WRC – Latvala: “The most difficult asphalt rally”

Let us dare to admit it, betting on a Ford victory across the Rhine would be presumptuous when we know the ease that the Citroëns have always demonstrated on this surface. And yet, it may well be that such a bet is not so stupid. To best prepare for Rally of Germany, which is being held this weekend, Jari-Matti Latvala and Petter Solberg have covered almost 1000 km of tests. The Finn and the Norwegian notably rode on the Écuyers circuit, both in the dry and in the wet. “Using a track gave us the opportunity to have a suitable venue to learn more about the Fiesta RS WRC set to asphalt mode, explique le Directeur de M-Sport Malcom Wilson. Driving on the same section of track allowed us to understand precisely how small modifications to the set-up could affect the car, both in terms of performance and its behavior. »

Jari-Matti Latvala and his co-driver Miikka Anttila have already taken part in Rally Germany eight times. The Finn will arrive confident following the tests he has carried out, and which he considers productive. “I have never performed as well on the asphalt as I did at the end of last year, and that gives me a lot of confidence, He says. Me and the Fiesta have taken a step forward in this area. The car is well balanced and competitive on all surfaces. We stopped our testing program in France with good ideas, and having carried out numerous tire tests depending on the conditions. »

Confident, Latvala knows all the same that the Germanic test does not forgive the slightest error. “For me, Germany is the most difficult asphalt rally of the year, continues the Finn. The special stages are very pleasant, but the choice of tires is always very delicate, and the “hinkelsteins” are merciless. If you go too wide in the Baumholder section, you pay a high price. However, if before we went there thinking that getting a podium would be good, we now know that we have a chance to fight for victory. » Now it’s up to him to prove it to us…