Bet you didn't expect to see an Aussie in the top 6 at a WRC event !!
Unofficial Positions after Leg One:
1. P Solberg/P Mills N Subaru Impreza 1hr 23min 56.0sec
2. M Grönholm/T Rautiainen FIN Peugeot 307 1hr 24min 16.5sec
3. M Märtin/M Park EE Peugeot 307 1hr 24min 26.9sec
4. F Duval/S Prévot B Citroen Xsara 1hr 24min 29.9sec
5. C Atkinson/G MacNeall AUS Subaru Impreza 1hr 24min 46.6sec
6. R Kresta/J Možný CZ Ford Focus RS 1hr 25min 12.8sec
7. H Rovanperä/R Pietilainen FIN Mitsubishi Lancer 1hr 25min 15.6sec
8. D Sola/X Amigo E Ford Focus RS 1hr 25min 25.3sec
9. A Warmbold/M Orr D Ford Focus RS 1hr 25min 32.2sec
10 T Gardemeister/J Honkanen FIN Ford Focus RS 1hr 25min 32.9sec
Chris hit a rock early in Leg 2 and dropped out, he'll restart leg 3 but can't get points. Impressive start to his WRC career.
Here is leg 2 report.
2005 Rally Mexico, Round 3 of 16 - March 11th-13th
In this issue:
- Positions after leg 2
- News from leg 2
- Remaining Event Timetable
__________________________________________________________________
Unofficial Positions after Leg 2:
1. P Solberg/P Mills N Subaru Impreza 3hr 01min 30.5sec
2. M Grönholm/T Rautiainen FIN Peugeot 307 3hr 02min 00.1sec
3. M Märtin/M Park EE Peugeot 307 3hr 02min 54.4sec
4. T Gardemeister/J Honkanen FIN Ford Focus RS 3hr 05min 42.0sec
5. H Rovanperä/R Pietilainen FIN Mitsubishi Lancer 3hr 05min 43.4sec
6. S Loeb/D Elena F Citroen Xsara 3hr 06min 19.4sec
7. A Warmbold/M Orr D Ford Focus RS 3hr 06min 50.8sec
8. G Panizzi/H Panizzi F Mitsubishi Lancer 3hr 07min 15.4sec
9. A Schwarz/K Wicha D Skoda Fabia 3hr 08min 15.0sec
10 G Wilks/P Pugh GB Suzuki Ignis 3hr 16min 56.4sec
__________________________________________________________________
Unofficial Leg 2 News
Thirty-seven of the original 38 competitors left Leon parc ferme at
0830hrs. Eight of those had restarted after retiring during Leg one. Leg
two included six gravel stages, which were run as a group of three
repeated. Based to the north and east of Leon, the two groups of stages,
which totalled 146.48 competitive kilometres, were separated by a
30-minute service
The air temperature was 20°C in the morning, rising to 31°C by the
afternoon. Conditions were sunny all day and the stages were dry gravel.
Petter Solberg (Subaru) controlled his lead over Marcus Grönholm
(Peugeot), setting three fastest times to end the day 29.6sec ahead of
the Finn. His only worry came on stage eight when his car's engine
temperature climbed to 126°C. Grönholm again suffered brake problems,
and carried new pads in the car which he changed after every stage.
Markko Märtin (Peugeot) and François Duval (Citroen) swapped places
twice over the opening two stages in their fight for third. But when
Duval retired on the liaison section to stage 10, the result of damaging
his engine when he hit a rock on stage eight, the Estonian was able to
ease his pace. Harri Rovanperä (Mitsubishi) lies fifth, despite
incurring a 90 second penalty this morning when the team changed the
engine management system after the car fired up on only three cylinders.
Sebastien Loeb (Citroen) was fastest on two stages to climb back to
sixth after yesterday's four-minute time loss. Chris Atkinson (Subaru)
held fifth until he hit a rock and damaged the power steering in stage
nine. Just a few kilometres later the right front wheel was ripped from
the car after hitting a hole and he retired.
