An informative shakedown at the Safari Rally

En WRC, most actors affirm that this final test session which generally takes place just the day before departure is not particularly interesting. “ I am always wary of the times achieved during this exercise, expliquait Julien Moncet le patron de Hyundai qui découvre le Safari Rally. We never know what others are doing or how they are riding. Here, however, these few hours were useful, because it brought confirmations, but it also imposed new ideas or we identified things that we still need to review. »

By introducing a super special in Nairobi on Thursday afternoon, the division of this 6th round differs from what is usually done with the move of the shakedown to Wednesday. What also changes for this appointment is the absence of a specific test. The three teams have tried to find terrain in Europe that replicates the difficulties of Kenya, but none is certain at the start of the challenge that awaits them. The few passages on Wednesday morning were therefore very informative.

« It really wasn't easy, sighed Sébastien Loeb after his first kilometers in Kenya in 20 years. There are places where at 2 km/h we were out. In the fesh-fech, you can't turn the car. On at least three occasions, I found myself off the road. In 5 km, it's not bad! » The feeling of the nine-time champion was shared by all of his little comrades. “ It is certain that being first on the road did not benefit us », smiled Kalle Rovanperä who will end up having good conditions to set the reference time on the Safari Rally.

Sébastien Ogier focused 100% on the Safari Rally

« It was an honest introduction, completed Elfyn Evans. There should, however, be a lot more flour-like sand during the test. These few kilometers also allowed us to question the height of our car. We were able to try to raise it a little more. » Faced with such conditions for the first time, the new Rally1s already appear very raised, but these hybrid gazelles are obviously not raised enough.

Photo Nikos Katikis / DPPI

« We must try to go even higher, said Loeb. It hit everywhere during the 1^er tower and my head was shaking all over the place. "I didn't remember us losing so much power here, explained Sébastien Ogier the winner of the 2021 Rally Safari. This represents approximately 30%. It's not nothing. We were able to take advantage of the morning to work on the ride height. It is certain that by being so high, the Yaris becomes less precise… especially when you come out of an LMP2! ».

The passage, Le Mans track/Kenyan tracks has already seemed well digested in the Haut-Alpin. “ It is not easy to convince the drivers that we need to improve the car, assured Moncet. They always want to ride as low as possible. This would be the fastest configuration, but probably not the one that would go to the end. The lesson of this morning is that we must undoubtedly review certain directions which had been decided. We had done simulations, but there were problems that we only encountered today. » La longue séance de travail qui a été effectuée chez Toyota pour trouver une solution afin de la poussière rentre le moins possible dans le moteur a confirmé que le Safari n’a pas fini de réserver des surprises aux concurrents.

Photo Nikos Katikis / DPPI

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