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| 2008 Rally Mexico : WRC Round 3 of 15 : 29th February - 2nd March Event Preview Team by Team Preview Event statistics Event Schedule Championship Points 1. Event Preview Based in the city of Leon in the Guanajuato region of Mexico’s central highlands, the event promises very different conditions to any seen so far this year in either Monte Carlo or Sweden. Crews will compete for the first time on Pirelli’s new Scorpion gravel championship control tyre, available in only one compound and tread pattern. It will be the third different tyre design crews have used in the first three events of the year. Crews are banned from cutting the tread of their tyres this year, which on gravel typically meant opening up the tread pattern to maximise the tyre’s ability to cut through the loose surface. This will mean road position is crucial as those further down the order will benefit from road cleaning, meaning a smoothing of the loose surface that will afford the standard tread better traction. The region’s hard-packed gravel roads are some of the highest of the year. Generally fast, they are tricky as they don’t naturally flow through the mountainous terrain. The challenging combination of high and slow-speed sections make it difficult for crews to establish a rhythm along the sometimes narrow and technical tests. Those who are smoothest will improve the life and therefore grip from their tyres on the abrasive surface where tyre wear is very high. The route is much the same as last year with only minor additions to sections of the Ortega and El Cubilete speed tests. Rally Mexico is the most compact route in the WRC, and this year is even more so than last with a total distance of just 830 kilometres. The 354 competitive kilometres of gravel roads traverse the mountains of the Sierra de Lobos and Sierra de Guanajuato to the east of Leon, reaching a peak altitude of just over 2700 metres where the oxygen is thin and engines struggle to develop power. The event opens with a ceremonial start on Thursday night in front of the Alhondiga de Granaditas, an historic grain storage building which now serves as a regional museum. A change from the first two events, the weather forecast is dry and windy, with temperatures reaching 25 degrees Celsius. Each day is concluded by a 2.21km spectator stage, located 15km south-west of Leon, which will be run a total of five times over the three days to bring the action from the mountains to the local fans. 4. Team by Team Preview BP Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team http://ford.rallye-info.com/teams.asp?sid=2 After establishing a strong early season lead in the FIA World Rally Championship on asphalt and snow, BP Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team journeys to North America next week for the first of seven consecutive gravel events. Loose surface roads are the dominant terrain in the series, hosting 10 of the 15 rounds, and so Rally Mexico (28 February - 2 March) will offer the best guideline to date for the season ahead. The Ford Focus RS World Rally Car claimed a clean sweep of the podium positions in Sweden earlier this month with BP Ford Abu Dhabi on the top two steps. Combined with second place on the season-opener in Monte Carlo in January, the reigning world manufacturers' champion travels to this third round with a 10-point lead. Mikko Hirvonen and Jarmo Lehtinen are six points clear in the drivers' table with Sweden winners Jari-Matti Latvala and Miikka Anttila tied in second. #3 : Mikko Hirvonen/Jarmo Lehtinen: Hirvonen, whose best finish in his three previous starts was third last year, will be first in the start order on the opening day courtesy of being championship leader for the first time in his career. "First on the road isn't the best place to be in Mexico because there will be loose gravel and stones on the road surface," said the 27-year-old Finn. "It's better to be further down the order where the roads will be cleaner but I don't mind putting up with that if it means I lead the championship. I really don't want to start first on Saturday or Sunday though, and it will be interesting to see if tactics come into play at the end of the first day as drivers try to obtain a better start position for the rest of the weekend. "Technically the roads are a mix. About 50 per cent is quite straightforward and the rest is more difficult. There are also plenty of stones on the edge of the road. In the past, with puncture-resistant mousse in the tyres, that wouldn't have been a problem but now it's something I have to think about more carefully. The altitude is the most difficult aspect because the higher the stages, the less power there is and sometimes when you need the power it isn't there. I will attack as hard as I can from the start. We had a good test last week