Chat Ed : Hello and welcome to tonight's World Rally chat with presenter Penny Mallory.
Penny Mallory : Hello everybody! We've finished the rally and I'm waiting to take your questions - fire away.
hugnunny : hello
Pajo : Hey Penny
Subaru_Impreza : How do i get started in rallying?
Penny Mallory : I would book yourself onto a rally day at one of the many rally schools around the country. It will cost you around 200 pounds, but you will very quickly find out how much more it is than it looks. If you discover you are as talented as you thought you were you'll need to get yourself a rally licence from the RAC MSA. And then enter a rally! But make sure you have a healthy bank balance before you start. It'll be the best fun you've ever had, but also the most expensive.
Steve : When Richard Burns' got stuck outside the service area, would his team have been allowed to leave the service area to give him advise or would it have been illegal servicing?
Penny Mallory : It would have been illegal servicing. Richard was in full communication with his team over the radio but they were unable to assist him physically. That only left him with the task of trying to dig the car out with Robert. And sadly, he ran out of time. He's very upset about the conditions but he's not alone. Everyone on the rally said it was the worst service area they had ever seen.
andyb : well done to all the c4 team, great to see decent wrc coverage at last. will channel four be showing some of the more local uk rallies such as the bournemouth winter rally?
Penny Mallory : Thank you andyb. We have a fantastic team putting the show together. It's a logistical nightmare when you have rally cars hundreds of miles away, cameramen filming them and couriers dispatched to pick up their tapes to bring them back to the production office and get everything edited in a matter of hours. But it's a great job and we are all enjoying it.
Channel 4 is showing coverage of the British Championships presented by Robbie Head and Mike Brewer. You'll have to check listings though of when to catch that.
ian b : is the rivalry between colin and richard really as personal as the media play it ?
Penny Mallory : They have a healthy competitive rivalry. Which is what you would expect from two of the world's best drivers.
tnm : did Colin try to get you with the champagne again?
Penny Mallory laughs
Penny Mallory : I stayed well clear of the finish ramp as champagne in your face makes your eyes sting so much you think you have gone blind.
Kate Heath : Hi Penny, I'm a rally driver, and I've just arrived home from the Jim Clark Memorial Rally as the 2002 British Ladies Champion. Obviously I'm very excited about it! My question is, as a former winner, do you have any tips on getting sponsorship? (I don't have a major sponsor at the moment).
Penny Mallory : I've been rallying for over 10 years and loved every minute of it but I'd say it was 90% finding the money and 10% driving the car. It's just a question of not giving up. If you are lucky enough to find sponsors, give them masses more than they ever expected and do it with a smile on your face, because without them you wouldn't be rallying. Good luck.
Adam : How much money do you need to run/maintain a rally car?
Penny Mallory : If you want to hire a world rally car for a World Rally Championship event, it will cost you 100,000 pounds, if you are lucky. If you can't stretch to that you can go rallying on a shoestring and have just as much fun. Ask around if anyone has a car they can lend you and take it from there. But it isn't cheap.
cyot : im 22 is it too late to begin a rally carrer?
Penny Mallory : I started when I was 23 which I felt was far too late. But if you have got the talent and the money just go for it.
Rob : Do the teams actually monitor the temp of their suspension dampers?
Penny Mallory : Yes, some cars have a gauge inside the car which does that, which will indicate to the driver when he needs to go easy. But on a Safari rally, when it's gone, it's gone.
Paul Mosley : Who is more annoying, Jeremy Hart, Robbie Head or Jon Desborough?
Penny Mallory laughs
Penny Mallory : Good question! It's a tough one but I think they are all fantastic and I'm far too diplomatic to answer this question honestly. Seriously though I don't find any of them annoying but you better ask them about me.
Welsh-Moto-Sport : Who do u think will win this year in the wrc world rally champ ?
Penny Mallory : My head says Marcus Gronholm and my heart says Colin McRae.
Chris_02 : Have you ever thought about presenting F1 or something different?
Penny Mallory : No I haven't, Chris. It's a completely different sport. You have to be an absolute expert when you are presenting a sport. Formula 1 is not something that I have been involved in.
karl whitehouse : Penny, where will the british round of the rally start this year
Penny Mallory : Just like last year, it will start and finish in Wales.
david : I would like your opinion on the new 'kids' who would you predict will be the first from the following three to win the world championship - marco martin - peter solberg or sebastian loeb??
Penny Mallory : Without a doubt Petter Solberg is the biggest star never to have yet won a rally. His time is coming, sooner rather than later, I hope.
Jon : I agree penny, Peter is definatly quick.
Penny Mallory : But Markko Martin has driven brilliantly this year and it won't be long before he wins.
Claire : what is your favourite manufactor mean is peugeot, because they have one of the most fittest drivers RICHARD BURNS!!
Penny Mallory chuckles
Penny Mallory : I have driven a Ford Focus world rally car so they are very dear to my heart. But Subaru have a great team and Peugeot have also proved themselves worthy winners. I'm not being very helpful am I? My job is to stay impartial.
bacchus29 : How did you stay looking so glam in all the dust and heat?
Penny Mallory : Thank you, but I didn't feel it! Thank goodness for make-up.
Anthony : penny would you like to hannu mikola return one last time?
Penny Mallory : Not really. He was a great driver but it's time to look forward, not back.
scoob : What do ordinary Kenyans think of the WRC? Do any of them follow the championhip?
Penny Mallory : I haven't met any ordinary Kenyans. The only people I have met are Massai people in the bush who have never seen anything quite like it. Judging by their cheers, I think they enjoyed it.
tommo : Do you see McRae hanging up his steering wheel if he wins this year's championship?
Penny Mallory : I can't see it happening for some time. His pace is too fast to hang up his helmet just yet.
PanheadWRC : If you could see the return of a bygone rally car, which one would it be?
Penny Mallory : The Audi Quattro Group B. I drove it and was gob-smacked at the ability to drive a car so well with so much power and so much turbo lag.
Andy Dodd : Will you ever go back to ralling fulltime?
Penny Mallory : I plan to do more rallies but only for fun. I have to work for a living now.
Chat Ed : That's it! Thanks for coming PENNY and thanks for all your questions. To sign up for text messages to keep you up-to-date with all the latest developments in the World Rally Championship, please text 'wrc on' and send it to 83200, or click onto channel4.com/wrc
Jon : Thanks for your time Penny!!
Andrew : cheers penny
Paul Mosley : Bye Penny
Penny Mallory : Thank you all for watching the show. We'll see you in Finland.
Shorty : Thanks Penny!
andyb : nice one
bacchus29 : bye Pen
Penny Mallory : See you there.
peter lister : cheers penny
arthur : thanks
tommo : Well done on bring some glamour and intelligence to motorsport
PanheadWRC : Great Work, Kepp it up!
scoob : Thanks Penny :)
Penny Mallory leaves the room
