52. RallyRACC Catalunya - Costa Daurada 2016
13. 10. – 16. 10. 2016, Salou • Real Automóvil Club Cataluña • asphalt - gravel 321.08 km • total distance including road sections - 1430.58 km • Other years
Info
SS19
"We had a good rally, did a good job and we win the class. Next week I will be driving the R5 Hyundai again."
"Perfect. We are the happiest people in the world. To be third next to the two factory Skodas - it's a great result for us and I think for Hungary too!"
"It's been great and thanks to the team, We have showed our speed on gravel too - and that's good. It's not confirmed yet but I hope to be in GB."
"It's been a tough season but fantastic! Thank you so much to the team! We have had the perfect car all weekend. I had so much fun behind the steering wheel. I had to think a lot about this stage, after last year, but it's been fantastic."
"Really disappointed but I need to offer Seb my congratulations. I did my best, and I want to thank my fans for their support. I did my maximum."
"Hopefully this time is enough to get one more point here. A good weekend for us - we can be happy."
"A positive weekend. Three Hyundais in the top four. Huge thanks to everyone. Now let's bring on the gravel!"
"I'm quite pleased to be at the end of a rally where I feel I'm pushing and doing the right thing. I felt I put everything together here on this stage, it even felt a bit natural."
"[The result] was nothing to do with our performance. Okay, we've done the job and competition is the only way to develop the tyres. Job done."
"Before the event we hoped to have some road position advantage on the gravel but the rain stopped that. On the Tarmac we cannot expect to win stages with this car but a big thanks to the team - hopefully there's a lot more to come next year."
"At the end I'm medium happy. Some good stages - and this was one of the best stages of my life. Some positives to have finished with."
"I'm really pleased with how the weekend has gone - apart from the problems obviously. We've showed good speed and that's good for the future."
"It was a good stage, very good. The car, the brakes, everything is much better than last year here. My confidence is back. I have been lost for some rallies now I want a good finish to the season."
"I'm happy, the confidence is good and I have gained a lot more experience in these conditions."
SS18
"All good for us, just focused on being clean. We have a small gap which allows us to be a little bit relaxed before the end. For sure now we want to finish the job."
"Good, no problems. We try to drive well in the middle of the road."
"No push for me. I tried to raise the car. I was careful in the cuts. I know I have to manage now - not take too many risks in the Power Stage. I just want the 15 points."
"Not so bad. Over-driving in places but a nice steady pace with no big risks."
"Quite a good stage. A lot better on the hard tyre. I enjoyed it."
"The time is so, so. We made a set-up change and I don't think I pushed enough. Not so bad."
"Fine for us but not easy. Even more damp patches than this morning I think. The first seven or eight kilometres were difficult. Better after. For the Power Stage I will try my best for the three points."
"It was good but I heard a strange noise in second gear."
SS17
"I have a good driving rhythm now with no risks. I'll keep going like this."
"Damp in places. I try to do my best."
"For sure it's good to be quicker again than Dani. I was little bit more cautious than normal after last year. For sure it's looking good. Two stages to go."
"I tried really hard to catch Ogier. I promise everybody I'm doing my best - there are so many people in the stages I want to thank them for their support."
"Not so nice. A lot of dampness and understeer and I have to brake early and use the handbrake. Keeping my position is the goal."
"We tried something completely different with the set-up but it didn't work. It's okay, we have a big gap behind us. We're learning all the time. Making progress."
"The soft tyre is absolutely not working. They overheated very, very quickly on the dry opening section. We destroyed them before the damp section at the end."
Too fast on a corner and we went wide."
lost wheel
"Not as good as the first stage. Struggled in the damp patches. Will be better on the repeat."
"The grip levels were a surprise - more damp sections than I expected. I backed off in some places."
"I enjoyed it but on the soft tyres it wasn't a great feeling. Lots of understeer."
SS16
puncture
"Tricky in places here with no gravel crew. We were lucky in some places."
