Hi, Guest
11-05-2005, 12:49 AM
FROM WRC.COM (11-04-2005)
Ford team boss Malcolm Wilson has said he's looking forward to the debut of the outfit's new, 2006-spec Focus WRC on next weekend's Telstra Rally Australia (Nov 11-13, 2005). The team has been working for the last 11 months to design and build the totally revamped car, which is based on the new-look road-going Focus.
Although the new car has undergone almost 1000 kilometres of testing in recent weeks, Wilson has stressed that next weekend's Australian debut for the car is just another step in its development and that no expectations should be made on results.
"Everyone involved in the programme has worked long hours to ensure the new Focus RS WRC is ready in time for Rally Australia," said Wilson. "We're delighted with the way the car has performed in initial testing and we're ready to move onto the next level of the development strategy. It's under the pressures of a rally that we will learn most. We're not going to Australia to win. We're going there to test, to learn more about the car and to analyse the data and feedback for next year."
Regular works drivers Toni Gardemeister and Roman Kresta will both be driving the new Focus, which has been designed to next year's low-tech rules with passive differentials, in Australia. Neither has driven the car properly on gravel stages.
"It's exciting to think about driving the new car for the first time," Gardemeister said. "It looks fantastic and I'm impressed with it. Shakedown will be the first time I get the opportunity to drive it. It will be difficult because I don't know how it will behave, but that's the kind of information the team wants to learn."
The new car will be officially launched to the public at the Bologna Motor Show on December 1. It is thought likely that a decision on the second works driver could be made at the same time.
Ford team boss Malcolm Wilson has said he's looking forward to the debut of the outfit's new, 2006-spec Focus WRC on next weekend's Telstra Rally Australia (Nov 11-13, 2005). The team has been working for the last 11 months to design and build the totally revamped car, which is based on the new-look road-going Focus.
Although the new car has undergone almost 1000 kilometres of testing in recent weeks, Wilson has stressed that next weekend's Australian debut for the car is just another step in its development and that no expectations should be made on results.
"Everyone involved in the programme has worked long hours to ensure the new Focus RS WRC is ready in time for Rally Australia," said Wilson. "We're delighted with the way the car has performed in initial testing and we're ready to move onto the next level of the development strategy. It's under the pressures of a rally that we will learn most. We're not going to Australia to win. We're going there to test, to learn more about the car and to analyse the data and feedback for next year."
Regular works drivers Toni Gardemeister and Roman Kresta will both be driving the new Focus, which has been designed to next year's low-tech rules with passive differentials, in Australia. Neither has driven the car properly on gravel stages.
"It's exciting to think about driving the new car for the first time," Gardemeister said. "It looks fantastic and I'm impressed with it. Shakedown will be the first time I get the opportunity to drive it. It will be difficult because I don't know how it will behave, but that's the kind of information the team wants to learn."
The new car will be officially launched to the public at the Bologna Motor Show on December 1. It is thought likely that a decision on the second works driver could be made at the same time.
