[1]With the Whangarei rally ready to roll, MRF’s Gaurav Gill on Friday was modest enough to admit that the Proton team will be in full flow at the third stage of the 2010 FIA Asia Pacific Rally Championship (APRC) here on Saturday.
“We will happy to be the dark horses in the championship. The Proton team have often done well in this leg of the championships in the past,” Gaurav said during a chat on Friday.
The shakedown, an event that sees the drivers testing their vehicles before the rally commences, saw the MRF team put up a credible show. Gaurav and team-mate Katsuhiko Taguchi also pointed out that the weather will have a crucial role to play during the rally.
“When you race in countries such as Indonesia or Malaysia, you lose up to 5-6 kgs in those couple of days owing to the weather. But, in New Zealand the weather is much pleasant. However, having said that, the weather here can put you on the back foot too. It’s raining now and in a few minutes it will be sunshine and then again rain, so it’s quite unpredictable,” Gaurav said.
Asked on the preparation for the event, Alister McRae of Proton R3 said, “We know the roads well and will be keen to go all out to win the race. Also, the erratic weather could unsettle many of our opponents and we will be more than happy to cash on it.”
His team-mate Chris Atkinson too feels that all teams will be looking to go all out. “It goes without saying that teams will look to put their best foot forward in the race. Proton team is no different in this regard,” Chris said.
With teams eyeing the pie in Whangarei, the rally will be an acid test for Taguchi as he looks to not only consolidate his position in the APRC rankings but also clinch the event, a task that will be difficult considering the competition that is about which will unfold on Saturday.
Links:
[1] http://archive.asianage.com/sp07031jpg-173