"It's good. Once again, this stage was wetter than expected. Happy to get through this one."
"I try a little bit, I really push, I take some risks in the cuts, but it's difficult."
"All I can do is keep the pressure on but I don't want a big battle. We'll keep going."
"Really hard to see where the damp places are in the dark. There were more than I had expected. After a few surprises I decided not to take risks."
stopped
"Really, really enjoyable. We made a couple of set-up improvements to the car overnight. Definitely going in the right direction."
"In a way it's nice to be driving in the dark, there's a different atmosphere. On the road there are some damp patches, so I was not at full attack. I had something in reserve."
SS15
"It has been a great day. Four stages to go. Hopefully we can bring this car to the win tomorrow."
"I feel like we've improved a lot today, and gained more experience. Hopefully it will help for the future. Maybe another drive with Skoda."
"Generally a good day. I have been pleased with the performance overall. Okay, the puncture was a disappointment, but I have found the speed and confidence that I have been missing for a few events."
"It was good fun. Better and better today. Let's try and start from this point again tomorrow."
"I do a little bit for the fans - sliding all the time. It's important."
"Who would have thought it on a Super Special? Jesus Christ, that's the surprise of the century! I've been working on Super Specials with my engineer it worked in Barcelona on Thursday and it worked here."
"Very happy to be honest. It was a good day. Of course we struggled with understeer but we kept a good rhythm, keeping Andreas under pressure, and of course I'm sorry for him. Tomorrow is still long. A lot can happen."
"Dani was very strong but we managed to come back so I'm happy with that. Sunday will be exciting as well."
SS14
"The engine is down on power again. A different problem to the turbo-related one we had earlier."
"I'm surprised to be leading after the previous stage when we drove 7km on a puncture. This one I drove fast but without risk. It's important we get both cars to the finish."
"It's getting close. Everything can happen. It feels like I find a better rhythm here. Smoother, and better for the tyre temperatures."
"Okay. We found a compromise and the car feels better. It's difficult to commit on your first high-speed pass when everyone else is on their second."
"It was a good one, I have to say, but in my mind I remembered my puncture on the first stage so I was careful in the cuts - not too deep."
"Definitely better than this morning but I struggled with my pace notes here. Sometimes too fast, sometimes too slow. I'm not happy with them."
"I didn't push hard enough early on, so I increased my speed and I really enjoyed the faster sections. I'm happy with my pace there."
"On the high speed sections we have a lot of understeer and it's hard to commit. When you lose the front aero you lose the confidence."
"A smooth day. That's been the most important."
"We still have understeer. We tried to drive a little slower to see if that improved the grip but we made a small mistake in the last split. I tried to do my best and I am happy with my driving but okay, I am very disappointed to lose the time."
"That went quite well. The car was working at 95 per cent I'd say. It's a pity. Without the understeer we could be really, really fast."
"It's a nice battle with Dani. I'm happy with the job we have done."
SS13
"I don't know where it happened. I was on the line and got a slow puncture - the same as Germany. It keeps it interesting!"
front left puncture
"We made some changes to the set-up, it's easier to understand the car. Now we have good grip. Nice driving."
"On previous stage I spun in 5th gear up the middle of the road. I thought I'd got away with it until we lost the bumper. Too many silly mistakes this rally, I need to eliminate them."
"The previous stage was quite good. Still trying the new set-up, which wasn't so great here. It should be better on the next one."
"It's impossible to catch him. I am on the limit - too much. It's okay, it's like this. A bit frustrated, but that's life."
"The set-up this afternoon is an improvement. The driving felt better here but perhaps I'm pushing a little too much."
"It's about holding position and keeping concentration. The set-up is better, but we still struggle with the balance of the car. I know I can go faster but I need more confidence at the front."
"A little understeer but not a bad stage."
SS12
right front puncture
transmission problem, today retired
6th gear spin
rolled
SS11
"The soft tyre on the rear was sliding around a bit. A lot of mud on the road too - it wasn't possible to do much against Ogier here."
