Argentina (P) - 26-29 Apr 12

DMACK Seals Fantastic Fourth With Prokop In Argentina

Posted: July 19, 2012 12:52 PM

DMACK has scored its best world rally finish at Rally Argentina this weekend after Martin Prokop clinched a top-four position in the DMACK Ford Fiesta RS WRC. The result was due to a clever nomination of its soft compound gravel tyre which worked perfectly in the cool damp conditions.

On his way to fourth place, a personal best world rally result, Prokop set a string of consistent stage times, including a fourth on the event's mammoth final-day 65km test, to finish as the leading non-manufacturer entry. The result improves upon Ott Tanak's sixth place with DMACK on Rally GB last year and confirms the on-going positive technical development of DMACK's gravel tyres.

DMACK also narrowly missed out on a victory in the PWRC category after leader Nicolas Fuchs succumbed to mechanical problems on the final day, dropping him back to second place.

Rally Argentina was the longest FIA World Rally Championship event for nearly 10 years and demanded exceptional levels of endurance and durability. The fifth round of the world series was over 500km in length and hosted the longest stage of this year's championship with the 65.74km Matadero ' Ambul test delivering a tough final-day challenge.

However, DMACK's DMG+ gravel tyre was more than a match for the conditions. While most other competitors used mainly a hard compound tyre for the event, DMACK nominated a soft compound, giving its crews an advantage on the damp, sandy stages.

The soft tyre performed exceptionally well throughout the long weekend with impressive levels of durability on the tough roads. Even on the longest stage of this year's championship, it easily coped with the massive distance and helped Prokop secure fourth fastest stage time. DMACK never needed to allocate crews the hard compound gravel tyre which could have been used in limited quantities if needed.

Multiple Peruvian champion Fuchs easily outperformed his PWRC competitors in his Mitsubishi Evo9. He led the category for much of the event but was forced to concede defeat after a problem with the turbo on his car.

Rally Argentina was once again based at Villa Carlos Paz near Cordoba, around 700km from the capital city Buenos Aires. Its extended route took crews across a mix of terrain from the fast, sandy stages of the Calamuchita Valley to the rocky lunar-like landscape of the roads across El Condor.

Dick Cormack, DMACK motorsport director, said:
'This result really highlights the potential of our gravel tyre and Martin has done an exceptional job here to secure our best-ever finish. We took a slight gamble by nominating our soft compound but it's been the perfect choice for the conditions and the durability on this extra-long event has been really impressive. However, the tyre has also performed well, allowing Martin to post some fast times and Nicolas to dominate the PWRC category. We've got a busy few weeks ahead with more testing to finalise the specification of a new gravel tyre which we will homologate soon as our joker for this year.'

Martin Prokop said:
'This was so much more than we expected. My main aim for the weekend was to get to the finish and help DMACK develop the tyres. We pushed when it was comfortable and I'm very happy to secure a fourth for DMACK and myself ' it's my best-ever finish. The rally is something new for us with the long stages and the spectators really make it enjoyable.'

ANOTHER CITROËN ONE-TWO IN ARGENTINA

Posted: July 19, 2012 12:50 PM

Having led Rally Argentina since Friday lunchtime, the Citroën Total World Rally Team crews made it to the end of day three to secure an impressive one-two. Sébastien Loeb and Daniel Elena claimed their seventh consecutive win in South America, just ahead of their team-mates Mikko Hirvonen and Jarmo Lehtinen. Citroën’s clean sweep means that the team and its drivers picked up a hatful of points for the World Rally Championship standings.

After two long days of racing, the schedule for the final leg of Rally Argentina looked just as packed. Starting at 8 o'clock, the competitors headed off on the Matadero/Ambul test, the longest WRC stage for years. Covered in just under 40 minutes, the 65.74km-long stage didn’t present any major problems for the Citroën Total World Rally Team drivers, who had set off with soft Michelin Latitude Cross tyres.

The loop continued with two classics of the South American rally: Mina Clavero/Giulio Cesare and El Condor/Copina.

