Snowstrikestestandruinsogier’spreparations
The recent spell of inclement weather in Europe spoiled Sebastien Ogier’s preparations for Rally Mexico with heavy snow forcing the Frenchman to call a halt to his first gravel test of the season last week.
Ogier completed his first full day of running in Almeria, southern Spain with no problem, but took the decision to stop driving when heavy snow started to fall early in his second day. M-sport Ford World Rally Team’s third driver Teemu Suninen lost his only day of preMexico running to the weather.
Elfyn Evans was the only Ford Fiesta WRC factory driver to emerge unscathed from the chaotic weather, he was first of the three M-sport men to run and enjoyed his allocated two full days.
While the M-sport squad might have missed test time, the Ford Fiesta WRC did have the advantage of time in Ford’s climatic chamber at Dunton, where it was mapped and optimised for running on the high-altitude stages in Mexico this week.
Deputy team principal Rich Millener denied Ogier’s loss of running time would impact on his performance in Leon.
“The important thing for the guys was to get some running time on gravel after the different conditions in Monte Carlo and Sweden,” Millener told MN. “OK, it’s tough for Teemu that he didn’t get his test, but Elfyn and Seb have had some time in the car.
“Let’s be honest, the absolute relevance of this test is debatable – in Mexico we’re going to be running in 30-plus degrees at very high altitude and in Spain last week, while we got some altitude, the temperatures were mid-teens at best.”
Evans was happy with his running time in the car, saying: “The conditions were pretty good for us. At either end of the day it was a bit cooler, but we managed to get some running on the hard [compound] tyre – it wasn’t ideal for that, but at least we got a feel for it.”
Millener’s point about the relevance of testing, stands for Evans; the Welshman lost his pre-finland test last season and finished second overall, then tested for Wales at M-sport’s test venue in Greystoke forest, Cumbria and won Rally GB.
“We tend to go quite well when the test’s been a little bit compromised,” said Millener. “Let’s see what next week brings.”