ICY IGNIS! Years Running
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
rallytalk SWEDISH RALLY February 2005 | ISSUE #3 WORLD RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP 2005 NOTEBOOK Fire and ice… The Swedish Rally marked an important new chapter in Suzuki’s motorsport history: the first step towards a possible full campaign at the very highest level. This year, the Monster Sport Europe Suzuki Ignis squad is focussing on the Junior World Rally Championship, but the team is also competing on every round of the World Championship for the first time. The World Championship is of vital strategic importance for Suzuki, as it enables the team to gain both logistical and sporting experience for the future. Sweden was the first non-Junior World Championship round of the series, but familiar territory for reigning Junior World Rally Champion P-G Andersson. The Swede is well-acquainted with his local roads, having won the Swedish Super 1600 Rally Championship for the last two ICY IGNIS! years running. For his English team mate Just before the Rally Sweden there was hardly any snow at all, but luckily it snowed on the night of the rally start, covering the stages in a thin but crucial layer of the white stuff! This enabled the Suzukis and their studded snow tyres to set the slippery stages alight! Nobody was sure how the two- swept up first and second places wheel drive Suzukis would get on in their class, thanks also to the Guy Wilks it was more of a learning in the extremely tricky conditions, talents of P-G Andersson and Guy experience, but he still acquitted himself where grip and traction was at a Wilks. Only two Group N cars with honours on what is probably the most premium. But in the end, the Ignis finished ahead of the pair of specialised round of the World Rally beat most of the four-wheel drive Monster Sport Europe Suzukis, Championship. We hope you enjoy Group N cars – which have bigger while on the third leg the Suzukis reading about everybody’s adventures. engines and two more driven were quicker than all of the Group Sweden was a uniquely unforgettable wheels! It was a giant-killing N cars on most stages. Guy Wilks experience. performance from Suzuki, who was even quicker than one of www.suzuki-swt.com 1 WHAT HAPPENED IN WRC the top World Rally Cars on the on stage five, bending the steering. opening stage of the last day! Meanwhile, P-G set a mesmerising Although reigning Junior World Rally series of fastest stage times to reclaim Champion P-G eventually won by over the class lead by the end of the three minutes, the Swede got stuck in opening day. From then on he a ditch on the very first stage, losing extended his advantage, while Guy around a minute and a half. Guy took mounted an amazing fightback to the class lead, but dropped time with a move back to second in class. The Ignis puncture on stage three. His problems may be small, but it certainly packs a did not finish there as he went off punch! Snow patrol! Subaru driver Petter Solberg won the Rally Sweden, after a thrilling head-to- head battle with Peugeot’s Marcus Gronholm over the icy stages. The leading duo swapped the lead six times over the course of the first two days, separated by just tenths of a second. But with such a frenetic pace, it was almost inevitable that something had to give. Gronholm crashed heavily on the final day while pushing hard, handing Solberg a clear advantage over Citroen driver Sebastien Loeb. The Frenchman had been worried by smoke from his engine at the end of the second day, and on the final morning it blew up definitively: a Final classification in class A6, Swedish Rally: rare retirement from the reigning World 1. Andersson/Andersson (Suzuki Ignis) 3h17m 10.0s 2. Wilks/Pugh (Suzuki Ignis) + 3m 09.8s Champion. 3. Joge/Johansson (Peugeot 206) + 4m 32.5s 4. Zachrisson/Svanstrom (Suzuki Ignis) +15m 37.7s Peugeot’s Markko Martin therefore JWRC points table, after Monte Carlo Rally: moved up to second after a quiet rally 1. Kris Meeke 10 5. Luca Betti 4 spent refining the settings of his new 307 2. Kosti Katajamaki 8 6. P-G Andersson 3 3. Alan Scorcioni 6 7. Guy Wilks 2 WRC, while an eventual third for Ford 4. Daniel Sordo 5 8. Pavel Valousek 1 Focus driver Toni Gardemeister was enough to move the Finn into the lead of Final WRC classification, Swedish Rally: the World Championship. 