30.3.2008 - Suzuki takes away valuable lessons from a rain-swept Argentina

The SX4 WRC of P-G Andersson has scored a manufacturers¹ point for Suzuki after an extremely challenging event featuring some of the worst conditions in recent memory. Just three stages made up the final day, but two of them were the most legendary and difficult of the whole event: Giulio Cesare and El Condor. These two stages reach an altitude of more than 2000 metres through the foothills of the Andes.

There is often dense fog, and huge rocks that can catch out the unwary. In these challenging conditions, P-G Andersson set an eighth-fastest time ­ beating many more experienced competitors and hinting at the potential of the SX4 WRC on a clean run with no problems. The Swede¹s visibility was hampered through the El Condor stage as his windscreen misted up in the damp conditions, but he eventually finished the rally to score a precious manufacturers¹ point for Suzuki.

Toni Gardemeister re-started the final day in order to rack up some test kilometres, but unfortunately was not able to make the finish.

This year¹s Rally Argentina ­ which took place in the southern hemisphere¹s early autumn ­ presented the crews with an unprecedented range of weather conditions, meaning that only eight of the original 14 World Rally Car starters made the finish.

Both drivers experimented with set-ups on the soft and wet stages, concentrating on learning as much as possible for the future. The first day of Andersson's rally was halted by a turbo boost pressure sensor failure, while a suspension breakage stopped his consistent run on day two. He got to the end of the final day with no major problems.

Gardemeister had a reliable run on the opening day before hitting a rock that was on the racing line in the afternoon. He re-joined for day two but was held back by a combination of hydraulic and electronic problems that prevented him from completing the leg. The Finn managed to complete most of the stages over the three days of the rally and has acquired some valuable information to help the SX4 WRC's development.

The Suzuki SX4 WRCs arrived in Argentina with some bodywork modifications to cope with the watersplashes, as well as a revised head gasket. Both of these evolutions worked successfully, and the team was able to continue its testing programme on what is still only the fourth event of the SX4 WRC's first full season.

Toni Gardemeister: ³We¹ve had a few problems on this event, but the conditions have been even tougher than we expected. The surfaces were extremely slippery, and it was very easy to make a mistake. We just tried to keep the car on the road as much as possible and get to the end. Unfortunately we weren¹t quite able to manage that, but we learnt several important lessons along the way and we have a very clear idea of the areas in which we can improve.²

Nobuhiro Tajima, Suzuki World Rally Team principal: ³It's clear that we have a lot of work still ahead of us, and although we are very disappointed we have also been quite unlucky here. The boost pressure sensor that stopped P-G on the opening day is a very small component, and it was very unusual for Toni to find a rock that was right on the racing line. We seem to have solved some of the reliability issues that have affected us in the past, but we need to keep working hard in order to solve all the issues we encounter. Only when we have achieved this will we be able to reach our eventual target of competing regularly amongst the frontrunners.²

Final positions
1. S Loeb/D Elena FRA Citroen C4 4hr 05min 48.6sec
2. C Atkinson/S Prévot AUS Subaru Impreza 4hr 08min 21.8sec
3. D Sordo/M Marti ESP Citroen C4 4hr 09min 53.3sec
4. C Rautenbach/D Senior ZIM Citroen C4 4hr 25min 52.1sec
5. M Hirvonen/J Lehtinen FIN Ford Focus RS 4hr 31min 03.9sec
6. F Villagra/J Perez Companc ARG Ford Focus RS 4hr 33min 30.6sec
7. G Galli/G Bernacchini ITA Ford Focus RS 4hr 33min 40.4sec
8. A Aigner/K Wicha GER Mitsubishi Lancer 4hr 34min 47.9sec
9. S Beltran/R Rojas ARG Mitsubishi Lancer 4hr 35min 53.5sec
10 J Ketomaa/M Teiskonen FIN Subaru Impreza 4hr 37min 41.2sec

29.3.2008 - Suzuki climbs tricky learning curve in Argentina

It has been another tough day for the Suzuki World Rally Team in Argentina, the fourth round of this year¹s World Rally Championship. The mud of the opening day continued to characterise the second leg of the all-gravel event, putting traction and grip at a premium in the slippery conditions. Both Suzuki SX4 WRCs re-started day two under the super rally system, with P-G Andersson setting times within the top 10 throughout most of the day. Unfortunately, his consistent run was halted by a suspension breakage on the rough surfaces of SS14.

