For the current World Champion Rally Argentina — as if enchanted. The Frenchman can not win here. That's the curse of the Argentine could not overcome him this year...
Hayden Peddon no one considered as the favorite of the Argentine stage of the World Rally Championship — neither rivals nor the team. In Argentina, a New Zealander went to the rank of third driver of the Korean team, but in the main part been declared Thierry Neuville and Dani Sordo.
However, the favorable starting position is multiplied by excellent driving young riders and seasoned reliability of its technology has made it one of the major players of the last stage of the WRC.
Who just did not see the pre-season as a potential rival Sébastien Ogier invincible. Most often heard the names of Jari-Matti Latvala and Andreas Mikkelsen, Chris Mick, Thierry Neuville and Mads Ostberg. But Hayden Peddon could bet only himself, but his parents — even Hyundai does not become tense, and cook him a new i20 WRC to the first stage of the season. He got new clothes only for Rally Sweden. And then — to you, the first victory of the new car has brought the third pilot of the Korean team.
Who knows, would be able to open an account Hayden wins, if not converging Jari-Matti Latvala in the second day of the rally. Finn made a «roof» in a few turns after he broke the front right suspension strut. At the time of departure Finnish Volkswagen Motorsport driver was leading with a margin of 15 seconds Paddon.
For what reasons it has broken shock absorber is still unknown. Latvala took off in the second turn «eski», and the first ever on something struck or broken shock absorber itself. The main thing — the Finn once again failed. Of the four starts this season Jari-Matti but once finished «glasses» — he won in Mexico. Finn lag from the leader of the season — his own team-mate Sebastien Ogier — now stands at 69 points. This is not a disaster, but it is a serious cause for concern.
But the winner of Rally Argentina Hayden Peddon doing that it is necessary — the New Zealander came in second place in the individual competition and lagging behind Ogier by 39 points. If Hyundai Motorsport rider can continue to act as great style and with an equally impressive pace, he is quite capable even compete for the title — no more, no less!
But what went Rally Argentina for the other participants? Victory on the special stages scored seven riders. Besides those already mentioned Peddon, Latvala and Ogier is the remaining two riders Hyundai Motorsport Dani Sordo, Thierry Neuville, the third Volkswagen Motorsport driver Andreas Mikkelsen, and a single representative of the Ford brand Ott Tyanak.
This is an important point — if Hyundai and Volkswagen somehow showed its speed all three riders, the best of Ford became the Estonian «private owner», who spoke on the rubber DMACK. Factory M-Sport crew did everything they could, but his own Ford Fiesta RS WRC — openly disgraced.
If you add up all the breakage of the Ford, you get such a bleak picture — failure of the generator, twice the failed power steering, gear shifting problems and broken «lunch-control.»
Hence the sad result — the main «cullers» brand Mads Ostberg and Eric Camilli finished better than other pilots Ford. But it is a Pyrrhic victory — Norway's fifth five minutes behind Peddon and French eighth ten minutes from the New Zealander. After half a minute, Eric is still in the race finished Henning Solberg. And Lorenzo Bertelli was the thirteenth — the Italian lost even two leaders standings WRC 2.
The remaining two brands — Citroen and Mini — were presented in Argentina «privates»: after the French team defended Marcos Ligato and Jose Alberto Nicholas, and the British car brand appeared Ukrainian Valeriy Gorban.
And Ligato, and Nicholas made their debut at the wheel of WRC car. But if the current Argentine champion was able to quickly get used to the car and finished the race on a high for a debut in seventh place, his 74-year-old comrade-in-arms did not try heroics and got to the finish line in 19th place out of 23 finishers participants. But certainly I enjoyed!
The Ukrainian rider was forced to lay down their arms on the service as early as the first day. The service park discovered a crack in the engine after the first section of the mechanics — a possible reason for this team called «impact protection against a stone.»
The fight in the junior standings WRC 2 was even more acute than in the «major league». The first leader was Elfin Evans, but on the stretch after the second SU Welshman came off due to problems with the electrician and the first place went Nicolas Fuchs. But he stayed at the head of the peloton, only one special stage — breaking the power steering threw Peruvian to fourth place, and the race was headed by Abdulaziz Al-Kuwari.
Qatari stayed in the lead longer than the others. But SU13 his Skoda overturned. Moreover, before returning to the track Abdulaziz had to change the right rear wheel. The result — the loss of ten minutes and two positions in the championship race.
And who inherited the first place? Nicolas Fuchs! He gradually won back the lost positions and won a deserved victory.
But victory is not strong Peruvian influence the position in the individual competition of the world championship WRC 2 — leadership still holds Elfin Evans, Hubert Ptashek — second and Fuchs is third.
The next stage of the World Rally Championship kicks off in Portugal on 19 May.
Photo: WRC
