It’s a case of mixed feelings after Rally Mexico. On one hand, our retirement on the opening leg was a massive disappointment, but on the other hand, we were leading the rally at the time and that’s a huge encouragement for myself, Petter and the entire Subaru World Rally Team.
We went to Mexico this rally with a new car, the Impreza WRC2007. Spotting the exterior differences isn’t easy, but don’t been fooled: it features some key revisions under the bonnet compared to the old car. The boys back at base have prioritised some of the weaknesses of the WRC2006 and set about improving those areas. Among the main changes are: a new radiator and intercooler pack, some suspension and damper tweaks, revised weight distribution and some changes to the airflow through the front end.
It didn’t take Petter and I very long to realise this car is a step in the right direction. A fortnight ago we had a positive test in Spain, and we’ve always gone well in the gravel stages of central America, with a win and a second-place to our name in 2005 and 2006 respectively.
The opening morning of the rally on Friday was one of those times when you realise everything is starting to click into place. If I say the first three stages of Rally Mexico were uneventful, don’t get me wrong, I don’t mean to make it sound like we weren’t trying. It’s just that everything worked so well: stage one – fastest time. Stage two – fastest time. Stage three – fastest time. As easy as that. Sure, our road position helped slightly because the guys running in front of us were sweeping some of the slippery loose gravel off the road, but I always think you know you’re in with a shout when three stages go by without a hint of a problem.
It seems Lady Luck was saving up all our bad fortune for the afternoon. Towards the end of stage five, we began to get some warnings about the oil pressure. By the end of the stage, the pressure was zero. Soon after the end of the stage we pulled over on the road section after the stage and it was game over.
Nevertheless, it was a fantastic feeling to be back in there fighting with Sebastian Loeb – exactly where we should be. Looking at the pace of our rivals throughout the rest of the event, we could have been at least on the podium, if not the top step, by the end. Still, the most positive aspect of the weekend is that the new car has provided us with a solid platform. We need to do a bit more development with it, but I’m confident we’re heading in the right direction – and it’s great to be able to report that.
Regards,
Phil
Petter with fastest time during shakedown in Portugal this morning, and are really looking forward to the start tonight. A local driver went off the road during shakedown and hit a spectator. He was brought to the hospital, but are fortunately not badly injured. The first stage starts at 1800 tonight, local time.
