|
|
| RallyeNewsletter: 2008 Rally Argentina : WRC Round 4 of 15 : 28th - 30th March In this issue: Event Preview Other News Team by Team Preview Event statistics Event Schedule Championship Points 1. Event Preview Rally Argentina never fails to excite in a country where the tango mirrors the passion and fervour for life. It is surrounded by colour and the atmosphere crackles as more than a million fanatical Latin Americans flock out into the vast pampas of Cordoba province for a weekend-long fiesta. The scenery is stunning too, ranging from huge expanses of open plains north of the host town of Carlos Paz to the mountains further west where rocky ribbons of road wind through a dramatic moon-like landscape. The Argentine speed tests differ hugely in their characteristics as the rally visits three different valleys of the province and provide some of the most varied special stages of the season. In general the roads are soft and sandy, with many river crossings, and frequently become rutted during the second pass. In contrast, Sunday morning's El Condor and Giulio Césare mountain tests are narrow and rocky with no margin for error. The rally remains faithful to its traditional format of visiting the three valleys of Cordoba province, each of which offers stages of differing character and landscape. However, several of last year's scheduled opening day tests near La Falda have been dropped and two stages not used for several years have been reintroduced. Organisers have also scrapped the opening stage in Buenos Aires' River Plate soccer stadium. The first day heads north from the Carlos Paz base into the Punilla Valley while the second leg, the longest of the event, heads south to the Calamuchita valley for a double pass over faster roads. Both days end with a new stage at Cordoba's soccer stadium, but without using the main arena. The final leg covers just 42km south-west of Carlos Paz in the Traslasierra mountains, comprising the rocky El Condor and Giulio Césare tests, two of the most famous and toughest in the championship, which peak at 2195m. It ends with a super special stage over a different route at the stadium. Drivers face 21 stages covering 347.91km in a route of 1619.45km. 3. Other News Red Bull has joined Citroën Sport in the World Rally Championship as its newest partner http://www.rallye-info.com/article.asp?stid=6830 FIA confirm new WRCar regulations - The new technical regulations for the future World Rally Car will become effective from 2011. The WRC Car will be based on the current Super 2000 and Group N cars, fitted with a supplementary kit, which includes turbo and rear-wing additions. The kit must be able to be fitted or removed within a defined time limit, to be determined. http://www.rallye-info.com/article.asp?stid=6848 4. Team by Team Preview BP Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team http://ford.rallye-info.com/teams.asp?sid=2 Ford takes its FIA World Rally Championship lead back across the Atlantic Ocean next week for the second fixture in the Americas this month. Having increased its advantage in the manufacturers' standings on Mexico's gravel roads, BP Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team journeys to Rally Argentina (27 - 30 March) for an event that generates a special ambience unmatched anywhere else during the season. The reigning champion holds a 12-point lead with the Ford Focus RS World Rally Car going into this fourth round of the 15-event series. Mikko Hirvonen and Jarmo Lehtinen top the drivers' championship by a single point with team-mates Jari-Matti Latvala and Miikka Anttila in third place ahead of this second consecutive gravel event. This will be Hirvonen's fifth Argentine start with third last year the best result for the 27-year-old Finn. As championship leader he will again be first in the start order on the opening day. If conditions are dry he is likely to encounter slippery loose gravel on the road surface in the morning, which he will sweep clean for the benefit of those behind. #3 : Mikko Hirvonen/Jarmo Lehtinen: "I can't change that situation so there's no point in worrying about it," said Hirvonen. "I learned things about running first on the road in Mexico that will help me in Argentina, but I don't think it will be as big a disadvantage here as it was in Mexico. Argentina is the greatest country to drive in of any of the WRC rounds. The fans are so enthusiastic and on some stages the road is lined with people virtually from start to finish. It's a fantastic atmosphere and something that I really notice from inside the car. "The rally is varied, with many different types of roads which make it interesting to drive. It's quite flowing throughout, but it's not flat out all the way and the stages can be rough in places. It's important to be careful at the river crossings. During the recce we check how deep the water is, and it's not normally a problem