13. Rally Guanajuato Mexico 2016
4. 3. – 6. 3. 2016, León • gravel 399.71 km • total distance including road sections - 1083.98 km • Other years • Other years
30th Rally México
Info
SS21
"A fantastic feeling. After such a difficult start to the season my mind was not so good. This has not been a strong rally for me in the past. This is the first time I have driven it with no problems. I knew Seb would go for three bonus points but I had to be a bit more careful - so to secure two points is perfect."
"I'm happy with my rally. I've said it before that I couldn't have done any more. The car was perfect - so thanks to the team. And of course some good championship points too."
"Very, very happy with my weekend,"
"A clean rally for us. I've been pushing a lot this weekend - I know the times haven't always shown that but I'm pleased with my driving and to be here at the end."
"No unnecessary risks on this stage but it would be nice to get a bonus point - some small consolation after a difficult weekend."
"This rally was all about learning and gathering information to develop the tyre. We have more testing between now and Portugal and I hope to be really competitive there."
"I'm happy with the finish position - if not the speed. It hasn't been the best, we struggled a bit with the engine. Okay, we finished. We enjoyed it."
"Great. The plan here was to finish and we did. I enjoyed this stage a lot and we tried to push a bit more. It's looking positive for the next rally."
"Really happy. We did a good job. Not easy today though, just drive through and keep the car on the road."
"Okay, a lot of problems, so to get some points is very good."
"I got very big experience here - the first rally on gravel for me in a WRC car. A good feeling at the end. We are happy and the time was not so bad!"
SS20
"I started with a good rhythm. I pushed a bit harder between 10km and 50km but nearing 60km I started to lose the rear brakes and I had to be safe on the final 20km. It was a smart move. I found the stage easier than El Chocolate."
"It was okay. I had some brake issues on the last 25km, so I couldn't really push there - not that that was the plan. The tyres worked very well. It's a shame this rally was really boring with no fight. We did what we could."
"I lost my brakes in the middle and did a lot of kilometres without them. Overall I'm happy."
"That tyre is a bit sad! I struggled in some places on two softs compounds but gained in others. I tried to keep a consistent pace. I wanted to keep my place from Paddon. Just 4sec off his pace is not bad."
"An opportunity to learn, we've not done anything like this before. In hindsight we could have pushed harder. All part of the learning process."
"The last 10kms were very tricky. We took it quite easy - we found a safe rhythm."
"Okay, no problem for me. I expected it would be easy."
"I took it easy, so there's no sweat. I think Otates was more difficult. This was no problem - I enjoyed it."
"The challenge was okay - I think Otates is harder for a driver, but I made a lot of mistake here in the pacenotes. I was not confident and near the end my tyres and brakes got very hot and I lost the line in many places."
"The physical conditions are okay, no problem with that, but it's very slippery being first on the road. The car worked well. Everything is good."
SS14
"Tomorrow has a long, long stage and we need to keep some margin for that."
"The balance of the car makes it hard to drive on these tyres here. But I think Mikkelsen has a penalty?"
"I was a little bit eager on the clutch and stalled on the line. That cost a few seconds but we reset and I'm pretty happy with how we went after that."
"That's a lot. Oy, oy, oy! I felt it was a good stage."
"Trying to keep a feel for the rhythm. We'll be back here on Sunday as the Power Stage."
"I'm not really pushing anymore."
SS13
"Really bad because the engine is overheating all the time - the fan is broken - and the power is down."
"I put a new arm on and it's quite driveable now. A lot of fun on this stage."
"Good stage. Happy with my loop. I did everything I could this morning. I'm not thinking about tomorrow, my target is the guys right behind me."
SS12
"This is very tricky stage and I changed my driving strategy in some sections. It felt slower but the time was really good."
"The first time in my life for this stage - I took it really easy."
"Much better. I chose full soft tyres and that gave me a better feeling."
"A good stage for us. A hard stage though. It feels like the brakes are on the limit - I had to use them carefully."
stopped
stopped
engine overheating and a spin 300 metres before the finish
"We touched a bank near the start and that broke a rear toe arm. It's the same problem as yesterday. We can repair it on the road section."
stopped
"A good stage for me, a really good drive. I cannot do more. Okay, two small mistakes, so maybe I could have been two or three seconds quicker but that's it. It should be much quicker for the guys behind."
SS11
"The stage was okay but it's hard to find a good rhythm because we have to drive carefully to protect the car and the lead."
"It wasn't a really good stage. The rear was sliding around like hell. Our plan now is to continue to drive at the same pace we had yesterday."
"It was okay, but as the first stage after our problems yesterday it took a while to get my confidence back over the jumps. I'll be faster on the next stage. I'm trying catch the pace of Bertelli and Prokop."
stojí - pokračuje - opět stojí
"The brake pedal feel wasn't great. We have new discs and pads fitted and it took me a while to get used to them."
“Camilli crashed on a fast corner, the car is facing the wrong direction”
"It was going really, really well until the end. I touched a rock and straightaway I thought we had a puncture but it was okay - a little panic. The time is a surprise - I was expecting to be equal with Seb here."
