Everyone was praying for clear weather here, at the fourth round of the Asia Pacific Rally Championship. But it just turned out to be the opposite with intermittent rain throughout the day, which means that the stages will become tougher for the drivers to negotiate.
The rain makes the surface dangerous for rallying, where speed is paramount. The surfaces here are hard on the top, but tend to get slippery, whereas in other countries, the rain usually makes the stages slushy.
Anthony Rodricks, Head of Motor Sports, Team MRF, was also a little concerned. He said: “Just as last year, the forecast is for rain on both the rally days. And our cars will definitely be at a disadvantage compared to the Proton cars.”
Rodricks said that Team MRF would look to Gaurav Gill, who is in joint second place, to gain valuable points. “With Gill in joint second spot our aim will be to win points in this risky rally. We are not aiming for the top spot.
“We are also trying for the ‘Team Prize' which has been instituted for the first time this year. In this rally, Emma Gilmour has registered for points with Team MRF and her points here can be added to the team tally.”
With three rounds completed and another three to go (including this round), Team MRF's plan is to consolidate its position. Also with a gap of almost three months after the Rally of Whangarei and the next one in Japan, Team MRF has plans to make improvements to its car, the Mitsubishi Evo X.
“Normally, with not much time between rallies, this has not been possible. Now since we will have about three months, we will look at the possibility of upgrading our cars, to be more competitive,” concluded Rodricks.
With the performance of Protons being far superior, MRF will hope that the improvements will help its cause.
The drivers had a tough time in the ‘recce' on Thursday and will hope the rain clears and the sun comes out. But, generally, weathermen here predict correctly.