Slightly quicker than Sébastien Loeb, Mikko Hirvonen reduced the gap to 0.2s after SS15.
“It doesn’t change anything,” said the Finn on his return to the Villa Carlos Paz service park. “I wasn’t particularly trying to go faster, but we didn't go for the same tyre choice which explains why the gap was reduced. I am now focussed on the Power Stage: I am going to look after my tyres so I can try to pick up points on the last four kilometres.”

“Everything went well for us,” confirmed Sébastien Loeb. “We didn’t make the right decision in opting to fit soft tyres, but it didn't matter in the end. The long stage was… really long. I thought it would go quickly, but I had trouble trying to stay focussed right to the end. The situation is under control, we are going to keep going just the same to the finish.”

As planned, Mikko conceded several seconds on both stages before the Power Stage, which was run on the final few kilometres of the legendary El Condor stage. This time, the Finn pushed hard and managed to grab the second fastest time, securing two bonus points for the Drivers’ World Championship.
“This result is perfect for the team and the twenty points I scored this weekend take me back up to third in the overall standings,” commented Mikko. “I’m also pleased with the pace I managed to maintain until Saturday lunchtime. I have made further progress in my understanding of the DS3 WRC and I can’t wait to compete in the coming rallies!”

After claiming the 70th win of his career, Sébastien Loeb could also savour his seventh victory in Argentina:
“It’s great to get back to winning ways after drawing a blank in Portugal. Everything went really well this weekend. Although the first few stages didn’t go quite how we’d have liked, we stayed calm and in the end we were able to take control of the race. I like Rally Argentina because I have had a lot of success here and because the itinerary is always superb. It is always immensely satisfying to win here.”

“With over 500km of timed stages, this rally was above all a challenge for the cars. Our DS3 WRCs completed 5hrs 34mins of stages without the slightest mechanical problem. That is a performance which is down to the men and women at Citroën Racing,” emphasized Yves Matton, Team Principal.
“After drawing a blank in Portugal, we have achieved a clean sweep here, which is clearly a great result for both World Championships. I would like to congratulate our two crews, who were able to go quickly when necessary and control their pace when we asked them to do so. It’s been a perfect weekend, which has also seen various promotional events and activities organised by Citroën Argentina. The way in which the subsidiary takes advantage every year of the Brand’s involvement in WRC is quite remarkable.”

'MAXIMUM ATTACK' SEES M-SPORT'S YOUNG GUNS RECOVER POINTS IN ARGENTINA

Posted: July 19, 2012 12:49 PM

M-Sport Ford World Rally Team's Evgeny Novikov and Ott Tänak recovered well despite their early set-backs at the 2012 Philips Rally Argentina. Setting some impressive stage times over the final tests, Novikov recuperated vital points and eighth position with Tänak progressing from 27th to 10th and the final World Rally Championship (WRC) point.

In a return to classic rallying, Rally Argentina saw an emphasis on endurance with M-Sport's young stars tackling some of the longest stages the WRC has seen for almost a decade. Putting their misfortunes firmly behind them, the pairing set some impressive times to reaffirm their obvious pace on the challenging event.

Having collided with a rock which had been pulled onto the inside of a corner and consequentially damaging the left-rear wishbone of their Ford Fiesta RS WRC, Novikov and co-driver Denis Giraudet were forced to Rally 2 after the opening day of the rally. Despite using the longest day of competition to perfect his pacenotes for the following year, the fast, flowing stages through the Calamuchite Valley certainly played into the hands of the young Russian who climbed the leaderboard to lie a credible 11th at the end of Day 2.

Recuperating his previous good form, Novikov was back to maximum attack over the final day in the Traslasierra mountains. The opening loop saw the Muscovite set top-three times on all three stages ' including the mammoth 65.74 km of Matadero/ Ambul ' to get his Fiesta RS WRC back in the points.

There were further gains for Novikov over the afternoon including the second fastest time over the second pass of Mina Clavero (SS17), just 1.7 seconds adrift of the resurgent factory Ford Fiesta RS WRC of Petter Solberg. Following the retirement of Dani Sordo's sister factory Ford Fiesta RS WRC, combined with the young Russian's speed, Novikov secured eighth place overall.

