Volkswagen Motorsport are aiming to snatch the WRC record for consecutive rally wins from rivals Citroen at this weekend’s Rally Argentina.
Should any of Volkswagen’s drivers – Sebastien Ogier, Jari-Matti Latvala or Andreas Mikkelsen – take victory at the South American event, they would continue an unbroken winning streak that stretches back to Rally Australia last year.
On the most recent round in Portugal last month, Volkswagen claimed its eighth win in a row, equalling the previous record set by Citroen. Ogier starts as pre-event favourite, but Volkswagen team boss Jost Capito has warned against taking anything for granted.
“We have achieved a lot this season, which has led many to view us as favourites. However, when you pull up at the start of the first special stage, everyone starts from scratch,” he said. “There is no question about it: we want to win. However, we are also well aware that there are no gifts in sport.”
Eleven WRC crews representing four manufacturers are among the 40-car line up who will tackle the four-day event.
And, while the result come Sunday is anyone’s guess, one thing is certain – there will be a fresh face on the winners’ podium in Argentina this year.None of the drivers registered for Rally Argentina have ever won the South American event.
Former nine-time world champion Sebastien Loeb has dominated Rally Argentina in recent years, taking eight consecutive wins in the South American country, including the 78th and final victory of his career last May.
Juho Hanninen won the rally in 2010, when it was not a WRC round. The Finn was due to drive a Hyundai i20 this year until he was replaced by Dani Sordo shortly before entries closed.
Another notable absentee is Benito Guerra, who had hoped to return to the series at his home rally following his sixth place finish at Rally Mexico, but the financial support he required did not materialise.
Feeder series
There is a strong entry in the WRC 2 category with five of the top six – Yuriy Protasov, Lorenzo Bertelli, Jari Ketomaa, Nasser Al Attiyah and Max Rendina – all making the journey to Argentina.
Other top names in the feeder series include Ott Tanak and Quentin Gilbert while Saudi Arabia’s Yazeed Al Rajhi has pulled out after taking ill during preparations for last week’s Jordan Rally.
Al Rajhi had to abandon the recce for the third round of the FIA Middle East Rally Championship just a day ahead of the start of the round. He was taken to hospital for scans in Amman and spent the night there as investigations were carried out into fears he had a blocked artery in his heart.
But the fears were unfounded as Al Rajhi was diagnosed with gallstone issues. After flying home to Riyadh, Al Rajhi is said to have undergone further treatment and has been advised rest.
His co-driver, Michael Orr, who was alongside Al Rajhi in Jordan during the recce, said: “He just stopped and said he couldn’t carry on.
“That’s so unlike him because he would normally try to continue in the worst of circumstance.”
Al Rajhi’s next scheduled WRC appearance is at next month’s Rally Italia Sardegna, round six of the championship, from June 5-8.
Meanwhile, Citroen team principal Yves Matton has confirmed that the French carmaker will continue to compete in the WRC until at least the end of the 2015 season.
Citroen is the most successful team currently competing in the series, having won eight manufacturers’ world championship titles and 93 WRC victories.
But the launch of its new-for-2014 FIA World Touring Car Championship (WTCC) team – with multiple world rally champion Loeb heading the driver line up – has led to speculation that Citroen’s WRC programme could be brought to an end.
Matton, however, dismissed these rumours saying: “We have a plan and a contract for three years, that’s 2013, 2014 and 2015.
“There is nothing that can stop this for the moment. There is no reason why we would not be here in 2015.”
Matton instead revealed that Citroen’s plans for the 2015 WRC season are already well underway, adding: “We said that after the launch of our WTCC programme that we would work on the 2015 world rally car and that process has now started.
“We can’t say what subjects on the car we will develop, but we have already started to think about it and we have a long list.”
FAST FACTS
The challenge
> The contrast between the fast stages of the gentle Calamuchita Valley, rugged roads in the plains of the Punilla Valley and rocky, narrow mountain tracks.
> Sandy gravel roads become heavily rutted for the second pass and moving out of the ‘rails’ can pitch a car off the road.
> Many river crossings in the valleys which become wide and deep in wet weather.
> Early autumn weather in the southern hemisphere brings risk of fog and ice in the mountains.
Car spec
> Gravel suspension
> Drivers raise the ride height to cope with rutted roads
> Hard and soft compounds
History
> First run in 1980 in Tucuman province in the north, when it was known as Rally Codasur.
> The 1982 edition was cancelled due to the Falklands War between Britain and Argentina.
> Moved to Bariloche, in the south, in 1983 but found its home in Cordoba in 1984.
> Argentines are passionate soccer fans and in 2007 a stage was held at the River Plate Stadium in Buenos Aires while Cordoba Stadium, home to Talleres, has twice hosted stages and the finish.
DRIVER STANDINGS
1. Sebastien Ogier (Volkswagen) 91 points
2. Jari-Matti Latvala (Volkswagen) 62
3 .Mads Ostberg (Citroen Total AD) 48
4. Andreas Mikkelsen (Volkswagen) 36
5. Mikko Hirvonen (M-Sport) 36
6. Thierry Neuville (Hyundai) 21
7. Elfyn Evans (M-Sport) 20
8. Bryan Bouffier (Privateer) 18
9. Martin Prokop (Jipocar) 18
10. Kris Meeke (Citroen Total AD) 17
TEAM STANDINGS
1. Volkswagen Motorsport 144 points
2. Citroen Total Abu Dhabi 75
3. M-Sport World Rally Team 60
4. Hyundai Shell World Rally Team 45
5. Volkswagen Motorsport II 40
6. Jipocar Czech National Team 20
7. RK M-Sport World Rally Team 4
