History 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.

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.

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