Rally Argentina WRC (P) - 28-30 Mar 08

Joy and heartbreak for SWRT in ruthless Argentine finale

Posted: April 3, 2008 10:55 PM

Chris Atkinson and Stéphane Prévot finished Rally Argentina in second position overall, making it three out of four podiums from the 2008 season. Team-mates Petter Solberg and Phil Mills were however dealt a cruel blow, being forced into retirement from second position with only two stages to go after complete electrical failure.

Following a fantastic performance that saw them climb to second position overall on Saturday’s stages, Solberg and Mills suffered the cruellest of fates as their Impreza WRC2007 rolled to a stop midway through the first stage of the morning as they lost all electrical power. The duo were denied what would have been their best result since Rally Portugal last year.

“I am desperately disappointed for Petter and Phil” said David Richards, Subaru World Rally Team Principal. “Petter is showing such renewed enthusiasm since we’ve got the car more to his liking, and despite this setback I’m feeling increasingly confident for the rest of the season. In Chris’ case, his maturity in these extraordinarily tough conditions has delivered him yet another excellent result.”

Solberg and Mills attempted roadside repairs to their stricken car but were unable to locate the source of the problem and rectify it within the time they had available, exceeding the stage time limit despite their best efforts. The crestfallen duo were unable to complete the final day of a rally on which they demonstrated a reinvigorated level of performance.

In the ensuing reshuffle of the overall standings, Atkinson and Prévot were promoted to second position overall. Fully aware of the hazards posed by the trickiest of the rally’s stages, the duo continued their measured and mature drive to bring their Impreza home on the middle step of the podium. The result means that Atkinson has had his best ever start to a WRC season, scoring an impressive three podium finishes from the first four events of the year.

“It’s been such a hard weekend it’s more of a relief to finish!” said Chris Atkinson. “Another podium is fantastic for us and for the team, there’s nothing that motivates the guys more than a great result at the end of all the hard work. The feeling in the car was just so much more consistent this weekend and it was easier to drive so I was able to push without making any big mistakes. It’s clear we’ve taken some good steps forward with the car this year and it’s sort of a surprise for me to be third in the championship at the moment. It’s a real shame about Petter as he was going very well and we should have had two cars on the podium, but it demonstrates that we’re definitely moving in the right direction.”

Atkinson’s second place in Argentina moves him into third overall in the Drivers’ Championship, just three points behind second-placed Hirvonen (Ford). The Subaru World Rally Team emerge from South America in third position overall in the Manufacturers’ Championship, but as a result of the electrical problems lost a potential eight points that would have put them within just three of the lead.

The final day of competition provided a short but sharp sting in the tail to this gruelling event. Crews tackled only two full-length stages and a third and final running of the short spectator stage in the ground of the Cordoba Stadium that has proved so popular with fans this weekend.
The day’s competitive distance was less than a third of that on Friday and Saturday at just over 40 kilometres.

A combination of high altitude and stages that rose steeply as they twisted and snaked their way up and back down the El Condor mountain, today’s tests were the hardest of the rally. Whilst engines struggled for power in the thin air, an equally treacherous layer of mud on the roads made the level of grip even more unpredictable and challenging.

Next event
The next challenge in the World Rally Championship lies in the Middle East. Rally Jordan is a brand new event for all teams, this being the first year in which Jordan has hosted a WRC event. Set on the banks of the Dead Sea, almost all of the hard-packed sandy routes run below sea level, to a lowest point of 408m below. Temperatures are expected to be upwards 35 degrees Celsius, making it the hottest rally to date this season, and much more suited to Pirelli’s hard compound gravel tyre. The rally consists of 21 stages totalling 351 competitive kilometres, and will bring a new challenge to crews as they will battle with the difficulty of judging distances in the vast expanses of desert they will encounter.

