WRC: Rally Argentina

Steve · Apr 23, 2013

Philips Rally Argentina (WRC.com)

Round 5

01 - 04 May 13

Categories:WRC, WRC-2, WRC-3

Based:Villa Carlos Paz

Surface:Gravel

Most Recent Winner:Sebastien Loeb (2012)

Website:Rally Argentina | 33ra ediciÃ³n

Philips Rally Argentina, which first hosted a round of the World Rally Championship in 1980, is regarded as one of the toughest events on the WRC trail.

Based in Villa Carlos Paz north of the capital Buenos Aires, the town lies on the banks of the spectacular San Roque Lake in the south of the Punilla Valley close to the city of Cordoba.

The event is popularised by its jumps, water splashes and the lunar landscape of the high altitude El Condor stage, not to mention the tens of thousands of fans who line the route, and who are considered some of the most enthusiastic on the planet.

Although they are flowing in nature, the stages in Argentina are renowned for being slightly slower but more technically demanding than some of the other tests drivers experience in the WRC.

The surface is also quite sandy, which increases the risk of punctures because of a greater likelihood of rocks being pulled into the road by the competing cars. Because the road surface is softer, ruts can form following the first pass.

Argentinaâ€™s Southern Hemisphere location means the rally will take place in early autumn, which will increase the challenge facing the crews as they negotiate the testing terrain in colder and wetter conditions.
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Steve · Apr 25, 2013

Hilarious ad for Rally Argentina. That it's from 2008 makes absolutely no difference.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U3VUFRZqDxk]Rally Argentina 2008 - Soy Cordobes me gusta el Rally - YouTube[/ame]

minirab · Apr 25, 2013

Good god that was great!!

Steve · Apr 29, 2013

WRC.com preview: Philips LED Rally Argentina

29 Apr 13

WRC round 5 of 13. Wednesday 1 May - Saturday 4 May.

Round five of the FIA World Rally Championship - Philips LED Rally Argentina - is renowned for its amazing landscapes, its passionate and enthusiastic fans and for being one of the toughest events of the season to win.

The all-gravel event, which runs from 1-4 May, is characterised by its jumps, river crossings and the lunar landscape of the high altitude Mina Clavero stage.

Itâ€™s also very much about endurance, and features a string of long and demanding stages, including one of the longest of the season â€“ the 51.88 kilometre Ascochinga-Agua de Oro.

Although they are flowing in nature, the stages in Argentina have a reputation for being slightly slower but more technically demanding than some of the other tests drivers experience in the WRC.

The road surface is quite sandy, which increases the risk of punctures due to the greater likelihood of rocks being pulled onto the road by the competing cars. Because the road surface is softer, ruts can form following the first pass.

This yearâ€™s rally features just seven special stages, each run twice. Three stages - Ascochinga-Agua de Oro, El CÃ³ndor-Copina and the super special stage - run identically to last year, while Santa Catalina-La Pampa and Mina Clavero-Giulio CÃ©sare have length changes.

The two remaining stages - Santa Rosa-Villa del Dique and Amboy-Yacanto - are classed as new, the first the result of combining two stages run in 2011 and the second covers 30 kilometres of new road.

Rally headquarters and the central Service Park are based at Villa Carlos Paz, a holiday resort located 700 kilometres north of the Argentine capital Buenos Aires, close to the city of Cordoba.

Argentinaâ€™s Southern Hemisphere location means the rally will take place in early autumn and in its changeable weather conditions. The latest forecast is for sunshine and temperatures of up to 28 degrees Celsius, however rain showers are likely.

This yearâ€™s rally features a modified timetable compared to 2012. Organisers have taken advantage of a public holiday on Wednesday 1 May to enable the fans to watch free practice and qualifying, as well as the super special stage later that afternoon, meaning that the event finishes one day earlier than usual, on Saturday 4 May.

So, who's going to win?

There are probably six drivers capable of winning Rally Argentina, but the headline battle â€“ and the one most likely to generate a winner - will undoubtedly be the duel between Citroenâ€™s Sebastien Loeb and his Volkswagen rival Sebastien Ogier.

To say that Ogier and Loeb are both extremely motivated to win this week would be an understatement. Thereâ€™s a huge amount of honour at stake as Loeb, the nine-time champion, faces-off against the former team-mate who looks set to take his title.

This is a battle between WRC legend and ambitious newcomer - and itâ€™s one with a personal twist too, thanks to their tempestuous relationship at Citroen.

Loeb is unbeaten in Argentina. His seven previous wins making him the most successful driver in the eventâ€™s history. So itâ€™s hardly surprising that this was one of the handful of rallies he chose to tackle in his retirement year.

A tenth world title might be out of the question, but victory on the season opener in Monte proved heâ€™s as determined as ever to win rallies â€“ and this could be his last one on gravel.

In his pre-rally comments, however, Loeb has sought to downplay his chances â€“ suggesting that his lack of time in the DS3 recently might mean heâ€™s a bit rusty at the wheel. Will Ogier be comforted by this? Unlikely.

Actually, Ogier is playing a similar game. The Frenchman shrugging off the importance of the duel with Loeb and claiming instead that championship points are of more importance. But with a title lead of 54 points he would seem to be able to take a risk...

So far this season theyâ€™ve met each other twice - in Monte-Carlo and Sweden - and have taken one win apiece. But with his unrivalled experience of winning on the Rally Argentina stages, and the fact that he loves the event so much, weâ€™re going to tip Loeb to take victory this Saturday.

Putting Ogier and Loeb aside, there are another 11 World Rally Car drivers in Argentina, and given the endurance element of the rally, many of them have a chance of doing well. Keeping out of trouble is important here - as Martin Prokop discovered last year when a reliable run netted him fourth.

Citroen's team-leader Mikko Hirvonen is bound to be a front-runner. The Finn hasnâ€™t won in Argentina yet, but finished second to Loeb in 2012 and 2011 and remains in winning contention this year â€“ especially if the battle of the Sebastiens forces either, or both, to make mistakes.