Toni Gardemeister had an assortment of different problems throughout the day: in the morning he had only two-wheel drive, while a hydraulic glitch deprived him of the centre differential, semi-automatic gearshift and power steering during the afternoon. He chose to retire after SS15 in order to re-join the final day under the super rally system and be sure of reaching the finish of the event.

Suzuki continued to climb a steep learning curve in Argentina, on the occasion of the team¹s first visit to the event with the SX4 WRC. Nonetheless, Andersson had a trouble-free run throughout the morning stages to indicate that the engine problems suffered by the team in Mexico appear to have been resolved. On the final stage of the morning the Swede damaged his car¹s steering against a stone, but this did not cost him much time. However, the Rally Argentina¹s rough terrain eventually forced his retirement from the second day on SS14 in the afternoon.

Toni Gardemeister had to battle with drivetrain and hydraulic problems, but the aim is for both cars to re-join the event under the super rally system tomorrow in order to complete as many test kilometres as possible. The savage conditions of Argentina have taken their toll on the entire field, with several of the top runners forced onto the sidelines.

Toni Gardemeister: ³We¹ve not had an easy run of things today. We were just a few hundred metres into the first stage this morning when we lost drive at the front. We obviously then lost a lot of time as we had only two-wheel drive. That problem was fixed at service, but next we had another issue with the hydraulic system. We have to remember that this is just the fourth rally of our first full season with the SX4 WRC, so it¹s normal to expect a few problems. The important thing is just to try and fix them and move on. Hopefully we can have a good day tomorrow, and show a little bit more of our potential.²

Nobuhiro Tajima, Suzuki World Rally Team principal: ³This has been a very hard day for us. I feel very sorry for both drivers. Hopefully we can get everything fixed to ensure that they have a trouble-free day tomorrow. It is bad luck for Toni and P-G: with the conditions as rough as they are, he is one of many drivers that have retired with suspension breakages. We need to cover as many kilometres as possible, so we want to send both cars out under the super rally system tomorrow. It is only by fixing all the problems as they arise that we will improve. Of course the road to success is a difficult and challenging one ­ but we already knew that before we embarked on our first full season this year.²

Leaderboard after second day:
1. S Loeb/D Elena FRA Citroen C4 3hr 28min 16.5sec
2. P Solberg/P Mills NOR Subaru Impreza 3hr 29min 36.1sec
3. C Atkinson/S Prévot AUS Subaru Impreza 3hr 30min 25.0sec
4. D Sordo/M Marti ESP Citroen C4 3hr 31min 48.8sec
5. C Rautenbach/D Senior ZIM Citroen C4 3hr 46min 16.6sec
6. M Hirvonen/J Lehtinen FIN Ford Focus RS 3hr 53min 01.0sec
7. A Aigner/K Wicha GER Mitsubishi Lancer 3hr 53min 43.7sec
8. F Villagra/J Perez Companc ARG Ford Focus RS 3hr 54min 09.9sec
9. N Al-Attiyah/C Patterson QAT Subaru Impreza 3hr 54min 34.8sec
10 S Beltran/R Rojas

28.3.2008 - Mixed fortunes for Suzuki in Argentina

The Suzuki World Rally Team has had a day of mixed fortunes on the opening leg of the Rally Argentina, round four of the World Rally Championship. Young Swede P-G Andersson was forced to retire just four kilometres from the opening stage, as a result of a boost pressure sensor failure. By contrast, Toni Gardemeister enjoyed a reliable run to place his SX4 WRC within the point-scoring positions for the bulk of the day. Unfortunately, during the penultimate stage, he could not avoid hitting a rock on the racing line ­ which led to his retirement from the leg.

Conditions on the Rally Argentina were atrocious in the morning, with heavy rain, thick fog and plenty of mud on the road. As more cars passed through the stages the surfaces broke up, making life extremely difficult for Gardemeister, who started 10th on the road.

Suzuki has never tested in Argentina with the World Rally Car previously, so the opening day was a chance for the team to get to grips with the extremely tricky conditions.

