MEEKE A NEW FABIA FAN FOLLOWING EXTENSIVE TESTING
Kris Meeke has told drivers of Skoda’s latest-generation Fabia RS Rally2 to get set for a car that’s “fast and durable” based on his experience of helping to test and develop the Czech challenger.
Meeke was one of several drivers employed by Skoda Motorsport to ready its latest Rally2 effort for competition.
With the car already a winner following Andreas Mikkelsen’s victory on the Lausitz Rallye in Germany last month, Meeke expects more success to follow.
“I was surprised that the new car was absolutely reliable from the first drive,” said the Northern Irish star. “I could feel the difference in the chassis, for example. It feels firmer, you can push the car more, you can lean into it more, and that’s what’s different from the old car. You can see it a lot in Finland, for example, or on the Tarmac in Spain. It’s really an advantage. With the regulations for the Rally2 class it’s difficult to make any significant progress, but the [new] details will play an interesting role.”
Despite being linked to a competitive run in the new Fabia earlier in its development phase, Meeke is not being primed for any rally action in the near future, Motorsport News understands.
Of being called on to test the Fabia RS despite his lack of Rally2 experience, Meeke said: “I have experience with a number of other rally cars, and they all have pedals and a steering wheel and you try to go as fast as possible driving them. I went into this project with a clear head and my opinion of how I feel in the car. I think the engineers appreciated that.”