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Strong performance in Turkey plus successful testing session
- We’ll try to finish among the top three!
Well succeeded testing days in Finland increased their
confidence in the car, which gives reason to believe the podium
finish of Greece can be repeated in Argentina.
Serious testing aims at better reliability
Prior to the Rally of Argentina, which will be competed from July 16 to 18,
Peugeot went through a testing session in Finland aiming at improving
the car’s handling as well as reliability. Alongside Marcus Grönholm and
Harri Rovanperä, Sebastian Lindholm was also actively testing the car,
as he is going to be the driver of the third Peugeot 307 WRC in Neste
Rally Finland.
Suspension, differentials and tyres in test in Jämsä area.
- A tough session, for the three of us all drove three days. We were
again able to make the car take steps forward, Rovanperä reported on
Friday, July 9th, on the tests finished the previous day.
- The decision about the suspension and tyres for Jyväskylä has been
taken now, and they will be used whether there’s rain or sunshine. The
information gathered here can partly be profited of in Argentina as well.
Testing the car is no Sunday driving, because during the entire day we
run faster than in a rally. Pace notes are also taken for the test stages
and the codriver reads the notes on every run, even if the drivers learn
the stages thoroughly during the testing.
- We do drive flat out here. If we produced this speed in a rally for a
couple of days, we’d be leading by two minutes, Rovanperä described
the pace of test drives.
- But the most important thing is to make a consistent and careful run so
that comparisons can be made between different solutions.
Argentina one of Rovanperä’s favourite rallies
Round eight of this season’s World Rally Championship will be
competed in the middle of Argentinian winter, from June 15 to 18.
Rovanperä will participate in the event for the seventh time.
- The Rally of Argentina will be competed a couple of months later than
usual. It used to take place in May, when it’s autumn over there. Now the
rally takes place in winter time. The roads can be rough, especially if
there’s rain, Rovanperä estimates.
In 1997, Harri took a win in 2-litre group and was eighth in general
standings in the Rally of Argentina. The following year the engine of his
Seat Ibiza failed in the first leg and Harri had to retire while leading his
group. In 1999, Harri was holding the ninth place overall with his Seat
WRC when his rally ended due to an engine failure at the end of the
second leg.
His next start was in 2001. Harri was the best placed Peugeot driver in
fifth when he was forced to retire at the end of the first leg because of
suspension trouble. In 2002, Harri was in third when the engine of his
Peugeot 206 began to cough and eventually failed, putting him out of the
competition at the beginning of leg two. In 2003, Harri made it to the end
and finished in fourth. At his best, he was in second overall in his
Peugeot 206, but the tyre problems of the beginnings of the rally together
with the steering trouble of the second day slowed him down.
His history of retirements doesn’t scare him, though, because he likes
the Rally of Argentina. He has always been able to drive well there, as
long as the car hasn’t failed.
- We have plenty of tests behind us now and the car feels good, so
we’ll try to finish among the top three, of course, Rovanperä said before
leaving for Argentina.
The Argentinian gravel roads are variable when it comes to grip. Their
height above the sea level varies from 700 to 2000 meters. The rally
consists of 26 special stages with a total of 382,63 competitive
kilometres.
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