Gardemeister refined some suspension settings at midday service in order to improve the handling on the soft stages, and he lost a bit of time in the morning as a broken exhaust prevented him from hearing his pace notes properly. In the afternoon he felt more confident in slightly better conditions, and climbed to a solid seventh place overall before hitting the rock 10 kilometres into SS8. The impact broke the front suspension, and Toni was not able to complete the stage. Nonetheless, he aims to re-start tomorrow under the Super Rally system, with a 10-minute penalty for not completing two stages. He still retains 14th place overall, and is currently only two and a half minutes off the top 10.

Toni Gardemeister: ³Both myself and P-G have actually been very unlucky on this event. In my case I saw a big rock right on the racing line, which is unusual, and I could not help hitting it. Without that problem we would have got to the end of the day safely in seventh, with some good chances of finishing in the top six. Everything is not yet lost though, and we can still come back and achieve something from this event. The conditions today were as difficult as I have ever known them: the surfaces were really slippery and we were struggling for grip all the time. It could be the same again tomorrow, so we have to just try and stay out of trouble and move up the order as best as we can.²

Nobuhiro Tajima, Suzuki World Rally Team principal: ³We knew from the very beginning that this was going to be a tough rally, and this has proved to be the case. Sometimes you learn lessons the hard way. At least now we are hopefully in a position to re-start with both cars tomorrow and continue to increase our knowledge of this event and these very difficult conditions. Toni proved that we had the pace to run comfortably within the points places today under extremely tricky circumstances: now we have to build on this base in order to improve the performance and the reliability. There is still a long way to go, and there are many opportunities ahead of us.²

27.3.2008 - Suzuki SX4 WRC gets underway in Argentina

The Suzuki World Rally Team of Toni Gardemeister and P-G Andersson has begun the Rally Argentina with a ceremonial start in the capital of the province, Cordoba, on Thursday. Both SX4 WRCs drove over the ramp in the city centre, watched by thousands of fans and the world¹s media.

Nonetheless, the real action just got underway this morning, with the first of 21 all-gravel special stages. The biggest question mark over the South American event this year, round four of the World Rally Championship, is the weather. With autumn receding and winter approaching in the southern hemisphere, several days of rain have made the soft stages waterlogged ­ meaning that the surfaces are likely to be extremely slippery. However, Gardemeister and Andersson aim to use the difficult conditions to their advantage, with the goal of placing both SX4 WRCs inside the points. The ongoing development of the car received a boost from the recent news issued by the FIA ­ world motorsport¹s governing body ­ that new teams will now be allowed to use two additional engines in their first season of competition with no penalty.

Both cars completed the short shakedown stage on Thursday morning near rally headquarters in Villa Carlos Paz: a last-minute opportunity to finalise settings for the Argentinean event. As the Suzuki World Rally Team has never tested in Argentina before, it was a good chance for the squad to begin to work on suitable suspension settings. However, with so many unpredictable elements surrounding this rally, it was hard to know how representative the shakedown would be of the actual event conditions. Neither of the cars encountered any problems during the shakedown, and both SX4 WRCs returned safely to parc ferme in Villa Carlos Paz after the start ceremony.

Toni Gardemeister: ³From what we have seen so far, I think this will be the most tricky Rally Argentina I have ever done. The roads are very wet and slippery, and the new tyre regulations for this year mean that we cannot cut the tyres to disperse all the water. It would be a bit easier if we were allowed to do that, but as long as it is the same conditions for everyone then I really don¹t mind. We¹ve still got some work to do in order to catch up our rivals, so marginal conditions like these can actually help us I think.²

Nobuhiro Tajima, Suzuki World Rally Team principal: ³First of all, I¹d like to say how pleased I am with the FIA¹s decision to allow new teams the chance to use more engines without penalty in order to speed up the pace of development. It is not only us who will benefit from this, but also any other new teams joining the championship. Anything that encourages competition is good, so we thoroughly applaud this measure. As for the Rally Argentina, it looks like being even more difficult and unpredictable than usual this year. We have made some changes to the car since Mexico, so we hope to have the chance to confirm our improved speed and reliability here. However there are so many unknown factors that we cannot take anything for granted. We are still learning, so we must concentrate on taking as much benefit from this event as possible.²