Citroen Sport Press Release

Posted: April 3, 2008 10:52 PM

• Citroen Sport Press Release

Ford maintains world series lead after gruelling Rally Argentina

Posted: April 3, 2008 10:48 PM

BP Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team retained its lead in the FIA World Rally Championship after a punishing fourth round in Argentina this weekend. Resilient performances from Mikko Hirvonen and Jarmo Lehtinen and team-mates Jari-Matti Latvala and Miikka Anttila in Ford Focus RS World Rally Cars earned the squad a solid points score on the rain-hit Rally Argentina. The double world champions now lead the manufacturers' standings by three points.

Hirvonen and Lehtinen staged a tremendous fightback after suspension problems on the opening day to finish fifth, while fellow Finns Latvala and Anttila recovered from a first day roll and a broken starter motor yesterday to finish 15th. The double points haul was far more than had looked possible midway through yesterday's second leg as rocky roads and treacherous conditions sparked a high rate of attrition among the leading drivers.

Heavy rain before and during the event meant the sandy gravel roads near Carlos Paz in Cordoba province were muddy and rutted. As the roads became softer, rocks that had not been visible during the recce became exposed, causing problems for many. Despite the rain, an estimated 1.5 million people flocked into the pampas and the mountains to watch the three-day event, which was fought out over 21 speed tests covering 347.91km.

Hirvonen was a comfortable leader during the first morning until he hit a rock, breaking a track control arm in the front suspension and he was sidelined for the day. The 27-year-old Finn restarted yesterday in 25th and avoided the carnage affecting those around him to power back to sixth. He took no risks on today's final leg, the bulk of which was based amid the lunar-like landscape of the Traslasierra mountains and contained two of the rockiest and toughest speed tests of the season. He gained one more position and leaves south America second in the drivers' standings, five points behind the leader.

"After Friday's problems, I never thought I could climb this high," said Hirvonen. "I'm surprised to score points and luckily Loeb isn't so far ahead in the championship. He's only five points in front and I thought it would be nine, so that's some comfort. But I'm still disappointed because I made such a good start to lead and I could have won, but that's life. I found more speed than I had on the last round in Mexico but today I drove carefully because conditions were slippery and foggy."

Latvala dropped nine minutes with a roll on the opening morning, but recovered to eighth until an impact with a rock yesterday morning shattered his car's starter motor and he exceeded the permitted time limit. He restarted this morning in 21st and won two of the three special stages to climb to 15th, which was good enough for two points in the manufacturers' championship. The 22-year-old is now fourth in the drivers' standings.

"My performance was disappointing but I think these were the most difficult conditions I've encountered," he said. "I've had to adapt to different ways of driving to match the conditions. I'm surprised to score points for the team because yesterday I thought we had lost everything and wasn't motivated, but my confidence came back this morning. One thing I learned from yesterday was that I need to check the engine after an impact, even when everything seems OK. I've also gained good experience of Pirelli's tyres in wet and muddy conditions which will be good for future events."

BP Ford Abu Dhabi team director Malcolm Wilson reflected on an event that he described 'as the worst for the team since the China Rally in 1999'. "But our team spirit shone through after a tough opening day, we recovered well and we still lead the championship. We salvaged good points from a tricky situation and that was far better than it looked earlier in the rally," he said.

Ford of Europe motorsport director Mark Deans said: "This proved one of the toughest rallies in recent years. We had our share of problems but the Focus RS proved strong enough and fast enough to fight back and score the points which keeps us at the head of the championship table."

Galli glides into points for Stobart

Posted: April 3, 2008 10:47 PM

Italian crew Gigi Galli/Giovanni Bernacchini have helped the Stobart VK M-Sport Ford rally team to three vital manufacturers’ points on the fourth round of the FIA World Rally Championship this weekend. Galli’s seventh place in his Stobart Ford Focus RS WRC07 sees him maintain fifth in the Drivers’ Championship and the team hold fourth in the Manufacturers’ Championship after Rally Argentina.

Results were not so fortunate for Henning Solberg/Cato Menkerud and Matthew Wilson/Scott Martin who all retired from the event on the final day. Both drivers were running well inside the points at different stages of the event but were struck down by the treacherous weather conditions which hampered this year’s South American round.