and I was pleased with Pirelli's gravel tyre. I'm not concerned about punctures or tyre wear," added Hirvonen. #4 : Jari-Matti Latvala/Miikka Anttila: Latvala became the youngest driver in history to win a WRC round in Sweden last month on only his second outing with the BP Ford Abu Dhabi team. The 22-year-old Finn acknowledges that victory imposed demands on him that he had not experienced before. "It was a surprise because I didn't expect so much media interest and I was very busy handling interviews for a few days after the rally," he said. "I don't have as much experience in Mexico compared to some other rounds and I need to be a bit calmer than in Sweden. Another win isn't a realistic aim and I would be happy with a top three position. I was very satisfied with last week's test. Pirelli's tyres felt strong. I had a couple of impacts with stones but no punctures so I have no concerns. Latvala was seventh last year, his best result from just two starts, and has learned to be cautious of the water crossings. "In the recce the roads are in good condition but it's surprising how many big impacts the cars can take during the rally itself. Where the water flows down from the mountains and crosses the roads, the concrete crossings can be deep and after a fast section the car can take quite a hard impact there," he explained. Citroen Total World Rally Team http://citroen.rallye-info.com/teams.asp?sid=1 The third round of the 2008 World Rally Championship takes the series to Mexico where the stages twist through the hills near Leon, in the state of Guanajuato, which is situated at an altitude of 1,800 metres. Citroen Total has entered two C4 WRCs for Sebastien Loeb/Daniel Elena and Dani Sordo/Marc Marti, while the C4 WRC entered by Conrad Rautenbach/David Senior will be run by PH Sport with support from Citroen Sport Technologies technicians. #1 : Sebastien Loeb/Daniel Elena: "When you make a mistake and drop points, you're bound to feel a certain amount of pressure at the start of the following event," recognizes Sebastien Loeb. "That will probably be the case for me in Mexico which is not a simple event. The stages are quite varied, with a mix of wide, smooth roads and slower, twistier portions. The tyre factor will be important, too. The hard packed surface generally gives good grip, but it remains to be seen how it goes with our new Pirelli tyres. There is also a question mark concerning whether the dropping of mousse-run flat systems will lead to more punctures. It's a factor I will need to take into account in the way I drive, and I will also need to adapt my style to the lower engine power at high altitudes. We won this event last year, so we know that the C4 WRC is competitive in Mexico, and the whole team has worked very hard since last year's event. I will still tackle it cautiously, though, because we can't afford to let the gap with our rivals get bigger." #2 : Daniel Sordo/Marc Marti: "Mexico is something of a special event for me," smiles Dani Sordo. "It's a long way from Spain but it feels a bit like home. I like the atmosphere and the spectators give us a warm welcome. Like their Spanish counterparts, they let their enthusiasm show and it's always nice to have their support. With the manufacturers championship in mind, it will be important to try to finish ahead of our rivals in order to pocket as many points as possible for Citroen. It won't be easy, but I enjoyed good runs on my first two visits here. I feel at ease on these stages and I hope I will feel as comfortable with the C4 as in Leon as I did recently in the slippery conditions we faced in Sweden. I will also try to profit from my running order on the first day." Subaru World Rally Team http://subaru.rallye-info.com/teams.asp?sid=5 The Subaru World Rally Team will travel west to the Americas for the third event of the season, the Corona Rally Mexico, after its late inclusion in this year’s WRC calendar. The first traditional gravel rally of the year is also the first long-haul event, and the only time the crews will visit the North American continent. The conditions traditionally suit Subaru very well, and Petter Solberg and Phil Mills won here in 2005 and established an early lead last year before being forced into retirement. Chris Atkinson also held second position last year before running into difficulty and finishing fifth. The Subaru World Rally Team have entered two Impreza WRC2007s for Rally Mexico. Petter Solberg / Phil Mills will drive car number five and Chris Atkinson / Stéphane Prévot will be in car number six. Solberg and Mills have finished on the podium twice in the last three years. Atkinson finished fifth last year, his best result in Mexico, but this will be his first running of the event alongside Prévot. #5 : Petter Solberg/Phil Mills: “We go to Mexico knowing that we have won here in the past, but we