Infostrada Sports' Databox - November 2004  

This month, Databox sponsor Infostrada Sports looks closely at the Rally de France - Tour de Corse.

> The 2004 Rallye de France - Tour de Corse was the 14th in a series of 16 races all across the world, which make up the World Rally Championship (WRC).
> It saw Frenchman Sébastien Loeb clinch his first ever WRC title.
> The 30-year-old Loeb became only the second French champion in WRC history, following Didier Auriol (1994).
> He secured the first driver crown for French manufacturer Citröen.
> The record number of world titles is four and is shared by Finland's Tommi Makinen and Juha Kankkunen.

> For this race, rally head-quarters were set up in the Corsican capital of Ajaccio, birthplace of Napoleon Bonaparte.
> The race comprised three legs with a combined distance of 387.8 kilometres.
> The race was won by the driver combination of Markko Martin and Michaël Park, driving a Ford Focus.
> The pair completed the total distance in four hours, 11 minutes and 51 seconds.
> The average speed attained by the winning couple in 2004 was 92.4 kilometres per hour.

> The record of race wins in the Corsica Rally is six and is shared by Didier Auriol and Bernard Darniche.
> The most successful car manufacturer in the Corsica Rally is Renault, having taken 14 victories.
> The first Corsica Rally took place in 1956 and was won by the driver pair Thirion-Ferrier.
> The rally has been staged in each year since except for 1971, when financial problems caused a cancellation.
> The first edition over 1,039 kilometres featured 43 participants of which only 17 earned a classification.

Also see this month's View From the Editor for a behind-the-scenes look at this particular rally.

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