Posted on Jan 19, 2012
PROTON enjoyed an inspiring start to its 2012 FIA Super World Rally Championship (S-WRC) campaign by rallying into the top 10 at the end of the first four special stages at the Monte Carlo Rally.
Driver Per Gunnar Andersson paced the Satria Neo S2000
sensibly to finish the drama-riddled Day One of the Rally
which saw several of the World Rally Championship
frontrunners retiring or suffering major setbacks.
Citroen's Sebastien Loeb inherited the lead at the Monte
Carlo Rally after pace setter Jari-Matti Latvala rolled his
Ford into retirement. Loeb holds more than a minute's lead
over Spaniard Dani Sordo who damaged the suspension of his
Mini, followed by Petter Solberg in the Ford in third while
Sebastien Ogier in the S2000 Skoda is fourth.
PROTON too was caught up in the day's drama when Italian
driver Giandomenico Basso's charge into a sixth gear corner
at the opening special stage was blinded by the sun sending
him crashing into a wall and forced into an early
retirement.
Andersson will start the second leg of the Monte Carlo
Rally with a four-minute advantage over S-WRC rival Craig
Breen in the Ford Fiesta.
"The car was fantastic throughout the day, definitely
stronger and a lot quicker than the package we had last
season, but the goal will be to drive sensibly to make sure
that we finish in Monte Carlo," said a delighted
Andersson.
"In Monte Carlo it is crucial for the tyres to have a
better grip in the icy weather and wet conditions. This
means we have to be a bit more cautious on the throttle and
acceleration not to mention that braking can also be very
tricky. What is most important is you have to feel good and
safe about the car you're driving, and I must say that the
Satria Neo S2000 has provided me precisely with that degree
of confidence."
Meanwhile, Datuk Abdul Razak Dawood, the Head of PROTON
Motorsports, said to have the Satria Neo S2000 finishing in
the company of the top three WRC contenders the likes of
Citroen, Ford and Mini, was a tremendous boost for the team
and Malaysian car manufacturer.
"We have four more days of rallying in Monte Carlo, but the
results of the first four special stages have nevertheless
made it an impactful debut for PROTON on the S-WRC circuit
and above all, a strong indication that we are progressing
in the right direction in terms of development of the
Satria Neo S2000."
Positions after SS4:
Pos Driver Team/Car Time/Gap
1. Sebastien Loeb Citroen 1h30m30.1s
2. Dani Sordo Mini + 1m04.2s
3. Petter Solberg Ford + 1m05.2s
4. Sebastien Ogier VW Skoda + 2m21.1s
5. Evgeny Novikov M-Sport Ford + 2m26.5s
6. Mikko Hirvonen Citroen + 2m30.0s
7. Francois Delecour M-Sport Ford + 2m49.9s
8. Pierre Campana Mini + 4m09.7s
9. Ott Tanak M-Sport Ford + 4m14.0s
10. P-G Andersson PROTON + 4m33.8s
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