Elsewhere, Tänak and co-driver Kuldar Sikk suffered heart-aching misfortunes on the opening day of Rally Argentina. Despite setting some promising times, the Estonian pairing damaged the steering arm on their Ford Fiesta RS WRC. Thanks to the 24-year-old's ingenuity and mechanical knowledge, the duo were able to make it back to service, only to fall foul to the second pass over La Pampa (SS4) and being forced to Rally 2 over the remaining tests.

In spite of being disadvantaged running first on the road, Tänak was back to his best on Day 2. Piloting his Fiesta RS WRC to the fourth fastest time on all three stages over the morning loop, the youngster gained more than ten minutes on his nearest rivals to climb an impressive 10 places from 27th to 17th.

Working on perfecting his pacenotes ahead of his return to the Argentine stages, Tänak climbed a further seven places over the final day to claim a world championship point in tenth.

Evgeny Novikov (8th) said:
'I have really enjoyed the stages today. They were quite challenging and really fast in places so I could take my driving to the maximum. Honestly this is not the position we were looking for, but I am happy to have made it to the end and set some good times.

'Denis [Giraudet] and I have a lot of detail in our pacenotes now so we should be in a good position for next year and I am happy to have recovered some good points today.'

Ott Tänak (10th) said:
'This has not been the best rally for us, but we made it to the end which is the main thing. The stages have been quite challenging, so I am happy that we made it through and had the chance to improve our pacenotes.

'For sure this is not the result we wanted, but we were setting some good times and the [world championship] point is some consolation.'

Ford creates history with landmark result at Rally Argentina

Posted: July 19, 2012 12:48 PM

Ford today claimed its 150th consecutive points finish in the FIA World Rally Championship. Sixth place for Petter Solberg and Chris Patterson at Rally Argentina enabled Ford to become the first manufacturer to reach the milestone figure in the championship's 39-year history.

The record-breaking run began in the opening round of the 2002 series in Monte Carlo. At least one of the team's nominated drivers has finished in a points-scoring position in every round since.

Ford and rally partner M-Sport celebrated the achievement at the finish ceremony of this fifth round of the 2012 championship in Carlos Paz this afternoon. Ford Racing senior manager Gerard Quinn and Ford World Rally Team director Malcolm Wilson joined Solberg and Patterson in front of their Fiesta RS World Rally Car as they took the applause of the huge crowds.
'This record is the product of a remarkable blend of speed and reliability. We've shown over a decade of WRC rallies that we can score consistently. Celebrating 150 consecutive points finishes here today gives us the confidence to go on to mount a challenge for the manufacturers' title during the remaining eight rounds of the season,' said Quinn.

However, there was also disappointment for the team when Dani Sordo and Carlos del Barrio retired their Fiesta RS WRC from third place with a suspected alternator problem just 4km from the end of the 502km rally. Sordo, replacing the injured Jari-Matti Latvala in a one-off appearance, delivered a superb performance to lie inside the top three from the start after only a single day's testing.

Rally Argentina was the longest WRC round for almost a decade. Heavy rain before the start made the gravel roads in Cordoba province, 700km north-west of Buenos Aires, extremely slippery. With the rules allowing only a limited allocation of Michelin's wet weather soft compound tyres, drivers were forced to complete much of the event using compromise hard compound rubber or worn soft tyres.

Solberg took the lead on Thursday night's opening speed test and extended his advantage to more than 20 seconds on Friday morning. However, the 37-year-old Norwegian suffered heartbreak when his car's sump guard hit some bedrock and bent the left steering arm. When the arm later broke, his car was pitched off the road into a rock and retirement.

He restarted with a 15 minute time penalty in 11th place. But a determined drive propelled him to sixth, winning nine of the last 10 special stages and claiming all six in today's final leg. He also won the final Power Stage, claiming three bonus points to retain second in the drivers' championship.
'After what happened on Friday, I have to be happy with sixth,' said Solberg. 'To win all six tests and the Power Stage today was perfect. I'm proud of what we achieved yesterday and today. Friday was the toughest day I've had for a long time, but the result shows why you should never give up, no matter what the situation.

