The Abu Dhabi Total WRT is facing his penultimate rally of the season. The team, run by PH-Sport and welcomes you to the official drivers of Citroën Racing in this year of transition for the brand is more than prepared to compete in the Rally RACC Catalunya. Kris Meeke, Craig Breen and Khalid Al-Qassimi will be in charge of piloting the three Citroën DS3 WRC that will be present in the only quote mixed calendar of the WRC. No pressure and focused already in 2017, Meeke can return to surprise, while Breen and Al-Qassimi will try to be in the area of points.
Kris Meeke has contested the Rally of Catalunya on numerous occasions, although their background under the current format is much more limited. Despite this, the british pilot has two-fifths positions as best results in the Spanish appointment: “My goal will be the same that I had in Corsica, to try to find a good rhythm, improve and prepare for 2017. Everything has gone pretty well so far this season, because we have been competitive in all the rallies. Would be satisfied if we get a good result, but the stage Friday will be hard to handle“.
In this line, Meeke explained in the days leading up to the
acknowledgements: “Even if you say otherwise, my position of the output
Friday is far from being the best. By the morning the dust in suspension tends
to float in the air and the first cars will have about ten miles of
asphalt in the retrieve time in ‘Terra Alta’. After that, the driving
in the stretches of asphalt is very similar to that of driving on a circuit, with
smooth roads and wide, just the opposite to what we had in Corsica. This
rally offers a unique challenge to the year and I’m happy disputarlo“.
For his part, Craig Breen has only played the Rally RACC in
two occasions and in none of them has finished go well. Therefore,
to compete with the Citroën DS3 WRC in this test as demanding it will be a challenge
to the young pilot of Citroën: “It’s great to start to prepare for a
rally barely a week after ending the Tour of Corse and more when
Citroën confirms as a pilot for 2017 and 2018. The Rally of Spain is a
event with mixed surface and in which the stages are very different to any other”.
With his limited experience on a World Rally Car, the
appointment in Salou represents a perfect learning scenario for Craig Breen:
“Is an event that will help me improve on our World Rally Car. In this
stage of the season I feel confident both on the dirt fast as
on asphalt, so you should be able to use all the knowledge that
I’ve been acquiring to be able to change the chip from one surface to the other.
TI am really looking forward to competing in Spain because there is usually a large amount
amateur irish for encouraging me”.
finally, Khalid Al-Qassimi is facing a adaptation yet
more exaggerated, as the pilot Arabic comes to contest the Morocco Rally,
test that has faced the dunes of the african desert with his new
Peugeot 2008 DRK: “The session test
prior has been very important to me, because I have to focus again after
contest the Rally of Morocco, a completely different proof in terms of
car and notes. The stages of the Rally of Spain are all a unique challenge in the
season and I’m delighted to be back racing here. there is Always an environment
special for the fans“.
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