Dani Sordo performed well in a Ford Fiesta RS in 2012, until an alternator problem forced his retirement from third just before the final stage. However after the rejuvenated form he showed in Portugal he is in with a victory shout too in the Abu Dhabi Citroen DS3.

Volkswagen Motorsport driver Jari-Matti Latvala will also start Rally Argentina brimming with confidence after a strong performance in Portugal. The Finn missed last yearâ€™s Rally Argentina after breaking his collarbone in a skiing accident.

The M-Sport squadâ€™s hopes ride with Fiesta RS trio of Mads Ostberg, Evgeny Novikov and Thierry Neuville.

Ostberg was third in 2012, although almost three minutes behind Hirvonen, and is eyeing another podium this week. Novikov lost a wheel early in the 2012 event, but fought back well, setting a string of top-three stage times on his way to eighth.

Neuville made an impressive Argentina debut, becoming one of only four drivers to secure a fastest stage time and finishing fifth overall.

Argentina rewind: on this rally last year

After the events of the previous round in Portugal, where Loeb crashed and Hirvonen was stripped of victory, the pressure was on the Citroen duo to deliver. And they did that with a perfect one-two finish.

Loeb sealed his seventh victory in Argentina and his 70th in the FIA World Rally Championship at the wheel of a Citroen DS3, while Hirvonen took second.

Slippery, muddy conditions made the event treacherous and put the emphasis on cautious driving and tyre strategy â€“ especially how to make the most of the limited allocation of the advantageous soft-compound tyre.

Loebâ€™s victory was all-but guaranteed midway through the penultimate dayâ€™s competition when, faced with his two drivers pushing each other hard in a mud bath, Citroen team chief Yves Matton gave the order for Hirvonen to remain behind in order to secure the one-two.

Standing-in for the injured Latvala, Sordo had been on course to take third in a Ford Fiesta RS until an alternator problem forced his retirement with just one stage of the rally remaining. His exit promoted Ostberg to third in another Ford Fiesta RS, with Prokop taking a career best fourth.

 Argentina tyre facts:

Both WRC suppliers will use the 2013 evolutions of their WRC gravel tyre for Rally Argentina. Michelin will supply its Latitude Cross to the majority of crews, while DMACK will be offering its DMG+2 tyre.  

Both Michelinâ€™s Latitude Cross and DMACKâ€™s DMG+2 tyres are available in just one construction and tread pattern, but are offered in two compounds (hard and soft) to suit the varied conditions on the nine gravel rallies in the season.

  In Argentina, each WRC crew will have 28 soft-compound tyres available, plus an alternative of 16 hard-compound tyres. Each competitor is allowed to use a maximum of 28 tyres across both compounds for the entire event.
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Steve · Apr 29, 2013

Here's the full (46min) 2012 video review.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zi0JDHS8RLs]WRC 2012 Argentina Review - YouTube[/ame]

Steve · May 1, 2013

Rally Argentina - what can we expect? (WRC.com)

01 May 13

As location director for the WRCâ€™s TV production team, Steve Turvey is responsible for selecting where the cameras will be positioned in the stages to bring viewers across the globe spectacular footage from all 13 rounds of the season.

Turvey is a former co-driver and was an integral part of Richard Burnsâ€™ championship-winning team in 2001 as one half of the Britonâ€™s gravel crew.

In his current role, Turvey drives the stages before the rally to identify those special locations. wrc.com asked him for his thoughts on Rally Argentina and what we should look out for over the four days of competition.

Q. Steve, what are the stages looking like this year?

ST: "There has been a reasonable amount of rain on most stages so despite the high temperatures of the last few days, the surface is damp in places, with soil and sand coming through. They should dry if there is no more rain, but the forecast suggests there may be thunderstorms over the next couple of days which would keep them damp."

Q. And what conditions are the roads in?

ST: "They are in normal condition for Argentina. Work has been carried out on some sections since last yearâ€™s rally, but some have had no attention. In my view this is the roughest round of the championship now. Itâ€™s rougher than the Acropolis Rally of Greece because there are big stones poking through the earth and it seems to become worse every year with the passage of the event. The early part of the El Condor stage is already cut up quite badly. Itâ€™s going to be very punishing for the cars, with many bumps, two-wheel landings and lots of big stones in the road that are already visible in the recce."

Q. What effect will all this have on the tyres?

ST: "Tyre wear is going to be punishing. Most stages are long, and each group of tests covers almost 80km of competition. Drivers must tackle each group with the same tyres with which they left service, so it will be hard for the rubber. I think each leg is equally tough, but perhaps the first day has the edge. The 52km test from Ascochinga to Agua de Oro is rough with lots of bed rock and that will test tyres to the extreme."

Q. So is pace going to be everything or could a more cautious approach pay dividends?

ST: "I wouldnâ€™t say a driver can win by being cautious, but that tactic can certainly bring a good result. The leaders will have to drive flat out as always, but for someone like Martin Prokop, caution could pay off. I could see him being there with a chance of a top three result by keeping out of trouble."

Q. Argentina is renowned for its huge crowds and passionate fans. It really generates a great atmosphere doesnâ€™t it?

ST: "It does â€“ and this year will be no different. I drove the stages on Monday and there were already people camping out by the roadside in the El Condor stage. Some told me they had been there for two or three days already to ensure the best position. And the rally doesnâ€™t go through there until Saturday!"
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Steve · May 2, 2013

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z6gDsXHL2Mg]Shakedown - 2013 WRC Rally Argentina - Best-of-RallyLive.com - YouTube[/ame]

Steve · May 2, 2013

Ogier starts things off in the lead again. No surprise there for any other than diehard Loeb fans who likely expected him to put Ogier "in his place". Of course Loeb took the time ahead of the rally to lower expectations a bit based on his lack of recent rally seat time.

SS1: First blood to Ogier (WRC.com)

01 May 13

SS1, Super Especial Branca Unico (6.04 kilometres)

Stage description:

This is one of the championshipâ€™s most popular super special stages. It is located on the edge of the rally base of Carlos Paz and two cars at a time cover two laps of a twisty circuit. The surface is good and jumps, hairpins and fast sections provided great entertainment for the tens of thousands of people enjoying the May Day holiday.

