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12.10.2008 - Toni Gardemeister proves a point for Suzuki in Corsica
The dramatic and challenging asphalt roads of Corsica have provided a stimulating challenge for Suzuki that has enabled the team to learn many valuable lessons for SX4 WRC's development in the future. Toni Gardemeister also added to the team's constructors' score after three tough days characterised by bumpy surfaces, unexpectedly warm temperatures and plenty of action. Gardemeister finished 13th while his young team mate P-G Andersson was 17th, having been delayed by an accident right at the end of the second day. Despite this setback, it was a positive event for the Japanese team, which has learnt a lot more about the new SX4 WRC on asphalt and showed the pace to score points in both championships.
The final day of the Corsican event - which is the last asphalt rally of the year - took in four lengthy stages including the longest speed test of the entire event, making a total of 116 competitive kilometres on Sunday. Although this long stage was previously used in 2007, the twist this year was that it was run in the opposite direction, making it almost like a brand new road. Throughout this challenging final leg, both Suzuki SX4 WRCs displayed perfect reliability, adding to the impressive record of consistency that the car has displayed since the mid-point of the season.
Conditions were once more dry and warm for the final day of the rally, which took crews to the south of Ajaccio for two loops of two stages. During the repeated stages, the drivers had to contend with plenty of loose gravel that had been pulled onto the road by cars cutting the corners.
Once more, both Suzuki SX4 WRCs performed impeccably - with only a minor fuel pressure problem delaying Toni Gardemeister at the end of day two. Prior to that, the Finn had been running consistently within the top eight despite starting the rally with a flu-like illness. Gardemeister experimented with different set-ups today to find more grip and traction, which will be extremely useful for the future development of the SX4 WRC.
P-G Andersson struggled a little bit with his confidence, having been caught out by a gravelly corner on day two that caused his car to slide into a bank. He started the final day under the super rally system, and used it to re-familiarise himself with the Corsican roads and refine his asphalt driving technique. The young Swede also changed the set-up on his car progressively, to find out more about how it behaves under a different set of parameters. With temperatures generally cooler than they had been on the previous day, the cars and Pirelli control tyres worked well over the four stages.
Toni Gardemeister: "I started the rally feeling really ill but it gradually got better over the next couple of days, which was a big relief as on Friday afternoon it felt nearly impossible for me to drive. On the whole the car was good and we made a lot of improvements over the course of the rally. Today's stages were nice and I really enjoyed myself, but for us it was mostly just a question of driving safely to the finish and making sure of the point. Now we get back to gravel in Japan, which I am looking forward to a lot!"
Shusuke Inagaki, Suzuki World Rally Team Director: "Corsica has thrown up a huge number of challenges as usual, including a differing selection of bumpy roads and surfaces that range from extremely slippery to very abrasive. This varied array of conditions has enabled us to test a large number of different parameters on the SX4 WRC, which has been very valuable for the continuing development of the car. Toni has struggled with illness on this event so he has done an excellent job under the circumstances. P-G has felt his lack of experience here, but he is improving a lot on this specialised surface. Next up is our home event in Japan, which will be a very exciting event for all of us. Of course we would love to do well on our home territory!"
