Khalid Al Qassimi and Michael Orr will drive the team’s third Focus RS WRC on the Abu Dhabi driver’s third Spanish start. “The asphalt surface is going to present new challenges and I will need to concentrate on a different set of skills to the last few rallies. The stages will be fast and more streamlined, but I’ll push with everything I have to try to finish in the points,” said Al Qassimi.
Team News
* Tyre partner Pirelli will provide two tyre specifications for the BP Ford Abu Dhabi drivers. The standard PZero asphalt tyre will be available primarily in hard compound, but with a limited amount of soft compound rubber for use in cold or wet weather. Teams are not allowed to hand-carve additional cuts into the rubber in the event of rain or mud and each car can carry two spares.
* Four other Focus RS WRCs will start. Henning Solberg / Cato Menkerud and Matthew Wilson / Scott Martin are nominated by the Stobart VK M-Sport squad while Federico Villagra / Jorge Perez Companc and Paul Bird / Ian Windress will drive for the Munchi’s Ford team. The rally is also the penultimate round of the Fiesta SportTrophy International series and marks the WRC debut of the new Fiesta R2 rally car. Five Fiesta R2s and four Fiesta ST cars have been entered by championship contenders, with a total of 11 Fiestas entered in the rally.
* Ford motorsport chief Gerard Quinn, team director Malcolm Wilson and Hirvonen all attended the opening media day at Frankfurt Show last week. A Focus RS WRC was on display at Ford’s large stand and Hirvonen tested his skills through a special stage on a new rally simulator.
Rally Route
The route is identical to 2008, with the service park based at Salou’s PortAventura theme park, an hour’s drive from Barcelona, and the stages spanning the Tarragona region. Following Thursday evening’s start ceremony on the seafront, each day comprises two passes over an identical loop of three stages. Friday’s opening leg is the longest of the rally with 131.76km of competition, much of it north-east of Salou. Saturday’s second day to the north-west includes the monster 38.27km El Priorat - La Ribera d’Ebre test, which opens each loop and is the longest of the event. The final leg journeys west of Salou but stays close to the town, before the finish there at 15.07. The 18 stages cover 353.62km in a route of 1299.13km.
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