'The stages were enjoyable and the car felt good, so I was able to push hard today. The disappointing thing is that I could have won. This could have been my first victory for a long time, but we'll continue to work hard and I know it will come soon,' he added.

Sordo's fine performance ended just after the start of the final 4.15km Copina test when a suspected alternator problem brought his car to a halt.
'At the finish of the penultimate stage there were alarms flashing in the car indicating a battery problem,' said Sordo. 'We started the final stage but less than 1km into the test the car stopped. It's a disappointing way to finish, but the weekend was a good experience.

'I was happy with my performance. Finishing was our goal so not to do so was sad, but it was good working with the team. I'd like to thank Ford and M-Sport for giving me the opportunity to drive the Fiesta RS WRC. I loved the car and really enjoyed my four days of Rally Argentina,' he added.

Team director Wilson said:
'Petter produced a great recovery which culminated in him winning the Power Stage. After everything that happened, to leave Argentina with Petter still second in the championship is good. Dani did a perfect job and it was desperately sad for him to retire so close to the finish. The fact that the voltage in the car was so low indicates it was an alternator problem.'

News from other Ford teams
Mads Østberg and Jonas Andersson climbed to third in the Adapta World Rally Team car after Sordo's retirement, while Czech duo Martin Prokop and Zden'k Hr'za moved up to a career-best fourth. After first day retirements, M-Sport Ford World Rally Team's Evgeny Novikov and Denis Giraudet and team-mates Ott Tänak and Kuldar Sikk restarted under Rally 2 rules. They focused on learning the roads and perfecting their pace notes and were rewarded with eighth and 10th respectively. Brazil World Rally Team's Daniel Oliveira and Carlos Maghaläes did not restart today after damage resulting from a broken driveshaft yesterday.

Next round
Round six takes competitors back to Europe for the Acropolis Rally of Greece, which is based in Loutraki on 24 - 27 May.

NASSER AL-ATTIYAH AND THIERRY NEUVILLE CONTINUE TO IMPROVE

Posted: July 19, 2012 12:45 PM

Thierry Neuville and Nasser Al-Attiyah both finished a long and difficult Rally Argentina in the points. Thierry Neuville finished fifth overall whereas Nasser Al-Attiyah ended the rally in ninth position after producing a great performance in the Power Stage. With their performance level improving with every passing rally, both men now have raised hopes for the rest of the season and will be aiming for podium finishes.

An unmissable round of the WRC, Rally Argentina combines very enthusiastic crowds with stages that provide the drivers with a serious test of their abilities. The first thing that strikes you when you arrive in Villa Carlos Paz is just how incredibly popular Nasser Al-Attiyah, winner of the 2011 Dakar Rally, is here. After completing the Super Special stage on Thursday evening, the serious business got underway on Friday, with the rally's longest day. The Qatari lost time straight away after a making a mistake, but afterwards he managed to adopt a solid pace, enabling him to move into the top 5.
“My neck was really sore and I lost concentration at the start of the event,” summed up Nasser Al-Attiyah.
“We then decided to run a sensible race, which paid off as we were in the top 5, until a stone halted our progress on Saturday morning.”

On SS9, Nasser Al-Attiyah and Giovanni Bernacchini hit a rock, severely damaging one of the wheels.
“We just about managed to make our way to the end of the stage. We tried to mend the wheel, but the repair job didn’t last long. Thanks to the great work of the team, we were able to rejoin under Rally2 rules on Sunday. We are competitors and it was worth it in terms of points.” The tenacity of the Qatar World Rally Team driver helped him to secure ninth place overall. Nasser then produced a fine performance with the third fastest time in the Power Stage, earning him an extra point. “It’s good to end the rally like that. I still have a lot to learn about the Citroën DS3 WRC, but I feel that we’re getting there gradually. I’m looking forward to Greece, a rally that suits me perfectly. I like races where you need to show endurance.”

