Rally Argentina: DAY1A positive start for Toyota in Argentina

Quotes:
Tom Fowler (Chief Engineer)

“Shakedown this morning went well. Everything was working as it should and we had some good times from the drivers, which was positive even though we don’t like to read too much into them. All the drivers are really happy with their setups for the days to come. The shakedown stage was quite representative with a good mix of the characteristics that we will see over the rally, so we were able to make a couple of small tweaks to the cars, but there was no need for major changes after a good pre-event test. We had a different setup for the first stage tonight because it was totally different to the rest of the rally. In a short stage like that there is little time to be gained, so the drivers just had to stay out of trouble and be ready for the rest of the rally.”

Jari-Matti Latvala (Driver car 7)

“I have a good feeling at the start of the rally. The time in the first stage was not as good as I was hoping – I think I was a little too careful under braking – but there were no mistakes and that’s always the important thing on a stage like that. Here in Argentina the atmosphere and the passion is a bit like on Rally Finland, except that here in South America I think that they show it even more! As a driver you can get an extra kick from that. I am really motivated for this rally. I am just focused on the driving, and it helps that the car felt really good in shakedown. I just want to go as fast as I can and do a good drive.”

Ott Tänak (Driver car 8)

“It’s always special to start a rally with a crowded super special stage, and that is particularly true here in Argentina where there are so many people watching. Seeing that passion makes us more excited and makes us want to push even harder in the rally. We had a good run and I enjoyed it. The feeling in shakedown was more or less the same as we had on the test before the rally, and that feeling is a good one. I’m quite happy with the car and with the balance generally. Everything was working as it should and it’s nice to go into the rally like this. We definitely feel that we are well prepared, so now it’s up to us to make the best out of it. Running third on the road tomorrow will make things tough, especially as the weather looks to be dry, but we just need to try our best and make sure we are in a good position for the second day.”

Esapekka Lappi (Driver car 9)

“This first stage was nothing like the rest of the rally! The gravel section was really slippery: I was just sliding through it. It’s always very nice to see a lot of spectators on a super special stage like this one. It is why we do them, and it gives us drivers a great feeling afterwards. Shakedown was really good, I think. I’m really pleased with the car and how it is handling. Everything felt comfortable, it was fun. It was a bit rough and soft but that didn’t bother me too much. We could see that the ruts are forming quite quickly, so you need to keep the car in the ruts and then just try to avoid the rocks. With this approach, trying not to have any problems, I think a good result could be possible.”

What’s next?

The first full day of Rally Argentina on Friday consists of seven stages. Crews head south to the Calamuchita Valley for a loop of three stages that will each be run twice, separated by a super special stage close to the service park in Villa Carlos Paz.