Great expectation about the RallyRACC, starting on Friday with a mixed-surface stage

(20/10/2011)

Petter Solberg (Citroën). RallyRACC 2011

The 47th RallyRACC Catalunya-COSTA DAURADA, Rally de España 2011, is about to start. This decisive event for World Rally Championship classification had its preview today with the shakedown, run in the outskirts of Salou over the same 2.94 km route as last year. On the day before the rally officially starts, priority drivers invested about four hours to make between four and six passes on this stage. Petter Solberg (Citroën) managed the fastest time on 2:08.5. This leg took place under good weather, which is expected to remain unchanged for tomorrow. Day 1 of the rally features 3 repeat stages, one of which fully on gravel, and two on mixed surface (gravel and tarmac), over as much as 160.36 timed kilometres.

Local driver Dani Sordo (Mini) was ninth in the shakedown, on 2:09.4, as Argentinean Federico Villagra (Ford) took a surprising second best time on 2:08.7. None of the three drivers fighting for the world title, Sébastien Loeb and Sébastien Ogier for Citroën, and Mikko Hirvonen for Ford had problems during that leg.

At the FIA pre-event press conference, Sébastien Loeb explained his situation was totally different now, after three unlucky rallies. “I will now have to take more risks. However, I hope my streak of bad luck is over. The bad thing is I have an unfortunate starting position, because I’ll have to open the road, and that will work against me. The stage in darkness on Day 1 is very tricky.  It actually will be difficult even in daylight”, he admitted. Mikko Hirvonen (Ford), level on 196 points with Loeb in the overall standings, said “Anything can happen. In fact, not long ago it would have seemed impossible to get to where we are now. We’ll have to push as hard as we can in this rally. Regarding the gravel stage in the dark, I think the three-minute gap will be enough to avoid the hanging dust. In Greece, we did something similar, and the dust was a problem in a few points”.

In the same press conference, Sébastien Ogier confirmed that “the team has decided Loeb should receive full support from the make. Therefore, my role here will be to try and clinch the drivers’ and the constructors’ championships. However, we’ll all be fighting for the championship in a rally I like, because being mixed-surface, it’s as if you had two rallies in one”. Spanish driver Dani Sordo (Mini), the great asset for local fans, arrives in his turf event full with confidence. “My starting position for Day 1 is good to try and make it to the podium. That’s our real goal, although our results in Germany and France might let us think the time has come for us to win. I don’t like the mixed-surface rally, that’s good for spectators and for Finnish drivers, who are good on gravel”.

RallyRACC activities will continue throughout the day today, including the traditional autograph session with the main drivers and co-drivers at 7 pm, followed by the ceremonial start that will see all teams going through the Salou podium as of 8 pm.