How the action unfolded:

Sebastien Ogier laid down a marker for the weekend when he won this afternoonâ€™s opening test by 1.9sec from Dani Sordo.

The championship leader was paired with arch rival Sebastien Loeb in the highlight heat. Ogierâ€™s Volkswagen Polo R outgunned his fellow Frenchmanâ€™s Citroen DS3 to claim the first bragging rights in the duel that everyone is talking about.

Ogier was relaxed and smiling at the finish, saying: â€œIt was a nice feeling but the rally starts tomorrow. This was really fun and nice for the spectators.â€

Loeb was third fastest in his first gravel stage since the opening day of Rally de Espana last November and paid tribute to his rival.

â€œOgier was really fast. I did a lot of mistakes, usually I donâ€™t do so many. Itâ€™s a great atmosphere here in Argentina. We will try to do a good rally and try to find a rhythm,â€ he said.

Sordo was a convincing winner in his head-to-head with Mads Ostberg. â€œI didnâ€™t push like hell because I didnâ€™t want to make a mistake at the beginning. This is only for show, but itâ€™s part of the rally so we had to be careful,â€ said the Citroen DS3 pilot. Ostberg was seventh fastest in his Ford Fiesta RS.

Qualifying stage winner Jari-Matti Latvala was fourth in his Polo R, edging out fellow Finn Mikko Hirvonenâ€™s Citroen DS3. Latvala missed the rally last year through injury and admitted: â€œI was a bit cautious in places on the first lap while I found my rhythm because I havenâ€™t driven this stage for a while.â€

Andreas Mikkelsen was fifth in another Polo R, just ahead of Hirvonen.

Michal Kosciuszko felt the dampers were too soft on his Mini John Cooper Works while a deflated Martin Prokop was unhappy with the engine in his Fiesta RS.
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SS3: Sordo rolls out of the top 10 (WRC.com)

02 May 13

SS3, Ascochinga / Agua de Oro (51.88 kilometres)

Stage description:

The longest and most difficult stage of the rally. It is a union of two classic tests, first run in this format last year. The opening 30km crosses the Sierras Chicas mountains on fast and flowing roads, punctuated by downhill hairpins, through open countryside. The second part goes back over the mountain on tighter, twistier roads with plenty of bedrock and stones on the road. It offers a tough test for tyres.

How the action unfolded:

Dani Sordoâ€™s hopes of a good result in Argentina went out the window on Thursdayâ€™s second test when the Spaniard rolled his Citroen DS3.

The car suffered no major damage, and Sordo went on to complete the stage, but with the loss of more than seven minutes.

It was the second roll in a week for Sordo, who also crashed Citroenâ€™s DS3 showcar at a promotional event in Buenos Aires on Saturday.

At the finish of SS3 Sordo suggested that a mistake in the pace-notes read by his co-driver Carlo Del Barrio was to blame for todayâ€™s incident.

â€œSometimes itâ€™s a driver error but this time it was a pace-note,â€ Sordo said. â€œI took a corner flat, but that was the wrong speed. After that we lost the power-steering and that cost us a lot of time. Weâ€™re both really disappointed.â€

Sordo, who was seventh after SS2, dropped to 15th in the standings.

Mikko Hirvonen was the stage winner and moved up to second. The Finnâ€™s Citroen DS3 sported badly worn rear tyres at the finish but Hirvonen was in bullish spirits. â€œThe last 8km were tough because the rear tyres were really slippery but we kept going,â€ he said. â€œIt was a good run otherwise - I tried hard.â€

Hirvonenâ€™s team-mate Sebastien Loeb was second-quickest, and pleased with the result of some set-up tweaks made on the road section from SS2: â€œI changed damper settings between the stages and adjusted my driving, itâ€™s a bit better to drive, so not so bad,â€ he said.

Rally leader Ogier was third fastest, 6.7sec slower than Hirvonen and furious to have been delayed when he caught Sordoâ€™s damaged Citroen mid-stage and struggled to pass it. â€œYeah, a nice strategy there; to block us in the stage,â€ said the Frenchman sarcastically.

Mads Ostberg was 4th fastest and still dissatisfied with the feeling in his Fiesta: â€œIâ€™m struggling,â€ he said. â€œThe car is hard to drive â€“ itâ€™s like I donâ€™t recognise it. It feels like Iâ€™m missing some power â€“ especially coming out of corners. Perhaps itâ€™s the altitude?â€

Jari-Matti Latvala rounded off the top five times. As winner of the Qualifying Stage, the Finn had first choice of todayâ€™s road position and had picked 12th. â€œMy position is alright but this stage was difficult," he said. "I havenâ€™t done this road for many years and my tyres are completely finished. The car felt heavy in the corners. Not a great feeling.â€

Michal Kosciuszko dropped from 10th to 11th after experiencing problems in his Mini JCW. â€œI have overheating tyres and I cooked the brakes too,â€™ he explained. â€œWe were sliding like hell, I just couldnâ€™t get into a good rhythm there.â€
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Here's the other side of Sordo's car:

Inflammatory comments afterward from Ogier:

Sordo blocked me, Ogier fumes in Argentina (MaxRally.com)

by Giles Wade / 2nd May 2013

Sebastien Ogier has hit out at his former Citroen team after he dropped time on stage three of Rally Argentina.

Ogier was 6.7s slower than Mikko Hirvonen who won the 51.88-kilometre Ascochinga/Agua do Oro stage in a DS3 WRC to cut VW driver Ogierâ€™s overall advantage to 3.6s.

Afterwards, the world championship leader said he was stuck behind Hirvonenâ€™s team-mate Dani Sordo â€“ whose powersteering had failed following a light roll â€“ for several kilometres.

â€œMikko is not flying, itâ€™s a good strategy by Citroen,â€ Ogier fumed at the stage finish. â€œDani started in front of me and blocked me for three or four kilometres. Thatâ€™s why I lost the time.â€

Hirvonen, who was 2.0s quicker than seven-time Argentina winner Sebastien Loeb, feared he would also lose time after his Citroenâ€™s rear Michelins became badly worn eight kilometres from the finish of the stage.