20.3.2008 - Suzuki heads south to the Pampas

The Rally Argentina provides a vivid contrast to Rally Mexico, the last round of the World Championship held in South America nearly a month ago. Competitors will swap the heat and rocks of Mexico for cooler weather and softer gravel surfaces near the city of Cordoba, about 700 km northwest of Argentina’s capital Buenos Aires. Suzuki will also be hoping for a change in fortunes following a premature end to the Rally Mexico, in which P-G Andersson ran as high as sixth overall. His team mate Toni Gardemeister notched up his 100th rally in Mexico, and in Argentina the Finn celebrates another important anniversary: his 33rd birthday that takes place the day after the rally.

Argentina is one of the most spectacular events of the season, featuring dramatic stages at high altitudes and stunning scenery – including several crests and watersplashes. The weather in the southern hemisphere at this time of year is autumnal, so rain, mist and fog are a strong possibility. The surfaces can be soft and sandy, testing traction and grip to the utmost. As was the case in Mexico, the high altitudes will also sap up to 25 percent of the power from the engines on classic mountain stages such as Giulio Cesare and El Condor.

With its lunar landscapes and enthusiastic local crowd, Argentina is a real highlight of the World Rally Championship. There is a brand new spectator superspecial for this year at Cordoba stadium, which concludes each day of the rally. In total, the action consists of 21 special stages comprising 347.91 competitive kilometres. For more information: www.rallyargentina.com

Rally Argentina presents several unique challenges, and the Suzuki SX4 WRC has been carefully adapted to rise to the occasion. The characteristic watersplashes that punctuate the route can damage the car and drown the engine, so the SX4 WRC’s front bodywork has been specially modified in order to prevent this happening by dispersing the water more quickly and effectively.

The engines have also been modified in order to increase reliability and durability in the tough conditions. Suzuki has only one previous outing in Argentina, on the Junior World Rally Championship in 2006 with the Swift. On that occasion, the car won the class – but competing with a cutting-edge World Rally Car is a very different proposition.

Although the surfaces are mostly soft, there is a lot of variation in the amount of grip available. As Suzuki has no previous experience of running with a World Rally Car in Argentina, the event shakedown will be a vital opportunity to establish settings for a wide range of different conditions. Under the latest tyre rules, Suzuki (along with all the other manufacturers) will use Pirelli’s new hard compound Scorpion tyre in Argentina – but in the cool conditions it may prove tricky to generate enough heat in the rubber during some stages.

Toni Gardemeister has some previous experience of the Rally Argentina, having competed on the rally four times with a best result of fourth in 2005. However, he has not been to Argentina since then – although the Finn has always enjoyed a good feeling with the fast and flowing stages. After scoring a point for Suzuki on the Swedish Rally last month, Gardemeister aims to increase his total over the rolling pampas of Argentina. “I have been feeling quite ill the week before the event, so it’s not been a perfect start,” said Gardemeister. “However, I like Argentina very much and I’m looking forward to going back there after a two-year gap. Many of the stages are quite similar, so I’m hoping that this will not be too much of a disadvantage. There are lots of things that can catch people out, so by driving carefully and keeping out of trouble there’s a very good chance of scoring some useful points. Reliability is going to be the key, and there could be some surprises from the weather as well.”

Having investigated the engine problems in Mexico, the entire Suzuki team is determined to bounce back and continue the run of success that saw it score points on every round of the championship up until then. The Suzuki World Rally Team’s equipment has been transported from Mexico to Argentina in the three weeks since the last event, and new engines have already been sent from Japan.

Another new arrival in the squad is Paul Wilding, who becomes team manager. Having managed Suzuki’s Junior World Championship campaign in recent years, the Australian is a familiar face with plenty of experience in the role.

Nobuhiro ‘Monster’ Tajima, Suzuki’s team principal, said: “Argentina is renowned as a very tough event, where the soft ground can often hide some big stones. Since Mexico we have improved the reliability of the engine, so we are aiming to get to the finish in Argentina in order to learn more about the car and what is needed to achieve success at the highest level. The priority for both drivers is to get to the end: if we can score some points as well it would be a very welcome bonus.”