CONTENTS

December 8 2011 – vol 206 no 10

“One of the first things I did last year after I won the championship was check my name was on Wikipedia already” SEBASTIAN VETTEL, AT SUNDAY’S AUTOSPORT AWARDS, TELLS OF SEEING HIS NAME AMONG LEGENDS

FEATURES

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COVER IMAGES: LAT INSETS: GRIFFITHS/LAT, WWW.McKLEIN.DE

COVER STORY

17,000

…and still climbing. Pounds raised by Monday’s Dan Wheldon Memorial kart race for the Alzheimer’s Society as we went to press on Tuesday, and it’s expected to top £20K.

SUBSCRIBE... to AUTOSPORT and get a free pair of Cebe Spider sunglasses P70

REPORTS

71 Race of Champions Ogier beats the superstars

NEWS

26 Fernando Alonso It’s a happy marriage with Ferrari, says the Spaniard 32 AUTOSPORT Awards Vettel, Button and McLaren AUTOSPORT BRDC Award winner Rowland star

72 V8 Supercars Homebush Whincup takes another title

52 Group B special A look back at rallying’s epic era 54 Group B: the drivers 58 Group B: the cars 62 Group B: Audi Quattro test Allan McNish swaps his R18 TDI for a scary blat through the trees

Rallying’s greatest era remembered, p52

64 Group B: Metro 6R4 test Trying to tame iconic monster 66 Group B: Ford RS200 A passenger ride to remember 68 Robert Wickens FR3.5 champ is struggling to find that elusive F1 break

REGULARS

5 From the editor 6 Snapshot 17 Mark Hughes column 70 Subscribe for a free gift 92 Final drive Letters and Latest Gear

94 On track/on screen The best action in the next week 97 From the archive Peter Gethin wins Italian GP 1971 98 Rally of my life Ari Vatanen, Paris-Dakar, 1987

SPORTS EXTRA

85 Rowland for Euro Renault New McLaren AUTOSPORT BRDC Award winner goes for continental attack with Fortec – and should contest some UK rounds too

86 Thirlwall in new-spec Ford Runaway Scottish Formula Ford champ among testers 90 National/club drivers Our top 10 drivers of the year

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:G I B S O N / L AT,W W W

P IC S

Peter Gethin, 1940-2011

8 Vettel still on the up Double champ ‘yet to peak’ 10 Grosjean weighs up options GP2 champ could switch to DTM 12 Brundle buoyant on Sky Ex-racer jumps ship from the Beeb 14 Obituary: Peter Gethin Tribute to F1/F5000 hero

18 Nothing wrong, says Dallara Teams are ‘jumping the gun’ on criticising new IndyCar 20 Hornish rules himself out Ex-IndyCar champ won’t replace Kurt Busch at Penske 24 Rallying on the ropes WRC future in doubt

Oliver Rowland wins Award

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