Mads Ostberg was the best of the Qatar M-Sport Fiesta drivers in fourth, 21.3s down on Hirvonen. Jari-Matti Latvala was fifth quickest and slips to fourth behind Loeb.

Sordo, who is celebrating turning 30 today, dropped more than seven minutes through a combination of rolling and breaking his powersteering. He also rolled his Citroen during a promotional event in Cordoba last weekend. Fortunately service in Villa Carlos Paz is next on the itinerary.
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Argentina: Thursday midday round-up (WRC.com)

02 May 13

Sebastien Ogier returned to service in Carlos Paz at the midpoint of the opening leg of Rally Argentina with a 3.6sec lead in his Volkswagen Polo R over Mikko Hirvonenâ€™s Citroen DS3.

They shared the stage wins this morning, Ogier claiming fastest time through the opening Santa Catalina / La Pampa test before Hirvonen won Ascochinga / Agua de Oro, the longest stage of the rally.

Ogier was frustrated at the end of SS3 having been held up by Dani Sordo in the stage, but the Frenchman was calmer when he arrived at service and explained what happened.

â€œDani had a problem when he went off the road. Unfortunately he restarted in front of us and didnâ€™t see us for three or four kilometres. We had to follow him and lost a couple of seconds. When he restarted it was at a tight hairpin and I thought he would see us, but thatâ€™s rally,â€ said Ogier.

Sebastien Loeb is just 6.0sec behind his fellow Frenchman in another DS3 and the leading trio are pulling clear of the drivers behind.

Jari-Matti Latvala lies fourth in another Polo R, 23.5sec from the lead and rueing his lack of experience of these stages having missed last yearâ€™s event through injury.

Mads Ostberg is fifth, the Norwegian feeling out of sorts with his Ford Fiesta RS, but only 9.7sec behind Latvala. Andreas Mikkelsen completes the top six in the final Polo R, the Norwegian youngster 55.9sec from the lead.

In the WRC 2 category Abdulaziz Al Kuwari moved to the front when overnight leader Marcos Ligato stopped his Subaru 14km into the opening test, reportedly with a broken wheel.

The Qatari was fastest through both stages in his Ford Fiesta RRC and leads Peruvian Nicolas Fuchsâ€™ Mitsubishi Lancer by 59.2sec. A furious Al Kuwari arrived at the finish of the opening stage right behind Yuriy Protasov, the man ahead of him in the running order, whom he caught mid-stage.

Ricardo Trivino lies third, 1min 13.3sec behind Fuchs, the Mexican struggling with overheating brakes.
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Steve · May 2, 2013

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GMlHMoMi8Do]Leg 1 - 2013 WRC Rally Argentina - Best-of-RallyLive.com - YouTube[/ame]

Steve · May 2, 2013

Thursday WRC wrap: Advantage Ogier (WRC.com)

02 May 13

Volkswagen Polo R driver Sebastien Ogier holds the lead of Rally Argentina at the end of Thursday's competition, the Frenchman returning to the service park in Carlos Paz with a 16.3sec advantage over his arch rival Sebastien Loeb in a Citroen DS3.

Finlandâ€™s Mikko Hirvonen, also in a Citroen DS3, is third, just 1.8sec behind Loeb.

After Wednesday nightâ€™s short head-to-head Super Special, todayâ€™s action was focused on two long gravel stages in the Sierras Chicas mountains and the Punilla Valley north of Cordoba.

The highly anticipated duel between Ogier, who leads the driversâ€™ championship standings, and reigning world champion Loeb is the headline battle of the rally. And Ogier clinched todayâ€™s opening round in convincing fashion.

After winning the Super Special, Ogier was fastest on Thursdayâ€™s opener to pull 8.8sec clear of the chasing pack, led by his Volkswagen team-mate Jari-Matti Latvala.

He lost half of that advantage on stage three, however, when he get stuck behind the Citroen DS3 of Dani Sordo who had rolled earlier in the test. But from then on Ogier was in dominant form, extending his lead with wins on the two repeated stages in the afternoon.

Returning to the WRC after nearly three months away, Loeb took some time to get back up to speed. He was 8.5sec slower than Ogier on the opening test but seemed to have rediscovered his mojo on the next after making damper adjustments.

But Loebâ€™s efforts to catch Ogier on the two afternoon stages were thwarted by a poor tyre choice. Gambling on a repeat of the morningâ€™s dry and warm conditions, Loeb and his Citroen team-mates elected to fit Michelinâ€™s hard-compound option tyre.

In the event, the skies clouded over, fog closed in and light rain on stages four and five favoured Ogier and Latvala who had stuck with the soft-compound. Ogier latest admitted that the conditions almost destroyed the rubber, but the Citroen crews, who struggled for grip, felt theirs was the worse option.

Latvala is fourth overnight, 22sec behind Hirvonen. The Finn had a day of mixed fortunes; from the highs of two second-fastest stage times, to the lows of a technical problem that left him without a handbrake on two stages.

Almost a minute behind the Finn is Evgeny Novikov. The Russian became the leading Ford driver after Mads Ostberg hit a rock on stage four and retired with a broken steering arm and driveshaft.

Volkswagenâ€™s Andreas Mikkelsen is sixth, just 17.4sec adrift of Novikov, with Fiesta RS driver Thierry Neuville another 17.4sec further back in seventh.

Martin Prokop had a tough day trying to get used to the feeling of his Ford Fiesta RS on Michelin tyres after switching from DMACK. The Czech rolled on stage five but remains eighth, albeit more than four minutes behind Neuville.

Local hero Gabriel Pozzo is ninth in another Fiesta RS, with Sordo, who lost more than seven minutes with his roll on stage three, rounding off the top ten.

