The 2011 World Rally Championship returns to Europe and the Mediterranean island of Sardinia this week.
This is a summary of how the main contenders have prepared and what some of the leading drivers have had to say in the build-up to the challenging gravel event.
Petter Solberg World Rally Team
Driver/manager Petter Solberg heads to Sardinia desperate for an upturn in form following a miserable run of late. And he does so on the back of a recent test in the south of France. Citroen Racing Technologies, which runs Solberg’s DS3 and oversaw the test, selected rough roads to replicate the conditions found on the island. Solberg was third when the WRC last visited Sardinia and a repeat of that performance will be just the fillip the Norwegian craves.
Petter Solberg: “I like this event. It’s always a tough rally, but it’s the roads are good. It’s going to be an exciting one and we have always gone well there in the past. I want some results from these rallies now. The strategy is to be fast, that’s it.”
Munchi’s Ford World Rally Team
Argentine driver Federico Villagra will make his 50th start at world championship level in Sardinia, the venue of his first rally for the Munchi’s squad back in 2007. His most recent appearance on the island in 2009 was marred when he had to retire after co-driver Jorge Perez Companc fell ill. He starts the event on the back of contesting the Argentine championship Rally de Villa Delores, from which he retired with engine problems.
Federico Villagra: “Our aim for the first half of the season was to find a good feeling with the new Ford Fiesta RS WRC as soon as possible and we hoped the results would follow. In both Portugal and Jordan, we found it difficult finding the right rhythm on the opening day but after some small adjustments, the car has been excellent and we’ve been pleased with our times.”
Team Abu Dhabi
Buoyed by his run to eighth overall on last month’s Jordan Rally, the Emirati will make his third start in Sardinia alongside co-driver Michael Orr. The Ford Fiesta RS WRC driver relishes hot gravel rallies and will be a contender for a top 10 finish on Sunday.
Khalid Al Qassimi: “I’m full of confidence coming off my best result this year in Jordan. However, the stages in Sardinia can be complicated and varied, with a mix of hard and soft surfaces. It will be a challenging event but I hope to keep pushing towards my goal of a top 10 overall finish by the end of the season.”
FERM Power Tools World Rally Team
The team’s sole driver, Dennis Kuipers, has never competed in Sardinia before but says he is feeling more at home in his Fiesta RS WRC after contesting all three gravel rounds so far this season. With no pre-event test, that high level of confidence will prove vital for the Dutchman who will be reunited with regular co-driver Frederic Miclotte after the Belgian missed the Jordan Rally to contest a clashing event.
Dennis Kuipers: “It will be the first time for me in Sardinia, I’m really looking forward to the stages but I don’t really know what to expect. I’ve done three rallies now on gravel in the Fiesta [RS WRC] and I have a good feeling with the car. I won’t have a test before the rally but I don’t see it being a big problem.”
Brazil World Rally Team
Daniel Oliveira and his Brazil World Rally Team will start their third consecutive event in the world series this season, only this time it will be with a MINI John Cooper Works WRC, having upgraded from the Super 2000 version they used in Portugal back in March. Although Oliveira is a Sardinia novice, his co-driver Carlos Magalhaes took part on the event in 2010 when it counted as a round of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge.
Daniel Oliveira: “We didn’t have the chance of carrying [out] a proper test prior to our debut, so we are not taking major risks in terms of the car’s setup, we are just making minor changes. Nevertheless, I’m confident the car will prove all its potential in Sardinia. It will be a great change for sure. I’ve great expectations for this rally. I hope everything goes well and we could come with a fair race and a good result for the team.”
Van Merksteijn Motorsport
The Citroen Racing Technologies-run Van Merksteijn Motorsport operation expands to a second car for Rally d’Italia Sardegna with Peter van Merksteijn Sr joining his son Peter Jr in a second Citroen DS3 WRC. However, the elder van Merksteijn won’t be eligible to chase manufacturers’ championship points, leaving that responsibility to his 28-year-old son, who makes his third appearance of the season following a recent test in the south of France.
MINI WRC Team
The all-new MINI WRC Team is not registered for manufacturers’ championship points as it embarks on its first event of a six-rally programme in 2011 with its brace of MINI John Cooper Works WRCs. Drivers Kris Meeke and Dani Sordo have extensive experience of competing in Sardinia and have conducted significant testing in their Prodrive-developed machines. However, with the car unproven in competition, the Anglo-German squad has lowered its expectations to merely gaining more knowledge of its challenger in the heat of battle for the first time.
Kris Meeke: “I have relatively recent experience as I was lucky enough last year to do this event when it was in the IRC and also did the Rally Costa Smeralda on the island. This is particularly good for me when going there in a new venture with a new rally car. We obviously have lots to learn about the WRC car. It is a tough rally to start out with the new car and will be a big test for the new team.”
Dani Sordo: “It is a tricky rally with narrow roads that can be very slippery. Some are twisty and some are fast. Also there is a lot of loose gravel on top of the surface and, once the early cars have been over, there is usually just the one line you can take. Often there are also large stones on the side of the road. I am very excited, like everyone in the team, but also quite nervous as we don’t know what to expect. It is really great to be starting the new programme with the new car.”
Motorsport Italia
Like the MINI WRC Team, Motorsport Italia won’t be eligible for manufacturers’ championship points during its eight-round programme with Portuguese driver Armindo Araujo. The double Production Car world champion last competed in a World Rally Car on home soil back in 2007 and was only due to sample his car for the first time during a test in Sardinia yesterday (Monday). However, with experience of the Super 2000 MINI, Araujo won’t be at a complete disadvantage. Meanwhile, his former PWRC title rival Patrik Flodin will drive a fifth John Cooper Works WRC run by the Grifone operation.
Armindo Araujo: “My team and Prodrive are both very motivated to make the MINI WRC great. The new spoiler and aerodynamic kit should make a significant difference to the car so I’m really looking forward to Sardinia. I would like to gain experience with the new WRC-spec car, set competitive times and not make any serious mistakes.”
Credit: World Rally Championship (www.wrc.com)
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