Galli’s result was a fantastic achievement considering he retired from day 2 at mid-day service with problems caused by the rough terrain that took over the given time limit to fix. The 35-year-old set a multitude of top-three stage times on the opening day of Rally Argentina posting the fastest on the second pass of San Marcos on Friday afternoon.

Stobart’s second nominated point scorer was not so fortunate, retiring from each day under different circumstances. On day 1 Solberg retired with a broken top-mount after clipping a surface rock sticking up on the racing line. The Norwegian withdrew from the afternoon stages on Saturday to preserve his car for next month’s Jordan Rally and re-entered today under SupeRally regulations, only to retire on the opening test with suspension damage.

Twenty-one-year-old Wilson was running well at the halfway point of Rally Argentina sitting in sixth position and staying out of trouble. Unfortunately on stage 15 the Brit struck trouble on the final corner when the track control arm on his Focus RS broke forcing him to retire from the leg.

The youngster re-started the final day in an effort to gain maximum experience and some more gravel miles before Jordan but unfortunately retired on the opening test with broken front suspension.

This year’s Rally Argentina has very much been a rally of attrition with horrendous weather conditions making it one of the most challenging events in recent years. Torrential downpours, mud, fog and wild winds were the common tune this weekend as several crews fell victim to the unpredictable conditions.

The rally’s 348 kilometres took competitors higher than 2000 metres above sea level at times as they covered 21 special stages including three runs over the 1.78 Estadio Córdoba super special. The next event for the Stobart team will be Jordan Rally 24-27 April where both Galli and Solberg will again score points for the side.

Stobart VK M-Sport Ford Team Driver Gigi Galli said:
“Wow, last night I did not think I could finish this rally in seventh position but it just goes to show the rally isn’t over until you cross the finish ramp. What happened yesterday was unlucky for us and my mechanics did a fantastic job trying so hard to fix the car before time ran out so I must say thank you to them all. On the first day things felt very good even though the conditions were the worst I have ever driven in my career. We had some good stage times and even a fastest on one of them so this is a good sign for Jordan because I have only had limited kilometres on gravel, in the car. There have been so many people out supporting this rally even though the weather has been terrible and this is great to see.”

Stobart VK M-Sport Ford Team Driver Henning Solberg said:
“Well it has not been the best event for us but OK this is the way it goes sometimes. We started off quite slow as there was a lot of fog on Friday morning but then on the next few stages we found the feeling and the times were good. It was unfortunate we retired on the first day, the conditions were quite rough and I was unlucky to hit a sharp rock which broke our suspension. This has been the most challenging event in my career but hopefully it will help in the future if there is another event where the weather is really bad like this. Now I am looking forward to Jordan Rally where it is a new event for everybody.”

Stobart VK M-Sport Ford Team Driver Matthew Wilson said:
“This has been the most difficult rally of my career and is one from which I will take away a lot of experience. It was a disappointing end because we were looking good yesterday and my mechanics did an awesome job to get us back out in the afternoon after the problems on Saturday morning. On stage 15 we broke the TCA which was in a slow and smooth corner but it was just one of those things unfortunately. Today was definitely the hardest day in my career, the rain was unbelievable and you could barely see 20 metres in front of you on the stage because of all the thick fog. It would have been nice to finish this event but we had some good times on the first two days and have gained some experience in some of the worst conditions you will face in rallying.”

Stobart VK M-Sport Ford Team Principal Malcolm Wilson said:
“This has been one of the most difficult events for the Stobart team in its short history and I am relieved that Gigi has made a comeback today to score good manufacturer points for the team. I’m really pleased with the effort of the whole team, this weekend things have not gone our way but nobody ever gave up and this has resulted in Gigi’s good result which leaves him fifth in the Drivers’ Championship. This event has been a good platform for all three guys heading into Jordan next month and especially for Henning and Gigi whose first day performances showed some impressive times.”

