2005
WRC STANDING:
after rally
1 Loeb 75
2 Solberg 48
3 Gronholm 45
4 Gardemeister 44
5 Martin 42
6 Rovanpera 20
Stohl 12
Sainz 11
Kresta 10
H. Solberg 9
Panizzi 7
Duval 5
Carlsson 4
Warmbold 4
Galli 3
Atkinson 2
Galli 2
MANUFACTURERS
Citroen 96
Peugeot 90
Ford 62
Subaru 54
Mitsubishi 41
Skoda 8
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- Rally
9 of 16: July 15-17, 2005
- LOCATION:
700 km from Buenos Aires
- TERRAIN:
high mountain range in central part of S America
- ALTITUDE:
high altitude stages between 700 - 1500 metres
- SURFACE:
rough gravel track; numerous high speed river crossings
- LOCAL
TIME:
GMT - 3 HRS
- PREVIOUS
WINNERS:
- 2004 Carlos
Sainz, Citroen
- 2003 Marcus Gronholm,
Peugeot
- 2002 Carlos Sainz,
Ford Focus
- 2001 Colin McRae,
Ford Focus
- 2000 Richard
Burns, Subaru Impreza
- DUVAL
GIVEN A SECOND CHANGE: Francois Duval is back after being
dropped from Citroen for tha past 2 rallies. DUVAL: "I saw it
as a punishment, and doubtlessly a justified punishment after the
mistakes I made. I absolutely had to stay on the road and I went off.
On top of that, Stephane chose to stop being my co-driver and informed
Guy Frequelin of his decision. It's true that the relationship hadn't
been perfect between us in recent rallies. But all that's now behind
us. I am back with a new co-driver, Sven Smeets, and I want to prove
that I am capable of achieving what the team expects of me."
2005
RALLY RESULT - ARGENTINA
FINAL
RESULT: Sunday 17 July: Leg 3
-
1
Sebastien Loeb , France, Citroen
- 2
Marcus Gronholm , Finland, Peugeot +26.1s
"This has been a good rally for us and second place
is always a satisfactory result, but I think that I should have been
closer to Sebastien Loeb. The car was very good over the fast and
wide stages, but not so good over the slow and bumpy sections, where
we still have a lot of work to do. Our tyre choice was exactly right
for most of the time, and I think we did the best job that we could
under the circumstances."
-
3
Petter Solberg , Norway, Subaru +1m 5s
"Today we made a couple of changes and they seemed
to work well. While it's a good result, it was the couple of problems
we had that made the difference. Overall I'm happy, it's been a
hard weekend and the team did a very good job. I'll be fighting
for the win in Finland and, as since it is so close to Norway, a
lot of fans will be watching. It will be a tough fight, but I'm
looking forward to it and I've every confidence that we'll come
back again - no problem!"
-
4
 Toni
Gardemeister Ford +2m 38
"It was a difficult day, in fact it was a very difficult
rally," said Gardemeister. "The roads this morning were
icy but I had no choice other than to drive flat out to try to
keep Harri behind me. The road surface changed from dry to wet
to icy and it's hard to drive in constantly changing conditions.
I set fastest time in the longest stage but we had a few lucky
escapes in there. The weekend has been good, although I would
have liked to be on the podium. If conditions had remained as
dry as they were during the recce period then I think that would
have been possible. But fourth is a good, solid result and that's
my ninth consecutive points finish with the Focus RS this season
which is good, reliable form"
-
5
Harri Rovanpera , Mitsubishi +2m 43
"It's been good to be fighting with top teams and
the car has been so good all weekend. Friday was good for us but
we lost too much time on Saturday morning when the set-up wasn't
right for the conditions. Yesterday afternoon it all came together
very well though and the feeling returned and today has obviously
been good too, fighting with Toni all the way to the finish. I think
we probably lost the fight in the second stage, where there was
ice and mud and we had very little grip. If the conditions had been
drier throughout, it could have been a different story".