"An amazing stage, really fast. Difficult to drive on the limit without too much experience. I was too careful in places."
"That's good. This stage was tricky, a lot of cuts, here at the end it was clean and nice Tarmac so I gave it a bit of a push."
"Today has been a nightmare. I've lost driveshafts three times on this rally now - and all in similar circumstances."
"We lost time early in the stage where it was surprisingly wet and dirty. I had to be careful there and did what I could to make up time near the end."
"I keep trying with the new driving technique. The time is not great but it felt better. Now we have to speak to the team and see if we are going in the right direction."
"Understeering a lot. It's down to the balance of the car. It's impossible. I can't do more. Of course I will not give up - I'll fight until the end."
"A lot of muddy cuts in here, especially near the start. We had some understeer. A different character of stage to the others. We should have made changes."
"I lost my concentration after a pace note mistake. It was called wrong I think."
"Struggling with the feeling here under turn-in. A lot of understeer - and sometimes I'm having to use the handbrake."
"It hasn't been such a long loop, so tyre wear is not such an issue and I tried a bit harder here. I was surprised by how slippery it was in the cuts near the beginning. It will be worse for the guys behind. I'm happy but I know I could be a little bit better."
SS10
"Okay, good for us, but in the first pass of these stages I didn't know how slippery it would be. A 1-2 result here is really important for the team."
"Not easy but we have a good rhythm. We can't fight too hard."
"We had to remove both [front] driveshafts so it's not even a fast recce now. At least My MkII Escort experience has helped me a bit."
"I have been feeling a little bit lost recently but now I have the confidence back. In Corsica I was blaming the car but the fault was the driver..."
"The rhythm is good but I don't know what speed to choose for the corners. I'm not sure about the grip. Braking too much I think."
"I was really pushing hard here. And just on the notes, no video. We are making progress, stage-by-stage."
"There is a lot of mud on the road in places but it is still quite manageable."
"We had a puncture in the stage before so we have three hards and a soft compound here. We'll we okay. We'll get this loop done and try again."
"I tried something new here but it hasn't worked."
"The feeling with the car was good but there were some very dirty places - it's better to be first on the road."
"We made some small changes. We're trying to find the grip and the confidence. This one was better. On these roads I wanted to be closer. I know where I can improve."
"Okay, but still some understeer in the tight sections."
"My first time to drive this stage at full speed and my pace notes were a bit too careful at the beginning. In general, not good."
"Okay, still a little bit of dampness. He's going well. I'm not ready to go for full risk yet - I'm not at the limit."
SS9
front-right puncture
SS8
"Yesterday was a big disappointment for us. This morning was difficult too - we had no engine power on the road section. We repaired it, but we had no time to warm the tyres before the stage."
"The rally starts again now. Now I will try but I know Pontus is quick on Tarmac. He will not give up."
"The car feels quite good but I need to find the rhythm. Jan [Kopecky] is really quick on the Tarmac. Let's see what the team want. For sure they want us to finish first and second. Maybe they will want to change us around, I don't know."
"The car is fantastic. I have a very good feeling to drive it. I was very disappointed yesterday - I turned too early in a corner and hit the armco. I can be angry but that doesn't help. What can I do today? Some good times."
"It's nice to drive on tarmac with a #WRC car. It's a bit difficult to go from gravel to tarmac but it's OK."
"Difficult, because I haven't driven the Tarmac spec car since this time last year. Generally a good feeling, but it's difficult to see with the sun so low in the sky."
"My pace notes are not so fast. I have to manage it. I did not take risks. I continue."
"A broken driveshaft. Exactly the same thing as last year. I had a huge spin half way round a four-gear corner. I have only rear-wheel drive now."
"Good. Not as tricky as I thought it would be - the dampness wasn't a problem. Okay, a short test to start the morning. I'm hoping to get some more time back later."