Final positions
1. S Loeb/D Elena FRA Citroen C4 3hr 42min 58.0sec
2. M Hirvonen/J Lehtinen FIN Ford Focus RS 3hr 46min 22.7sec
3. F Duval/P Pivato BEL Ford Focus RS 3hr 46min 29.6sec
4. J-M Latvala/M Anttila FIN Ford Focus RS 3hr 46min 35.5sec
5. P Solberg/P Mills NOR Subaru Impreza 3hr 48min 33.4sec
6. C Atkinson/S Prévot AUS Subaru Impreza 3hr 49min 08.4sec
7. U Aava/K Sikk EST Citroen C4 3hr 50min 23.2sec
8. M Wilson/S Martin GBR Ford Focus RS 3hr 52min 00.2sec
9. M Østberg/O Unnerud NOR Subaru Impreza 3hr 52min 11.3sec
10 B Clark/P Nagle GBR Ford Focus RS 3hr 56min 36.3sec
11.10.2008 - Up and down day for Suzuki on the twisty roads of Corsica
Having proved they have the pace for a points finish in Corsica, the two Suzuki SX4 WRCs of Toni Gardemeister and P-G Andersson hit trouble in separate incidents on the same stage at the end of day two. The yellow cars started the day in a strong position to score driver and manufacturer points, with Toni Gardemeister holding a points-scoring place for most of the day. Unfortunately he hit fuel pressure problems on SS11, which meant that he was forced to stop. He eventually rejoined the stage directly behind another competitor, but five minutes and the same number of places had been lost. The experienced Finn, who finished second on his last participation in the Tour de Corse three years ago, ended up 13th overnight heading into the final day. Nonetheless, he is still in a strong position to score precious manufacturer points for Suzuki on what is widely reputed to be the most fearsome and challenging asphalt rallies of them all.
P-G Andersson concentrated on building up his confidence today following an accident on the previous asphalt rally in Spain, but he also came to grief on SS11. The stage had previously held happy memories for the young Swede, as it was on the 25-kilometre stretch of road between Calcatoggio and Plage du Liamone that he effectively won his second Junior World Rally Championship title last year, when an accident forced out his title rival. This time though, it was P-G's turn to hit trouble. Just 1.3 kilometres into the stage, he got caught out by a gravelly corner. With roads made dirty by the previous passage of cars on the stage, there was nothing P-G could do as his SX4 WRC skated into the side of the road, ending his day's work on the spot. The car was recovered to the service park in the port of Ajaccio, and he will re-start the final day of the Tour de Corse tomorrow under the super rally system.
Neither of the Suzuki SX4 WRCs had any major mechanical problems throughout most of the day, until the troublesome stage 11, where a fuel pump issue cost Toni's SX4 WRC some time.
Toni Gardemeister: "I ended the day having a touring car race with Subaru driver Brice Tirabassi. It was incredible, I caught his car and drove to the end of the stage right behind him - it was like there was a tow-rope between the two cars. We'd lost a bit of time in the last two stages this afternoon, which wasn't so good, but this morning I was happy. The car was running well and we weren't having any trouble. I also felt a little bit better, which was quite nice for me."
Shusuke Inagaki, Suzuki World Rally Team Director: "Both drivers showed consistency today. Unfortunately, P-G has had a problem in stage 11 this afternoon, which was a shame because his confidence was coming back to him and he was setting better times. And Toni had gone really well, setting times always in or right on the edge of the top 10. We were happy with that, particularly as he has been struggling with his illness. Then he lost time in both the last stages. Toni and P-G will be back and fighting for Suzuki on these incredible Corsican roads tomorrow."
Leaderboard after Day 2
1. S Loeb/D Elena FRA Citroen C4 2hr 31min 27.9sec
2. M Hirvonen/J Lehtinen FIN Ford Focus RS 2hr 32min 20.3sec
3. F Duval/P Pivato BEL Ford Focus RS 2hr 32min 24.6sec
4. J-M Latvala/M Anttila FIN Ford Focus RS 2hr 33min 18.5sec
5. P Solberg/P Mills NOR Subaru Impreza 2hr 33min 40.9sec
6. C Atkinson/S Prévot AUS Subaru Impreza 2hr 35min 34.1sec
7. U Aava/K Sikk EST Citroen C4 2hr 37min 17.8sec
8. B Tirabassi/F Gordon FRA Subaru Impreza 2hr 38min 32.7sec
9. M Wilson/S Martin GBR Ford Focus RS 2hr 38min 40.0sec
10 M Østberg/O Unnerud NOR Subaru Impreza 2hr 38min 40.6sec
10.10.2008 - Suzuki in the points after strong opening day in Corsica
The two Suzuki SX4 WRCs of Toni Gardemeister and P-G Andersson have finished the opening day of the Rallye de France-Tour de Corse within the points in seventh and 12th places, after a strong and reliable run. Corsica is arguably the most respected asphalt event of the entire calendar, with sinuous roads that test the performance of the cars and the bravery of the drivers to the utmost.
