|
|
| 2008 Rally Argentina : WRC Round 4 of 15 : 28th - 30th March In this issue: Leg 1 Unofficial Leaderboard Leg 1 News Leg 1 Team by Team News Remaining Event Schedule 1. Unofficial Leaderboard 1. Loeb / Elena Citroen C4 WRC 1h 54m 28.0s 2. Atkinson / Prevot Subaru Impreza WRC2007 +1m 30.6s 3. Solberg / Mills Subaru Impreza WRC2007 +1m 38.9s 4. Galli / Bernacchini Ford Focus RS WRC 07 +1m 47.7s 5. Sordo / Marti Citroen C4 WRC +2m 06.9s 6. Villagra / Perez Companc Ford Focus RS WRC 07 +4m 48.3s 7. Wilson / Martin Ford Focus RS WRC 07 +6m 18.3s 8. Latvala / Anttila Ford Focus RS WRC 07 +9m 27.5s 9. Rautenbach / Senior Citroen C4 WRC +10m 31.8s 10. Aigner / Wicha Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX +12m 21.0s 2. Leg News This fourth round of the FIA World Rally Championship has not run in March for several years, but there was little of the fading south American summer to enjoy in the pampas of Cordoba province today. The vast open plains of the Punilla Valley, north of the rally base in Carlos Paz, were blitzed by fog, low cloud, heavy rain and mud this morning before - finally - sunshine made a brief appearance. Massive crowds packed Cordoba last night for the start ceremony, more than 50,000 fans lining the roads as competitors headed out of the city to Carlos Paz. The action began in earnest this morning but constantly changing conditions made life difficult for competitors over the 150.86km of gravel speed tests. Cool temperatures made it hard for drivers to generate heat into the hard compound Pirelli Scorpion tyres that regulations demand all competitors use and mud ensured normal grip was sporadic. Sébastien Loeb (Citroen) replaced Hirvonen in top spot and built an overnight lead of 1min 30.6sec, despite winning only one stage. Chris Atkinson (Subaru) lies second, despite spinning twice on the penultimate test, with team-mate Petter Solberg in third, although the Norwegian drove all afternoon with a broken front shock absorber. Stobart driver Gigi Galli (Ford) won one stage and lies fourth, moving ahead of Dani Sordo (Citroen) on the penultimate stage when the Spaniard had power steering problems. Munchi's Federico Villagra (Ford) rounds off the top six on his home rally. There have been many retirements, including Henning Solberg (Ford) and Toni Gardemeister (Suzuki), who both hit rocks and broke their cars' suspension. Per-Gunnar Andersson (Suzuki) failed to reach the first stage following an engine sensor problem and Luis Perez Companc (Ford) slid off the road on the penultimate test. Saturday is the longest of day of Rally Argentina with nine stages totalling just fewer than 155 competitive kilometres. The sandy roads take crews 70 kilometres south of the Villa Carlos Paz service park and the city of Cordoba to the towns of Santa Monica and San Agustin in the Santa Rosa de Calamuchita region. After the long and hot Argentine summer the stages had become hard-packed, but with the recent heavy rain they will become badly rutted and incredibly slippery. Past experience will be of significant benefit as the road conditions have changed since the recce crews conducted earlier in the week, so those who are able to adapt quickly and find the best grip will be fastest. 4. Team by Team News BP Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team http://ford.rallye-info.com/teams.asp?sid=2 BP Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team won six of the nine speed tests during today's demanding opening leg of Rally Argentina. Mikko Hirvonen and Jarmo Lehtinen and team-mates Jari-Matti Latvala and Miikka Anttila each claimed three victories in Ford Focus RS World Rally Cars, but problems for both Finnish pairings kept them down the order tonight. Latvala is eighth after rolling this morning while Hirvonen retired from the lead after hitting a rock and breaking the suspension. #3 : Mikko Hirvonen/Jarmo Lehtinen: "I couldn't see much in the first stage because of fog and visibility was down to 10 metres in places, but I'm not afraid to drive fast when I can't see," said Hirvonen. "I had no idea how good my speed was and at the finish my first words to Jarmo were 'we've either lost a minute or won a minute'. My pace notes worked really well and in fog that is so important. There was also a lot of rain and the stage was treacherous." However, 8km from the end of the afternoon's opening test, Hirvonen's run at the front ended. "I hit a big rock in a left corner with the wheel on full lock and the impact broke the bolts in the track control arm. The rock was in a rut and became exposed after the first pass through the stage so it's not something I would have had in my pace notes. I was unlucky and I'm disappointed because the rally started well and I needed a win here and the points," he said. He will restart tomorrow under SupeRally rules in 25th position. #4 : Jari-Matti Latvala/Miikka Anttila: Latvala was second in the opening test but the 22-year-old Finn struck trouble in the second stage. "I didn't enjoy the first stage and didn't feel comfortable going into the next test," he said. "About 1km after the start I came to a flat left corner that tightened and I hit the bank. That bounced the car across the road and I rolled off the track at the next right corner. The car landed with Miikka's side up against a small tree. Spectators helped us move the car off the tree and rolled it back onto its wheels before