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18.5.2008 - Gardemester retired again due electrical problems
Toni Gardemeister was not lucky, having retired from day two with broken suspension and failing to finish the final day. Nonetheless, the Suzuki World Rally Team achieved its key objective of improving the reliability of the SX4 WRC in every area, and building solid foundations for the future.
Sardinia is renowned as one of the toughest events on the World Rally Championship, because of its hard surfaces and sharp rocks. Conditions were made even more difficult this year by the unseasonably wet weather, which caused the road surfaces to degrade and exposed yet more sharp rocks. Despite these obstacles, P-G steered clear of trouble to end the rally just outside the points, having proved that Suzuki¹s decision to put the accent on reliability during this event has paid off. Having learnt several valuable lessons for the future, the team is now feeling confident for the next two rough gravel events in the Mediterranean: Greece and Turkey.
Toni Gardemeister¹s car developed an electrical glitch after the mid-morning service that meant he was unable to finish the rally today, but Andersson¹s car was perfect from start to finish and again reported no problems at all today. Following a steep learning curve on the previous rally in Jordan, the Suzuki team had introduced several important new measures designed to enhance the underbody protection and improve the cooling on the SX4 WRC. These evolutions worked well, despite the extremely tough conditions of Sardinia, and further improvements are planned for the next round in Greece the legendary Acropolis Rally which takes place in two weeks¹ time.
Toni Gardemeister: ³It¹s not been a perfect rally for us, but the most important thing is that the team has completed lots of valuable development work on the car and proved with P-G that we can have a good level of reliability. It¹s always tough in your first year, but I think now we are really beginning to turn a corner and make some solid progress. I have always said that when the car is running reliably it can be a good package, and I think we have shown some potential on this rally. Of course there is plenty of work still to do but we are definitely on the right road.²
Final positions
1. S Loeb/D Elena FRA Citroen C4 3hr 57min 17.2sec
2. M Hirvonen/J Lehtinen FIN Ford Focus RS 3hr 57min 27.8sec
3. J-M Latvala/M Anttila FIN Ford Focus RS 3hr 57min 32.5sec
4. G Galli/G Bernacchini ITA Ford Focus RS 3hr 58min 59.7sec
5. D Sordo/M Marti ESP Citroen C4 3hr 59min 22.8sec
6. C Atkinson/S Prévot AUS Subaru Impreza 4hr 02min 25.8sec
7. H Solberg/C Menkerud NOR Ford Focus RS 4hr 03min 18.2sec
8. U Aava/K Sikk EST Citroen C4 4hr 03min 38.5sec
9. P-G Andersson/J Andersson SWE Suzuki SX4 4hr 05min 05.9sec
10 P Solberg/P Mills NOR Subaru Impreza 4hr 06min 58.2sec
17.5.2008 - Gardemesiter struggled with technical difficulties in second day of WRC Italy Sardegna
The Suzuki SX4 WRC of P-G Andersson has ended the second day of the Rally d¹Italia Sardegna just outside the points, after making solid progress that has underlined the Suzuki World Rally Team¹s focus on reliability. Andersson was ninth at the end of the opening day, while his team mate Toni Gardemeister was forced to retire from the day after hitting rear suspension problems on SS11. He made a temporary repair, but the team decided that it would be safer to withdraw him from the day in order to allow him to re-start tomorrow.
The stages on the second day of the rally were faster and more flowing than those of the previous day, but a hard base and a sandy surface meant that the roads were extremely slippery. In the afternoon, the threat of rain made the choice of set-up at midday service complicated, but both Toni and P-G opted for some compromise settings that worked well in the dry conditions. Having started the day in 11th position, P-G made up two places to end Saturday¹s action just one position away from the points-scoring places. The young Swede¹s aim is to maximise any opportunities that come his way tomorrow in order to score a point and reward the efforts of the Suzuki team to improve the SX4 WRC¹s reliability.
Apart from the problem that halted Toni Gardemeister with just one stage to go, the Suzuki World Rally Team fulfilled its objective to work on the SX4 WRC¹s reliability over today¹s six stages that totalled 134.60 competitive kilometres. Suzuki learnt several important lessons from the opening day of the event yesterday, and consequently the cars have been generally well-equipped to deal with the challenge of the narrow Sardinian roads throughout day two. The cause of Gardemeister¹s rear suspension problem will be analysed once the car returns to service at the harbourside in Olbia this evening and it is hoped that he will re-start the rally tomorrow.