"It felt not so bad. Quite a big step from yesterday. Just trying to get used to it."
"A little bit of understeer. Not perfect, but it's like this. I try to do my best. We need to adjust it a bit now."
"It's strange, in the first braking section we locked up the wheels and there was a strong smell of burning plastic. Maybe it's just new parts bedding in. We'll have to check."
"Not good, I have a lot of wheelspin on the diff and understeer under throttle. It's undriveable. It's terrible."
"A little cautious but a good rhythm, a good start to the day and something to build on."
"No cuts in here, it's like a race circuit. A bit damp and humid in places. Not so easy to get a feeling. The next one should be better."
SS7
Rear-left wheel wobbling. "It happened right in the last hairpin, I slid wide and 'bump'. Hopefully I can get back okay. It's a good battle with Pontus. We are much closer to him this year."
"The surface here is dry and I've never ever felt anything that soft. It was properly cooking up everything. It was a big challenge to get through. We've had a long list of dramas today."
"Okay, this morning wasn't a great start, but that had a lot to do with the conditions. On these gravel stages I've never had a good rhythm and now I feel I have made progress. I can leave this day satisfied with the afternoon. Hey, not every day can be a good one."
"A tricky but enjoyable day. Of course I'm a little disappointed to have started the day with a [transmission] problem but the more I've driven with it the more used to it I have got."
"Really a dream for me. I have to say thanks to the team, they've done a great job on the car. Tomorrow we need to continue, to see what we can do. Okay, two long days still to go, but today - unbelievable!"
"I tried to do my best. Compared to Mikkelsen we didn't lose too much. The spin earlier was very unlucky."
"No problems on this stage but overall it was a very difficult day."
"We ran the car a little too low. And that didn't give me confidence. I was backing off over the rough parts. Then I thought I got two punctures. Finally I lost the brakes at the end. That's a lot to cope with in one stage..."
"This stage was a bit like the second one in the loop. The beginning was still a bit wet. I tried everything. Not much more I could do."
SS6
"Quite okay. Drying up quite quickly and my six soft tyres are working well. Just one stage top go and then over to Tarmac."
Completes with a damaged suspension arm and two broken wheel rims. He's off to make running repairs before Terra Alta.
"The car was unbelievable. It feels really nice to drive, the balance is perfect. Incredible. I really enjoy."
"It's amazing how much the conditions have dried compared to the previous stage. I'm doing what I can."
"All okay but I had no anti-lag at the beginning of the stage. We need to go and have a look."
"It's still tricky and hard to commit to the conditions. We are clearing away a thin layer of mud on the surface which will benefit the drivers behind."
"Much tougher than this morning. It's not dry at all. The ruts are deeper and full of water which I'm clearing out for the cars behind."
SS5
damaged suspension
"It's a lot better when you don't roll. Very tricky. In these conditions you have to be so careful in the ruts."
"Something feels very strange with the car. Something with the transmission. It's pulling in different directions when I accelerate and when I brake."
"Very very tricky and slippery - unbelievable. The time is so good I am very happy. The car is perfect. That was good!"
"It happened in a slow right-hand corner. I was on the inside and I spun. I stalled the engine and it took a long time to get going."
stopped
"Wow, that was tricky. In many places I was just a passenger. It's much more greasy and muddy compared to the first pass. You have the grip and then suddenly you don't. Okay, it was a bit like this earlier but now it's one hundred times worse."
"Terrible conditions. Lots of ruts. Very, very difficult just to stay on the road."
SS4
"It's okay but very tricky. We are lucky to be here with no problems."
"I don't know what happened to Suninen. He was just standing by the side of his car, I think I saw some smoke from his exhaust."
"I thought that the time was not so bad, but it is."
stopped
"The first part on gravel was ok, but on tarmac it was a disaster. The road got worse after every car."
"It's getting very rough and very loose and muddy. Same as the stages before. No traction."
