Hirvonen’s three starts have yielded a best result of fourth in 2004 and the 26-year-old Finn is a big fan of the rally. “It’s not as technical as the last round in Portugal but there’s a greater variety of roads - wide sections, narrow tracks, sandy surfaces, rocky area, big jumps, water crossings. It’s not difficult to manage the changing nature of the stages but it does require some thought, ” he said.
“There’s a tremendous atmosphere on the stages. You can sense the huge crowds and the side of the roads are lined with people. On the final day fans are perched high on the rocks that overlook the track. It’s an amazing landscape and it’s remarkable how they managed to make a road up there.
“My test this week went well and we found some small improvements that made the car more precise to drive. I’m third in the championship and still quite close to Seb and Marcus. I want to stay as close to them in the battle at the top for as long as possible, ” he added.
Team News
* BP-Ford will use BFGoodrich’s g-Force gravel tyre for the low-wear loose surface roads. The pattern is relatively compact to ensure a maximum amount of rubber is in contact with the ground for the best possible grip and traction. The grooves can be hand cut to open them if there is a lot of loose gravel on the road surface or if the tracks become muddy. The tyres will be available in soft and medium compound rubber.
* Both Grönholm and Hirvonen took part in a successful five-day gravel test in Sardinia which finished on Monday. Grönholm drove for the first three days with Hirvonen in the seat for the final two days. The test was partly to confirm set-up specification for Argentina and next month’s Rally d’Italia Sardegna and partly to continue testing new parts for the 2007-specification Focus RS WRC, due to make its debut in Finland in August.
Rally Route
The rally follows a similar format to 2006, visiting the three valleys of Cordoba province, each offering stages of differing character and landscape. However, the base has moved back to Carlos Paz from Cordoba city. The big change is a Thursday evening super special stage at Buenos Aires’ atmospheric River Plate soccer stadium before cars make a free transit 700km overnight journey back to Carlos Paz. The first full day visits the Punilla Valley, north of the town, before ending with another super special inside Cordoba’s soccer stadium.
| 
|