Reactions – Subaru virtually on the podium

The first day of the Rally Mexico was well received by Subaru. At the end of the first eight stages, the performance-lacking Japanese team placed its two drivers in the top 4, with Chris Atkinson in 3rd position ahead of the 2003 world champion, Peter Solberg.

Atkinson signed five times in the top 3 yesterday and did not encounter major problems. He spun during SS6 but didn’t go off with only 20 seconds lost.

« The day was not bad for us, we are in a good position to attack. We will see if we can close the gap on Loeb and Latvala but it will not be easy », explains Atkinson.

« I made a mistake in the last stage. Giving away a few seconds to these drivers is not a smart thing. It won’t be easy, especially with Solberg and Hirvonen behind me, I’ll have to keep pushing.

Petter Solberg was fifth on the road. He was the fastest in the first section this morning before experiencing a major brake problem, finishing the stage without being able to slow down his car. Makeshift repairs allowed him to reach the service park with a 50-second deficit after three stages, occupying the sixth position.

« Considering that we lost a minute this morning, fourth place tonight is a good result », says Solberg junior. « We have won two stages and we keep on attacking. It won’t be easy. There are two difficult days left. »

Last year, the Mexican rally faced problems when spectators were throwing stones or placing them on the road. The organizers took significant security measures, but they do not seem to have been effective. « The stones were very present in the afternoon, sometimes in the middle of the road. There were very large ones. I wonder how they got there… If we didn’t detour to avoid them, it wouldn’t work… When you’re really pushing, it’s difficult to avoid such things. » concluded the Norwegian.

« We have again shown that we have the pace to win stages in this event and despite the morning problems, Chris is on the podium and Petter is close enough to aim for the top 3, » explains Subaru and Prodrive boss, David Richard.

« It was a difficult day for the cars and drivers. It is encouraging to see the new Pirelli tires performing well in these very challenging conditions. »