The dilemma of WRC preparations

When the rally de Croatie s’est terminé, le championnat du monde s’est retrouvé devant la perspective d’une série de 7 courses sur terre consécutives. Les deux premières au Portugal puis en Sardaigne étaient des classiques. En fonction des informations et de l’expérience accumulée les années précédentes, les teams ont développé des stratégies différentes. Elles sont une des conséquences de la réduction du nombre de jours de test sur l’ensemble de l’année décidée par la FIA pour favoriser d’illusoires économies. Avec seulement 21 journées pour 13 courses à répartir entre les équipages (4 pour Hyundai et Toyota, 2 at M-Sport), il était forcé que des choix soient effectués dans les priorités.

For Portugal and Sardinia, the Japanese and Koreans took opposite options with surprising results.

Jari-Matti Latvala's men have indeed skipped driving in Portugal. They settled in Sardinia to prepare for these two meetings before heading to Porto. Kalle Rovanperä had difficulty finding settings that suited him on Friday. He finally succeeded, becoming untouchable for the victory. Conversely, while they were happy with their work on Portuguese soil, the Hyundai trio could do nothing against the Finn. Fifteen days later, history repeated itself, but in the opposite direction. The structure which was supposed to have best prepared the Sardinian trip failed, notably because of the downpours and complicated ford crossings. In Toyota's defense, it must be recognized that the conditions in the Olbia region during the race had nothing to do with those that the crews had experienced during testing. While they had not set the wheels in Italy to define the ideal set up, the staff of Cyril Abiteboul got a double there. Thierry Neuville at the start of the rally said: “ It's always special to start a race that you haven't prepared for. There remains a risk that you will never be able to find the right settings. We try to start with things we know, which have worked in previous years and during the shakedown and the first stages we refine them. It is possible to completely miss the point by never putting your finger on what is appropriate. » This ultimately was not the case in Italy. Initially in difficulty, the i20 quickly rectified the situation. This resulted in the two best places at the finish.

At the end of these two rounds, it is difficult to say which of the two teams was right. There is therefore a draw before the trip to Africa. Knowing that it is forbidden to carry out specific preparation in Kenya, the two opponents will go based on the experience of the previous two years. Which of the i20 or the Yaris will be more reliable? Unless M-Sport fixes everyone…without having conducted a test!