finding a small road that led back to the stage. The damage wasn't big, just a cracked windscreen and some body damage." Latvala lost nine minutes and dropped to 30th, but began his recovery in style with fastest time on the very next stage. He won two more tests this afternoon but also spun and stalled his car's engine on two occasions. "I've been happy with my speed, I just need to get rid of my mistakes," admitted Latvala. "Tomorrow's stages are faster and wider and I hope it stays dry. If not, then at least I've learned today how to drive when it's wet and slippery and conditions are tricky." Citroen Total World Rally Team http://citroen.rallye-info.com/teams.asp?sid=1 Sébastien Loeb and Daniel Elena enjoy a lead of more than one minute with their C4 WRC, while a fine run from team-mates Dani Sordo and Marc Martí has taken the second C4 to overnight fifth. Despite being brought forward one month compared with 2007 to an early southern hemisphere date, this year's Rally Argentina is hardly enjoying an Indian summer. "It's more like Wales in December," quipped Sébastien Loeb at the end of a somewhat wet and dismal day. Yet even though it's hardly been ideal weather for getting out the traditional local asado barbecue, the spectators lined the stages in the sierra above the small town of Cumbre in their usual high numbers. The day's menu comprised four tests contested twice each, before ending with the weekend's first attempt at the Córdoba super-special. #1 : Sebastien Loeb/Daniel Elena: "As is often the case in the heat of the action, today was no stroll," related Sébastien Loeb as night fell over Villa Carlos Paz. "We had to be especially careful this morning because SS1 and SS2 were shrouded in thick fog and visibility was down to just a few metres! The heavy rain has also made the roads extremely slippery, with constant changes in the amount of grip available. At the pace we were going, we could easily have put a foot wrong and I was pleased when we made it back to service with just a small spin and a brush with a post to report!" After slightly modifying the set-up of his C4 for the afternoon's loop, the defending World Champion moved to the top of the leaderboard after SS5. "The set-up changes we made were very beneficial," he reported. "Once we found ourselves with a reasonably clear lead, we were able to lift a little. I am pleased with the way the day went but this rally is far from over. So much can still happen and the stages promise to stay treacherous all the way through to Sunday afternoon…" #2 : Daniel Sordo/Marc Marti: "The conditions were effectively very hazardous," echoed Dani Sordo. "Running ninth on the road this morning meant we were forced to keep to the ruts made by the cars running ahead of us. The ground is very soft and there was precious little grip, so that was real handicap. I am nonetheless happy with my run and I was second quickest on SS4 which was new to me. After making a few adjustments to our set-up for the afternoon with the technical team, our C4 was very competitive and we were battling for a place on the podium when we were slowed by a power steering problem on SS8. There are still two more days to come to try to make up for lost ground and perhaps make it into the top three." Subaru World Rally Team http://subaru.rallye-info.com/teams.asp?sid=5 The Subaru World Rally Team has both Impreza WRC2007s in the top three positions overall after a rain-beaten first day of competition on Rally Argentina, the fourth round of the World Rally Championship. After a hot summer, flash rains in the morning left the stages muddy and rutted whilst ensuing fog added another component to the treacherous mix. Chris Atkinson and Stéphane Prévot produced a solid and measured performance to finish the day in second position, just eight seconds clear of teammates Petter Solberg and Phil Mills who strengthened the team’s effort with third place in their number five car. After what was a turbulent day, consistent pace from both crews rewarded the Subaru World Rally Team with its best start to a rally this season. #5 : Petter Solberg/Phil Mills: “We had some problems today, like everyone else, but we are in third place so it’s not bad at all” said Petter Solberg. “I didn’t feel comfortable in the conditions on the last loop of stages today and we lost a lot of time, but we will make some more changes tonight and then keep pushing hard tomorrow. The gaps are quite small so we have to push hard but we will see. The weather was such a big part today, and it will be totally different again tomorrow so we will do our best and see how it goes.” #6 : Chris Atkinson/Stephane Prevot: “Today has been tough but I’m pleased with second place” said Chris Atkinson. “I made a mistake on stage eight and we lost quite a bit of time so the gap to Petter is much smaller now. You really kick yourself when you give away that much time, but that’s what can happen in these conditions. Tomorrow we will have to push just as hard so it will be another tough day. It’s great for the team to have two cars in the top three, but Galli and Sordo are not so far behind, and we have seen how much things can change today, so it won’t be easy.” Stobart VK M-Sport Ford World Rally Team http://ford.rallye-info.com/teams.asp?sid=2 Gigi Galli/Giovanni Bernacchini have had a stunning day with the Stobart VK M-Sport Ford rally team to finish the opening leg of Rally