PRE-RACE
- How do you see the first contact with gravel this season?
I don't think I'm prepared enough to be competitive here. I'm not happy with the car in this surface yet, it's a bit nervous... I will enter the rally thinking about making km, get some experience and improve the car for the Summer Series.
- so, you won't try to push here?
No, I'll probably drive a gear shorter than I could really do. Still, I think there's a big difference between day 1 and 2, at least for me day 1 is easier, I know the stages and will probably attack there, then day 2 will be complicated, and I'll take a conservative approach.
RACE Day 1
-Stage 1: DNF
-Stage 2: Good. I pushed here, everything went well.
-Stage 3:
A bit surprised with myself. From my eyes I went really fast with no mistakes. Too bad there is no other RDRC2 in this group to compare, but at least it felt good.
-Stage 4: I've sent the conservative strategy to hell after those two stages!
Couple of mistakes, but I don't think I broke anything and I didn't lose time because of them. Fun.
-Stage 5: Not the most complicated stage, but I wanted to make sure I finished it, probably lost some time. Car was a understeery in those tight corners and the rear wasn't helping me much.
-Stage 6: I hope spectators liked the stage. Not much to say other than thar, I'm not the biggest fan.
-Stage 7: Clean and felt fast. Gotta love rallying when you get that.
-Stage 8: Other than going a bit long in a right cross and hitting a tree a bit, it was good.
Overall:
- What was the problem this time on the first stage?
Well, it was stupid. Me and my codriver took the old notebook with the preliminary notes, instead of the final version. One corner he said 'Right 4', when it should have been '3'. Went wide, crashed with a small stick but still was enough to kill the car...
- But the rest of the day, it looks like you were feeling better.
Yeah, if it wasn't for that incident, rally is going great. I'm pushing where I know I can push, and I'm driving conservative when I have to do it. I recovered the positions with the production cars, which was my goal after the crash, and car feels better with the new tweakings, but probably will have to improve a lot for the Summer Series
- How do you feel about tomorrow?
As I said yesterday, tomorrow will be much more complicated. I don't know any place where I feel confident enough to attack, so I'll have to play it safe, make more km on gravel and improve the car.
RACE Day 2
-Stage 9: Not the best pace probably, but good to finish and keep trying things
-Stage 10: Everything OK
-Stage 11:
Here comes Alvarez in his Skoda to the control sto... WOW WAIT... he... he just rolled... when the stage was over... INCREDIBLE! WTH? Some spectators hurrying to put the car back on track...
Now the car is back on its four. Engine works, let's see if we can talk to him. Alberto!, What...?
MOST STUPID THING IN MY ENTIRE LIVE, I TELL YOU. (Hits steering wheel in rage)
Don't know. Stage was fine, driving safely, and now I crossed the line and... Pretty stupid, I don't know WTH happened, I just hope the car is fine for the final stages.
-Stage 12:
Alvarez with the Skoda S2000 should be the next one to arrive to your position, but he had troubles in the previous stage.
Yes, he's here, I hear it. Coming to the control stop, he's gonna break... Oh, God! he goes straight... he couldn't stop the car in time, the car has just stopped a few meters away from my position! Almost hit me and some stewards!
Co-driver opened his door and is running with the roadbook to be checked. He gave it to the stewards, Dani? What's the problem?
Brakes! Our brakes are done.
That was the words of Dani Cué, who's running back to the Skoda. Break problems for them, almost caused an accident here!
-Stage 13: DNF
Overall:
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We've heard you had troubles with your brakes, what happened this time?
I had a stupid accident once Mineshaft was over and the brakes didn't work any more. As it sounds. We could make Autiovaara in 4th gear, but on Poland I ended crashing hard in the last part. Hate this stage, couldn't finish it any time.
I think I can have everything repaired back for tomorrow's one and only stage, see if I can test a bit more. Power Stage but I don't think I have a chance to get any extra point, so just, feel the car and finish with a good feeling for the second part of the championship if possible.
RACE Day 3
-Stage 14: DNF
POST-RACE
This wasn't like previous rallys. Even if the car wasn't as great as it can be, I think I drove with good head this time, knowing where to attack and where to slow down. But the mistake at Mineshaft...
Anyway, good notes for the Summer Series taken, now wait to see how it compares with the rest of the RDRC2 class. And next, the Barum rally will be on tarmac and Skoda's home, hopefully it will be another story and I can complete a good rally again after Montecarlo, so long ago!
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Crashing once the stage was over, that's a new a good one!
But rally was fun until that point, thanks to the organizers (although I prefer when stages are repeated, just my 2 cents) and best of luck for the rest of the drivers!