Subaru
Petter Solberg and the new Subaru Impreza WRC2005 lead Rally Mexico
tonight after another dominating performance on the event's treacherous
gravel stages. Taking another three stage wins, increasing his event
total to six, the Norwegian topped the leaderboard all day to end the
Leg with a 29.6 second advantage overall. His team-mate Chris Atkinson
delivered another remarkable performance aboard his Impreza WRC2005.
Making his debut as a points-nominated driver for the Subaru team and
competing for only the second time in a WRC car, Chris set a string of
impressive times before an incident on SS9 sidelined him for the rest of
the day. Chris will re-start the rally again tomorrow.
Petter Solberg / Phil Mills: It's been very good today; it's fun out
there! The new car is getting better and better and the feeling is
already starting to get really good. I know there's more to come, but
we're getting nearer all the time. Today I've been concentrating on
keeping at a safe pace, watching the split times and not taking much
risk. I'm happy with the lead I've got, but still so many things can
have an influence on the final result that I'm not thinking about that
yet. Tomorrow I'll try to control the pace with the split times, not
take any risks and try to keep that first place - it's very important
for the Championship, me and for Mr Kuze.
Chris Atkinson/Glen Macneall: Obviously it's disappointing not to get a
result when things have looked so good, but I'm learning a lot and
learning pretty fast. It's all good experience for me - even driving
with no power steering will help me in the future. Overall, the car felt
much better today and the changes we made last night were a good step
forward. Tomorrow, I'm hoping we can fine-tune it even more.
Citroen
The Citroën team could be forgiven for believing that it is written
somewhere that its two Xsaras are forbidden from tasting success
simultaneously in Mexico. Fate was to deal a cruel blow to the Belgian
driver, Duval, today when his run came to an end at the beginning of the
afternoon while running in the top-four. Earlier in the day, on SS8
(‘Duarte/Otates 1'), the crew had felt a big knock underneath the car
but the incident had no immediate consequences since they were able to
complete the following test (SS9, ‘Derramadero/Chichimequillas') at
normal speed. Back at the Leon service park, the car's underbody
protection effectively showed signs of the impact and was promptly
replaced along with the radiator and the front crossmember. However, on
the road section out to the first stage of the day's second loop, the
engine temperature began to rise and, after consulting the team,
François and Stéphane decided not to start SS10. As permitted by the
2005 regulations, the Xsara was penalised five minutes for each missed
special stage, but could attend the evening service. Engineers have
undergone thorough checks and pulled out all the stops to allow François
to restart tomorrow morning.
Sébastien Loeb / Daniel Elena: "Some of my rivals have fallen by the
wayside and that has obviously helped," he recognised this evening.
"Even so, I pushed hard and I am pleased with my day. With yesterday's
disappointment behind me, I was very motivated this morning. And as we
moved back up the order, that motivation got even stronger. We will see
tomorrow whether we succeed in climbing a little further up the
leaderboard. The big regret today has been poor François. It's a big
shame for the team. The stages are very nice; fast and smooth. You can
drive quickly and then you come across a concealed stone that suddenly
changes the picture… It's the downside of this rally which is
magnificent in all other respects."
Francois Duval / Stephane Prevot: Retired
Ford
BP-Ford World Rally Team drivers Toni Gardemeister and Jakke Honkanen
ended today's second leg of the Corona Rally Mexico in fourth place
after a tough day which sidelined several top drivers. Despite
continuing to suffer from the 'flu, Gardemeister battled through the six
gravel speed tests in his Ford Focus RS World Rally Car to climb from
10th position this morning.
Toni Gardemeister/Jakke Honkanen: "The roads were slippery this morning
because the cars ahead dragged gravel onto the tracks," said
Gardemeister. "It was difficult to set good times because it was so
slippery and I couldn't find a good rhythm. I started the last stage of
the group with a puncture on the rear left tyre. It had punctured on
one of the earlier stages but we had to put it back on the car and it
took time for the mousse to warm up. I dropped some time also on the
final stage this afternoon. The rear dampers were not working properly
and I had to drive cautiously. "I feel quite lucky to be in fourth. I
tried to keep the car on the road and out of trouble and it worked. But
although the position is good, I'm not happy with my performance.
Tomorrow I will try hard to keep my position and I expect a battle with
Harri Rovanperä and Sebastien Loeb," added Gardemeister. He will start
the final leg 1.4sec ahead of Rovanperä and 36.4sec clear of Loeb.