Argentina in fourth overall. The Italian driver also picked up his second stage win of the year by finishing quickest over the 9.6 kilometre San Marcos – Charbonier II test. Running inside the points along with Galli is Matthew Wilson/Scott Martin who finished an impressive seventh place after consistently improved pace over the day. The young Brit sits comfortably in the position as he searches for yet another points’ finish in 2008. Unfortunately team-mates Henning Solberg/Cato Menkerud cut short their day 1 challenge having to retire on stage 5 after taking a heavy impact on a rock damaging the front right suspension on their Stobart Ford Focus RS WRC07. Despite losing over a minute on the opening stage due to thick fog, Galli managed to climb back up the leaderboard and is now breathing down the neck of Petter Solberg in third position. The 35-year-old sits just 8.8 seconds behind the Norwegian albeit with a 20 second penalty after leaving lunchtime service two minutes late due to extra time required to repair small damage to his rear suspension. Wilson’s day began cautiously in the treacherous conditions but was soon boosted with clearing fog. The 21-year-old constantly set stage times inside the top-10 and was rewarded for his consistency by finishing day 1 in a points scoring position. #8 : Gigi Galli/Giovanni Bernacchini: “This morning was probably the two most difficult stages I have ever driven, the amount of road you couldn’t see was incredible. I am very happy with my times this afternoon and it feels great to set a fastest stage time already on gravel in the Focus. The people out on the stages have been amazing. There are so many fans, even on the road sections, but they are all being marshalled very safely and it is great to see them all out cheering despite the bad weather. Today was a great day and we will see if we can keep up the speed tomorrow and continue to set fast times. I am very close to the podium now but there is a long way to the finish and finishing is how you get good results.” #14 : Henning Solberg/Cato Menkerud: “I am very disappointed with what has happened today. We hit a rock on the inside of a right hand corner on stage 5 and broke the right suspension. It is a shame because the feeling was starting to come and we set the third fastest time on stage 4. The mechanics will be working hard tonight and hopefully they can have the car fixed for tomorrow’s stages.” #16 : Matthew Wilson/Scott Martin: “Today has been quite an eventful one for all WRC crews and I’m happy to be here at the end of day 1 and in a good points’ position already. The first two stages this morning were unbelievably tricky but we got through them and started to set some reasonable times when it dried up in the afternoon. I hit a huge rock on stage 5 and we were up on two wheels and I thought the car was going to roll but luckily it landed back on four wheels and held its strength, only doing some small cosmetic damage. I’m looking forward to tomorrow’s stages because I like them a lot better with the sandy base. It is going to be interesting and a lot different from how the roads were on recce but hopefully we can continue the pace and stay in the points.” Suzuki World Rally Team http://suzuki.rallye-info.com/teams.asp?sid=12 The Suzuki World Rally Team has had a day of mixed fortunes on the opening leg of the Rally Argentina, round four of the World Rally Championship. Young Swede P-G Andersson was forced to retire just four kilometres from the opening stage, as a result of a boost pressure sensor failure. By contrast, Toni Gardemeister enjoyed a reliable run to place his SX4 WRC within the point-scoring positions for the bulk of the day. Unfortunately, during the very last proper stage, he could not avoid hitting a rock on the racing line - which led to his retirement from the leg. Conditions on the Rally Argentina were atrocious in the morning, with heavy rain, thick fog and plenty of mud on the road. As more cars passed through the stages the surfaces broke up, making life extremely difficult for Gardemeister, who started 10th on the road. #11 : Toni Gardemeister/Tomi Tuominen: "Both myself and P-G have actually been very unlucky on this event. In my case I saw a big rock right on the racing line, which is unusual, and I could not help hitting it. Without that problem we would have got to the end of the day safely in seventh, with some good chances of finishing in the top six. Everything is not yet lost though, and we can still come back and achieve something from this event. The conditions today were as difficult as I have ever known them: the surfaces were really slippery and we were struggling for grip all the time. It could be the same again tomorrow, so we have to just try and stay out of trouble and move up the order as best as we can." #12 : Per-Gunnar Andersson/Jonas Andersson: "Actually what halted us was a very trivial problem, but it meant that we could not do any of the stages today and that was very frustrating. Having said that, I have already drawn a line under today: my rally starts tomorrow. The most important thing now is for me to have time in the car and by the end of the rally I hope we will have achieved that and learned some useful things. It's good that the weather is so bad: it means that we can test the car under extreme conditions." 5. Remaing Event Schedule 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 |