Behind-the-scenes as Mini returns to WRC

Sebastian Loeb has won the Sardinian stage of the world rally championship. This is now such a regular occurrence, it barely counts as news any more.

So the big talking point in Sardinia this weekend was actually the return of Mini to the WRC after several decades away (as evidenced by that dandy picture above of Kris Meeke airing out his underbody). The car maker had a decent run all the way back in the 60s, and this year has returned with a Prodrive-engineered Countryman John Cooper Works.

Although Meeke had problems with his car throughout the weekend, Dani Sordo drove his Countryman to a not-bad-at-all 6th place finish on the car's first outing. Click through the gallery for our pics as Loeb scored his second win of the season and 64th overall, and a really fast Countryman made its debut...

(And if you want more WRC coverage, our dedicated section is right this way)

Pics: Katie Johnson

Mini WRC driver Kris Meeke. Started well, ended badly

The Mini Countryman was a perfect fit for Prodrive's return to rallying

Mini WRC driver Dani Sordo. Started well, ended well

Red Cap misses Countryman's cornering to snap rare big-headed turtle

Meeke's Mini gets the South London treatment

The original Mini Cooper, at the Monte Carlo Rally in 1965. It won.

Sordo goes through the jetwash, WRC style

Both Mini Countrymans sported classic numbers - 37 and 52 - used by the Monte Carlo winning cars of the 60s

Monster Prodrive brakes: handy for stopping/avoiding trees

The Ford Abu Dhabi team rescue recalcitrant squirrels from Fiesta's underbody. Probably

A man with a hazard sign, yesterday

Czech Ford National's Fiesta passes a stationary Evo. Yeah, us neither

Czech team driver Martin Prokop scored a respectable 10th place over the weekend

While snappers wait for a peek of the rare Marsican Brown Bear, M-Sport Stobart's RS Fiesta has a shower

M-Sport driver Andersson finished 15th overall

Sebastian Loeb winning, yesterday

Sebastian Loeb after winning, yesterday

Countryman: good for rallying, great for scuba-diving

Shorts were a bad choice

M-Sport Stobart's Fiesta freshens the lake

Cheese sandwich pit stop was much needed...

...as was, erm, this

Letting down tyres: frowned upon

Skoda Fabia S2000: dusty

‘Winning' by Sebastian Loeb, part 1

‘Winning', by Sebastian Loeb, part 2

Sardinia

The other Countryman JCW, run by the Brazil World Rally Team

Solberg finished 3rd in his Fiesta RS

Look! This man's cap is slowly eating his face!

A helicopter. Useful for getting in the air

Motorsport Italia SRL's Countryman JCW

Another M-Sport Stobart entrant, driven by Novikov and Prevot

Might be worth moving off the road soon...

WRC drivers announce ‘sabbatical' until Loeb retires

Rally requirements: fuel, Twix and a Forest Fresh Magic Tree

[Sharp intake of breath] "it's gonna cost ya'