-
6
Markko
Martin Peugeot +4m 23
"We
still struggled to find confidence over the whole three days of
this rally, and eventually decided that it was better to not take
any risks and try for a solid points finish, rather than pushing
too hard and going off. The conditions were sometimes extremely
rough, but I felt happy with my tyre choices and I learnt a lot
about the set-up in slippery conditions."
-
7
Francois Duval Citroen +5m 29
"I
reached the finish of this difficult rally in a position which I
can't say fully satisfies me. But I finished and that's the most
important thing. It was a phase I had to go through in order to
build up my confidence again. That's done now and I'm pleased to
see that Sven and I worked well together."
-
8
Manfred Stohl Citroen +5m 42
-
9
Chris Atkinson Subaru
-
10
Roman Kresta Ford
CITROEN
REPORT:
-
It's
done! By scoring their seventh win of the season today in Argentina,
Sebastien Loeb, Daniel Elena and Citroen have written a fresh page
of rallying history and established two new records: the number of
wins in a season and the number of consecutive wins, which they have
taken from five to six.
-
In
the wake of their team-mates, Francois Duval and Sven Smeets finished
7th overall to earn two valuable, extra Manufacturers' points for
the team. The performances of Manfred Stohl/Ilka Minor and Xavi Pons/Carlos
del Barrio -- who finished as the best placed privateers with their
Team Kronos Racing Xsaras, both inside the top-ten -- were further
reasons for a big fiesta in the Citroen camp tonight!
-
Guy
Frequelin and Sebastien Loeb were very reserved on Saturday evening.
With such classics as Giulio Cesare and El Condor to come on the final
day, Seb's overnight cushion of 30 seconds by no means guaranteed
success and the following morning's weather report provided further
reason to be cautious: the temperature at 2,200 metres -- the highest
altitude visited by the rally -- was well below zero, while snow lined
these two legendary, rocky stages. The frozen conditions prompted
Seb to opt for the softest compound '8 minus' version of the BTO,
while Francois chose the slightly harder '8' compound.
-
The
classic El Condor test was always going to be a highlight of the 2005
Rally Argentina and, if he proved able to stem Marcus Gronholm's bid
on this one, it would put Seb all but clear of a last-minute charge
from the Finn. And Seb played the situation perfectly by posting his
ninth fastest time of the weekend. After that, the Citroen driver
was able to control from in front over the last two 'true' stages
and the two runs at the Complejo Pro Racing super-special were more
like laps of honour for the Frenchman.
-
"It
wasn't easy," said Seb between two autographs. "You only
have to look at the gaps to see that. I can tell you, I pushed very
hard right up to two stages from home. That forced me into a couple
of mistakes, notably my spin in yesterday's loop to the south. Once
again though, I was able to count on the Xsara's impeccable reliability
and the team didn't put a foot wrong... again. Also, the 'eight' compound
Michelin BTO tyre lived every bit up to our expectations. This may
be our seventh win of the year, but it only strengthens our resolve
to win more. We want to do even better..."
-
"I
reached the finish of this difficult rally in a position which I can't
say fully satisfies me," commented Francois Duval. "But
I finished and that's the most important thing. It was a phase I had
to go through in order to build up my confidence again. That's done
now and I'm pleased to see that Sven and I worked well together."
-
Rally
Argentina is obviously not indifferent to Guy Frequelin following
his win here in the eighties: "This is a result I want to savour.
I can't get enough of this, but this result has a special taste. Not
only because it was a difficult rally and establishes a new record,
but also because we got four Citroens inside the top-ten and because
all this happened in a country that loves its rallying as much as
we do..."
-
Mitsubishi
Motors Motor Sports claimed more points on the Rally of Argentina,
the ninth round of the FIA World Rally Championship. Harri Rovanpera
and Risto Pietilainen battled to the end and finished in a fighting
fifth position in the Lancer WRC05, claiming points for themselves
and the team. "Gigi" Galli and Guido D'Amore set a blistering
pace early this morning but were forced into retirement with gearbox
problems after stage 19.
