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3.8.2008 - More points for Suzuki after fine effort in Finland
Toni Gardemeister and Tomi Tuominen drove an inch-perfect final day to bring their Suzuki SX4 WRC home in eighth place. Gardemeister's drive is rewarded with a drivers' championship point for him and two for the Suzuki World Rally Team. The Finn's team-mate P-G Andersson did not re-start this morning following an incident yesterday afternoon, when the car went off the road and into a tree.
Gardemeister's Suzuki SX4 WRC ran without any faults through the final day. The Finn had dialled himself into the super-quick final-leg stages and was delighted with the handling and suspension of the car.
Toni Gardemeister: "It's been a really good day today - a day I've really enjoyed. The stages are nice, the sun was shining and, of course, there were plenty of Finnish flags flying! It looked as though we could be having a big fight with Matthew (Wilson) today, but we managed to keep him behind. Once I realised that we had the speed to stay ahead of him, it was okay. I could relax and enjoy the roads. To end the event in Ruuhimaki, with those jumps at the end of the stage, is fantastic. That's why people love Rally Finland. I came here feeling we could make points and we have done that. It's been a good week."
Paul Wilding, Suzuki World Rally Team manager: "Toni has driven very well today. He's made no mistakes and the car hasn't missed beat. We're very pleased with the performance and reliability we've found from the latest development of the Suzuki SX4 WRC. Taking points is why we're here, so we're delighted with that. Of course, it's a shame that P-G went off the road yesterday, but these things happen in this sport - particularly on such a high-speed event as Finland. Now, though, our focus switches to Rallye Deutschland and the new challenge of a pure asphalt rally. One thing is sure, though, we go there on a high after a points-finish in Finland."
Final positions
1. S Loeb/D Elena FRA Citroen C4 2hr 54min 05.5sec
2. M Hirvonen/J Lehtinen FIN Ford Focus RS 2hr 54min 14.5sec
3. C Atkinson/S Prévot AUS Subaru Impreza 2hr 57min 22.5sec
4. D Sordo/M Marti ESP Citroen C4 2hr 57min 36.4sec
5. H Solberg/C Menkerud NOR Ford Focus RS 2hr 58min 03.2sec
6. P Solberg/P Mills NOR Subaru Impreza 2hr 58min 09.6sec
7. M Rantanen/J Lönegren FIN Ford Focus RS 3hr 00min 16.6sec
8. T Gardemeister/T Tuominen FIN Suzuki SX4 3hr 02min 24.2sec
9. M Wilson/S Martin GBR Ford Focus RS 3hr 02min 42.8sec
10 C Rautenbach/D Senior ZIM Citroen C4 3hr 04min 36.4sec
2.8.2008 - Points still on offer despite a day of mixed fortunes for Suzuki
Day two lived up to its billing as the most demanding of this year's Rally Finland. With 168 kilometres of flat-out action on a difficult and often deceptive mixture of roads and varying surfaces, Suzuki drivers Toni Gardemeister and P-G Andersson were both making strong progress. Unfortunately, P-G's rally ended prematurely and in dramatic fashion when he crashed out of the event not far from the end of SS16. While Toni went on to maintain a provisional points-paying position in 8th, P-G was left to rue the very fast section of the fabled Ouninpohja road in the Kakaristo test which caught the Suzuki-driving Swede out. He and co-driver Jonas Andersson were both left bruised by the accident and will not restart tomorrow.
Andersson's SX4 WRC was running without any problems inside the top 10 when he crashed off the road on SS16. Gardemeister's car was slowed by a steering problem on the first loop of stages, but thereafter it ran without fault. The Finn, who was still suffering some pain in his right arm after going off the road yesterday afternoon, spent the day further dialling himself into the right settings for today's mixture of fast, wide and tight, technical stages.
Toni Gardemeister: "My arm has been quite painful from at times today, but otherwise it's been a good day. I've enjoyed the stages, I always do on this rally. I didn't want to take any risks, the team and I need points from this rally - and that's the aim for tomorrow. But, Matthew (Wilson) was not far behind and I had to push to make sure we didn't let him pass."