1 Solberg/Mills (Subaru Impreza WRC) 3h00m 52.1s 2 Martin/Park (Peugeot 307 WRC) + 2m 11.1s 3 Gardemeister/Honkanen (Ford Focus WRC) + 3m 14.7s 4 Rovanpera/Pietilainen (Mitsubishi Lancer WRC) + 3m 26.4s Mitsubishi’s Gigi Galli was on stunning 5 Solberg/Menkerud (Ford Focus WRC) + 3m 29.8s 6 Carlsson/Andersson (Peugeot 307 WRC) + 3m 42.5s form to rise as high as fourth overall, but 7 Galli/d’Amore (Mitsubishi Lancer WRC) + 4m 04.0s dropped time with transmission pro- 8 Kresta/Tomanek (Ford Focus WRC) + 4m 39.6s 9 Paasonen/Vainikka (Skoda Fabia WRC) + 5m 11.1s blems on the second day. Skoda also 10 Ekstrom/Bergman (Skoda Fabia WRC) + 7m 04.2s fielded reigning Audi DTM champion WRC points table, after Swedish Rally: Mattias Ekstrom, who ended up tenth Drivers points Manufacturers points after a power steering failure. 1 Toni Gardemeister 14 1 Ford 20 2 Markko Martin 13 2 Mitsubishi and Peugeot 17 3 Petter Solberg & Sebastien Loeb 10 4 Citroen 11 5 Harri Rovanpera 7 5 Subaru 10 6 Gilles Panizzi 6 6 Skoda 3 7 Henning Solberg 4 2 HERE IS THE RALLY SEEN THROUGH EACH DRIVER’S EYES P-G ANDERSSON | S 1ST IN CLASS A6, 18TH OVERALL “I always love competing on my home rally but the snow conditions were quite different to the past so to some extent this time was a new experience for me. The rally started off badly for me when I slid off on the first stage and went into a ditch, but at least I was in good company: Sebastien Loeb went in there too when the stage was run for the second time. After that I concentrated on going fast and driving tidily. Luckily, this tactic worked!” GUY WILKS | GB 2ND IN CLASS A6, 22ND OVERALL “Everything was going well until we picked up a puncture on stage three. There was a rock right in the middle of the road that many of the top World Rally Cars hit as well. Unfortunately we had to stop and change the wheel, which cost around three minutes. Our off on stage five meant that we didn’t get the car’s alignment properly sorted until the second day, but overall it’s been a fantastic learning experience and we’ve got a lot of the event.” PETER ZACHRISSON | S 4TH IN CLASS A6, 29TH OVERALL “This rally was a big step up, as I am not used to the power and handling of this type of car. But as the event went on I found myself growing in confidence and I think we can be proud of our performance. There was a lot to get used to, as the stage conditions during the rally were very different to those in the recce. I had a slight problem with the gear cut on day one, but apart from that the car was mechanically perfect and a lot of fun to drive.” 3 WRC FACES VIEW FROM THE TOP PIERO SODANO Piero Sodano is the FIA Media Delegate, and organisers functions smoothly. responsible for all matters relating to the Before and after each rally there is a press media on the World Rally Championship. conference (which includes the Junior The Italian is in charge of media World Rally Championship winners) accreditation, and making sure that the organised by Piero. He also makes sure relationship between media, competitors that every press office has satisfactory facilities, and acts a spokesman for the Beat the locals! FIA. With the increasing amount of media exposure given to the World Rally It takes a lot to beat the local drivers on Championship, Piero’s role is more Rally Sweden. Up until last year, the crucial than ever. Away from rallies he event had never been won by a non- attends FIA meetings and represents the Scandinavian. Then Citroen’s Sebastien interests of the media when it comes to Loeb came along and shattered expec- planning future rules and arrangements. tations. “It’s very difficult to beat the While most of Piero’s time is now spent locals in Sweden,” says Loeb. “They behind a desk, he used to be a well- grow up with these very specialised known co-driver, sitting alongside such conditions, whereas most European legends as Sandro Munari in the epic drivers have a background either on Lancia Stratos. gravel or on asphalt.” “I have a big passion for rallying which I have never lost,” he says. “It still excites Yet three-time Rally Sweden winner me now to play a part in such a fantastic Marcus Gronholm disagrees. “Traditio- sport. Being a co-driver was an amazing nally, Scandinavians used to have an experience, but at my age I need to do advantage, but I do not think that is the something a little less active now!” case any more,” he says. “These days, the competition is so tight that every driver has to be good everywhere. Even DID YOU KNOW if you come from Sweden, you are not driving the roads every day.