don’t approach it any differently to Monte or Sweden. We made some good steps forward in the test last week, so we go to Mexico with a good setup. We’ll drive our own rally, push as hard as we can and see what happens. I hope we will be strong again here as it’s good for everyone if we can be fighting at the front.” #6 : Chris Atkinson/Stephane Prevot: “It’s a difficult rally with the altitude and the conditions, but we approach it with the same strategy as we have started this year with. Last year we had a good result and good pace on the first day, so if we can maintain consistency throughout the event then I hope we can get a good finish. We have a strong engine in the car that seems to perform well at altitude which I think is one of the reasons we go well here. I like the feeling of the rally as it’s good to have such a variation in speed and conditions that keeps you entertained! Visually it’s appealing and very different, and that’s what rallying is all about.” Stobart VK M-Sport Ford World Rally Team http://ford.rallye-info.com/teams.asp?sid=2 The Stobart VK M-Sport Ford rally team head to Corona Rally Mexico next week, for the third round of the FIA World Rally Championship, second in the Manufacturer standings. This will be the first gravel event in 2008 for the squad and the third consecutive event that a different pairing will be nominated to score points for the team. After a sensational podium finish for Gigi Galli/Giovanni Bernacchini in Sweden earlier this month they will again be a nominated scoring crew. The second for this event will be Brits Matthew Wilson/Scott Martin who have had a very promising start to the season and are therefore rewarded with an opportunity to help the team continue with its first-rate start to the season. For Galli this will be his first event on gravel in the Stobart Focus RS WRC07 and the 35-year-old is relishing the opportunity like a raging bull. The only time he competed here was not the greatest with suspension issues forcing him to retire on stage 6 back in 2004. Budget restrictions have prevented the Italian from competing in Mexico over the last three years but to keep a close relationship with the unique properties of this event he undertook reconnaissance in 2005 and 2006. Stobart regulars Henning Solberg/Cato Menkerud jump ship for this event in aid of fellow M-Sport-run outfit the Munchi’s Ford World Rally Team. Twenty-one-year-old Wilson will be looking to continue on from his form in Sweden which saw him in a Sunday showdown for fifth position before throttle issues forced his retirement on the penultimate stage. Sporting the number 8 for this event it will be the youngster’s first as a nominated point scoring driver for the Stobart team since Wales Rally GB back in 2006. #8 : Gigi Galli/Giovanni Bernacchini: “I just really want to be in Mexico right now, I feel like a horse before a big race raring to go. I competed on this event in 2004 but only got through five stages; however we did do the recce in 2005 and 2006 which I think will help a lot. Mexico is such a wonderful place to go and the atmosphere of the fans is incredible. The people also manage the roads very well there which makes them quite enjoyable to drive on. It will be harder for me to compete at a good level having only done five competitive stages in 2004 but I don’t care, it will be good to be there and get used to the new tyre. I have never used the new Pirelli tyre so this gives us the chance to discover the car and the tyre on gravel for the first time. Like every rally I set a pace on the first stage, see where we are and then develop the speed and feeling from there.” #16 : Matthew Wilson/Scott Martin: “It’s great to be nominated to score points for the Stobart team again. There will be a bit more pressure on me now but it’s a real boost to be able to help the team after such a great start to the year. Mexico has always been quite a good rally for me and it’s where I scored my first drivers’ points in last year’s championship. It’s a bit of a shame not going into the event with any points from Sweden but we will look to get some here. The altitude makes it tough on the cars and the body so Scott and I will be doing some altitude training once we get out there to try and acclimatise a bit better. It will be the first time for me on the new Pirelli gravel tyre but so far we have had no problems on the tarmac and studded versions so I’m confident the feeling will be good in Mexico.” Suzuki World Rally Team http://suzuki.rallye-info.com/teams.asp?sid=12 Rally Mexico, round three of this year’s World Rally Championship, will mark an important milestone for Toni Gardemeister and Suzuki. For Gardemeister, Mexico is his 100th World Rally Championship start, while for Suzuki it is the SX4 WRC’s first competitive appearance outside of Europe – as well as the first round