Roman Kresta/Jan Tomanek: "I was on the right line but I braked in the
rocks and a bolt broke on the track control arm," said Kresta. "We
fixed it at the end of the stage but the damper had come away from the
top mount. It would have caused a lot more damage if I had continued.
I wasn't pushing that hard because it is so easy to make a mistake on
these roads even when you are driving on the right line. It was a good
rally and I was happy with everything until now. I drove at a constant
speed and gained good experience of the car on gravel."
Daniel Sola/Amigo: "I approached a right bend in fourth gear and could
see that it was cut away on the inside from the first passage this
morning," he said. "The front wheel dropped into the hole on the inside
and the back spun round and hit a bank. It flipped the car over and I
rolled about 30 metres down the road and off the stage. I don't know
how many times the car went over but it is badly damaged. I was in a
good position and it was a stupid mistake. I'm sorry for the team
because they have worked so hard for me all rally."
Peugeot
On the first loop of stages, the Peugeot drivers underlined their strong
performance on the opening leg. Marcus Gronholm closed to within 16
seconds of the leader Petter Solberg by setting fastest time on SS8.
This stage featured a tough uphill climb, which peaked at a summit of
2500 metres – proving the strength and power of the Peugeot 307 WRC's
engine. Markko Martin go the better of his battle with Citroen driver
Francois Duval, pulling out an advantage of 24 seconds. On the second
loop of stages the Peugeot drivers consolidated their positions, mindful
of team orders to get to the finish at all costs.
Marcus Gronhölm / Timo Rautiainen: "In order to solve our recurring
brake problems, the team asked us to change brake pads after every stage
– so this has been quite a busy day for me! Nonetheless, this solution
worked well, and today I felt a lot more confident than I did on the
opening leg. This rally has been a lot trickier than it was last year,
as the surfaces are so much harder which puts a bigger demand on the
car. I think everybody has had a few problems today, so to still be here
is the main thing. Tomorrow my plan is to consolidate my second place
and hopefully we can finish with two cars on the podium."
Markko Martin/Michael Park: "We did not have as many brake problems as
Marcus, so we were not changing the pads after every stage. We had to
keep an eye on Francois Duval, but after he retired the pressure was off
us. We will be very happy to finish third tomorrow – there's no way we
can challenge Marcus and there is not a big threat from behind. But we
still have to keep concentrated – there is a long way to go and the last
stage, which is 44 kilometres long, will be very tough."
Skoda
Armin Schwarz lies in 9th after the second leg, however, almost a minute
behind 8th will be looking to maintain his position. Jani Paasonen lies
in 16th.
Armin Schwarz/: Unfortunately a quote has not been made available, check
back on our website.
Jani Paasonen/Janni Vainikka: Unfortunately a quote has not been made
available, check back on our website.
Mitsubishi
After an eventful leg two of the 2005 Corona Rally México, the Finnish
Mitsubishi Lancer WRC05 crews of Harri Rovanperä and Risto Pietiläinen
lies in fifth position and team-mates Gilles Panizzi and Hervé Panizzi
hold eighth place in the second Lancer WRC05.
Harri Rovanpera/Risto Pietiläinen: "It’s been a really tough day. First
we got the penalty, then we damaged the sump after a heavy landing in
stage eight this morning, so the mechanics changed it in the lunchtime
service. The car was feeling quite OK this afternoon so we won’t be
making any big changes, but tire choice will be difficult for the long
stage tomorrow".
Gigi Galli/Guido D'Amore: "The balance today is similar to yesterday but
a bit better", commented Panizzi. "I am still fighting to steer when I
brake on the line and I can’t keep the line even when I can see it.
Because of this, I have a little less confidence".
