Norway’s Prime Minister to co-drive with Loeb
Photo: Rallynorway.com
Prime Minister of Norway Jens Stoltenberg will tear round the track with five times World Champion Sébastien Loeb in a Citroën C4 hybrid WRC car when Rally Norway opens at Bjerkebanen in Oslo this Thursday 12 February.
“Stoltenberg is enthusiastically supportive of Rally Norway, just as he was in 2007. He values our commitment to environmental causes and can clearly see that the event is positive for Norway’s profile internationally,” says Even Wiger, managing director of Rally Norway.
The Norwegian WRC round will be opened officially by mayor of Oslo Fabian Stang and leader of Hedmark county council Siv Tørudbakken. Before they do, Jens Stoltenberg will experience a real lap of the Bjerkebane racecourse as part of the opening show in the minutes before Henning and Petter Solberg and the other rally stars take to the arena for the rally proper.
Even Wiger, managing director of Rally Norway. Photo: Rally Norway
“To have the prime minister here in the world’s only rally-hybrid car is just fantastic,” adds Wiger. “It sends a signal that motorsport is a great platform for developing new environmentally-friendly vehicle technology.”
The car itself is big news as it is a prototype of the WRC cars of the future. The Citroën C4 which is to be driven at Bjerke uses hybrid-technology, which means that it si powered by an electric motor on transport stages and charges the battery during braking, something which significantly reduces climate-harming CO2 emissions.
“This shows that motorsport is setting an example and becoming more conscious about limiting environmental consequences. The rally-hybrid, along with other special vehicles using alternative fuel, will be on display at Rally Norway’s HQ all weekend,” Wiger concludes.
Source: Rallynorway.com
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