History Event 2000s

2005 Rally of Turkey (Turkey)

Overview Route Results Cars Challenges

Overview

Event Name: 2005 Rally of Turkey (Turkey)

Date: June 2–5, 2005

Start Location: Kemer, near Antalya, Turkey

Finish Location: Kemer, Turkey

Total Distance: ~1,228.72 km

Competitive Stages: 351.03 km

Surface: Gravel (rough, mountainous)

Turkey’s brutal mountain gravel returned in 2005 to challenge even the most seasoned WRC drivers. With rough terrain, sharp rocks, and high temperatures, the rally was a true test of car preservation and consistency. Sébastien Loeb rose above it all, delivering a clinical drive through three days of carnage to take his fifth win of the season.

Route

Olympos: Fast and narrow with sharp stones, one of the rally’s tire-shredding gauntlets.
Kemer–Çamyuva: Technical and flowing, with sweeping views over the Aegean, but no room for mistakes on cliff-edge sections.
Phaselis: A punishing stage lined with ruts and embedded rocks, crucial for separating those who managed pace from those who gambled on speed.

The rally’s stages wound through the rugged Taurus Mountains, offering high-altitude gravel roads mixed with tight descents. Key stages included:

Dry heat and loose gravel made visibility and traction key challenges. Dust clouds lingered in forests, forcing split-second navigation judgment from co-drivers.

🏆 Results

Overall Winner
Sébastien Loeb & Daniel Elena · Citroën Xsara WRC
2nd Place
Marcus Grönholm & Timo Rautiainen · Peugeot 307 WRC
3rd Place
Petter Solberg & Phil Mills · Subaru Impreza WRC

Loeb kept clear of trouble while others struggled with punctures and overheating. Grönholm put in a solid drive but couldn’t match Loeb’s pace on Sunday, while Solberg clawed back positions after early issues.

Car Highlights

  • Citroën Xsara WRC: Adaptable and resilient, Loeb’s careful driving ensured minimal wear even over harsh surfaces.
  • Peugeot 307 WRC: Quick but sensitive to road degradation, Grönholm had to balance aggression and preservation.
  • Subaru Impreza WRC: Physically robust, Solberg survived impacts and dust but lacked the outright pace of the Citroën.

Navigation & Challenges

  • Dust Visibility: Choking dust clouds in dense forest required perfect pacenote delivery, a single missed call could end a rally.
  • Tire Management: Punctures were common, Loeb’s calm inputs preserved sidewalls across some of the sharpest roads of the year.
  • Heat and Fatigue: Ambient and cockpit temperatures soared, hydration and cooling strategy were vital for drivers and cars alike.

The Turkish round underlined Loeb’s adaptability. On a rally where survival was often more important than speed, he combined both, and claimed yet another step toward a second world title.

← Previous Event 2005 Cyprus Rally (Cyprus)
Back to Events Index
2005 Acropolis Rally (Greece) Next Event →

Watch rallies anywhere — bypass region blocks with NordVPN.

Fast servers for HD streams Servers in 60+ countries 30-day money-back

Unblock coverage — Save up to 77% + 3 months free

Sponsored link. Using our partner links helps support Compromised Internals at no extra cost to you.