WRC – Reconnaissance complicated by rain in Portugal

The pilots of the WRC found themselves in a delicate situation yesterday when the first day of recognition of the Rally from Portugal to the Algarve. Torrential rain (9cm in places) fell in the south of the country, making certain roads impassable for passenger cars. The organizers of the event therefore decided to end the session by allowing the crews to cover the routes missed today.

Taking notes is all the more difficult as the weather forecast predicts dry weather for the three stages. But the pilots still don't seem too worried. “It doesn’t affect note-taking too much because the distances and angles of attack remain the same”, Explain Sébastien Ogier. “But we will mark in our notes where there could be standing water or certain slippery areas despite the rain stopping. » His teammate Jari-Matti Latvala shares this optimism. “The rain damaged the roads. It's a shame because they looked very beautiful, the organizers had done a lot of work. But we know the roads dry out very quickly once the rain stops and I'm hoping for a dry weekend. »