__________________________________________________________________
Remaining Event Timetable
LEG 3 : León - León
Sunday 13th March 2005 : 08.00 - 12.00
145 km
2 Special Stages (62.6 km)
SS 13 Comanjilla - Chichimequillas (18.3 km) : 09.17
SS 14 Alfaro - El Establo (46 km) : 10.25
Service Park (F) - León : 08.30 (10')
Service Park (G) - León : 11.45 (20')
Unofficial Positions after Leg One:
1. P Solberg/P Mills N Subaru Impreza 1hr 23min 56.0sec
2. M Grönholm/T Rautiainen FIN Peugeot 307 1hr 24min 16.5sec
3. M Märtin/M Park EE Peugeot 307 1hr 24min 26.9sec
4. F Duval/S Prévot B Citroen Xsara 1hr 24min 29.9sec
5. C Atkinson/G MacNeall AUS Subaru Impreza 1hr 24min 46.6sec
6. R Kresta/J Možný CZ Ford Focus RS 1hr 25min 12.8sec
7. H Rovanperä/R Pietilainen FIN Mitsubishi Lancer 1hr 25min 15.6sec
8. D Sola/X Amigo E Ford Focus RS 1hr 25min 25.3sec
9. A Warmbold/M Orr D Ford Focus RS 1hr 25min 32.2sec
10 T Gardemeister/J Honkanen FIN Ford Focus RS 1hr 25min 32.9sec
Chris hit a rock early in Leg 2 and dropped out, he'll restart leg 3 but can't get points. Impressive start to his WRC career.
Here is leg 2 report.
2005 Rally Mexico, Round 3 of 16 - March 11th-13th
In this issue:
- Positions after leg 2
- News from leg 2
- Remaining Event Timetable
__________________________________________________________________
Unofficial Positions after Leg 2:
1. P Solberg/P Mills N Subaru Impreza 3hr 01min 30.5sec
2. M Grönholm/T Rautiainen FIN Peugeot 307 3hr 02min 00.1sec
3. M Märtin/M Park EE Peugeot 307 3hr 02min 54.4sec
4. T Gardemeister/J Honkanen FIN Ford Focus RS 3hr 05min 42.0sec
5. H Rovanperä/R Pietilainen FIN Mitsubishi Lancer 3hr 05min 43.4sec
6. S Loeb/D Elena F Citroen Xsara 3hr 06min 19.4sec
7. A Warmbold/M Orr D Ford Focus RS 3hr 06min 50.8sec
8. G Panizzi/H Panizzi F Mitsubishi Lancer 3hr 07min 15.4sec
9. A Schwarz/K Wicha D Skoda Fabia 3hr 08min 15.0sec
10 G Wilks/P Pugh GB Suzuki Ignis 3hr 16min 56.4sec
__________________________________________________________________
Unofficial Leg 2 News
Thirty-seven of the original 38 competitors left Leon parc ferme at
0830hrs. Eight of those had restarted after retiring during Leg one. Leg
two included six gravel stages, which were run as a group of three
repeated. Based to the north and east of Leon, the two groups of stages,
which totalled 146.48 competitive kilometres, were separated by a
30-minute service
The air temperature was 20°C in the morning, rising to 31°C by the
afternoon. Conditions were sunny all day and the stages were dry gravel.
Petter Solberg (Subaru) controlled his lead over Marcus Grönholm
(Peugeot), setting three fastest times to end the day 29.6sec ahead of
the Finn. His only worry came on stage eight when his car's engine
temperature climbed to 126°C. Grönholm again suffered brake problems,
and carried new pads in the car which he changed after every stage.
Markko Märtin (Peugeot) and François Duval (Citroen) swapped places
twice over the opening two stages in their fight for third. But when
Duval retired on the liaison section to stage 10, the result of damaging
his engine when he hit a rock on stage eight, the Estonian was able to
ease his pace. Harri Rovanperä (Mitsubishi) lies fifth, despite
incurring a 90 second penalty this morning when the team changed the
engine management system after the car fired up on only three cylinders.
Sebastien Loeb (Citroen) was fastest on two stages to climb back to
sixth after yesterday's four-minute time loss. Chris Atkinson (Subaru)
held fifth until he hit a rock and damaged the power steering in stage
nine. Just a few kilometres later the right front wheel was ripped from
the car after hitting a hole and he retired.
Subaru
Petter Solberg and the new Subaru Impreza WRC2005 lead Rally Mexico
tonight after another dominating performance on the event's treacherous
gravel stages. Taking another three stage wins, increasing his event
total to six, the Norwegian topped the leaderboard all day to end the
Leg with a 29.6 second advantage overall. His team-mate Chris Atkinson
delivered another remarkable performance aboard his Impreza WRC2005.