Suzuki takes away valuable lessons from a rain-swept Argentina

Posted: April 3, 2008 10:42 PM

The SX4 WRC of P-G Andersson has scored a manufacturers’ point for Suzuki after an extremely challenging event featuring some of the worst conditions in recent memory. Just three stages made up the final day, but two of them were the most legendary and difficult of the whole event: Giulio Cesare and El Condor. These two stages reach an altitude of more than 2000 metres through the foothills of the Andes.

There is often dense fog, and huge rocks that can catch out the unwary. In these challenging conditions, P-G Andersson set an eighth-fastest time – beating many more experienced competitors and hinting at the potential of the SX4 WRC on a clean run with no problems. The Swede’s visibility was hampered through the El Condor stage as his windscreen misted up in the damp conditions, but he eventually finished the rally to score a precious manufacturers’ point for Suzuki.

Toni Gardemeister re-started the final day in order to rack up some test kilometres, but unfortunately was not able to make the finish.

This year’s Rally Argentina – which took place in the southern hemisphere’s early autumn – presented the crews with an unprecedented range of weather conditions, meaning that only eight of the original 14 World Rally Car starters made the finish.

Car news – Suzuki SX4 WRC n.11 (Gardemeister), n.12 (Andersson):
Both drivers experimented with set-ups on the soft and wet stages, concentrating on learning as much as possible for the future. The first day of Andersson's rally was halted by a turbo boost pressure sensor failure, while a suspension breakage stopped his consistent run on day two. He got to the end of the final day with no major problems.

Gardemeister had a reliable run on the opening day before hitting a rock that was on the racing line in the afternoon. He re-joined for day two but was held back by a combination of hydraulic and electronic problems that prevented him from completing the leg. The Finn managed to complete most of the stages over the three days of the rally and has acquired some valuable information to help the SX4 WRC's development.

The Suzuki SX4 WRCs arrived in Argentina with some bodywork modifications to cope with the watersplashes, as well as a revised head gasket. Both of these evolutions worked successfully, and the team was able to continue its testing programme on what is still only the fourth event of the SX4 WRC's first full season.

Driver news:
P-G Andersson: “I’m pleased to get to the end of what has been a very tough rally for us. I’m also pleased that we have scored a manufacturers’ point for Suzuki, although I would have been even happier if we had been able to score some drivers’ points for ourselves as well! We had a good solid run through the Giulio Cesare stage this morning, without pushing too hard, and that indicates the sort of thing we can do when everything is working well.
We just have to treat the problems we have experienced here as opportunities to improve and move on. Now we will be working hard in preparation for the next event, Jordan, which is brand new. Nobody starts with an advantage in terms of experience there, so I hope we can do well.”

Toni Gardemeister: “We’ve had a few problems on this event, but the conditions have been even tougher than we expected. The surfaces were extremely slippery, and it was very easy to make a mistake. We just tried to keep the car on the road as much as possible and get to the end.
Unfortunately we weren’t quite able to manage that, but we learnt several important lessons along the way and we have a very clear idea of the areas in which we can improve.”

Team news:
Nobuhiro Tajima, Suzuki World Rally Team principal: “It's clear that we have a lot of work still ahead of us, and although we are very disappointed we have also been quite unlucky here. The boost pressure sensor that stopped P-G on the opening day is a very small component, and it was very unusual for Toni to find a rock that was right on the racing line. We seem to have solved some of the reliability issues that have affected us in the past, but we need to keep working hard in order to solve all the issues we encounter.
Only when we have achieved this will we be able to reach our eventual target of competing regularly amongst the frontrunners.”

Results

Posted: April 3, 2008 10:38 PM

www.wrc.com

Citroen Sport ready to tango in the sierra

Posted: March 20, 2008 6:29 PM

Rally Argentina has so much that makes it a unique experience, from the tremendous welcome of its aficionados, the turn-by-turn descriptions of the radio commentators and the region's breathtaking landscapes, to the makeshift asados barbecuing what could well be the best meat in the world and also some of the sport's most selective stages. This year, the South American event is the fourth round of the 2008 WRC and Citroën has entered its usual crews Seìbastien Loeb/Daniel Elena and Dani Sordo/Marc Martiì, while a private C4 tended by PH Sport with support from Citroën Technologies technicians has been entered by Conrad Rautenbach/David Senior.

