As in Germany, tyre choice is absolutely critical. However, rather than the very unpredictable weather of Trier, here the choice is largely dictated by road position and calculating how much the surface has been cleaned by the cars ahead.
With lots of loose gravel still on the line, an open tyre (with more cuts) is needed for extra traction, whereas once the road is cleaner fewer cuts can be used. Fewer cuts mean there is more rubber in contact with the road, improving general stability and grip through the many fast and flowing corners.
FIA World Rally Championship news:
Marcus Gronholm remained in the lead in the 2007 FIA World Rally drivers' championship following the Rallye Deutschland two weeks ago.
His error there though on the final stage, which dropped him from second overall to fourth, has allowed
Sebastien Loeb, who took the maximum points in Germany after winning, to cut the gap from 13 points to 8.
Mikko Hirvonen remains behind Seb in the drivers’ standings, although he is now 9 points adrift, while
Petter Solberg moved up to fourth, ahead of his brother, Henning and Dani Sordo, who are both tied in fifth, having scored 28 points.
In the Manufacturers' championship there was no change at the top - although the
BP Ford WRT did increase its lead again over
Citroen, albeit by just 1 point, from 40 points to 41.
Since the event in Germany, the BP Ford World Rally Team has announced that it will enter a Focus RS WRC car on the Cork '20' International Rally, the final round of the Irish Tarmac Rally Championship at the end of September, as part of their preparation for the inaugural Rally Ireland.
A brief statement to the media explained: “The entry is to provide the team with more experience of Irish roads in preparation for the WRC's maiden visit to Rally Ireland in November. No driver has yet been nominated for the Cork event.”
