Andersson will not return for Day 2: He quits

The brand new Suzuki team confirmed that P-G Andersson’s SX4 WRC will not restart tomorrow due to a head gasket failure.

The team also revealed late in the evening that the same issue had been responsible for Toni Gardemeister’s retirement from the Monte Carlo Rally two weeks ago.

Andersson’s car stopped in the middle of SS4 while the Swede was in seventh place overall: “It’s a shame even though we know these are things that can happen during a season with a new car,” Andersson said. “It’s really unfortunate that this happens on my home event when I’ve been waiting for this moment for 27 years.”

Despite this setback, Andersson remains positive about the team’s performance: The rally had started well. Of course, I was pushing but not beyond the limit. I knew I had to stay on the road, that it was the most important thing. Today, the first stage went well, the second was more difficult but I was satisfied.

The director of the team, Nobuhiro Tajima, adds: « I am really sorry for P-G, who truly deserves better for his national event after scoring a point for us at Monte-Carlo. According to the regulations, we cannot change the engine. While this makes sense for established teams, it makes it even more complicated for new entrants to arrive. This marks two retirements caused by the same issue that we were not allowed to resolve on-site. »

According to the WRC