Thierry Neuville and Nicolas Gilsoul started the rally aiming to make it to the finish without having to resort to the Rally2 rules. The Belgian crew made a very good start to the event, but their progress was halted on SS5.
“I had too much speed coming into a bend. It was a mistake, it's undoubtedly part and parcel of the learning process, but I’m disappointed for the team. I want to stay positive and focus on the fact we were running at the pace of the works drivers before we went off.”

After rejoining under Rally2 regulations in Saturday morning, the Citroën Junior World Rally Team crew produced some solid performances with the second fastest time on SS12 and the best time on the Super Special stage. On Sunday, three top 3 times enabled the no.8 DS3 WRC to continue to climb back up the overall standings. Thierry Neuville and Nicolas Gilsoul made it to the finish in 5th place, their best result in the WRC.
“I’m pleased with where I finished, despite my mistake on day one. This is our best result in the WRC. In the end, it’s probably true that our mishap only cost us one place. I know that I have the speed, I just need to work on being consistent. In Greece, I really must complete the rally without making any mistakes. That will be my one and only goal.”

Results

Posted: July 19, 2012 12:42 PM

1. S Loeb/D Elena (Citroen DS3 WRC) 5hr 34min 38.8sec
2. M Hirvonen/J Lehtinen (Citroen DS3 WRC) 5hr 34min 54.0sec
3. M Østberg/J Andersson (Ford Fiesta RS WRC) 5hr 37min 49.2sec
4. M Prokop/Z Hr?za (Ford Fiesta RS WRC) 5hr 44min 24.1sec
5. T Neuville/N Gilsoul (Citroen DS3 WRC) 5hr 45min 56.4sec
6. P Solberg/C Patterson (Ford Fiesta RS WRC) 5hr 46min 41.0sec
7. S Ogier/J Ingrassia (Skoda Fabia S2000) 5hr 47min 04.1sec
8. E Novikov/D Giraudet (Ford Fiesta RS WRC) 5hr 55min 49.0sec
9. N Al Attiyah/G Bernacchini (Citroen DS3 WRC) 6hr 03min 01.4sec
10 O Tänak/K Sikk (Ford Fiesta RS WRC) 6hr 11min 58.3sec

Results on line (Argentina 2012)

M-SPORT YOUNG GUNS EMBARK ON ARGENTINE ENDURANCE

Posted: April 23, 2012 3:25 PM

The World Rally Championship (WRC) will make a return to classic rallying next week as Evgeny Novikov and Ott Tänak contest the most daunting event of the season at the Philips Rally Argentina. M-Sport Ford World Rally Team's young guns have had an impressive start to the season ' setting both personal and world records alike ' and the duo will be out to prove what makes them two of the most exciting young talents in the sport on this the fifth round of the season.

As one of the most spectacular and demanding events of the year, Rally Argentina is a real highlight in the WRC calendar. Covering a mammoth 502.73 competitive kilometres, the rally marks the longest event in the championship for almost a decade ' the last rally to possess such a distance being the legendary 2002 Safari Rally in which Colin McRae piloted his works Ford Focus RS WRC to victory.

With the competitive action taking place in the valleys around the Argentine city of Cordoba, M-Sport's young stars will have to contend with changing grip levels, high altitude and some of the longest tests of the year. The 19 special stages boast varying characteristics from the open plains north of Carlos Paz to the narrow, rocky tracks to the mountains further west. Each day of competition also involves an endurance test, the pinnacle of which being the 65.74 km pass over Matadero, pushing both drivers and machinery to the maximum.

Fresh from his record-breaking second place at the Vodafone Rally de Portugal, Novikov's confidence is on a high as he became first Russian and youngest ever competitor ever to stand on the WRC podium. The influence of experienced co-driver Denis Giraudet has been clear, and Novikov has developed into an accomplished young driver able to translate his obvious speed behind the wheel of his Ford Fiesta RS WRC into consistently strong results. The young Russian will be looking for another impressive finish as he tackles Rally Argentina for the second time next week.

Before making the journey to Argentina, Novikov will attend the Rally Masters Show in his home-city of Moscow. As the first rally show in the history of Russian motorsport, the event celebrates the resonance of rallying amongst the Russian media and public. The inaugural show attracted rallying greats the likes of Toni Gardemeister and Mark Higgins and this year will see Novikov as the star attraction.