-
"Overall
we have showed good performance with both the car and crews,"
said Roger Estrada, Principal Rally Engineer. "Harri drove very
well and was, overall, fastest over today three mountain stages; it
was good to be fighting hard. It's a shame about Gigi's problems on
Friday and today, but in general we have had good pace."
-
The
final leg of Rally Argentina took in two of the Championship's most
famous stages high in the Traslasierra Mountains to the south-west
of Villa Carlos Paz. Giulio Cesare split two runs through El Condor,
both narrow and rocky 2,000 meter altitude stages in spectacular lunar-like
landscape. The route then returned to Villa Carlos Paz, where the
event reached its climax with two runs around the Pro Racing Super
Special stage.
-
Harri
Rovanpera started the leg - where the predicted ice and snow was seen
- 11 seconds adrift of Toni Gardemeister and the pair jostled for
position throughout the morning. On stages that Harri won last year,
the Finn set fourth and two second-fastest stage times to close to
within 7.8 seconds of his fellow countryman. However, with just the
super special stages remaining, the Finn was unable to overall Gardemeister
and claimed fifth overall, 5.6 seconds away from fourth position.
-
"It's
been good to be fighting with top teams and the car has been so good
all weekend," said Rovanpera. "Friday was good for us but
we lost too much time on Saturday morning when the set-up wasn't right
for the conditions. Yesterday afternoon it all came together very
well though and the feeling returned and today has obviously been
good too, fighting with Toni all the way to the finish. I think we
probably lost the fight in the second stage, where there was ice and
mud and we had very little grip. If the conditions had been drier
throughout, it could have been a different story."
-
Team-mate
Gigi Galli was third fastest through this morning's opening stage,
but the Italian then hit gearbox problems in the early part of SS19.
Although he reached the finish of the stage, he then retired.
-
"It's
obviously a shame not to reach the finish, but the important thing
is that we drove each of the different stages," said Galli. "Generally
I have to be very happy because the stages we drove without problems
we set good times, especially for only our second time here. The car
is very much improved but the next step will come in Finland; then
there will be more performance."
-
The
tenth round of the FIA World Rally Championship takes the contenders
back to Europe for one of the fastest and most spectacular events
on the calendar. Rally Finland (August 4-7) -- in the perceived home
of rallying - is renowned for its high-speed jumps and Gigi Galli
will once again partner Harri Rovanpera in the second Mitsubishi Lancer
WRC05.
Saturday
16 July: Leg 2
-
1
Sebastien Loeb , France, Citroen
- 2
Marcus Gronholm , Finland, Peugeot +27.7s
"Today was much better than yesterday, mostly because
the roads were much better suited to me and the 307 WRC. The stages
in the morning were wider, faster, and less bumpy, and these are the
conditions in which our car works best. I enjoyed this leg and we didn't
have a single problem. I think it will be impossible for us to win the
rally just by normal driving, but we have to stay as close as possible
and keep the pressure on. Tomorrow's stages are sure to be very tricky
for everybody."
-
3
Petter Solberg , Norway, Subaru +46.1s
"This just wasn't my afternoon. On the first stage a
rear caliper started to leak the brake fluid, probably when a big
rock punctured it, and I had absolutely zero brakes for six kilometres.
I managed to make some fixes after the stage, but I only had two or
three brakes for the next stages. It was a big bit of bad luck. The
stage conditions were very tricky, being so muddy, and I was off the
road a couple of times. I think Sebastien may be too far away to catch
tomorrow, however I'm definitely not happy with third and up at El
Condor anything could happen as those stages are very difficult."