Making his debut as a points-nominated driver for the Subaru team and
competing for only the second time in a WRC car, Chris set a string of
impressive times before an incident on SS9 sidelined him for the rest of
the day. Chris will re-start the rally again tomorrow.
Petter Solberg / Phil Mills: It's been very good today; it's fun out
there! The new car is getting better and better and the feeling is
already starting to get really good. I know there's more to come, but
we're getting nearer all the time. Today I've been concentrating on
keeping at a safe pace, watching the split times and not taking much
risk. I'm happy with the lead I've got, but still so many things can
have an influence on the final result that I'm not thinking about that
yet. Tomorrow I'll try to control the pace with the split times, not
take any risks and try to keep that first place - it's very important
for the Championship, me and for Mr Kuze.
Chris Atkinson/Glen Macneall: Obviously it's disappointing not to get a
result when things have looked so good, but I'm learning a lot and
learning pretty fast. It's all good experience for me - even driving
with no power steering will help me in the future. Overall, the car felt
much better today and the changes we made last night were a good step
forward. Tomorrow, I'm hoping we can fine-tune it even more.
Citroen
The Citroën team could be forgiven for believing that it is written
somewhere that its two Xsaras are forbidden from tasting success
simultaneously in Mexico. Fate was to deal a cruel blow to the Belgian
driver, Duval, today when his run came to an end at the beginning of the
afternoon while running in the top-four. Earlier in the day, on SS8
(‘Duarte/Otates 1'), the crew had felt a big knock underneath the car
but the incident had no immediate consequences since they were able to
complete the following test (SS9, ‘Derramadero/Chichimequillas') at
normal speed. Back at the Leon service park, the car's underbody
protection effectively showed signs of the impact and was promptly
replaced along with the radiator and the front crossmember. However, on
the road section out to the first stage of the day's second loop, the
engine temperature began to rise and, after consulting the team,
François and Stéphane decided not to start SS10. As permitted by the
2005 regulations, the Xsara was penalised five minutes for each missed
special stage, but could attend the evening service. Engineers have
undergone thorough checks and pulled out all the stops to allow François
to restart tomorrow morning.
Sébastien Loeb / Daniel Elena: "Some of my rivals have fallen by the
wayside and that has obviously helped," he recognised this evening.
"Even so, I pushed hard and I am pleased with my day. With yesterday's
disappointment behind me, I was very motivated this morning. And as we
moved back up the order, that motivation got even stronger. We will see
tomorrow whether we succeed in climbing a little further up the
leaderboard. The big regret today has been poor François. It's a big
shame for the team. The stages are very nice; fast and smooth. You can
drive quickly and then you come across a concealed stone that suddenly
changes the picture… It's the downside of this rally which is
magnificent in all other respects."
Francois Duval / Stephane Prevot: Retired
Ford
BP-Ford World Rally Team drivers Toni Gardemeister and Jakke Honkanen
ended today's second leg of the Corona Rally Mexico in fourth place
after a tough day which sidelined several top drivers. Despite
continuing to suffer from the 'flu, Gardemeister battled through the six
gravel speed tests in his Ford Focus RS World Rally Car to climb from
10th position this morning.
Toni Gardemeister/Jakke Honkanen: "The roads were slippery this morning
because the cars ahead dragged gravel onto the tracks," said
Gardemeister. "It was difficult to set good times because it was so
slippery and I couldn't find a good rhythm. I started the last stage of
the group with a puncture on the rear left tyre. It had punctured on
one of the earlier stages but we had to put it back on the car and it
took time for the mousse to warm up. I dropped some time also on the
final stage this afternoon. The rear dampers were not working properly
and I had to drive cautiously. "I feel quite lucky to be in fourth. I
tried to keep the car on the road and out of trouble and it worked. But
although the position is good, I'm not happy with my performance.
Tomorrow I will try hard to keep my position and I expect a battle with
Harri Rovanperä and Sebastien Loeb," added Gardemeister. He will start
the final leg 1.4sec ahead of Rovanperä and 36.4sec clear of Loeb.
