Kevin Struyf: “Mexico is a very complicated rally to prepare for”

Where did you prepare for this trip?

We usually go to the Almeria region in the south of Spain. This gives us several possibilities.

What exactly are you looking for?

Le rally of Mexico is a very complicated event. You can find very technical and winding parts like in El Chocolate, but there are also super fast portions. This sleeve offers different variations. For example, we go from sandy soil to something more aggressive, there can be big temperature differences between morning and afternoon, but also between altitudes. We therefore try to select routes which are consistent with all of this and it is not simple. The ideal is to use a section that is not too brittle with a change in height. We are going to Spain because we can ride up to 1300 m without being bothered by snow, which is not always the case in Europe at this time of year.

Did you complete your 4 days with Yaris whose engine power had already been degraded to simulate the altitude?

We try to start in a normal way with the temperature and power that we have where we are and quite quickly we envisage what this will give in terms of chassis, but also the modification that the use of the hybrid imposes on us.

The hybrid has never been operated under such conditions. Will this help compensate for the loss of horses?

This will indeed be one of the rallies where you will have to know how to use it particularly well. For the first time, hybrid is a tool we can use to try to minimize this loss. The hybrid will play a big role, because the overall approval is very different from car to car and because the use of maps is also specific to each team.

Are there any questions regarding the battery recharge level?

Completely and it's really specific to Mexico. There are very long special stages and depending on our maps, we will have to make the best use of our battery capacity. Added to this are sometimes very short connections which will not allow us to recharge as we wish. There could be a little more strategy than we have had for a year and a half.

The last rally on gravel dates back to New Zealand. Do you have any questions about the competitiveness of your car with its 2023 developments?

Nous en avons clairement. Nous n’allons pas cacher que nos prestations en Italie et en Grèce ont été plutôt compliquées. Nous avons mis l’accent de notre développement sur la terre cassante donc nous arrivons au Mexique avec beaucoup de changements qui ne se voient pas forcément, mais le set up de la Yaris est très différent de ce qu’il était l’an passé. Il y a donc de l’attente, de la pression. Nous n’étions pas au niveau de Hyundai sur ce type de rallye. Nous espérons avoir réalisé un gros pas en avant, mais il faudra patienter jusqu’aux premières spéciales.

Can heat be an important parameter?

This will come into play, both for the crews and for the rest of the car. Everything is indeed hotter than what we can simulate in testing. The chassis is warmer, the fuel too… we are going to be discovering things in several areas.

To hear you, Mexico appears to be a very difficult round?

It is one of the most complicated rallies to prepare for in the season. It brings everything together. Stones, brittle portions, heat, altitude, ford passages, sand…