-
4
Toni Gardemeister Ford +2m 35
"The morning stages were so sandy it was like driving
on the beach. The second pass through the first stage was better
for me because I had the experience of the previous run to draw
from, but there were some big ruts. It was quite muddy all day but
the final stage was incredible. I slid off the road three times
at hairpin bends. I tried to control the car with the handbrake
but it was just so slippery that the car slid off. I've done too
much sliding this afternoon and lost too much time. The sun has
come out this evening and I hope it stays that way tomorrow. I've
enjoyed the fight with Harri and tomorrow I must maintain the same
kind of pace to keep ahead of him"
-
5
Harri Rovanpera , Mitsubishi +2m 51
"We had a disappointing morning; I drove hard and the
times were just not there, but at least I now understand what was
wrong. After changing the set-up everything came right and we set
some good times. All round the car is better and we had a very good
afternoon. Anything is possible tomorrow; we'll continue to push and
see what we can do"
-
6
Markko Martin Peugeot
"Today
has been fine, with no real problems. We've made a good tyre choice
throughout the day although we slid off a couple of times this morning,
which cost us a bit of time. I'm still not totally confident when
driving the car on the limit, but we've managed to find a pace that
means we can get to the end without taking risks. My plan is to keep
going like this: maybe there is a chance of making up another place
tomorrow."
-
7
Francois Duval Citroen
"In the last stage, it was like driving on ice, but we came through
it without a scratch. It's been a good day. I took it easy in the
narrow, rough portions. Despite the pressure, my confidence is coming
back bit by bit. And I'll need plenty of confidence for tomorrow's
leg which is likely to be very delicate indeed."
-
8
Manfred Stohl Citroen
-
9
Chris Atkinson Subaru
-
10
Roman Kresta Ford
Friday
15 July: Leg 1
-
1
Sebastien Loeb , France, Citroen
"Being first on the road wasn't a problem. I think the
conditions were pretty much the same for the first three or four cars.
The 8-compound Michelin BTO tyre we are using here for the first time
was perfect. I was able to push hard and I think Petter was pushing
hard too."
-
2
Petter Solberg , Norway, Subaru +31.3s
"I'm pleased with our performance on the stages today. The Pirelli
tyres and the car have been working well. In the afternoon, when the
stages were rougher, we tried a slightly different set-up, which didn't
turn out as good as that in the morning. This afternoon we also maybe
lost some time with a harder tyre than the morning, but we know where
to go, and what to do for tomorrow. We have not been taking any chances
and we are not giving up on getting back on top again."
-
3
Marcus Gronholm , Finland, Peugeot +44.6s
"I
cannot really be happy with today - I hoped to fight for the lead
here and although we set some quick times that has not really happened.
I can definitely think of some things we can do to improve the car,
and I hope that will help our progress tomorrow. There is still a
long way to go and this is a rally that I like so let's see what is
possible. I've certainly been pushing hard today and I don't intend
to give up easily."
-
4
T Gardemeister Ford +2m 1
"It
wasn't an easy morning. I pushed hard but the times weren't as good
as I hoped. I hit a stone on stage four and bent a steering arm but
that wasn't a big problem. However, I was lucky on the next stage
when I almost slid off the road on a fifth gear corner. I slid wide
several times. It was quite muddy in places after last night's rain
but the roads dried in the strong wind as the day went on."
-
5
Rovanpera , Mitsubishi +2m 8.2
"I'm
quite okay with the way things have been today. This morning's spin
was maybe my first in about five years; I couldn't believe it! This
afternoon I've not been so happy with the damper settings, especially
in the bumpy sections where we keep ending up off line. Otherwise,
everything has been good and the tire choices were quite right for
the conditions. It's good to be fighting and hopefully we can carry
on like this tomorrow."
-
6
Märtin Peugeot
-
7
Duval Citroen
"This event, which marks my return and on which it is so easy
to make a mistake, is an important rally for my career. It isn't exactly
a pressure-free outing, but Sven and I did well. We both know that
it won't be any easier tomorrow, but our objective will be the same:
to
reach the finish!"