During week the event is in town, rally fever takes over the city of Cordoba and the otherwise peaceful shores of San Roque Lake in Villa Carlos Paz where the service park is based. Thousands of spectators are expected to line this year's 347.91km of stages which will take crews across the gravel tracks that wind through the sierra high above the Punilla, Calamuchita and Traslasierra valleys.

"Argentina is one of the most complete rallies of the season," says Citroën Sport's Technical Manager Xavier Mestelan-Pinon. "The drivers face several different types of surface, ranging from smooth and hard-packed to rough and sandy. There are some high-speed jumps which call for a certain amount of caution, too, as well as numerous water-splashes which are one of this event's specialities. It takes good notes to know exactly how fast each one can be tackled. Our first visit here with the C4 last year showed that the car was competitive. This time round, with one year's extra experience under our belts and following the testing done by the team with the car on Pirelli tyres, we hope we have succeeded in taking our package further forward and that we can come away from Argentina with a top result."

With six previous starts to his name, Marc Martiì is the most experienced of Citroën Sport's four crew members here. "The atmosphere in Argentina is something else," he beams. "It's a bit like home soil for us, too, and I have many fond memories of the event, including my win with Carlos Sainz in 2004. Each of the three legs is different, with twisty stages on Day 1, then much faster, quite treacherous ground on Saturday before the weekend concludes with two classic tests on Sunday: 'Giulio Cesare' and 'El Coìndor'. There are also plenty of water- crossings through which you really have to be careful if you don't want to damage your car."

Citroën has gone unbeaten in Argentina since 2004, and Seìbastien Loeb and Dani Sordo are both intent on continuing this winning streak. "I really do enjoy this event. It's one of the best of the year," admits the defending World Champion. "There's always a very special atmosphere and it's nice to see such enthusiastic spectators. Daniel and I have won the last three events and another victory would put us back on top of the championship standings. However, that's not an absolute priority; above all, I hope we are competitive. The major unknown factor concerns how our tyres will perform. We are forced to run hard compound Pirellis which isn't ideal for Argentina's sandy, low-wearing stages. We will need to find a set- up that gives us as much grip as possible."

"Another rally in a Spanish-speaking country! That's nice," adds Dani Sordo. "I hope we will fare better than we did in Mexico, although I must say that Rally Mexico showed me that my gravel driving technique is getting better and better. I will need to have the same feeling in Villa Carlos Paz if I want to score a top result. I like this event; I like its fast, varied stages, and the spectacular positions we find ourselves in when we land after certain jumps... We went well with the C4 here last year and we will do our best to do the same this time round to try to secure a good finish in terms of the Manufacturers' championship."

High hopes for Munchi’s home soil showdown

Posted: March 20, 2008 1:17 PM

Round four of the 2008 FIA World Rally Championship kicks off next week on home soil for the Munchi’s Ford World Rally Team. This will be the team’s second of 10 events for the season and sees the return of co-owner Luis Pèrez Companc, and co-driver Josè Maria Volta, in the driver’s seat for Rally Argentina.

Federico Villagra/Jorge Pèrez Companc will be looking to add to their brilliant start to the year after a well earned seventh overall in Mexico. Not only is this Villagra’s home nation event, but it is also based in his place of residence, Villa Carlos Paz, making it an even greater occasion for the Argentine.

With Companc out of a rally car since Wales Rally GB last December he recently undertook a one and a half day test in the Greystoke forest near M-Sport’s base in Cumbria, England. It was the first time he sampled the latest evolution of the Ford Focus RS WRC07 and fortunately dry conditions gave him a closer gauge to his home surface.

Along with his steady seventh in Mexico Villagra also won the opening round of the Argentine Rally Championship which he is defending the title of this year after two consecutive crowns in 2006 and 2007. The result on the opening round was a significant one with stages located in and around Cόrdoba; the base for this year’s Rally Argentina.

