In the six weeks since the last FIA World Rally Championship round in Mexico, Hyundai Motorsport driver Dani Sordo has been busy testing developments on the i20 along with a short break to take stock of the season so far.
Sordo is somewhat a veteran of the Argentinian Rally having competed eight times but he admits that this years route has changed to previous rallies, “The stages have changed a little bit this year, so it’s a completely different rally.” said Sordo in the FIA Press conference.
The weather in Argentina has provided the rally crews with a tough challenge, “It’s partially rough this rally. Some people told me there was a lot of the rain in the mountains before and the stages are completely destroyed, a lot of stones.
“They tried to repair the roads, but the stones are still there. The second stage… okay the first 51 kilometre stage of the rally, the first 25 kilometres are very very bad and you can damage the car, so we need to take a good speed, but also drive with the head.”
Looking ahead to his expectations for the rally Sordo is confident he can make it on to the podium again but admits that anything can happen. “It’s very difficult, very long stages, not always about times, so it will be also difficult. During 51 kilometres you need to be very concentrated because you can lose a lot. So I think this rally is a big challenge in many different ways.”
Changes for 2015 has meant that drivers no longer are provided with in-stage split times, this has been met with mixed reactions for some drivers and Sordo admits that some would love information on the long stages.
“There is no need to flat-out from the beginning, but in 51 kilometres I promise you everyone will want some information even at some point in the stage. Maybe to have one or two splits would be good.”