"I'm just not feeling it."
"This stage is a bit abrasive, a bit like a stage in Australia. I was braking a bit too early but the feeling in the car is more precise. I can push with more confidence."
stojí
"I've retired on this stage at least twice before so I'm happy to get through. Not the cleanest run through, something wrong with the gear shift I think."
"A clear run. Not perfect but it's very slippery again. Same as yesterday. The guys behind will be faster."
"A good stage for me. Not a different story to yesterday. I'm happy with my stage."
SS7
stopped
"Getting better but still not perfect. I like these long stages. After Dakar though this is nothing special!"
"We have a problem with the downshift. And from the middle of the stage we lost first or second gear. I hope we can continue today and check the stages."
stopped
"The advantage is not as big as the morning, so I have to be pleased with that time. I must be patient - you don't need to take everything in one stage."
"Unfortunately I spun in a narrow section."
"The rear is moving around a lot. Also we have a problem with the throttle, it's staying on about 20 per cent under braking - pushing the car on. I nearly went off several times."
"The grip is much better and there's a good clean line. We're concentrating on driving at a good, sensible pace."
"This was competitive. I can feel the tyres are working this time. The hard compound was the right one this time."
"I overshot a junction early on, had to stop and turn around, and after that something felt very strange with the car. It's handling like a snake everywhere. A diff maybe? The brakes have gone now too - I was using them so much to keep the car stable."
"I'm looking at the gap with Andreas Mikkelsen, that's the guy I'm fighting with. Jari-Matti is in a different race."
SS5
"Guerra stopped just after the jump - I think he has damaged something there."
"We are here and we will finish the race but we didn't want an issue on the first stage like that."
"I think we did the right tyre choice and I'm very grateful to the team for the info. It's difficult to say how the afternoon loop will turn out but it's possible that I will still have a benefit."
stopped
"It's been a good morning. We are here and trying to learn a lot. That's our plan for this rally and the one that follows in Argentina. We need the mileage."
"The car is still moving about a lot."
right-rear wheel is running out of line "It was absolutely nothing, I very slightly touched a small wall on the outside near the start. Very unlucky. Nine times out of ten you'd get away with someting like that."
"A big improvement on my time on this stage last year. I'm trying to settle myself in, trying to learn a bit more before attacking."
"I'm happy with the job that I've done here. Further back its a different race. On the first stage I struggled a lot with the grip. Here it was better. I'll keep going and doing my best."
SS4
"Fantastic! Hard work, and the [soft] tyres went off near the end, but a good stage."
"So, so slippery. We're on the hard tyre and the soft would have been better. Also we lost time with a stall near the middle."
"I was driving so slowly, avoiding all the stones and then we had a puncture on the rear left. A very hard start to the season. I don't know what to say. I want to progress. Okay, the rally is not over."
"My first stage to get back up to pace. I struggled with the braking points, I need to learn more before I can get more out of the car."
"It felt quite slippery so I didn't know how I was driving, but now obviously I can see we have a road cleaning advantage. I saw Thierry - his car is off the road after a fast section. The car was pointing in the wrong way. Both crew were fine."
stopped on road section
stopped
"Quite tricky and rough, lots of rocks around already."
stojí
"I was not happy with the stage. I lost a lot of time at the end. The rear was moving around a lot. Very, very slippery."
"Okay, not a lot of grip here on hards but the durability is good. We did the best we could."
"It was a disaster. I knew from the second corner. I couldn't drive it. No rhythm. I tried my best but third on the road with these tyres was wrong. Very bad."
"I made a couple of mistakes in there, also it's very slippery and there are lots of rocks to avoid."
"I do what I can but I feel I can lose 30 seconds here. First on the road on the softs the tyre wear is okay but there's no grip at all. It would have been worse with the hard compound."
SS1
"Not so bad. We tried to get the car sideways for the spectators! The serious business starts tomorrow. We are here to learn so don't want to risk so much."
"It's okay, you can't win a rally here on this stage but you can lose it!"
"I got pretty close to the kerb in the tunnel. I didn't expect it to be wet. Then I got a bit dizzy on the roundabout near the end and didnlt get the exit right!"
"The water in the tunnel made it tricky. We took it carefully. No risks."
"Every year the amount of water in the tunnel is a surprise."
"The perfect start. We should finish the rally here! I'm feeling motivated, the car is good. I'm going to do my best."
"A clean run, we had three soft and one hard compound tyre - it was okay. I hope to have a clean run this weekend with no problems. That is important."
"Very enjoyable! This stage is very important for the show. This weekend I just want to finish the rally to build my confidence."
"One small mistake but generally a good run."
"I really enjoyed it. This start ceremony is one of the best in the world."
"Quite a clean drive. We had to drive carefully in the narrow places. Still 399km to go..."
"Nice, quite slippery, I lost a lot of time in one corner but okay."
"The road is a bit wet, it's not a bad time but not the biggest push - this isn't the place to make a mistake."
"A nice opener, but the stage was very slippery. Easy to damage your car. A great atmosphere here!"