Corsica was also the scene of the SX4 WRC's debut one year ago, and the team has been able to take on board a number of lessons learned from its previous participation. Toni Gardemeister battled a flu-type illness throughout the day, which made life extremely difficult for him in the warm weather that characterised the day's action. Both drivers were committed straight out of the box to end the day's 119.92 competitive kilometres in the points. Once more, the SX4 WRC exhibited perfect reliability throughout the day, underlining the consistent progress that has been made since the start of the year.
The action was split up into two loops of three stages, with service on the harbourside at Ajaccio. The stages used today were quite varied, with some extremely bumpy and narrow roads as well as faster sections that are more reminiscent of the Rally de España, which finished less than a week ago. When the drivers tackled the speed tests for the second time in the afternoon, there was plenty of loose gravel to catch them out. This put grip at a premium, and also meant that there was a high risk of punctures. Tomorrow's day two takes in six more demanding asphalt stages before returning to Corsica's capital of Ajaccio for overnight parc ferme.
Having completed some useful runs over the six-kilometre shakedown stage yesterday, the Suzuki SX4 WRCs started off with a good base set-up for today's action. During the morning's stages, both drivers reported that the car felt good on Pirelli's hard compound control tyres. At midday service in Ajaccio, the drivers made small adjustments to the suspension in order to optimise the car's handling for the repeated stages in the afternoon, which were held in warmer weather with more loose gravel on the roads. Both cars were entirely reliable from the start to the finish of the leg, despite the incredibly challenging nature of the roads on 'the rally of 10,000 corners' - as it used to be known.
Having finished the opening leg in a strong position, the Suzuki World Rally Team is now well-poised to attack the longest day of the rally tomorrow. No major changes are planned to the set-up of the cars for leg two.
Toni Gardemeister: "The biggest problem I had today was the fact that I was feeling really ill for most of it: I had a very sore throat and during the afternoon my legs felt like spaghetti! Under those circumstances it's quite difficult to drive flat-out, but I did my best and we are not in a bad position overnight. The car today has been very good and so we've ended up in the points, which is good. Hopefully tomorrow I will feel better and we will continue to move up the leaderboard."
Shusuke Inagaki, Suzuki World Rally Team Director: "Once more, our SX4 WRC has been perfectly reliable all day. Toni has done a fantastic job to finish provisionally in the drivers' points at the end of the opening leg, despite his illness. As for P-G, he has built up confidence without putting a foot wrong and so he is now in the manufacturer points. To have two Suzukis in points-scoring positions at the end of such a tough first day is a solid achievement, and now we hope to build on this promising start over the rest of the weekend."
Leaderboard after Day 1
1. S Loeb/D Elena FRA Citroen C4 1hr 09min 24.3sec
2. M Hirvonen/J Lehtinen FIN Ford Focus RS 1hr 09min 56.6sec
3. F Duval/P Pivato BEL Ford Focus RS 1hr 09min 58.3sec
4. P Solberg/P Mills NOR Subaru Impreza 1hr 10min 35.8sec
5. J-M Latvala/M Anttila FIN Ford Focus RS 1hr 10min 37.0sec
6. C Atkinson/S Prévot AUS Subaru Impreza 1hr 10min 39.7sec
7. T Gardemeister/T Tuominen FIN Suzuki SX4 1hr 12min 40.3sec
8. A Mikkelsen/O Floene NOR Ford Focus RS 1hr 12min 42.8sec
9. B Tirabassi/F Gordon FRA Subaru Impreza 1hr 12min 45.7sec
10 U Aava/K Sikk EST Citroen C4 1hr 12min 47.3sec
7.10.2008 - Suzuki World Rally Team goes back to where it all started
The Rally de France-Tour de Corse is a significant event in the history of the Suzuki World Rally Team, as this is where the SX4 WRC made its World Rally Championship debut exactly one year ago. On that occasion, a solitary development car was driven by asphalt expert Nicolas Bernardi from France. Now Suzuki is back with two cars in its first full season of rallying at the highest level, driven as usual by experienced Finn Toni Gardemeister and his young Swedish team mate P-G Andersson. Plenty has happened since Suzuki took its first steps with the new SX4 WRC last year, but if anything the challenge has grown even bigger.
