N
NateDogg
Guest
How The Rally Was Won
Turkey · Citroen · Carlos Sainz · 02/03/2003 17:35:09
For once, King Carlos had suffered enough of experience. "Every time I win a rally," he declared, "people say I have done it so many times that I have a big advantage.
"Then when I win a new rally, which nobody has done before, they say 'but yes, you have so much experience that it still gives you an advantage.'
"So I can't win - it's best not to say anything any more! Let's just say that the key to winning any rally is simply being fast. No more than that."
It was a heartfelt little speech, delivered with the resigned bemusement of a man who is truly sick of the subject.
An alarming thought though: it's not just inebriated British holiday reps who sing "Y Viva Espana". Spanish journalists (at least we hope they weren't singers) were attempting it in the press room. So expect a full-on rendition of "Roamin' in the gloamin'" next time Colin McRae wins anything…
That could be New Zealand, of course, because Colin (prophetically) said three days ago that it would hardly be a tragedy if he came away from Turkey no longer in the lead of the championship. The key to this is road position, as now Richard Burns has the pleasure of being the first man to sweep away the gravel in New Zealand.
That's right; for the first time since 2000, Richard is in the lead of the championship at this early stage. Who would have thought it?
Richard himself soon realised that the key to doing well on this event (thus boosting his championship chances) was simply to stay out of trouble. It's not the most fascinating tactic, but by some way the most effective. In any case, even being careful is fraught with some element of risk. Try explaining that to the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents.
"You can try and be careful and drive around every stone," said Richard, "but then you can come over a crest and find a rock in the middle of the road and there's nothing you can do about it. All over. So in some cases, you may as well drive flat out."
The line between luck and judgement clearly becomes blurred in those cases. Hell, we may as well have a Demolition Derby instead. But although publicly most drivers praised Turkey up to the hilt (especially Mr Sainz!), privately there was some degree of bafflement as to why Turkey and Acropolis and Cyprus were all on the calendar this year. Three rocky rallies, all in a similar geographical area - so what gives?
Rumours suggest that Cyprus might be out next year to make way for Mexico; implying that Turkey could stay on for a while longer. Toni Gardemeister, for one, would be pretty happy.
"I actually much prefer Turkey to Cyprus," he said, with an endearing lack of political correctness. "Turkey is quite a lot quicker, with roads and corners that are a lot more open. It's very rocky, but there's actually quite a hard surface underneath. So although we were expecting many of the second runs through the stages to be terrible, quite often they were better, because the rocks had gone and there was just a smoother surface to drive on."
If you look at the times on the re-used stages compared to the first time they were run, you will see that Toni is absolutely right. This confers a unique status on the Rally of Turkey: the only event where the stages actually improve when they are run for the second time.
Another great advantage that Turkey has at the moment is the weather. True, a landslide would have been more than a minor inconvenience. But at least there's not the furnace-like heat that causes people to faint on the job in Cyprus. So to speak.
One driver who will always regard Turkey with the same affection as Christmas (sorry) is Francois Duval. Sure, it's his first ever podium finish, but at 22 he also becomes possibly the youngest man ever to sit on the podium of a World Championship Rally. The only other two contenders are Henri Toivonen and Markku Alen - who became the quickest drivers the sport has ever known.
================
So pretty much to sum it up, experience in a fast car = win. This shakes things up, until the next rally.
Turkey · Citroen · Carlos Sainz · 02/03/2003 17:35:09
For once, King Carlos had suffered enough of experience. "Every time I win a rally," he declared, "people say I have done it so many times that I have a big advantage.
"Then when I win a new rally, which nobody has done before, they say 'but yes, you have so much experience that it still gives you an advantage.'
"So I can't win - it's best not to say anything any more! Let's just say that the key to winning any rally is simply being fast. No more than that."
It was a heartfelt little speech, delivered with the resigned bemusement of a man who is truly sick of the subject.
An alarming thought though: it's not just inebriated British holiday reps who sing "Y Viva Espana". Spanish journalists (at least we hope they weren't singers) were attempting it in the press room. So expect a full-on rendition of "Roamin' in the gloamin'" next time Colin McRae wins anything…
That could be New Zealand, of course, because Colin (prophetically) said three days ago that it would hardly be a tragedy if he came away from Turkey no longer in the lead of the championship. The key to this is road position, as now Richard Burns has the pleasure of being the first man to sweep away the gravel in New Zealand.
That's right; for the first time since 2000, Richard is in the lead of the championship at this early stage. Who would have thought it?
Richard himself soon realised that the key to doing well on this event (thus boosting his championship chances) was simply to stay out of trouble. It's not the most fascinating tactic, but by some way the most effective. In any case, even being careful is fraught with some element of risk. Try explaining that to the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents.
"You can try and be careful and drive around every stone," said Richard, "but then you can come over a crest and find a rock in the middle of the road and there's nothing you can do about it. All over. So in some cases, you may as well drive flat out."
The line between luck and judgement clearly becomes blurred in those cases. Hell, we may as well have a Demolition Derby instead. But although publicly most drivers praised Turkey up to the hilt (especially Mr Sainz!), privately there was some degree of bafflement as to why Turkey and Acropolis and Cyprus were all on the calendar this year. Three rocky rallies, all in a similar geographical area - so what gives?
Rumours suggest that Cyprus might be out next year to make way for Mexico; implying that Turkey could stay on for a while longer. Toni Gardemeister, for one, would be pretty happy.
"I actually much prefer Turkey to Cyprus," he said, with an endearing lack of political correctness. "Turkey is quite a lot quicker, with roads and corners that are a lot more open. It's very rocky, but there's actually quite a hard surface underneath. So although we were expecting many of the second runs through the stages to be terrible, quite often they were better, because the rocks had gone and there was just a smoother surface to drive on."
If you look at the times on the re-used stages compared to the first time they were run, you will see that Toni is absolutely right. This confers a unique status on the Rally of Turkey: the only event where the stages actually improve when they are run for the second time.
Another great advantage that Turkey has at the moment is the weather. True, a landslide would have been more than a minor inconvenience. But at least there's not the furnace-like heat that causes people to faint on the job in Cyprus. So to speak.
One driver who will always regard Turkey with the same affection as Christmas (sorry) is Francois Duval. Sure, it's his first ever podium finish, but at 22 he also becomes possibly the youngest man ever to sit on the podium of a World Championship Rally. The only other two contenders are Henri Toivonen and Markku Alen - who became the quickest drivers the sport has ever known.
================
So pretty much to sum it up, experience in a fast car = win. This shakes things up, until the next rally.