Stobart VK M-Sport Ford rally team Preview quotes

Gigi Galli: "I’m really happy to go back to Argentina. I have very good memories of the rally, not only because it’s where we got our first podium but also because of the fans; there are so many and you can feel their warmth. This is going to be the second race on gravel but is going to be different from Mexico.

There, the stages were fast with a hard surface, while Argentina’s special stages are twisty with a soft and dirtier surface. It is going to be cooler than in Mexico and the tyres will take a little bit longer to get to the right temperature.

Furthermore Argentina is famous for water splashes and this also will cool down tyres, so we have to consider this factor too. It’s been a pity we couldn’t finish Rally Mexico, it would have been helpful to get to know better the Ford Focus’s behaviour on gravel.

Anyway we are ready for this new challenge and we hope to find again the good performances of the first two races. I’m also looking forward to the famous Argentine steaks, I love them!"

Henning Solberg: "I have only done this event twice before but both times I have finished in the points so it is an event I will try to do very well on. We had a good result in Mexico even though we had some problems so hopefully we can continue our form into Rally Argentina which is a similar surface. We changed a few things around with the car in Mexico and it feels good on gravel so my plan will be to go flat out and see what we can do.

This can be a tough rally especially if it rains like last year because the surface can be very slippery. I am starting with a good road position on Friday and if it stays dry this will help a lot. I will try my best here and see if I can get some more drivers’ points."

Matthew Wilson: "Hopefully this year we will have a bit more luck in Argentina and a cleaner run after a fairly eventful rally last season. Not doing all the stages last year might put us at a slight advantage because I don’t have the knowledge like on other events. 2006, however, was a great year and is where I scored my first drivers’ point and WRC stage win.

It’s going to be a nice change to run in a warmer part of the year but like last year the weather is just so unpredictable you have to expect everything. I have always liked coming to Argentina and I’m looking forward to the rally next week and hopefully we’ll be able to score some more good points following on from Mexico."

Malcolm Wilson, team principal: "All three drivers in the Stobart team have strong links with this event and all have a fantastic opportunity to even better their previous best. The event is running warmer this year and will be more demanding on crews especially with high altitude stages like Mexico.

Henning returns to score manufacturer points in Argentina which will strengthen the team and Gigi has shown in the past what he can do here and his pace in Mexico was very promising before his retirement. Matthew has shown a good improvement this year and hopefully he will continue on with his form from Mexico and have another points finish here."

More information on www.wrc.com  

-by wrc- photos Ford