Burcu Çetinkaya

Exceptional rally talent, supported by Ansell

After a few years driving for the Ford Fiesta Rally team, the 29-year old Burcu Cetinkaya has taken a new step in her career.  She has reached an agreement with Peugeot Sport Turkiye to become as from April 2010 the first female driver to compete in an expanded programme of Intercontinental Rally Challenge (IRC) events.  She will drive a Peugeot 207 Super 2000.

Ansell’s partnership with Burcu Cetinkaya and her co-pilot Cicek Guney started in 2008. As a strategic partner of the Ford Fiesta Sporting Trophy, Ansell supported the Turkish pilot in a series of championships, including FFST and World Championship Rally (WRC) races.  

Mad about racing

A Turkish TV personality, former snowboarding champion but above all, a lady obsessed with rallying, Burcu sold her Saab Cabrio back in 2005 to make her rallying dream come true. Since then, she has notched up a good few victories and titles and has earned considerable status in the rallying world.

Expanding limits

Having competed with a Ford Fiesta in the Geko Ypres Rally and Barum Czech Rally Zlin, Cetinkaya is no stranger to IRC competition. In the Rally Adriatico (April 2009), she made her Super 2000 debut in a Fiat Grande Punto Abarth S2000, taking the title in the ‘ladies’ category.  "To drive a Super 2000 car has been my dream and the Peugeot has been a very successful car in the IRC for the last few seasons, so it is a good choice," said Cetinkaya after having concluded the partnership with Peugeot Sport Turkiye.

Support in both ways

Ansell’s interest in the rally world is induced by the company’s intent to promote the use of appropriate hand protection solutions. Still today, over 65% of all workers in the industry are not wearing the appropriate hand protection. If they are wearing protective gloves at all. 

“Whilst promoting the use of appropriate hand protection by high performing service and mechanics teams such as the Peugeot Sports Turkey team during regional, national and international rally championships, we are convinced that we can contribute to creating more awareness in the industry”, says Werner Heintz, sVP and Regional Director of Ansell EMEA.

Moreover, as an organisation, Ansell is constantly seeking to invest in developing young talent over a longer period of time, supporting them to become high performers. Through its partnership with Peugeot Sports Turkey team, Ansell is taking its existing partnership with Burcu Cetinkaya to the next level. Ansell is determined to follow this highly talented female driver team on its way to even more victories.

Burcu herself is committed to help Ansell raise awareness on hand protection in ‘her’ world. “I know from personal experience that maintenance teams seldom use protective gloves at regional or national rally championships. I’m determined to help Ansell reverse that trend,” Burcu said recently.