-
8
Stohl, Citroen
-
9
Atkinson, Subaru
-
10
Pons, Citroen
- 11 Kresta 12 Warmbold
13 Ligato 14 Perez 15 Carlsson 16 Schwarz 17 Al-attiyah 18 Higgins
Thursday 14
July: Leg 1, after SS2
-
1
Petter Solberg , Norway, Subaru Impreza WRC 05
2
Marcus Gronholm , Finland, Peugeot
3
Harri Rovanpera , Finland, Mitsubishi
4
Sebastien Loeb , France, Citroen
4
F Duval Citroen
6
G Galli Mitsubishi
7 M Märtin Peugeot
8 T Gardemeister Ford
9 J Paasonen Skoda
10 D Carlsson Peugeot
RALLY
PREVIEW:
CITROEN
PEUGEOT
SUBARU FORD
SKODA MITSUBISHI
FORD
- All
change as BP-Ford squad heads for Argentine winter:
After
four consecutive hot weather, rough road rallies in Mediterranean
Europe, the cooler climate of a south American winter and smoother
roads on the Rally Argentina (14 - 17 July) will come as a relief
to the BP-Ford World Rally Team. It enters the second half of its
FIA World Rally Championship campaign lying third in both the manufacturers'
and drivers' points tables, intent on improving the Ford Focus RS
World Rally Car's strong record in Argentina which has brought two
wins in the last four seasons.
- Hard,
rocky tracks and searing temperatures characterised the second quarter
of the season, providing a battering for both cars and drivers alike.
The pampas in Argentina's Cordoba province is very different. Road
surfaces vary, but generally comprise soft, sandy gravel which frequently
becomes rutted when used for a second time and quickly turns muddy
in the wet. Temperatures can vary from below freezing in early morning
to mid-teens in the afternoon.
- While
these roads are more forgiving than recent events, BP-Ford drivers
Toni Gardemeister and Jakke Honkanen and team-mates Roman Kresta
and Jan Mo will not fall into the trap of believing this is an easy
rally. Sunday's notorious Giulio Cèsare and El Condor speed
tests high amid the spectacular moon-like landscape of the Traslasierra
mountains are among the most demanding of the year. Large rocks
line the roads and are also kicked onto the driving line by the
passage of cars.
- River
crossings abound (organisers state there are 27 different crossings!)
and stunning scenery across the wide open plains provides superb
viewing for the passionate Latin American fans who flock into the
speed tests in massive numbers. They generate a crackling atmosphere
as impromptu roadside fiestas spring up alongside the special stages
and there are few who do not enjoy the special ambience that surrounds
the event.
- Gardemeister,
who matched his career-best result with second on the last round
in Greece, will be starting this ninth round of the championship
for the fourth time. Fifth in 2002 is his best result. "It's
a changeable rally and there is a bit of everything there for a
driver," said the 30-year-old Finn. "Some roads are fast
and others are quite slow. Some are soft and some are hard. It's
a difficult rally and I find it quite technical. The weather can
also change quickly and if conditions aren't good we can expect
fog on the higher stages."
- "The
most difficult aspect for me is the watersplashes. If the approach
is wide and fast and the water isn't deep, then it's possible to
enter them quickly. But the deeper crossings are more tricky because
the car tends to dive into the water. The dangers are taking water
into the engine or hitting the water so fast that the force damages
both the car and the engine."
- "My
performance in Greece was very good. It came close to being the
best drive of my career and I felt happy with the Focus all the
way through. If I can repeat the same kind of form in Argentina
then I'm sure I can take another good result," he added.
- Kresta
has never competed in Argentina before but completed the recce in
2001. "Starting a new rally for the first time is never easy,"
said the 29-year-old Czech. "The recce provides some idea of
the characteristics of the road, but it's not until I actually drive
the stages at competitive speed that I start to gain a proper feel
for them. But I'm used to this because I've already competed on
several events this year for the first time."
- "It's
important not to set the targets too high. Gaining as much experience
as I can of the Argentine stages is the most important aspect for
me. That's what will help me in the future. So I will start at a
steady pace without taking risks and focus my efforts on reaching
the finish. Already this season that tactic has brought points for
both myself and Ford, so I hope the same can happen again in Argentina,"
he added.
- Petter
Solberg:
"Argentina is a completely different rally compared to the others
we've done recently. Our performance there last year was good and we
were leading the event for a while so I'm feeling good about the potential.