Corsica has been nicknamed 'the rally of 10,000 corners' in the past, and it is easy to see why on looking at the sinuous mountain stages. The island event is characterised by narrow and bumpy asphalt roads, with hairpin bend after hairpin bend. There are also frequent surface changes, as old and broken-up asphalt is often interspersed with newer tarmac. These varying surfaces mean that levels of grip and traction are constantly changing on the 'island of beauty', as the locals call it. Throughout October the weather in Corsica can be extremely unpredictable, with rain showers and fog a frequent occurrence at high altitude.
The key to success in Corsica is commitment, as the narrow and spectacular mountain roads are extremely intimidating thanks to some big sheer drops down to the sea. Accurate pace notes are essential in order to precisely describe the differing characteristics of the road ahead. The event gets underway with a ceremonial start on Thursday night in Ajaccio - the birthplace of Napoleon - but the real action starts on Friday with the first of 16 special stages. The event finishes on Sunday afternoon back in Ajaccio, just after the longest stage of the rally.
Coming just after the Rally de España, the Suzuki drivers and team will arrive in Corsica with some firm ideas about the correct asphalt set-up. They will be helped by the fact that this year's Catalunya route was more similar to the roads in Corsica than usual, but there are still some important differences. For example, the Corsican stages tend to be quite bumpy - which means that the shakedown on Thursday morning will be vital in establishing the correct settings for the suspension and dampers. The stages in Corsica are also generally slower and more tortuous than those found in Spain, and this will have a distinct impact on the differential mapping, braking, and cooling.
Recently the SX4 WRC benefited from some evolutions to the differential and suspension, which should make a difference in Corsica. This rally is also the first of only two events where Suzuki has some previous data to refer to. However so much has changed on the SX4 WRC since it made its debut in Corsica a year ago that it is almost a different car. Recent work has concentrated on optimising the reliability of the SX4 WRC, and this important process will be continued in Corsica.
Although Scandinavians are better noted for their skills on gravel rather than asphalt, both Toni Gardemeister and P-G Andersson have extremely fond memories of Corsica, one of the most awesome events of the entire World Championship calendar. Gardemeister's last participation saw him finish second overall in 2005, while Andersson clinched his second Junior World Rally Championship title with Suzuki on the island one year ago.
The 33 year-old Gardemeister has the most experience of Corsica out of the two of them, having competed there five times already. Andersson has just one participation behind him from last year. However, the route has not altered significantly since 2007, so both drivers should be able to put their previous knowledge to good use.
"Corsica is a rally that you need to know well," said Gardemeister. "I've always liked it, although it's important to find a good rhythm straight away. The most difficult thing about it is the fact that the asphalt is always changing and that you can never guess what the weather will do. I know the roads quite well, and it will be interesting to see what sort of difference it makes to the team to have competed there before. The problem we have is that the opposition will be very tough, as asphalt is usually a less forgiving surface than gravel. But if we maintain our good reliability, then I don't see why we can't score some points."
Suzuki has made a lot of progress on asphalt, and the priority on the final sealed-surface event of the year will be to consolidate all the lessons that have been learned to date. Adding to the challenge is the fact that Corsica is the very first back-to-back event that the team will face. As soon as the Rally de España finished on Sunday, the trucks and personnel headed straight to Corsica to re-prepare the two SX4 WRCs in time for the rally start.
Shusuke Inagaki, the Suzuki World Rally Team Director, commented: "Doing Corsica straight after Spain is a big challenge for us logistically, and it is also hard work for all our people. On the other hand, it means that we do not lose the momentum we have built up, and Corsica is also one of only two events where we have previous experience with the SX4 WRC. We have made many changes to the SX4 WRC since we started and are feeling confident with the progress we have made so far. The goal will be to build on everything we have learned and continue to improve the car, step by step."
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