Fridayâ€™s second leg of Rally Argentina kicks off at 0625hrs (local time) with the first stage, the 40km Santa Rosa â€“ Villa del Dique starting at 0833hrs.
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Steve · May 3, 2013

Del Barrioâ€™s distraction: VIDEO (WRC.com)

03 May 13

Dani Sordo's co-driver Carlos Del Barrio blames himself for the crash that took them out of Thursday's competition, but their car's on-board camera suggests that Del Barrio's door latch could be the real culprit.

Sordo rolled his Citroen DS3 just after the halfway point of the 40 kilometre Santa Catalina / La Pampa stage when an incorrect pace note from Del Barrio [pictured left above] caused him to take a corner too fast.

Del Barrio later tweeted: 'No excuses. I made a stupid mistake this morning. It was totally my fault. I am very sorry for @DaniSordo & all @CitroenRacing guys.'

But on Thursday evening Sordo explained that his co-driver had given the wrong note because he was distracted.

â€œUnfortunately, there was a problem with Carlosâ€™ door. It affected his concentration and he didnâ€™t give me the right pace note,â€ he said.
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[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GDXrKrshUPQ]Dani Sordo CRASH @ WRC Philips LED Rally Argentina 2013 - YouTube[/ame]

Steve · May 3, 2013

Argentina: Friday midday round-up (WRC.com)

03 May 13

Sebastien Loeb leads Rally Argentina after an error from Sebastien Ogier this morning cost the Frenchman more than 40 seconds and dropped him to third.

Heavy overnight rain made conditions muddy and foggy and Ogier, who had won five of the six stages in his Volkswagen Polo R, went off the road in the 39.16km stage from Amboy to Yacanto. He went straight on at a slippery corner and had to reverse back onto the track.

Ironically, Loeb made a similar error on the previous Santa Rosa to Villa del Dique stage. His Citroen DS3 slid wide on a corner at the end of a long straight but his time loss was merely a handful of seconds.

The drama means Loeb returned to the mid-leg service at Carlos Paz with a 8.9 second advantage over team-mate Mikko Hirvonen. Ogier is 26.3 seconds off the lead.

Jari-Matti Latvala lies fourth in another Polo R, 44.8sec behind Loeb, with Evgeny Novikov quietly keeping out of trouble in fifth in his Ford Fiesta RS. The Russian is 1min 55.4sec from the lead.

Andreas Mikkelsen and Thierry Neuville are dueling for sixth. The German holds the upper hand in his Polo R, but his margin over Neuvilleâ€™s Fiesta RS is only 7.0sec. Almost seven minutes further back in eighth is Martin Prokop, recovering from yesterdayâ€™s roll.

The top 10 is rounded off by Mads Ostberg, who was fastest though the Amboy test, and Dani Sordo, who has struggled with a misfiring engine after his Citroen DS3 took in water at the famous Santa Rosa river crossing.

In the WRC 2 category, Abdulaziz Al-Kuwari stretched his lead to 8min 49.6sec in a Ford Fiesta RRC. Nicolas Fuchs regained second in his Mitsubishi Lancer following the retirements of both Yuriy Protasov and Ricardo Trivino early in the opening stage.

Protasov was sidelined by an electrical problem with his Subaru Imprezaâ€™s throttle, while a broken differential stopped Trivino.
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Steve · May 3, 2013

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bPuOhKQoxRI]Leg 2 - 2013 WRC Rally Argentina - Best-of-RallyLive.com - YouTube[/ame]

Steve · May 3, 2013

Hirvonen lost a lot of time to electrical gremlins today, and then.....

Steve · May 3, 2013

Loeb on top (WRC.com)

03 May 13

As the challenge from those drivers around him fell by the wayside during an incident-packed second leg of Rally Argentina, Sebastien Loeb steered clear of trouble to build a 39.8 second lead.

Leg 1 leader Sebastien Ogier, Mikko Hirvonen and Jari-Matti Latvala all saw their hopes diminish during a punishing day to leave the wily Loeb at the head of the pack in his Citroen DS3.

Just four more stages and 77.92km stand between the Frenchman and a remarkable eighth straight WRC victory in Argentina.

â€œIt was a very hard day for tyres and the cars,â€ said Loeb. â€œI didnâ€™t have any problems but I had to push hard because Ogier was pushing hard also. I expected it to be difficult and it was. I will try to be cautious tomorrow but I still have to keep a rhythm.â€

Ogier won the opening test south of Carlos Paz amid fog and mud after heavy overnight rain. It was his fifth victory in six stages and stretched his lead to 17.7sec, but it proved to be the last of the day for the Volkswagen Polo R driver.

In the next test he lost the lead after sliding straight on at a slippery corner to allow Loeb ahead. Ironically, Loeb twice made a similar mistake on the morning stages but dropped a handful of seconds compared to Ogierâ€™s 40 second loss, which relegated him to third.

Ogier attacked on the afternoonâ€™s opening stage. However, the morning pass had dug out plenty of large stones from the sandy surface, and a front left puncture cost more time. The championship leader decided the fight was over and throttled back.

Despite the flat, Ogier climbed to second as Mikko Hirvonen punctured the rear right tyre of his Citroen DS3 in the same stage and lost 35 seconds. Worse was to come for the Finn when an electrical glitch in the following test cost almost six minutes and he fell to sixth.

Latvala tried to capitalise on Hirvonenâ€™s woes but stopped to change a puncture after his Volkswagen Polo R landed in a hole after a crest. The switch took less than two minutes and he retained fourth, winning tonightâ€™s super special stage in Carlos Paz.

The other big beneficiary was Evgeny Novikov. The Russianâ€™s cautious strategy is reaping rewards and he is third in a Ford Fiesta RS, albeit more than two minutes behind Ogier and 8.2sec ahead of Latvala.

Fifth is Thierry Neuville, the Belgianâ€™s Fiesta RS more than three minutes clear of Hirvonen. Mads Ostberg climbed to seventh in a similar car, the Norwegian winning SS7, with Martin Prokop recovering from yesterdayâ€™s roll in eighth.

Andreas Mikkelsen was another afternoon casualty. The Polo R pilot clipped a bridge in SS8 and retired on the following road section with broken suspension. Michal Kosciuszko stopped in the opening stage with similar damage to his Mini John Cooper Works.