for the Focus to tackle them flat out. But if it rains between the recce and the rally then more care is needed because we don't know how deep the water will be," added Hirvonen. #4 : Jari-Matti Latvala/Miikka Anttila: Fourth place in 2007 matched Latvala's career best result at the time on only his second start in Argentina. Since then the 22-year-old Finn's progress has been meteoric, stage victories on every loose surface rally dating back to Japan last season a clear indication of the progress that took him to victory in Sweden last month. "I'm hoping to be able to find the same speed in Argentina that I did in Mexico, so that I can fight with Mikko, Sébastien Loeb and the other leading drivers for a top placing," said Latvala. "It's one of my favourite rallies. The people there are welcoming and friendly and they have great passion for the sport. Only Finland is more enthusiastic than Argentina and it's a great feeling to have. "I prefer the second day's stages the most. They are the fastest, but this rally has a little bit of everything. A driver needs to be precise and keep the car in a straight line as much as possible. Because the surface is sandy, ruts develop in the corners and if the car is too sideways it takes a long time to generate the traction to come out of the bend," added Latvala. Citroen Total World Rally Team http://citroen.rallye-info.com/teams.asp?sid=1 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 Sébastien Loeb/Daniel Elena and Dani Sordo/Marc Martí, while a private C4 tended by PH Sport with support from Citroën Technologies technicians has been entered by Conrad Rautenbach/David Senior. #1 : Sebastien Loeb/Daniel Elena: Citroën has gone unbeaten in Argentina since 2004, and Sébastien 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 setup that gives us as much grip as possible." #2 : Daniel Sordo/Marc Marti: "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." Subaru World Rally Team http://subaru.rallye-info.com/teams.asp?sid=5 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. 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. #5 : Petter Solberg/Phil Mills: “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.” #6 : Chris Atkinson/Stephane Prevot: “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!” 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 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). #8 : Gigi Galli/Giovanni Bernacchini: “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!” #14 : Henning Solberg/Cato Menkerud: “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.” #16 : Matthew Wilson/Scott Martin: “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.” Suzuki World Rally Team http://suzuki.rallye-info.com/teams.asp?sid=12 Suzuki will also be hoping for a change in fortunes following a premature end to the Rally Mexico, in which P-G Andersson ran as high as sixth overall. His team mate Toni Gardemeister notched up his 100th rally in Mexico, and in Argentina the Finn celebrates another important anniversary: his 33rd birthday that takes place the day after the rally. Rally Argentina presents several unique challenges, and the Suzuki SX4 WRC has been carefully adapted to rise to the occasion. The characteristic watersplashes that punctuate the route can damage the car and drown the engine, so the SX4 WRC's front bodywork has been specially modified in order to prevent this happening by dispersing the water more quickly and effectively. The engines have also been modified in order to increase reliability and durability in the tough conditions. Suzuki has only one previous outing in Argentina, on the Junior World Rally Championship in 2006 with the Swift. On that occasion, the car won the class - but competing with a cutting-edge World Rally Car is a very different proposition. Although the surfaces are mostly soft, there is a lot of variation in the amount of grip available. As Suzuki has no previous experience of running with a World Rally Car in Argentina, the event shakedown will be a vital opportunity to establish settings for a wide range of different conditions. #11 : Toni Gardemeister/Tomi Tuominen: Toni Gardemeister has some previous experience of the Rally Argentina, having competed on the rally four times with a best result of fourth in 2005. However, he has not been to Argentina since then - although the Finn has always enjoyed a good feeling with the fast and flowing stages. After scoring a point for Suzuki on the Swedish Rally last month, Gardemeister aims to increase his total over the rolling pampas of Argentina. "I have been feeling quite ill the week before the event, so it's not been a perfect start," said Gardemeister. "However, I like Argentina very much and I'm looking forward to going back there after a two-year gap. Many of the stages are quite similar, so I'm hoping that this will not be too much of a disadvantage. There are