Both drivers completed over 300 kms of
testing, with Solberg taking the majority of driving duties, some 220
kms worth. Latvala himself drove for just under 50 kms, testing
mainly at night to improve his night-driving skills, which, he says,
could be a “crucial part of the rally”.
Solberg tweaked his set-up and made
some improvements to the car, but will still take a conservative
approach to Thursday's night stages.
Nevertheless, he seems confident of a
good result, after promising pace in his first gravel rally in the
Fiesta RS WRC in Mexico, a rally he could well have won if it wasn't
for poor luck.
“I drove for 220 kilometres and made
a few more improvements to the set-up of my car. I know from the last
round that the Fiesta RS WRC is fast on gravel, so hopefully these
improvements will make it even better.” he said.
The 2003 World Champion acknowledged
his early “mistakes” in Mexico that he must eradicate, and with
Portugal being a longer event than in recent years, much like Mexico,
mistakes early in the event could be catastrophic. Early event
mistakes in Mexico put paid to any hopes of winning.
“It’s a long rally and I want to be
a little calmer at the beginning than I was in Mexico. I made a
couple of early mistakes there and I don’t want to repeat that, so
it’s important I don’t try to achieve too much too soon,” he
added.
With the normal high temperatures and
low breezes predicted for next weekend's rally, dust may prove a
major issue, something Latvala thinks the 3 min intervals might not
be enough to cure the problems that arose in Spain last year,
especially during the night stages.
“It depends on the weather, but
hanging dust could be an issue and three-minute intervals between
cars may not be enough to allow it to clear. The important thing is
to ensure we do well on the Qualifying Stage so we’re in a position
to [choose our road position first].” said the Finn.
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