Tomorrowâ€™s final leg begins at 07.00 and comprises two loops of the classic Giulio Cesare and El Condor stages, in the spectacular moon-like mountains south-west of Cordoba. The finish is at 14.20 in Carlos Paz.
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Steve · May 4, 2013

Thanks to Loeb's presence, Ogier's mishap yesterday, Hirvonen's much bigger mishap yesterday (ETC!!) Day 3 turned into a race for 3rd.

SS11: Latvala flat-out for third (WRC.com)

04 May 13

SS11, Mina Clavero / Giulio Cesare (22.64 kilometres)

Stage description:

One of the classic stages in the championship, this test is famous for its moon-like landscape. The roads are initially wide and fast, but give way to narrow, rough tracks. The entire route is uphill, with big boulders making it tough for tyres and suspension. Huge crowds have a fantastic view of the action across the vast, open countryside.

How the action unfolded

While many drivers in the top ten were thinking about preserving their positions on Saturday's rough opening stage, the battle for third between Jari-Matti Latvala and Evgeny Novikov ignited.

Latvala had edged closer to third during Friday's competition and he began the classic test from Mina Clavero 8.2sec behind Fiesta RS driver Novikov.

Latvala was the stage winner, but he remained fourth having clawed back less than a second from Novikov.

â€œEvgeny started strongly and I was 1.5sec behind at the first split so I realised my speed was not going to be enough,â€ said Latvala. â€œSo we increased the pace a lot - it was a big push in the end.â€

Novikov was second-quickest, but furious about a technical problem that kept his car in â€˜roadâ€™ mode and without the benefit of its turbo anti-lag system. â€œIâ€™m not in stage mode - I couldnâ€™t get it to work,â€ said the Russian. â€œI tried to do my best, thatâ€™s all, but there was no response from the throttle at all. I hope we can get it fixed.â€

Mikko Hirvonen was third-fastest in a Citroen DS3, but was more concerned with keeping a reliable driving rhythm than trying to better his sixth place overall.

Rally leader Sebastien Loeb was fourth-quickest and extended his advantage to a seemingly unassailable 55.1sec. â€œYeah, things are looking good,â€ the Citroen driver acknowledged, â€œI took it easy, it was really rough, narrow and bumpy in there. I donâ€™t like it so much but okay, we are here.â€

Second placed Sebastien Ogier was seventh-fastest, having given up on the fight for victory. â€œI just drive now, I donâ€™t care about Loeb,â€ he said. â€œFor the car itâ€™s very rough, so Iâ€™m driving just like in the recce. Itâ€™s a nice landscape!â€

Mina Clavero was the first of four stages today run without a service break, and crews carried all the tyres they would have for the 77 competitive kilometres that remain.

The Volkswagen Motorsport drivers, and Thierry Neuville, had six soft-compound tyres, while Ostberg, Novikov and the Citroen team drivers opted for five hard-compound Michelins.
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SS12: Latvala edges closer (WRC.com)

04 May 13

SS12, El Condor - Copina (16.32 kilometres)

Stage description:

Another famous test. The opening section is extremely narrow, twisting around huge rocks, which fans perch on top of to gain the best view. The higher parts are rough but as the road descends, it becomes smoother and more flowing and speeds increase. It is also well-known for the iron bridges that hang across the canyons.

How the action unfolded:

A second stage win this morning for Jari-Matti Latvala moved him to within 3.4 seconds of Evgeny Novikov as their battle for the final podium place continued unabated through a sun-kissed El Condor.

Enormous crowds witnessed Latvala powering his Volkswagen Polo R down the mountain, 3.1sec faster than leader Sebastien Loeb, but, more importantly for him, 3.9sec quicker than Novikovâ€™s Ford Fiesta RS.

â€œEvgeny is starting to push much harder than yesterday. He is on a new level. I had to push myself very hard. There were a couple of â€˜limited brakingsâ€™, so I canâ€™t go any faster,â€ smiled the Finn at the finish.

Novikov was calmer than at the end of the previous test, which he had to drive with the car in road mode. â€œI sorted the problem. It wasnâ€™t working in stage mode but now itâ€™s OK. I didnâ€™t have any moments but Iâ€™m on the limit,â€ admitted the Russian.

Loeb was relaxed, the Citroen DS3 pilot extending his lead to 1min 06.9sec over Sebastien Ogier. â€œI had no problems. It was a good stage. It was less rough than the opening test but I didnâ€™t push too hard,â€ he told WRC Live.

Ogier was equally cool, the Frenchman seventh fastest in his Polo R and happy to settle for second overall and enjoy the atmosphere generated by the passionate Argentine fans amid the stunning scenery. â€œIt was beautiful,â€ he said.

Mikko Hirvonen was third in his DS3, and another with the time to take in the surroundings. â€œThis stage is in good condition and with the weather like this, itâ€™s perfect for rallying,â€ said the sixth-placed Finn.

Mads Ostberg was fifth behind Novikov, the Norwegian Fiesta RS driver with his eye on taking bonus points in the Power Stage this afternoon.

â€œWeâ€™re taking it steady and making sure we get through. I tried to save my tyres for the Power Stage but itâ€™s a little bit rough in places. I had the time to see how many spectators are here. Itâ€™s unbelievable. There are just loads and loads of people. Iâ€™ve never seen so many people in one place,â€ he enthused.
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SS13: Latvala grabs third (WRC.com)

04 May 13

SS13, Mina Clavero / Giulio Cesare (22.64 kilometres)

Stage description:

One of the classic stages in the championship, this test is famous for its moon-like landscape. The roads are initially wide and fast, but give way to narrow, rough tracks. The entire route is uphill, with big boulders making it tough for tyres and suspension. Huge crowds have a fantastic view of the action across the vast, open countryside.

How the action unfolded

Another determined push from Volkswagenâ€™s Jari-Matti Latvala paid off on the repeated Mina Clavero stage when the Finn toppled Evgeny Novikov from third.

Latvala set the fastest time in his Polo R, completing a hat-trick of stage wins today, to move 4.9sec ahead of Fiesta RS driver Novikov.