Paul Wilding, Suzuki World Rally Team manager: "Today has definitely been a day of mixed fortunes. Both cars were running well and Toni remains in a very strong position going into the final day. He's sensibly driving in, what he calls, preservation mode and is looking good to take points tomorrow. As for P-G, the first thing to say is that we are all very relieved that he and Jonas are both fine, that's our number one priority in an accident like this. That said, we're disappointed for him and the team - his SX4 WRC was running faultlessly and very quickly until the accident."
1.8.2008 - Suzuki battle keeps the fans on the edge of their seats
The first leg of the event known as the 'Finnish Grand Prix' took the crews out to the west of the rally's base in Jyvaskyla for nine long tests and one final run around the Killeri superspecial stage. After warm summer sunshine throughout the recce and shakedown for the event, rain and damp conditions greeted the drivers as they headed out of service for Vellipohja, the morning's opener. Both Suzuki SX4 WRCs featured at the front of the field, with P-G Andersson and Toni Gardemeister scrapping over points-paying positions; the tense battle between the brace of SX4 WRCs was one of the features of the opening day.
Both Suzukis ran without fault throughout this opening leg. The drivers were particularly pleased with the transmission and hydraulic systems, following all of the work done by Suzuki over the summer on the cars. Both drivers spent time off the road as they pushed their SX4 WRCs to the limit on the fastest roads the World Rally Championship has on offer. Andersson span his car on the day's opening test at the cost of 25 seconds. Gardemeister went off on stage seven, but both Suzukis remained on track to end the day with strong placings of 8th and 10th.
Toni Gardemeister: "When we went off in the second run through Palsankyla this afternoon, it was a very, very big moment for us. I would say we went off the road at about 180kp/h - incredible! I really thought we were going to roll. We collected a puncture on the left-rear tyre which was there for the rest of the stage and I hurt my right shoulder in the impact. It was bad. Otherwise, the car has been good. It's a fantastic fight between myself and P-G and the best thing is that we're both in the top 10!"
Paul Wilding, Suzuki World Rally Team manager: "Suzuki has had a very strong day with the two SX4 WRCs in the top 10 at the end of the opening leg. This is a good reflection on the work which Suzuki has been doing on the SX4 WRC for the duration of the summer. Finland is an event which is all about performance and that's what Suzuki has been working on recently. To be in this position so early in the event is very, very positive."
31.7.2008 - Suzuki SX4 WRC is Killeri crowd-pleaser on Rally Finland
The second half of this year's World Rally Championship got underway in Finland this evening, with the Suzuki SX4 WRCs of Toni Gardemeister and P-G Andersson entertaining thousands of rally fans at the Killeri superspecial test just outside Jyvaskyla. Being an all-Scandinavian driving team, both Suzukis received a particularly warm welcome in the warm summer sunshine, but it was local driver Gardemeister who proved the most popular. The Finn turned in the sixth fastest time at this morning's shakedown stage, getting Suzuki's Rally Finland assault off to the best possible start first thing this morning. Full of confidence in the Suzuki SX4 WRC, both drivers are aiming to score points on this most famous of world rally rounds. Ahead of the first proper stage tomorrow morning, Gardemeister holds 16th position, with Andersson in 13th after SS1.
Both drivers had tested their Suzuki SX4 WRCs on Monday, finding a perfect set-up for the WRC's fastest roads of the season. Suzuki has been working on the revised specification of the SX4 WRC through the summer break and both drivers commented on how the changes had improved the car.
Toni Gardemeister: "I am very happy! The time at shakedown was good - and I wasn't taking the big risk to do this. The changes the team has made to the car through the summer have really made a difference. Now we're really looking forward to getting into the forests tomorrow. I want points from this rally."
Paul Wilding, Suzuki World Rally Team manager: "We've been really pleased with the way things have gone for Toni Gardemeister today. He set a great time at shakedown this morning, which followed on from a really positive test earlier in the week, and starts the event with a lot of confidence. P-G, like Toni, is really upbeat - as we all are - about the event we have in prospect this week."
25.7.2008 - Suzuki prepares for the biggest challenge of all
Of the rallies that make up the FIA World Rally Championship, Finland has the most fearsome reputation of them all. The Jyvaskyla-based event - which is a true legend in the rallying world - is easily the fastest rally of the year, with compact gravel roads that are as quick and smooth as motorways. Rally Finland is also characterised by rollercoaster crests, which launch the car several metres into the air. The stages require the utmost bravery and commitment, as well as scrupulously accurate pace notes. Just one very small mistake can spell disaster: there is no such thing as a small accident in Finland.