lots of things that can catch people out, so by driving carefully and keeping out of trouble there's a very good chance of scoring some useful points. Reliability is going to be the key, and there could be some surprises from the weather as well." #12 : Per-Gunnar Andersson/Jonas Andersson: Since the start of the season P-G Andersson has demonstrated that he is more than capable of keeping pace with the frontrunners, despite the fact that Argentina will only be the young Swede's fourth rally in a World Rally Car. When he retired from Mexico he was running sixth overall, and P-G's aim is to continue where he left off. "That's the plan," he said. "I've only been to Argentina once before, in 2005, so this will be another very big learning experience for me - although I'm getting used to that now. The surfaces are quite specialised, so one of our biggest challenges will be to adapt the car to them quickly. The other big challenge will be staying on the road, as it is a very fast and slippery event in places!" 5. Event Statistics 28th Rally Argentina (round 4 of 15), March 27-30 Surface: gravel Headquarters: Villa Carlos Paz, Cordoba Practical information: the local currency is the Argentine Peso (ARS). ARS10 = €2.5. The time difference between Argentina (GMT-3) and continental Europe is five hours. When it is 11am in Villa Carlos Paz, it is 4pm Paris. Tyres: only one type of tyre is available: the Scorpion WRC 205/65R15 Hard. It is possible to carry two spares but the 're-cutting' of tread patterns is not permitted. 36 tyres may be used during the event (including shakedown). Recce: scheduled for Tuesday March 25 and Wednesday March 26. Two passes are authorised at a maximum speed of 90kph. Shakedown: Thursday March 27 (08.00 until 12.00). The 4.59km test stage between Villa Garcia and Cabanlango (14.43km northwest of the service park) is the same as that used in 2007. Press conference: Thursday March 27 (from 13.30), Portal del Lago Hotel auditorium. Autograph signing session: Thursday March 27 (19.00 to 19.40), Paseo del Buen Pastor, Cordoba. Start ceremony: Thursday March 27 (from 20.00) in Cordoba (corner of Hipolito Yrigoyen and San Luis Street). Route: the total distance is 1,619.45km, including 347.91km divided into 21 stages (11 different). Finish ceremony: Sunday March 30 (from 13.10) near the Villa Carlos Paz service park. A pre-finish podium is scheduled after SS21 for television purposes. Post-rally press conference: Sunday March 30 (from 14.00), press office auditorium, Portal del Lago Hotel. New: the rally takes place one month earlier than its slot last year (May 3-6, 2007). SS10/14 and SS11/15 are run in the opposite direction compared with last year. The Cordoba Super-Special (SS9/18/21) is organised outside the stadium this time, and not inside it. SS4/7 was previously used in 2003, while SS12/16 hasn't been used since 2001 and has a new start location this time. The start of SS20 (El Cóndor) has also been moved. 6. Event Schedule Thursday 27 March: Ceremonial start Start Cordoba 20.00 Friday 28 March: Day 1 Carlos Paz - Carlos Paz Start Carlos Paz 06.22 SS1 La Cumbre - Agua de Oro 1 18.70km 07.45 SS2 Ascochinga - La Cumbre 1 23.28km 08.41 SS3 Capilla del Monte - San Marcos 1 22.95km 09.44 SS4 San Marcos - Charbonier 1 9.61km 10.16 Serv A Carlos Paz (30 mins) 12.17 SS5 Ascochinga - La Cumbre 2 23.28km 14.26 SS6 Capilla del Monte - San Marcos 2 22.95km 15.29 SS7 San Marcos - Charbonier 2 9.61km 16.01 SS8 La Cumbre - Agua de Oro 2 18.70km 17.04 SS9 Estadio Cordoba 1 1.78km 18.45 Serv B Carlos Paz (45 mins) 19.25 Finish Carlos Paz 20.10 Saturday 29 March: Day 2 Carlos Paz - Carlos Paz Serv C Carlos Paz (15 mins) 06.10 SS10 Santa Monica - Amboy 1 22.17km 08.05 SS11 Villa del Dique - Las Bajadas 1 16.41km 08.57 SS12 San Agustin - Villa Gnrl Belgrano 1 16.31km 09.35 SS13 Santa Rosa - San Agustin 1 21.41km 10.20 Serv D Carlos Paz (30 mins) 12.15 SS14 Santa Monica - Amboy 2 22.17km 14.25 SS15 Villa del Dique - Las Bajadas 2 16.41km 15.17 SS16 San Agustin - Villa Gnrl Belgrano 2 16.31km 15.55 SS17 Santa Rosa - San Agustin 2 21.41km 16.40 SS18 Estadio Cordoba 2 1.78km 18.45 Serv E Carlos Paz (45 mins) 19.25 Finish Carlos Paz 20.10 Sunday 30 March: Day 3 Carlos Paz - Carlos Paz Serv F Carlos Paz (15 mins) 06.55 SS19 Mina Clavero - Giulio Cesare 24.70km 09.13 SS20 El Condor - Copina 16.06km 10.05 SS21 Estadio Cordoba 1.98km 11.50 Serv G Carlos Paz (10 mins) 12.45 Finish Carlos Paz 13.10 7. Championship Points 2008 WRC Manufacturers Championship Points: Drivers 1 Hirvonen / Lehtinen 21 2 Loeb / Elena 20 3 Latvala / Anttila 16 4 Atkinson / Prévot 14 5 Solberg / Mills 9 - Galli / Bernacchini 9 7 Duval / Chevalier 5 8 Solberg / Menkerud 4 Manufacturers 1 BP Ford WRT 37 2 Subaru World Rally Team 25 - Citroen Total WRT 25 4 Stobart VK M-Sport WRT 19 5 Munchi's Ford WRT 6 6 Suzuki WRT 5 Full standings http://www.rallye-info.com/points.asp |