Thursday 8 November: A special day in Barcelona for the last WRC rally in 2012

(25/10/2012)

The start of the RallyRACC in Barcelona and the several activities to be held in the city related to the 48 RallyRACC Catalunya COSTA DAURADA, Rally de España, with mobility as the central topic, will turn Thursday 8 November into a very special day for the last event of the 2012 FIA World Rally Championship.

The first activity in the morning will be the Shakedown in Salou (08.00h) followed by the Qualifying Stage (10.00h). The Shakedown is now a true practice session and the Qualifying Stage provides drivers the chance to choose their start position for the first rally day according to the QS-classification. Thus, from 08.00 to 13.30h the drivers will be putting their skills to the test in the area of Emprius, in the middle of Salou, the city that will this year be host to another of the great novelties: a true urban stage on its Promenade on the first rally day.

In the afternoon - although there will be activities throughout the day - Barcelona will be the focus of the RallyRACC 2012, with the highlight of the start ceremony from 19.30h on the Avenida de la Catedral in Barcelona. A podium, specially created for the occasion, will let the cars drive down right from the stairs in front of the Cathedral, to continue on Portal del Angel street and Plaça de Catalunya square.

This spectacular start ceremony will be the highlight of an intense day filled with activities in the area, all of them related to the world of motoring. The planned activities are:

• From 10.00 to 13.30h (Avenida de la Catedral) – Bicivisme
An activity sponsored by the Barcelona City Council and the RACC Foundation, with the participation of schools from the city, with the aim of promoting road safety among the youngest, including theory classes and practices on bicycles, monitored by experts from the RACC Foundation.

• 17.00h (Park Fermé, Avenida de la Catedral) - Cars in Park Fermé
After coming from Salou, all vehicles participating in the 48 RallyRACC will be parked on the Avenida de la Catedral under park fermé conditions.

• 17.30h (Podium, Avenida de la Catedral) – Choice of the start order
Public activity, of great interest for spectators and fans, as the FIA P1 and P2 priority drivers will be choosing their start position for the first rally day according to the times achieved at the qualifying stage of the morning, implying a major strategy consideration for the world championship drivers.

• 18.00h (Podium, Avenida de la Catedral) - Autograph session with WRC drivers
30-minute autograph session during which spectators will be able to meet the stars of the World Rally Championship.

• 18.15h (Col·legi d’Arquitectes de Catalunya) – FIA Press Conference with drivers
Press conference with the main participating drivers, including the chance to make interviews and take pictures. There will be two conferences, one with support championship drivers (18.15h) and one with WRC drivers (18.30h).

• 19.00h (Podium, Avenida de la Catedral) – Official “End-of-the-WRC” photo shoot
With the participation of all priority drivers and the attending authorities. The photo of the end of the 2012 season will be taken at the stairs to the Cathedral.

• 19.30h (Podium, Avenida de la Catedral) – Start Ceremony
In one-minute intervals, and following the order of their competition numbers, the participants of the 48 RallyRACC Catalunya-COSTA DAURADA, Rally de España 2012, will be given the start on the Avenida de la Catedral, from where they will continue on Carrer dels Arcs, Avinguda del Portal de l’Àngel, Plaça de Catalunya, Ronda Universitat and Carrer Sepúlveda. This will only be a road section and therefore the rally cars will strictly respect the road traffic and safety regulations.