Toni Gardemeister: ³I¹m not really sure what happened, but we had a problem with the rear suspension on SS11 that badly affected the handling of the car. It was a pity, as up until then we had encountered no problems at all and enjoyed another really good day. This just goes to show that when the car is reliable, it can be very effective. We have been deliberately careful not to take any risks today, and I certainly haven¹t been pushing to the maximum. We¹ll see what we can do tomorrow, but this rally has been really important for us so far, as it was vital to achieve a basic level of reliability in order to move forwards.²
Leaderboard after Day 2
1. S Loeb/D Elena FRA Citroen C4 2hr 59min 21.5sec
2= J-M Latvala/M Anttila FIN Ford Focus RS 2hr 59min 50.9sec
2= M Hirvonen/J Lehtinen FIN Ford Focus RS 2hr 59min 50.9sec
4. G Galli/G Bernacchini ITA Ford Focus RS 3hr 00min 39.2sec
5. D Sordo/M Marti ESP Citroen C4 3hr 00min 52.8sec
6. C Atkinson/S Prévot AUS Subaru Impreza 3hr 02min 03.6sec
7. H Solberg/C Menkerud NOR Ford Focus RS 3hr 03min 50.5sec
8. U Aava/K Sikk EST Citroen C4 3hr 03min 56.0sec
9. P-G Andersson/J Andersson SWE Suzuki SX4 3hr 05min 07.4sec
10 P Solberg/P Mills NOR Subaru Impreza 3hr 06min 50.7sec
16.5.2008 - Suzuki drivers make a solid start in Sardinia
Both Suzuki drivers have made a solid start to the Rally d¹Italia Sardegna, round six of the World Rally Championship. Toni Gardemeister returned to final service at the harbourside in Olbia occupying a provisional 10th position, while his team mate P-G Andersson was about nine seconds behind him in 11th. The crews were greeted by cooler conditions than were expected on Italy¹s round of the World Championship, and stages that had been made extremely slippery by recent heavy rainfall.
The Suzuki crews made a cautious start on the opening stage, but Gardemeister was up to an impressive sixth by the end of SS2 and arrived at midday service in a point-scoring eighth. Both cars have reached the finish of day one with no major problems and are poised to improve on their positions over the challenging leg two tomorrow.
Both cars were largely reliable throughout the day¹s six stages, despite the extremely rough conditions. Toni encountered some small gear selection problems throughout the day but otherwise had a clean run to the finish, while P-G struggled with a slight front brake problem. Thanks to some of the improvements introduced since the Jordan Rally, there were no other issues with the cars all day: a promising sign that the decision to concentrate on reliability is yielding results.
Toni Gardemeister: ³Today has actually been a very good day for us. To be sixth fastest and sixth overall at the end of the longest stage of the rally this morning was very encouraging. We had a few problems with the downshifts on the gearbox all day, but really nothing major. I just tried to be very smooth and precise on these stages, because if you go off the line then it is easy to have a puncture or hit a rock.²
Leaderboard after Day 1
1. S Loeb/D Elena FRA Citroen C4 1hr 31min 27.6sec
2. D Sordo/M Marti ESP Citroen C4 1hr 32min 03.3sec
3. P Solberg/P Mills NOR Subaru Impreza 1hr 32min 21.4sec
4. M Hirvonen/J Lehtinen FIN Ford Focus RS 1hr 32min 26.5sec
5. C Atkinson/S Prévot AUS Subaru Impreza 1hr 32min 36.6sec
6. G Galli/G Bernacchini ITA Ford Focus RS 1hr 32min 39.9sec
7. J-M Latvala/M Anttila FIN Ford Focus RS 1hr 32min 58.7sec
8. H Solberg/C Menkerud NOR Ford Focus RS 1hr 33min 20.1sec
9. U Aava/K Sikk EST Citroen C4 1hr 33min 47.4sec
10 T Gardemeister/T Tuominen FIN Suzuki SX4 1hr 33min 50.5sec
15.5.2008 - Suzuki drivers cross the start ramp in Sardinia
The Suzuki SX4 WRC crews of Toni Gardemeister/Tomi Tuominen and P-G Andersson/Jonas Andersson crossed the start ramp in the glittering coastal resort of Porto Cervo this evening to officially begin the Rally d¹Italia Sardegna, round six of the World Rally Championship. The start ceremony was just a prelude to the main action, which will begin tomorrow at 10:23 with the first of 17 all-gravel special stages. Sardinia is renowned for its challenging roads and sharp rocks, and some recent bad weather during the reconnaissance is likely to have damaged the road surfaces even further.
Prior to the start of the event, both drivers completed the short shakedown test close to rally headquarters in Olbia. The shakedown is a last-minute chance to refine the set-up prior to the rally start, and for Suzuki it was a valuable opportunity to test the SX4 WRC on Sardinian gravel. In total, the event comprises 344.73 kilometres, with the longest stage of the event (the 33.96 kilometres of Crastazza) run twice tomorrow, as SS2 and SS5.
The development of the SX4 WRC has concentrated on durability for this latest round of the World Rally Championship, with several valuable lessons learned from the heat and the rocks of Jordan. Both cars completed the shakedown stage successfully this morning, although P-G Andersson lost some time with a gearbox glitch. Conditions on the shakedown stage were already quite rough but extra underbody protection introduced since the Jordan Rally should ensure that the SX4 WRC is able to cope with the worst of the punishment even with more rain expected over the course of the weekend.