â€œIt was a very good stage but we didnâ€™t get any splits in the car so I just drove as fast as I could,â€ Latvala said at the finish control. â€œIf Evgeny is faster then he is faster and I canâ€™t do anything more. Iâ€™ve given everything.â€

Novikov was next to complete, in the second-fastest time. â€œI tried to push hard. I did the best that I could, thatâ€™s how it is,â€ said the Russian.

There were position changes further down the order too when Dani Sordo and Andreas Mikkelsen both moved ahead of Ford Fiesta RS pilot Martin Prokop, who slipped from eighth.

Mikkelsen, in a Volkswagen Polo R, had tried to take Sordo as well, who he trailed by 4 sec before the stage.

â€œWe retired here last year, so on the first pass I was careful. I thought I might be able to take Sordo on the repeat, so I came a bit quicker this time - perhaps too fast to save my tyres for the Power Stage - but when I saw his split I knew he was too fast,â€ he said.

Meanwhile Sebastien Loeb and Sebastien Ogier remain on course to take first and second.

Citroen star Loeb will take a 1m02.4s advantage over his Volkswagen rival into the decisive El Condor Power Stage.

â€œNo dramas, but it was really rough with big stones, so not a nice ride. We kept the car in the ruts and drove carefully,â€ said Loeb.
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Loebâ€™s winning comeback! (best-of-rallylive.com)

04/05/2013 6:52 pm

After three months away from the WRC, SÃ©bastien Loeb (CitroÃ«n/Michelin) returned to his winning ways to claim his eighth straight win in Argentina. He was joined on the podium by Volkswagen Polo R WRC/Michelinâ€™s SÃ©bastien Ogier and Jari-Matti Latvala.

After taking a break from world class rallying since Februaryâ€™s Rally Sweden, SÃ©bastien Loeb was back in the NÂ°1 CitroÃ«n DS3 WRC in Argentina. With only one day of testing before the start, and a set-up that wasnâ€™t ideally suited to his driving style, the nine-time champion had a little trouble settling into a rhythm, however. That allowed his rival SÃ©bastien Ogier to build on a run of three consecutive wins by taking the lead on SS1.

The VW driver claimed three of the first four stages and completed Day 1 with a lead of 16.3s over Loeb and 18.1s over Hirvonen, who was fastest on SS3. Dani Sordo (CitroÃ«n/Michelin) fell from contention when he rolled on SS3, and Ogier lost a little ground when he found himself caught in the Spaniardâ€™s dust for several kilometres on the same test.

The outcome of the Philips LED Rally Argentina was then pretty much decided on SS7, a new 39km stage between Amboy and Yacanto. Loeb was unfazed in the fog, but Ogier dropped around 40 seconds when he went straight on at a muddy corner. That dropped him to third, 26.3s behind Loeb.

At this point, Mikko Hirvonen was second overall behind his team-mate. However, 20km from the finish of SS8, the Finn went wide and a tyre became unseated. He was able to continue and only dropped around 30s. Unfortunately, the carâ€™s wiring was damaged in the incident and the Finn (6th) dropped a further six minutes on SS9.

The same stage saw Jari-Matti Latvala stop to change a wheel after a heavy landing, but he was now up to fourth, 13.5s behind Evgeny Novikov (Ford/Michelin). Their battle provided the last duel of the event, and a score of three fastest times on the final day enabled Latvala to earn a footing on the podium. Novikov (4th) was the best-placed Qatar M-Sport WRT driver after Mads Ostberg (7th) suffered steering damage on SS4.

Thierry Neuville (5th) and Andreas Mikkelsen (8th) used the week to familiarise themselves with the Argentine stages, but the Norwegian was slowed by a suspension failure on SS8. Sordo and Martin Prokop (9th, Ford) rounded off the top 10, ahead of Gabriel Pozzo (11th, Ford).

â€œWinning the last gravel event of my career was an emotional moment. Itâ€™s a good win,â€ said Loeb at the end of â€˜El Condorâ€™.
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Loeb claims eighth Argentine win (WRC.com)

04 May 13

Sebastien Loeb claimed an emotional eighth victory in Rally Argentina this afternoon on what is likely to be his final gravel event in the FIA World Rally Championship.

The reigning world champion finished a punishing fifth round of the season 55.0 seconds ahead of Sebastien Ogier, bringing an end to his fellow Frenchmanâ€™s run of three straight wins.

It was Loebâ€™s 78th world rally win and almost certain to be his last away from asphalt. The 39-year-old is tackling a limited programme of four rallies this season as he switches to circuit racing and opted for Argentina as his sole gravel outing.

â€œItâ€™s great emotion to win here,â€ he said as fans surrounded his Citroen DS3 at the end of the final stage. â€œIt was a tough rally with complicated stages, but there was a great atmosphere and it was great to feel that all weekend.

â€œAfter so many months since my last gravel rally it was difficult to find the feeling in the first stage and to get the car working for me, but it was the perfect drive,â€ added Loeb, whose final WRC appearance is scheduled for France in October.

Such was the desire from the passionate Argentine fans to see Loebâ€™s farewell that an estimated 80,000 people lined the final El Condor stage.

Ogier dominated the early part of the four-day, 14-stage event, winning five of the first six stages in his Volkswagen Polo R. But he could not break Loeb, and when he went off the road for almost 40 seconds yesterday morning, Loeb transformed a 17 second deficit into a lead.

After puncturing a front left tyre on the next stage, Ogier was happy to throttle back, content in the knowledge that Loebâ€™s programme means he cannot be a contender for a 10th driversâ€™ title.

â€œItâ€™s a good result for us,â€ said Ogier. â€œWe had a lot of problems this weekend but weâ€™re happy to be at the end. Weâ€™re still in a learning year and at the moment, after five events, itâ€™s going well so I want to thank the team for all the work theyâ€™ve done.â€

â€œWe had a few problems, even this morning, and I finished the rally with a car not really good, but still I managed to push and get extra points in the Power Stage,â€ added Ogier, who leads the driversâ€™ standings by 54 points.

