A major test of Hyundai’s mettle
Team says it’s ready for new-look rally after six-day test
VW eager to erase Argentine wipe-out
Volkswagen Motorsport boss Jost Capito says his squad is even more fired up for success than usual at Vodafone Rally de Portugal (21 - 24 May) following last month’s disappointment in Argentina.
The WRC’s visit to South America brought Volkswagen’s worst performance since it entered the championship in 2013, ending a run of 20 consecutive podiums.
“As always, we are hungry for the win. This time, however, even more so than usual. The disappointing weekend in Argentina still rankles with everyone in the team. Everybody will be doing their utmost to banish those memories,” said Capito.
Sébastien Ogier and Jari-Matti Latvala were sidelined with fuel supply problems while Andreas Mikkelsen crashed on the final live TV Power Stage after a troubled weekend.
The team traced the fuel problems to a fault in the injection system and a different injector will be used from Portugal onwards. It is a homologated part, so the update will require the use of one of the team’s allocated ‘jokers’.
Portugal marks the first occasion on which all three drivers will use the 2015-specification Polo R. Mikkelsen has piloted the 2014 car in the opening four rounds.