This year Rally Argentina moves to a warmer part of the year in March and will offer competitors 352 kilometres of competitive stage distance through some of the most spectacular, lunar like landscape in the World Championship. Day three exhibits the most representative features of the event through the Traslasierra region.

Like Mexico the event runs high above sea level with altitudes over 2000 metres at the highest point of competition. Road position too will play a big factor this year especially if the predicted dry conditions for next week transpire.

This year’s ceremonial start has been moved to the centre of Cόrdoba for the benefit of spectators who flock to this event. A new 3.5 kilometre super special has also been designed around the famous Cόrdoba stadium called Camping San Martin and will run once over each day.

Argentina is also home to the world famous Munchi’s ice cream which will be available in and around the service park in Villa Carlos Paz. Munchi’s ice cream was the brainchild of Luis and Jorge’s mother who discovered a greater tasting ice cream through the use of milk from a Jersey cow.

Munchi’s Ford World Rally Team Driver Luis Pèrez Companc said:
“I am very anxious about this rally because I know how important it is to represent Argentina and show ourselves driving a car of the highest level of the WRC in our home event. Last year we had such a warm reception from the fans cheering us on and it really did make a big difference for us. We had some problems on the event last year but the final day was very good and our times showed this. This will be my first event back in a car since GB last year so it will take a little bit to get used to competition again. We recently had a test at M-Sport which will help a lot as the conditions were dry and we managed to get quite a few kilometres done.”

Munchi’s Ford World Rally Team Driver Federico Villagra said:
“Scoring drivers’ points in Mexico is a huge boost for me coming into Rally Argentina which is based in my home town, Villa Carlos Paz. It is always good to have a winning car that is why we are confident of having a good rally in Argentina. The idea is to score points for the Drivers’ and Manufacturers’ Championships using the experience that we have on this rally, especially now we are ahead of Suzuki in the standings. This will be the first time on my home event in a world rally car and I have lots of friends and family in Villa Carlos Paz so I am very excited about starting the event.”

Stobart crews cruise to Córdoba for Argentine Attack

Posted: March 20, 2008 12:17 PM

Round four of the 2008 FIA World Rally Championship kicks off next Friday as crews head to South America for Rally Argentina. The Stobart VK M-Sport Ford rally team head into the event currently fourth in the Manufacturers’ Championship with Gigi Galli/Giovanni Bernacchini and Henning Solberg/Cato Menkerud both nominated point scorers.

Team-mates Matthew Wilson/Scott Martin also travel to the American continent in a confident fashion after a superb sixth place in Mexico earlier this month.

Argentina is a special event for Galli as it is the stomping ground where he achieved his first ever WRC podium back in 2006, finishing third. This will be the Italian’s third attempt at Rally Argentina as he searches for yet another good result this year after a podium in Sweden and quick pace in Mexico before retirement. Despite his retirement in Mexico Galli still remains a well positioned fifth in the Drivers’ Championship.

Returning to the Stobart squad after a spell with the Munchi’s Ford World Rally Team on round three, Solberg will be looking to continue his form in America which has already seen him pick up fifth, and score his first 2008 drivers’ point, in Mexico. Argentina is historically a memorable place for the Norwegian also, as it is where he achieved his first ever stage win as a driver in 2006 (SS16).

Rally Argentina seems to be the place of milestones for this Stobart team with Wilson too achieving his first ever WRC stage win (SS22), and first ever drivers’ point, here in 2006. This will be the 21-year-old’s third attempt at the event and his first in the 2007 spec Stobart Ford Focus RS WRC. The young Brit currently occupies 10th in the Drivers’ Championship.

This year Rally Argentina has been moved forward in the calendar but will be slightly cooler than Mexico, creating another test for the all-new Pirelli Scorpion gravel tyre, which will take a greater effort by drivers to generate heat and subsequent grip. Like Mexico, however, stage altitudes are quite high, robbing world rally cars of precious horsepower in the thin air.