Jari-Matti Latvala finished third in another Polo R after a fierce final day tussle with Evgeny Novikov. The Finn dropped almost two minutes yesterday with a puncture and started today 8.2 seconds behind the Russianâ€™s Ford Fiesta RS.

Latvala won all four stages, including the bonus point-paying Power Stage, and his podium was secured when Novikov spun early in the final stage.

Thierry Neuville finished fifth in another Fiesta RS, the Belgian constantly working to improve the set-up of his Fiesta RS. Mikko Hirvonen was second after Ogierâ€™s problems, but a puncture followed by electrical troubles with his DS3 cost more than six minutes and he slipped to sixth.

Mads Ostberg recovered to seventh in a Fiesta RS after damaging his carâ€™s steering and a driveshaft in the opening leg.

Andreas Mikkelsen snatched eighth from Dani Sordo on the last stage after gearbox problems compounded the Spaniardâ€™s first leg roll. Martin Prokop completed the top 10 after he, too, rolled in the opening leg.
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Steve · May 4, 2013

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5iGz2VwIj_M]The race - 2013 WRC Rally Argentina - Best-of-RallyLive.com - YouTube[/ame]

Steve · May 5, 2013

A story from a different era in Argentina.

Maximum attack with Markku Alen (MaxRally.com)

by Markku Alen / 5th May 2013

Argentinaâ€¦this is a place I remember well. I have so many good stories; old stories that probably nobody is interested in any more; but heyâ€¦these are fantastic memories. Well, some of them are not so fantastic, but this is sport.

Here is one that is incredible. I donâ€™t think this would happen any more but the world has changed a lot in 25 years.

It was 1986 and I was leading in Argentina. I was in the Lancia Delta S4 â€“ what a fantastic car â€“ and I think my lead was quite big, but not enormous, over my team mate Miki Biasion. Certainly I had to push. Miki was a fantastic driver but at the time he was yet to win a rally. And of course he was an Italian driver in an Italian team.

We got to the last day; it might even have been the last stage. There were so many stages back then that I donâ€™t honestly remember. And from out of nowhere, the Lancia team helicopter appeared and landed â€“ right in front of us â€“ on the stage. In the middle of the road. Some of the team management got out and held us there for a minute. I only found out it was a minute afterwards: it felt so much longer in the car. And in the end Miki won the rally by about half a minute and I was second. Stig Blomqvist was third in a Peugeot but he was a long way behind us.

OK, itâ€™s hard to describe my feelings at the time. What annoyed me was that Lancia had landed the helicopter in a place that was like a small canyon â€“ it was good flying to get it in there â€“ so there was no room to pass to the left or to the right. The whole thing had been very carefully planned without telling us. At the time I think I just wanted to drive through the helicopter: Kiki [Ilkka Kivimaki], my co-driver, said that he had never seen me so angry. He had to hold my arm to stop me driving. There was another helicopter close by, which belonged to Peugeot and Jean Todt, and they were watching the whole thing to see how much time we were losing. Iâ€™m sure that they couldnâ€™t believe what was happening just as much as I couldnâ€™t. Imagine if we had made a mistake and they had won! What happened that evening, I donâ€™t remember. There were many discussions and I was furious.

Now though, I see it differently. A lot of time has passed and I understand that it was important for them for Miki to win; I had won with them more than 10 times already. Lancia did a lot for me, and itâ€™s normal that from time to time they wanted a favour back from me. But try telling that to a much younger me! I certainly wasnâ€™t as calm then as I am now.

I suppose the only thing that still hurts is that without this problem we would have been world champions in 1986. I mean, we were champions in 1986, sure, but the difference is we would have kept the title. At the time though this was impossible to know as it was only August, which is middle of winter in Argentina, and there were many rallies â€“ including Finland and Sanremo â€“ still to come.

The first time I finished Argentina was 1983, when we had the Lancia 037: probably my favourite of all the Lancias actually. The first stage alone was 81 kilometres and incredible fast; the whole rally was more than 1200 kilometres of stages. What made it especially difficult that year was the snow. I donâ€™t think many people realise what an extreme rally Argentina was for weather. That year, we had snowbanks like a classic Monte Carlo, and I remember bouncing the 037 off the snow like in Sweden. In the end I think we were fourth or fifth: not on the podium anyway. But I was just happy to get to the finish.

A bit like the story with the helicopter, what you see at the time is never the same as what you see a few years afterwards. Back then, a long event like that simply was rally; you didnâ€™t ask if it was good or bad, this was just how it is. Now people ask a lot of questions about the sport and what it should be. Back then
people just accepted it for what it was. So a long rally like Argentina was completely normal and the snow was nothing really special. In rally you drive everywhere in all weather.

People ask me a lot now if we should go back to the old days and have long rallies again. I think no, as for many reasons this wouldnâ€™t work anymore. The sport â€“ and the world â€“ is different to how it used to be and there is no point to compare it to then. Better to look forward.

And speaking for looking forward, I always looked forward to going to Argentina. The fans were something really special and I think they still are. Of course I love meat and the steak is fantastic. In fact the food and the wine is almost as good as it is in Italy â€“ and anybody who knows me will know that this is really a big compliment. OK, so this is my memory of Argentina.
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Crashton · May 6, 2013

^^^ That was a great read.

For me as a long time fan of rally, seems to me they lost something when going to a sprint format. Having one long endurance event in the series would be great & really test the teams. I miss the old days.

Steve · May 6, 2013

Crashton said: ↑

^^^ That was a great read.

For me as a long time fan of rally, seems to me they lost something when going to a sprint format. Having one long endurance event in the series would be great & really test the teams. I miss the old days.
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Second that, add one long endurance event to the calendar every year. Unfortunately, the cars, etc, seem to be purpose-built to endure sprints and little else these days -- teams seem to get worried before the start of today's long (50km) stages -- and not everyone would want to take their cars to an endurance event. It would take some encouragement to ensure a good turnout so I say make it worth the risk by offering at least double points, maybe more.

It's easy (and fun) to make arbitrary rules for a series if you don't actually participate. :biggrin5:

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