"The car is fine, no drama, but it's impossible to do anything more in these conditions. It's just about survival. The further back you are, the deeper the ruts."
"The noise is not there anymore, so that's a good thing. The grip is still difficult to judge. I went quite well in the slippery stuff but it's difficult to trust the grip in the faster sections."
"The beginning was a bit difficult, a lot of standing water, but on the Tarmac it was fantastic and after that I had better grip. I felt very comfortable."
"It’s very slippery, unbelievable in some places. 2nd pass will be really difficult."
“No throttle response so we’ve got to drive accordingly. Difficult through slow corners.”
"My driving was good but the road condition were a real mix. The rear of the car is kicking me out of the lines from time to time."
"In the last 10km I felt I had a front-left puncture. Other than that an okay stage - and an okay morning."
"That's good because it was difficult. There was a lot of standing water and I think these water splashes make my life difficult."
SS3
"The first time for me in these conditions on gravel. It's hard to know where to push. The grip is really inconsistent. Like ice in places."
"No issues, just me and the conditions."
"A terrible stage. More and more slippery. The heavy rain has filled the ruts and we're aquaplaning everywhere. I came here to learn the stages but I'm not learning much today."
"We are very unlucky with the weather. The thunderstorm hit us on the previous stage and we were caught out here too."
"Very tricky. I slide a lot off the line and lost a lot of time. We need to try and do something to get the feeling."
"We couldn't do anything after the first stage but we've got a decent road section now to have a look at it."
SS2
"I rolled in a fourth-gear corner. I was in the middle of the the corner and the car dug in and turned us over. I thought I'd got away with it but the rain is filling the ruts now and it's hard to drive."
"It's raining a lot and the wipers have no chance to keep up with the water. I have a really bad noise in the car too. It feels like something to do with the handbrake. A proper rattling."
"Everything is okay. The road is very slippery and it's difficult to find the grip - it's very inconsistent. I'm sure that's the same for all of us."
"Everything is okay. We could have been better, and we had a few moments, but overall I feel we are there in the race."
"We've got an engine problem. I've lost the anti-lag and we're down on power and throttle response. It went flat in the second half of the stage. We'll take a look now."
"The stage went okay. I thought I could go faster but the time is good. The rear of the car gave me some oversteer, but it was okay. The lines in the road show somebody was going pretty wide in places."
"I could see from Seb's lines that he's pushing. For me it was a clean stage, but the grip is very inconsistent. One minute you have it, and then it's gone. It's difficult to know where."
"Slippery for sure. Quite a bit of standing water around. I started a bit on the safe side, it's difficilt to find the limit. With more rain falling now for sure the first loop will be difficult. I'm not sure we'll see any dry out here today."
SS1
"Not a nice comeback because the weather conditions are so tricky. I'm looking forward to better weather and better stages tomorrow."
"A good time but it's tough to start the rally in these conditions. The grip was a bit lower that I expected but still I enjoyed it. I knew it would be hard to match the times of the guys who ran earlier."
"It's raining very heavily and getting worse and worse. I aquaplaned near the start but managed to do a clean stage. I couldn't do much more in these conditions."
"The rain seems to be getting harder. Not easy conditions."
"I thought the driving was okay but the time is bad."
"It was very slippery and you can make mistakes everywhere. I tried to be clean."
"Quite okay but I couldn't keep the engine running properly. It was dying in the hairpins and I had to use the clutch a bit."
"The conditions here mean this one was just about getting through. I was very cautious. I know it's possible to lose a rally on a stage like this, so I'm happy to throw away a few seconds here."
"A tricky stage but we have to check something now - the rear diff feels strange."
"Tricky. I had three soft tyres and one hard on - so it was tricky in places..."
"Not so bad but I don't like Super Specials. This was nothing special. The most important thing was not to make a mistake. I drove it almost like a road section at the end - It will be different tomorrow."
"It was worse than I thought actually. Very slippery on the white lines. Tricky. We took it cautiously."