It is a rally where local knowledge definitely helps, but Suzuki will be able to rely on its two Scandinavian stars in Toni Gardemeister from Finland and P-G Andersson from Sweden. Nonetheless, many of the stages are new on this year's "Finnish Grand Prix" - giving the less experienced drivers a slightly better chance to match the locals. A number of these new stages are made up of speed tests that have been run in previous years, but now driven the opposite way round. The organisers have also looked for some narrower and more technical stages than were used last year, in order to keep average speeds down.
Nonetheless, Finland will still be a very quick event this year, with average speeds on the stages close to 130kph. Although the roads are extremely flowing, a little bit like New Zealand, many of the corners are blind. The key to success in Finland is finding a good rhythm so that the car "floats" from corner to corner, and having the confidence to maintain it even when the road ahead is hidden. Engine power plays a major part, but a lot of time can be gained from having the commitment to conserve the car's momentum in the braking areas: and this is how the local drivers excel.
The weather in Finland is expected to be extremely warm next week, adding yet another challenge to this highly competitive event. The rally gets underway on the evening of Thursday 31 July with the start and spectator superspecial and ends on Sunday 3 August after 24 special stages.
Finland is an important rally for Suzuki, as it marks the introduction of the second evolution of the SX4 WRC, featuring a raft of new parts designed to improve efficiency and performance on one of the most challenging rallies of the year.
Under the homologation rules, the manufacturers are allowed to update their cars over the course of the year. The new parts introduced will make the SX4 WRC lighter, more reliable, and increase its level of competitiveness.
The cars driven by Toni and P-G in Finland will be newly-built at Suzuki's rally headquarters on the outskirts of Paris, and the suspension will be adapted to suit the particular demands of the Finnish stages. On the Monday before the event, both Toni and P-G will test their cars for a day in order to establish the best set-up for Finland. As Finland is such a quick event with so many high-speed jumps, finding the right set-up is absolutely crucial: particularly when it comes to damper settings.
After nearly a two-month break from the World Rally Championship, both drivers are looking forward to getting back behind the wheel of the SX4 WRC. Although they have both had the chance to get in some summer holidays, Toni and P-G have been busy as well. Two weeks ago Toni contested the "OK Rally", a Finnish Championship round based in his home town of Kouvola, using his own personal rally car. His co-driver for the occasion was his girlfriend, but Toni still managed to set times not far off those of the WRC car that won the event!
"It was a bit of fun, but it also served a serious purpose," said Toni. "The stages around Kouvola are quite similar to those we will see on the Rally Finland. After quite a long time out of a rally car, it was good to get back into the rhythm of competing again and practise taking the right lines over the crests. When we test the Suzuki and its new parts on Monday, we will have a better idea of where we are. Realistically, many of our rivals still have an advantage over us in terms of engine power - which is quite an important factor in Finland - but also our local knowledge helps. We've always had good speed in Finland in the past, but equally we've been a bit unlucky. I'm feeling confident though: if we can set some times inside the top five I think that shows we are making progress."
Suzuki has been working very hard throughout the summer in order to prepare the latest changes to the SX4 WRC, which will be seen for the first time in Finland. As well as adding extra speed to the car, the accent has been placed firmly on adding reliability in order to consolidate the progress that was made throughout the first half of the season.
In addition, the team has been building two brand new SX4 WRCs from scratch - which incorporate some important weight-saving gains in the bodyshell without compromising strength or stiffness. The test on Monday will put all these new components through their paces and act as an extra shakedown for the new cars, whilst giving Suzuki the chance to run on the soft compound Pirelli control tyres that are being used for the first time this year in Finland.
Nobuhiro "Monster" Tajima, the Principal of the Suzuki World Rally Team, commented: "Our campaign on the World Rally Championship so far has taught us many tough lessons - which have been a vital part of the learning experience. We now look forward to putting some of these lessons into practice with the latest improvements to the SX4 WRC, on what is the fastest and probably the toughest rally of the year!"
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