With mixed fortunes in Portugal, Tänak will be looking to make a return to his points scoring form in Argentina. Despite being one of many to have been caught out by the treacherous conditions last month, Tänak and regular co-driver Kuldar Sikk set an impressive pace to secure both their first stage win on gravel and their first Power Stage point behind the wheel of their Ford Fiesta RS WRC.

Tackling the Argentine stages for the first time next week, Tänak has been subject to a vigorous fitness programme and will be well prepared for the physical challenges ahead. The Estonian has been completing two to three hours of training, four to five days a week with personal trainer Tarmo Tiits. His schedule involves weights as well as aerobic and circuit training and the 24-year-old aims to be in the best possible shape ahead of the endurance event.

Evgeny Novikov said:
'Our confidence is on a high after our second place [at the Vodafone Rally de Portugal] so we'll be looking to push in Argentina.

'Our podium was very well received back home in Russia, everyone was very happy. Lots of people came to meet me at the airport and we have had a lot of coverage in the Newspapers, on television and on the radio too. My fellow countryman Vitaly Petrov [driver for the Caterham Formula One Team] also sent me his congratulations ' it has been a very nice couple of weeks!

'I competed in Argentina in 2008, but we had problems off the start line which compromised our pace so this will be my first outing at maximum attack. There is no question that this will be a very difficult rally ' and it will be a real challenge just to make it to the finish ' but we will try our best as always. The aim will be to make as few mistakes as possible to secure another top-five result.'

Ott Tänak said:
'I have a good feeling ahead of Argentina ' it has been a long holiday and I am really looking forward to getting back in the car. This will be our first time in Argentina and for sure it won't be easy, but we will work hard and try our best.

'We didn't have a perfect run in Portugal, but our pace was good and we set some good stage times so hopefully we can show more of the same next week.

'This is the longest rally on the calendar with some of the longest stages we have ever contested. I have been working hard on my fitness over the past few weeks and I feel well prepared for the physical challenge. We'll work hard on the recce to make our pacenotes as detailed as they can be, and hopefully we can get another strong result.'

Endurance Key To Success For DMACK In Argentina

Posted: April 23, 2012 2:42 PM

As the longest FIA World Rally Championship event for nearly a decade, next week's Rally Argentina, at over 500km in length, will demand high levels of endurance and durability from DMACK.

The fifth round of the world series heads to South America to take on one of its biggest challenges this season. The event also hosts the longest timed stage of the season with the 65.74km Matadero - Ambul test providing a final day sting in the tail.

DMACK has nominated its soft compound DMG+ gravel tyre for competitors in Argentina rather than the obvious hard compound option. From its experience on the event last year, and taking into consideration the soft, sandy surfaces which characterise the rally, the soft option is expected to deliver a good blend of performance and durability.

The DMG+ has a more open tread pattern and, if wet conditions are experienced next weekend, the DMACK may offer an important advantage to competitors.

Heading the DMACK charge is Martin Prokop who is driving the DMACK-branded Ford Fiesta RS WRC and is allowed to use a maximum of 40 tyres. Production WRC competitors are allowed a maximum of 33 tyres and confirmed runners include Nicholas Fuchs, who finished second in the category on Rally Mexico, and Ricardo Trivino who scored a top-10 finish on the same event.

DMACK is also able to using an emergency allocation of 10 hard compound gravel tyres in new rules for 2012 and these may come in handy on the last day of the event which hosts a 100km loop of stages.

WRC Team MINI Portugal Rally Argentina Preview

Posted: April 23, 2012 2:41 PM

Soccer, rally and the fantastic fans in Argentina
Introducing your host for the event...Mr. Paulo Nobre

'Fala galera, it's Paulo Nobre here, or "Palmeirinha", as many people from Brazilian rallying, call me!

So in an exciting twist, I'm going to be your reporter during Rally Argentina, giving you some news from on and off the stages. I'll be writing columns throughout the event to give you the chance to see the rally through my eyes. Follow me and the team for our fantastic journey on of one of the most challenging rallies of the season. I hope you'll enjoy it!!