Toni Gardemeister: ³Sardinia is sure to be a very difficult rally, but that helps the team as it means we learn a lot in these demanding conditions. But I think we¹re making progress, and the Jordan Rally was very important for that. The shakedown went well for us, although we stalled at the beginning. But after we changed the engine mapping it worked very well actually. The most important thing for us here will be to bring the car to the finish; I think that means we won¹t be flat-out everywhere.²
Paul Wilding, Suzuki World Rally Team manager: ³This is going to be an extremely tough rally, and our priority has been to improve the durability of the car. Hopefully we should see the results of that work here in Sardinia. The shakedown stage was already very rough, and I think that gives us a fairly accurate picture of the punishing conditions we can expect over the next three days.²
9.5.2008 - Suzuki aims to make use of precious Sardinian experience
Like all the events, Sardinia will be a new adventure for the SX4 World Rally Car, but the Italian rally is actually the one where Suzuki as a manufacturer has accumulated the most experience. Sardinia has formed part of the Junior World Rally Championship since the gravel event arrived on the WRC calendar in 2004 and this year is no exception. Consequently Suzuki has already wrapped up four participations in Sardinia, resulting in two class wins and two further podiums. Nonetheless, Sardinia is renowned as being one of the most complicated events on the World Championship due to its inconsistent surfaces and grip levels, which can easily catch out the unwary. Some stages have a hard surface and others are softer, but they all become extremely treacherous during the second run when sharp rocks are often revealed, which can cause punctures.
Having now accumulated knowledge of three gravel events so far this year, Suzuki is hoping to capitalise upon the experience gained to date. Conditions are likely to be hot and dusty in Sardinia but the rally route has not changed considerably from previous years, taking in a number of stages through the millionaire¹s playground that is known as the ŒCosta Smeralda¹ (Emerald Coast).
The Rally d¹Italia Sardegna gets underway with a ceremonial start in the glittering resort of Porto Cervo, at 20:00 on Thursday 15 May. The real action then starts on Friday morning at 09:43, with the first of 17 all-gravel special stages to the north-east of the island. In total the rally will cover 342.86 kilometres, with the central service park located as usual in the port of Olbia. The rally finish is scheduled for 14:30 on Sunday. For more information: www.rallyitaliasardegna.com.
Suzuki has accumulated some useful knowledge of Sardinia from previous successful participations in the Junior World Rally Championship. The team has also learnt a number of key lessons from the three gravel rallies held so far this year, with some particularly important discoveries made on the most recent rally in Jordan. The hot and sandy surfaces in Jordan, with some intermittent sharp rocks, have a particular relevance to the quite similar conditions expected in Sardinia.
The Suzuki World Rally Team has made some notable steps forward regarding the differential and suspension geometry of the SX4 WRC, as well as improving the under-body protection. The sump guard has also been reinforced, and the ground clearance readjusted.
For Sardinia, the team¹s priority has been to enhance the general reliability of the SX4 WRC in order to maximise the chances of coming away from the event with the best possible points haul. Once more, the main objective is for both cars to score points in Italy which would be an excellent achievement on what is still only the sixth rally of Suzuki¹s first full season.
For once, young Swede P-G Andersson actually has more experience of this event than his illustrious team mate. Whereas P-G has competed on every Rally d¹Italia Sardegna since it joined the World Championship in 2004, Toni Gardemeister did not contest the 2006 event. Gardemeister also made a bit of rally history by finishing fifth on the rally in 2005. A technical problem had forced him to retire on a previous leg, but he came back under what was then the brand new super rally system and became the first driver ever to score World Championship points after Œretiring¹ from an event.
This year, he is naturally hoping for a clean run to the finish and no retirements despite the challenging nature of the Sardinian stages. ³It¹s a tricky rally as it is very inconsistent: the grip and the surfaces are changing all the time,² said the 32 year-old. ³On the whole, the surfaces are quite slippery and soft on the top, with a harder base underneath. It¹s also quite dusty, so the circumstances are far from easy. The key to success for us will be achieving a good level of reliability. If we can stay out of trouble, then I have absolutely no doubt that we can score points; even quite good points. That has to be the aim here.²
After the extreme conditions of Jordan, Suzuki is aiming for improved reliability in Sardinia in order to fulfil its objective of bringing both cars home in the points. The work carried out in Sardinia will be vital for the future, as the next two rallies afterwards in Greece and Turkey will also have similar conditions to those seen in Italy. The Rally d¹Italia Sardegna is therefore a crucial learning opportunity for the entire team, from the very top downwards. ³We still have a long way to go and a lot to improve,² said Suzuki World Rally Team Principal Nobuhiro ŒMonster¹ Tajima. ³However, by staying focussed on our common goals and making progress step by step, I am confident that we will eventually achieve our objectives. To succeed in the World Rally Championship is extremely tough, and Sardinia will play an important part in our development process.²
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