History 2000s

2005 Rally Mexico (Mexico)

Overview Route Results Cars Challenges

Overview

Event Name: 2005 Rally Mexico (Mexico)

Date: March 11–13, 2005

Start Location: León, Mexico

Finish Location: León, Mexico

Total Distance: ~1,050 km (estimated full route)

Competitive Stages: 355.99 km

Surface: Gravel (high-altitude)

Held in the rugged terrain surrounding León, the 2005 Rally Mexico challenged drivers with thin air, dusty surfaces, and high-speed descents. Petter Solberg managed his pace, engine performance, and tire wear with precision to clinch his second consecutive win of the season and cement his early-season form.

Route

El Chocolate: Long and flowing with sweeping corners and altitude peaks over 2,700 meters — sapped engine power and braking confidence.
Ibarra: A narrow descent with rougher sections and tire-eating surface transitions.
Guanajuato Street Stage: A visually striking, tunnel-rich opener through the historic colonial city — tight and slippery with cheering crowds inches away.

Mexico’s stages were dry, technical, and elevation-heavy, making car setup and physical endurance critical. Key stages included:

Thin air made engine tuning critical, and those with weaker cooling systems or fuel maps suffered. Solberg and Subaru nailed both setup and strategy.

🏆 Results

Overall Winner
Petter Solberg & Phil Mills · Subaru Impreza WRC
2nd Place
Sébastien Loeb & Daniel Elena · Citroën Xsara WRC
3rd Place
Harri Rovanperä & Risto Pietiläinen · Mitsubishi Lancer WRC05

Solberg held off a consistent charge from Loeb, whose pace remained strong throughout. Rovanperä gave Mitsubishi a much-needed podium in their newly refined Lancer, delivering on the car’s gravel promise.

Navigation & Challenges

  • Altitude Management: Drivers had to adapt throttle response and braking sensitivity — even small errors were amplified.
  • Surface Wear: Later stage passes featured deep ruts and excessive dust — clean early pace was essential.
  • Temperature Swings: Sharp drops and climbs during the day affected grip and cooling — Solberg’s car setup responded perfectly.

Solberg’s confident win in Mexico sent a clear signal — the 2003 champion was back in form and ready to challenge Loeb for the 2005 WRC crown across all surfaces.

← Previous Event 2005 Swedish Rally (Sweden)
Back to Events Index
2005 Rally New Zealand (New Zealand) 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.