'To be honest, it feels like a long time since the last time we really competed. Rally Portugal was terrible for Edu and me. We rolled our rally car on the Qualifying Stage and couldn't start the event. It was a real shame, because we enjoyed the recce a lot and we know that the fans are amazing in Portugal. Everyone knows that for me the support of the public is always a big confidence boost.

'After a short holiday in Lisbon, I came back to São Paulo, my home town and one of the biggest cities in the world with more than 11 million inhabitants. The traffic is crazy here and there are so many big buildings that we nicknamed it 'Floresta de Pedra' (the stone forest)! What do I love most about São Paulo? That's easy - São Paulo is the hometown of Palmeiras, "my" football club. For me it's more than just a club, it's my religion, my way of life! That's why I'm so proud to have Palmeiras with me on my MINI and my gear. It gives me a lot of confidence and believe me, that's what I need most these days!

'Like all drivers, I am a human being, and to be really honest, after accidents every day in Mexico and failing even to start Rally de Portugal, my mojo's a bit dented heading into Argentina! This is a pity, because Argentina is one of the most difficult and challenging rallies of the season, with very tough special stages that even cut across country sometimes (a key difference between the Argentine and Brazilian stages). The event is also very well-organised and one of the rallies with the largest number of fans waiting for us on the stages as we come through!

'I actually made my WRC debut here in 2006. It's amazing to drive a rally in Argentina (even for a Brazilian!) There isn't the same rivalry between Argentines and Brazilians in rallying as there is in soccer, so all the spectators here are always very welcoming and kind to us! I have many friends from Argentinian rallying and I respect them all, because they are very good at the sport! If Brazil is the country of soccer, for me Argentina is the country of rally!!!!

'Unfortunately I haven't had too much time to prepare for Rally Argentina, because I work full-time outside the rallies at home in Brazil and April is a very busy month business-wise here when we have to declare our income to the government for the previous year. But now I'm ready to focus totally on the event!

'For every rally I pack my bag with just the essentials - I don't like to bring much stuff on-event, only the stuff necessary to race (overalls, helmet etc), my Palmeirinha team clothing and of course a Palmeiras flag! It's all settled now, myself, Edu, Pilli (my friend and cameraman) and Cirillo (another friend but this time a mechanic) are ready to take off for Villa Carlos Paz where we'll join the team for another MINI adventure!

'Anyone who wants to follow me on the Twitter (@palmeirinharali) or Facebook (www.facebook.com/palmeirinharally) just needs to learn Portuguese and enjoy!! :-)'

Ford taps Sordo to replace injured Latvala at Rally Argentina

Posted: April 18, 2012 11:11 AM

Ford World Rally Team has finalised an agreement for Dani Sordo and Carlos del Barrio to drive for the squad in next week?s Rally Argentina.

The Spanish duo will replace regular drivers Jari-Matti Latvala and Miikka Anttila in a Ford Fiesta RS World Rally Car. Latvala was forced to withdraw from the fifth round of the FIA World Rally Championship after breaking his left collarbone in a cross-country ski-ing accident while training in northern Finland last week.

"We're naturally disappointed that Jari-Matti will miss the rally, but ensuring a full recovery as quickly as possible is the most important thing for him and the team," said Ford World Rally Team director Malcolm Wilson.

"We're fortunate to have a driver of Dani's calibre to join us. His experience at Rally Argentina was a key factor in the decision, having started the rally five times and finishing second in 2009. The agreement is for one rally only, and I would like to thank the management of Dani's current team, who were extremely gracious in helping us in such challenging circumstances," he said.

Sordo and del Barrio will join regular pairing Petter Solberg and Chris Patterson for the four-day Rally Argentina, which will be based in Carlos Paz on 26 - 29 April.

Entry List

Posted: April 10, 2012 12:08 PM

Argentina (P) - 27-29 Apr 12 - ENTRY LIST

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Posted: March 15, 2012 11:50 AM

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Rally Guide / Event Website / Details

Posted: January 31, 2012 11:54 AM

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