Ret
ITA CIV GBR 52nd 4
1990 Mazda 323 4WD
Mazda 323 GTX
Timo Salonen MON
8
POR
Ret
KEN FRA GRC NZL ARG FIN
6
AUS ITA CIV GBR
Ret
25th 9 5th 30
Hannu Mikkola MON
Ret
POR
6
KEN FRA GRC NZL ARG FIN
Ret
AUS ITA CIV GBR
Ret
34th 6
Grégoire de Mevius MON POR
Ret
KEN FRA GRC NZL ARG FIN AUS
6
ITA
Ret
CIV GBR 34th 6
Ingvar Carlsson MON POR KEN FRA GRC NZL
2
ARG FIN AUS
5
ITA CIV GBR 10th 23
Rod Millen MON POR KEN FRA GRC NZL
Ret
ARG FIN AUS
Ret
ITA CIV GBR - 0
Mikael Sundström MON POR KEN FRA GRC NZL ARG FIN
Ret
AUS ITA CIV GBR
Ret
- 0
1991 Mazda 323 GTX Hannu Mikkola MON
Ret
SWE
7
POR
Ret
KEN FRA GRC
8
NZL ARG FIN
Ret
AUS ITA CIV ESP GBR
7
25th 11 5th 44
Jesús Puras MON
Ret
SWE POR
7
KEN FRA GRC NZL ARG FIN AUS ITA CIV ESP GBR 40th 4
Ingvar Carlsson MON SWE
4
POR KEN FRA GRC NZL
8
ARG FIN AUS
Ret
ITA CIV ESP GBR 16th 13
Rod Millen MON SWE POR KEN FRA GRC NZL
6
ARG FIN AUS
6
ITA CIV ESP GBR 23rd 12
Tommi Mäkinen MON SWE POR KEN FRA GRC NZL ARG FIN
5
AUS ITA CIV ESP GBR
Ret
29th 8

References

  1. "Mazda – All-time team statistics". World Rally Archive. Retrieved 19 August 2011.
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