of this year’s championship to be held on gravel. Having started his World Championship career on the 1996 Rally Finland, Gardemeister is also the factory driver who has been competing on the series for the longest amount of time – despite the fact that he is still only 32 years of age! Mexico joined the World Rally Championship in 2004, but Suzuki has only competed there once – with the Super 1600 Ignis in 2005. The SX4 WRC only has one gravel event behind it – last year’s Rally Great Britain with Sebastian Lindholm – so there will be a lot to learn. Nonetheless the basic speed and reliability of the SX4 WRC has been good for a car in this very early stage of its career, with a pair of points finishes already in the bag after the two opening rounds of the World Championship. Following the Swedish Rally a number of small improvements have been made to the hydraulic system in order to improve reliability and also performance. The Mexican stages are reasonably smooth so the car will run in standard gravel trim. The roads are notoriously hard on brakes though, which will be one of the many factors considered when determining the set-up. Mexico is also the first outing for Pirelli’s new ‘Scorpion’ gravel control tyres. #11 : Toni Gardemeister/Tomi Tuominen: “To rack up 100 world rallies is a nice achievement,” he said. “I’ve been in the championship for quite some time now, but it’s a bit misleading as there are quite a lot of people who have done more rallies than me. I’m looking forward to Mexico: I was so ill the last time I did this rally that I struggled to finish sixth. Maybe that’s why I don’t remember so much about it! But I do remember that the stages were nice, although there were some very big rocks that seemed to come out of nowhere. We have to be realistic and accept that this will not be an easy rally for us as everything is unknown. But I’m aiming to enjoy my 100th event and score some more points for Suzuki. I think that’s definitely possible.” #12 : Per-Gunnar Andersson/Jonas Andersson: P-G Andersson also has very little idea about what to expect from the Mexican stages this time round – but he knows that the roads will be tough and unpredictable. “It’s actually the sort of event where absolutely anything might happen,” he said. “If things go well and other people have problems, you could be in the top five. Equally, you could be unlucky and hit trouble. Realistically I think we have to aim for the top eight. Because of the altitude and our lack of experience compared to everyone else, that would be a good result.” Munchi's Ford World Rally Team http://ford.rallye-info.com/teams.asp?sid=2 #9 : Federico Villagra/J. Perez Companc: Quote unavailable at time of publishing. #14 : Henning Solberg/Cato Menkerud: Quote unavailable at time of publishing. 5. Event Statistics Surface: Gravel Headquarters: Lean, state of Guanajuato Local Currency: Mexican Peso Tyres: Only on type of tyre is available, the Scorpion WRC Hard. It is possible to carry two spares but re-cutting of the tread patterns in not permitted. 36 tyres may be used during the event (including shakedown) Recce: Tues Feb 26th and Wed Feb 27th Shakedown: Thurs Feb 28th 8.00-12.00. The 5.13km test stage near San Juan de Otates is the same as used in 2007 Rally Show: an autograph signing session will be held at the Poliforum on Thurs Feb 28th 14.00-15.00 Start Ceremony: Thurs Feb 28th Guanajuato 20.00 6. Event Schedule Thursday 28 February: Ceremonial start Start Guanajuato 20.00 Friday 29 February: Day 1 León - León Start León 08.00 SS1 Alfaro 1 22.96km 08.28 SS2 Ortega 1 23.83km 09.51 SS3 El Cubilete 1 18.87km 10.39 Serv A León Poliforum (30 mins) 12.04 SS4 Alfaro 2 22.96km 13.02 SS5 Ortega 2 23.83km 14.25 SS6 El Cubilete 2 18.87km 15.13 SS7 Super Special 1 2.21km 16.33 SS8 Super Special 2 2.21km 16.38 Serv B León Poliforum (45 mins) 17.08 Finish León 17.53 Saturday 1 March: Day 2 León - León Serv C León Poliforum (15 mins) 07.30 SS9 Ibarrilla 1 29.90km 08.24 SS10 Duarte 1 23.27km 09.47 SS11 Derramadero 1 23.28km 10.38 Serv D León Poliforum (30 mins) 12.03 SS12 Ibarrilla 2 29.90km 13.12 SS13 Duarte 2 23.27km 14.35 SS14 Derramadero 2 23.28km 15.26 SS15 Super Special 3 2.21km 16.41 SS16 Super Special 4 2.21km 16.46 Serv E León Poliforum (45 mins) 17.16 Finish León 18.01 Sunday 2 March: Day 3 León - León Serv F León Poliforum (15 mins) 07.45 SS17 León 16.09km 08.28 SS18 Guanajuatito 22.30km 08.56 SS19 Comanjilla 17.88km 10.19 SS20 Super Special 5 4.42km 11.34 Serv G León Poliforum (10 mins) 12.07 Finish León 13.00 7. Championship Points Drivers 1. M Hirvonen 16pts 2= J-M Latvala 10pts 2= S Loeb 10pts 4. G Galli 9pts 5. P Solberg 9pts 6. C Atkinson 6pts Manufacturers 1. BP Ford Abu Dhabi 26pts 2= Stobart VK M-Sport 16pts 2= Subaru 16pts 4. Citroen Total 15pts 5. Suzuki 5pts Full standings http://www.rallye-info.com/points.asp |