"I don’t think there will be any problem with the Pirelli tyre in Jordan because on this event we will reach the proper tyre temperature faster with the hot conditions. Punctures could be an issue with any slight off road excursions because I have heard there will be lots of stones on the side of the roads.
"My plan for this event is to finish inside the top-eight and score my first drivers' point this year. Also hopefully the Munchi’s team can stay head of
Suzuki in the manufacturers’ after a good start so far."
To date the Munchi's Ford WRT team has scored 10 points, while Suzuki has 6 - 4 less.
Suzuki WRT:
[
Toni Gardemeister, car #11 and Per-Gunnar Andersson, car #12]
Suzuki enhances performance and reliability.
Suzuki team boss Nobuhiro Tajima has admitted that while there is still a long way to go for his team, he is still hopeful they can get points this weekend in Jordan.
The Paris-based squad has managed to score driver or manufacturer points on three out of the four rallies held so far this year and while the reliability of the new SX4 WRC car has been somewhat undesirable, the team maintains it is making 'regular and steady improvements'.
Indeed for the latest round in the World Rally Championship, in order to cope with the specific demands of the event, there are 'a number of evolutions' to the SX4 WRC designed to 'enhance the performance and reliability'.
"The path to success is rarely a smooth one," said Tajima. "It is precisely because the World Rally Championship is so difficult that it holds so much attraction for us. Every time we compete we have to overcome new and bigger challenges, and the Jordan Rally is the latest in a long line of them.
"With such high temperatures and a wide variety of surfaces, this new event is sure to place a huge strain on the cars and drivers. It is also an event where we have no real idea of what to expect, but like the drivers I am hopeful that we can use this situation to our advantage.
"Of course, there is still a lot to learn and a long way for us to go, so our realistic objectives need to be modest.
"Nonetheless, I would like to fix the objective of continuing our rate of improvement and scoring points with both cars if possible. If we can achieve that after such a tough rally, then I will be very happy!"
Toni Gardemeister concurs that the fact Jordan is a step into the unknown could be good for them.
Indeed he is hoping to turn this situation into a positive and while a small number of drivers did do the recce for the round before it joined the WRC, none of the 'main' drivers have any real experience of it.