Roman Kresta/Jan Tomanek: "I was on the right line but I braked in the
rocks and a bolt broke on the track control arm," said Kresta. "We
fixed it at the end of the stage but the damper had come away from the
top mount. It would have caused a lot more damage if I had continued.
I wasn't pushing that hard because it is so easy to make a mistake on
these roads even when you are driving on the right line. It was a good
rally and I was happy with everything until now. I drove at a constant
speed and gained good experience of the car on gravel."
Daniel Sola/Amigo: "I approached a right bend in fourth gear and could
see that it was cut away on the inside from the first passage this
morning," he said. "The front wheel dropped into the hole on the inside
and the back spun round and hit a bank. It flipped the car over and I
rolled about 30 metres down the road and off the stage. I don't know
how many times the car went over but it is badly damaged. I was in a
good position and it was a stupid mistake. I'm sorry for the team
because they have worked so hard for me all rally."
Peugeot
On the first loop of stages, the Peugeot drivers underlined their strong
performance on the opening leg. Marcus Gronholm closed to within 16
seconds of the leader Petter Solberg by setting fastest time on SS8.
This stage featured a tough uphill climb, which peaked at a summit of
2500 metres – proving the strength and power of the Peugeot 307 WRC's
engine. Markko Martin go the better of his battle with Citroen driver
Francois Duval, pulling out an advantage of 24 seconds. On the second
loop of stages the Peugeot drivers consolidated their positions, mindful
of team orders to get to the finish at all costs.
Marcus Gronhölm / Timo Rautiainen: "In order to solve our recurring
brake problems, the team asked us to change brake pads after every stage
– so this has been quite a busy day for me! Nonetheless, this solution
worked well, and today I felt a lot more confident than I did on the
opening leg. This rally has been a lot trickier than it was last year,
as the surfaces are so much harder which puts a bigger demand on the
car. I think everybody has had a few problems today, so to still be here
is the main thing. Tomorrow my plan is to consolidate my second place
and hopefully we can finish with two cars on the podium."
Markko Martin/Michael Park: "We did not have as many brake problems as
Marcus, so we were not changing the pads after every stage. We had to
keep an eye on Francois Duval, but after he retired the pressure was off
us. We will be very happy to finish third tomorrow – there's no way we
can challenge Marcus and there is not a big threat from behind. But we
still have to keep concentrated – there is a long way to go and the last
stage, which is 44 kilometres long, will be very tough."
Skoda
Armin Schwarz lies in 9th after the second leg, however, almost a minute
behind 8th will be looking to maintain his position. Jani Paasonen lies
in 16th.
Armin Schwarz/: Unfortunately a quote has not been made available, check
back on our website.
Jani Paasonen/Janni Vainikka: Unfortunately a quote has not been made
available, check back on our website.
Mitsubishi
After an eventful leg two of the 2005 Corona Rally México, the Finnish
Mitsubishi Lancer WRC05 crews of Harri Rovanperä and Risto Pietiläinen
lies in fifth position and team-mates Gilles Panizzi and Hervé Panizzi
hold eighth place in the second Lancer WRC05.
Harri Rovanpera/Risto Pietiläinen: "It’s been a really tough day. First
we got the penalty, then we damaged the sump after a heavy landing in
stage eight this morning, so the mechanics changed it in the lunchtime
service. The car was feeling quite OK this afternoon so we won’t be
making any big changes, but tire choice will be difficult for the long
stage tomorrow".
Gigi Galli/Guido D'Amore: "The balance today is similar to yesterday but
a bit better", commented Panizzi. "I am still fighting to steer when I
brake on the line and I can’t keep the line even when I can see it.
Because of this, I have a little less confidence".
__________________________________________________________________
Remaining Event Timetable
LEG 3 : León - León
Sunday 13th March 2005 : 08.00 - 12.00
145 km
2 Special Stages (62.6 km)
SS 13 Comanjilla - Chichimequillas (18.3 km) : 09.17
SS 14 Alfaro - El Establo (46 km) : 10.25
Service Park (F) - León : 08.30 (10')
Service Park (G) - León : 11.45 (20')