As a rally, I like it a lot and I think maybe it's one of the events
where I can fight to the top. Certainly I'm expecting some tough competition,
but we won't really know how good the other guys are until the rally
begins, but I'm looking forward to getting out there. We are a team
that likes a challenge and it's a type of motivation I respond well
to."
- Chris
Atkinson: "I've been doing my research, studying the TV
footage from previous events and from what I can see it looks like a
good rally. The roads are soft and tend to get fairly rutted, but I
think they should suit my driving style. Of course, every rally is unique,
but I reckon it looks pretty similar in places to one that I used to
drive in Canberra as part of the Asia Pacific Championship. You never
know, the experience I got there may help. As far as my objectives go,
once again I'm planning to put in a solid performance and get experience
of the whole rally. I think I was a little over cautious with my opening
pace in Greece, and I'm hoping to attack a bit more next week."
PEUGEOT
- GRONHOLM:
"It was disappointing not to be able to fight for victory
in Greece all the way to the finish, so I will be flat out in Argentina
which is an event I like very much. I hope the different weather and
terrain will be favourable to us, notably on the tyre front. In any
case, we have no choice. Although my points deficit in the Drivers'
standings looks like it could be difficult to make up, we still have
every chance in the Manufacturers' championship and that remains our
objective. But we will now need to be thinking in terms of outright
victory if we are to stay in the title chase."
- MARTIN:
"After
twenty stages, I was in the lead before being sidelined by a mechanical
problem practically at the end of Leg 2," recalls the Estonian.
"Last year, I was 2nd when I went off in SS5. That time it was
driver failure! I hope I can obtain a better result in Argentina than
I did in Greece. The stages should be more favourable to us because
the 307 WRC is very competitive over fast stages."
CITROEN
- LOEB,
CHAMPIONSHIP LEADER: "Running
first on the road will probably be a handicap throughout the opening
day. The stages of Leg 1 were the same last year and I was surprised
to see that I lost even more time second time through once the sandy
surface had been cut up by the first run. That said, my direct rivals
in the championship will be running in a similar position and will face
more or less the same conditions as me. After that, we will see whether
the cooler temperatures in comparison with recent rounds will have any
effect on the relative competitiveness of the different teams. In my
opinion, our mission promises to be a little more difficult. But whichever
way it goes, I intend to give it everything I've got."
- DUVAL:
"I like the stages and their variety. They are not easy though.
Last year they caught out quite a lot of drivers. There are badly placed
rocks in the apexes and jumps which launch the car in all directions.
I am quite pleased that the route hasn't changed since last year. It
means we already have all the notes and that will enable Sven and me
to concentrate on fine-tuning the way we work together. This process
began during our pre-Argentina testing, continued during the recce for
Greece and then during our pre-Finland testing. It's OK…"
MITSUBISHI
- ROVANPERA:
"Argentina is a good rally with lots of nice spectators, great
food and steaks in particular! The stages are quite soft, with gravel
not stones, and some stages are a little bit rough. In some ways some
of the stages - in places - are quite similar to Turkey this year. I
think it will be a particularly good event for our tires and hopefully
it will stay dry and not too hot. My feeling now is that we can perhaps
fight more closely with the leaders; it can be a very interesting rally
I think".
- GALLI:
"I like Argentina, absolutely, it’s a good rally
with an unbelievable amount of spectators", said Gigi. "There
is always a lot of loose but hopefully we have the right Pirelli tires
which should work very well in these conditions. If Torii-san says I
must make maximum attack, it will be my pleasure! I think we can expect
to make a good result and we have proved the reliability of the car
is much better. Is it an event I can win? Anyway, as always I try my
best to make a good result for Mitsubishi".
SKODA
- PAASONEN:
"Last year was my first visit to Argentina but I won Group N so
I hope that I can also get a really good result this year on my first
visit with a WRC car. Argentina is a really nice rally for me –
I like it very much. "
- SCHWARTZ:
"Argentina is a very nice rally with a great atmosphere and a lot
of very enthusiastic fans. Sometimes it is fast and sometimes just as
rough as Acropolis. The roads are often quite damp and the event is
famous for having watersplashes on nearly every stage. "
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