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Xion Rally Argentina: Fighting talk
Our round-up of quotes from the WRC stars ahead of this week’s Xion Rally Argentina (23 - 26 April)
Ott Tänak. Ford Fiesta RS: “You need to be clever in Argentina. This isn’t a rally where you can slide from one side of the road to the other. There is always something to hit. It’s an event where you need to keep your eyes open; you need to keep that margin and know which risks are the ones worth taking."
Hayden Paddon. Hyundai i20: “The objective is to set a consistent pace and try and avoid problems. If we can do that, then we hope we can finish well within the top eight.”
Sébastien Ogier. Volkswagen Polo R: “The atmosphere is excellent. The South Americans love their motorsport. It is the only rally at which you can actually smell the fans’ barbecues in the cockpit when you are out on the stages!”
Dani Sordo. Hyundai i20: “Argentina is one of the best events in the championship. It can be very unpredictable but I feel ready. Last year the roads were a bit broken up, with a lot of loose stones, so it was a hard rally for the cars. This year it will be the same because of the recent floods.”
Mads Østberg. DS 3: “I am going to adopt the same strategy as in Mexico. I’ll need to set a consistent, quick pace right from the word go, and then maintain it.”
Thierry Neuville. Hyundai i20: “For me the weather and the fog are the biggest factors in Argentina. With the roads getting rougher and rougher as cars pass by, it can be quite a tricky one.”
Jari-Matti Latvala. Volkswagen Polo R: “My favourite stage is ‘El Cóndor’, which forms the Power Stage, as it did in 2014. Miikka and I won here last year. We’ll have to wait and see whether we can repeat that feat – Sébastien Ogier is very strong at the moment…”
Kris Meeke. DS 3: “It is important to arrive in Argentina with a fresh perspective. I know what I need to do. I only have to concentrate on driving without making any mistakes and that way, I’ll find the right pace.”
Elfyn Evans. Ford Fiesta RS: “This will be a completely different rally to last year where my focus was purely on getting to the end. While we still want to aim for a solid result, I hope that we can show a significant improvement from this time 12 months ago.”
Andreas Mikkelsen. Volkswagen Polo R: “Argentina is one of my favourites. I have always had good results and shown good pace there. I expect us to finish on the podium this year – as we have done at the recent rallies. That is definitely my goal.”