Lunar like landscapes are what gives Rally Argentina its uniqueness as stages elevate over 2000 metres on the final day of competition. This year competitors will be hoping for dryer conditions with torrential downpours cancelling all of last year’s leg 1 stages after several WRC crews were left stranded at Buenos Aires airport after the ceremonial start on Thursday night. Numerous water-splashes make this event a dream for spectators as competitors fly through the fords often at maximum speed.

With a long reconnaissance this year both Galli and Wilson will be stretching their legs at 14:30 on Thursday afternoon in a traditional Argentine game of Paddle Tennis at the Portal del Largo Hotel (Rally HQ). The guys hope they will be able to game, set and match the speed of their challengers when the rally starts in earnest on Friday morning.

Stobart VK M-Sport Ford Team Driver Gigi Galli said: “I’m really happy to go back to Argentina. I have very good memories of the rally, not only because it’s where we got our first podium but also because of the fans; there are so many and you can feel their warmth. This is going to be the second race on gravel but is going to be different from Mexico. There, the stages were fast with a hard surface, while Argentina’s special stages are twisty with a soft and dirtier surface. It is going to be cooler than in Mexico and the tyres will take a little bit longer to get to the right temperature. Furthermore Argentina is famous for water splashes and this also will cool down tyres, so we have to consider this factor too. It’s been a pity we couldn’t finish Rally Mexico, it would have been helpful to get to know better the Ford Focus’s behaviour on gravel. Anyway we are ready for this new challenge and we hope to find again the good performances of the first two races. I’m also looking forward to the famous Argentine steaks, I love them!”

Stobart VK M-Sport Ford Team Driver Henning Solberg said: “I have only done this event twice before but both times I have finished in the points so it is an event I will try to do very well on. We had a good result in Mexico even though we had some problems so hopefully we can continue our form into Rally Argentina which is a similar surface. We changed a few things around with the car in Mexico and it feels good on gravel so my plan will be to go flat out and see what we can do. This can be a tough rally especially if it rains like last year because the surface can be very slippery. I am starting with a good road position on Friday and if it stays dry this will help a lot. I will try my best here and see if I can get some more drivers’ points.”

Stobart VK M-Sport Ford Team Driver Matthew Wilson said: “Hopefully this year we will have a bit more luck in Argentina and a cleaner run after a fairly eventful rally last season. Not doing all the stages last year might put us at a slight advantage because I don’t have the knowledge like on other events. 2006, however, was a great year and is where I scored my first drivers’ point and WRC stage win. It’s going to be a nice change to run in a warmer part of the year but like last year the weather is just so unpredictable you have to expect everything. I have always liked coming to Argentina and I’m looking forward to the rally next week and hopefully we’ll be able to score some more good points following on from Mexico.”

Stobart VK M-Sport Ford Team Principal Malcolm Wilson said: “All three drivers in the Stobart team have strong links with this event and all have a fantastic opportunity to even better their previous best. The event is running warmer this year and will be more demanding on crews especially with high altitude stages like Mexico. Henning returns to score manufacturer points in Argentina which will strengthen the team and Gigi has shown in the past what he can do here and his pace in Mexico was very promising before his retirement. Matthew has shown a good improvement this year and hopefully he will continue on with his form from Mexico and have another points finish here.”

SWRT: Most diverse challenge yet awaits crews in South America

Posted: March 20, 2008 11:53 AM

After the first long haul event of the season three weeks ago, crews will once again head west, this time to South America and the gravel routes of Rally Argentina. The second in a back-to-back trio of long haul events, Argentina faces competitors with stages of a completely different character on each day.

The third of the big six rallies run so far this year, Argentina is another true classic and one that tests crews with very different conditions on each day of competition. The event has been run in May as part of the World Rally Championship for the last two years, but this season sees the event brought forwards by six weeks in a return to March running which may present more unpredictable weather to add to the mix.

Each of the three days on this demanding event pitches crews against a different backdrop and road surface, making for an incredibly varied event in which those who are fast on one day may slip back the next. The stages on day one are very fast and similar to those in Mexico, while competition on day two is run on a very hard base of sand. Day three climbs high into the mountains and is very twisty. Such is the variation that the team will approach each day anew.

The rally is based in Villa Carlos Paz in the city of Cordoba, nestled into the banks of the San Roque Lake. The service park lies at a height of 650 metres above sea level, but stages rise steeply into the surrounding mountains to a peak of 2100 metres, making this another high-altitude encounter.

Road position is particularly important as crews who are able to run the stages before the loose surface deteriorates too badly will gain significant advantage. The second passes of the stages in the afternoon will likely be increasingly treacherous for those further down the order as the ruts cut deep into the road. On the tough tests and in the inconsistent conditions, drivers must perform consistently to stay at the front.

The stages consist of medium- to high-speed routes that flow through the mountains in and around Cordoba, with a superspecial stage held inside the Cordoba Stadium. Crews will use the same hard compound variant of Pirelli Scorpion gravel tyre as debuted in Mexico.

This rally is extremely tough on cars as the environment is harsh and unforgiving and the high altitude robs the engines of power on the final day. The event comprises 21 stages over 352 competitive kilometres through the Punilla Valley to the north of Cordoba, Santa Rosa de Calamuchita to the south and Traslasierra to the west. The spectator Superspecial stage inside the Cordoba Stadium will be run a total of three times, once at the end of each day.

Entries
Two Impreza WRC2007s are entered for Rally Argentina. Petter Solberg / Phil Mills will drive car number five and Chris Atkinson / Stéphane Prévot will be in car number six. Petter’s best result here is second, achieved in 2002 and in 2006. Chris’ highest finish is sixth in 2006, and it was on this event last year that he first sat alongside Stéphane Prévot.

Team quotes
David Richards, Subaru World Rally Team Principal:
“Argentina is a spectacular event but it also brings a host of new challenges to the season for both drivers and cars. After the strong pace we demonstrated in Mexico, the team have been working hard to maintain our upward momentum and I’m confident that we will continue this progress in Argentina. The key is to keep up the pace of development so as to really hit our stride mid-year with the introduction of the new car.”

Paul Howarth, Subaru World Rally Team operations director:
“Argentina is another fast gravel event. Each day is different, which makes it very challenging. We treat the three days almost as three individual rallies when it comes to setup and our approach. If it rains the roads will become incredibly tricky and slippery, especially as all WRC teams will use Pirelli’s hard compound gravel tyre. Road cleaning isn’t a factor here as the roads are generally harder, but road position will still be important for surface conditions. Our target remains a top five finish for both Petter and Chris.”

Driver quotes
Petter Solberg: “The rally is very narrow and fast, and it’s very good! Especially the people: there are so many fans that always come to watch the rally which makes it very special. The team have worked very hard since Mexico, I’m feeling very positive and I think everyone is feeling more confident for Argentina. We’ll go there and judge our pace but I think we can fight at the top. We’ll get the feel of the car from shakedown and then we’ll take it step by step and push from there. I’ll push hard, and then push a little more. That’s my approach.”

Chris Atkinson: “Argentina is probably one of the most difficult rallies for me. It seems to be a rally you need quite a bit of experience at, and that suits those who’ve been here for a long time. You recall Sainz and other greats winning this rally and making their careers because of it, and it’s a rally I’ve still to come to grips with speed-wise overall. I think we could be even more susceptible to punctures here than in Mexico so that will be an important factor. I joined Stéphane here last year for the first time, but it’s been great with him this last year so I don’t think it will make a difference. We can use our pace notes from last year though so it might mean that he won’t have so many hours of rewriting them!”

Between the rallies
Since Rally Mexico Petter Solberg and Chris Atkinson have been using the time to relax and continue their training in advance of Rally Argentina. Solberg and Atkinson spent most of the week increasing their level of training for the busy period ahead, and Chris took one day out to go snowboarding. Phil Mills and Stéphane Prévot both returned home to spend time with their families relaxing, training and preparing their notes. For Prévot, rather than having to rewrite pace notes for new events, this is the first rally on which the duo have experience together to build upon.

Posted: January 28, 2008 10:40 PM

Rally Argentina

• 2008 World Rally Championship