Petter Solberg claims his pace on the second day of the Rally Japan is proof that there is plenty to come from Subaru Impreza WRC2007, if not the reliability to make that speed count.
Solberg re-entered the event under the SupeRally system when his hopes of scoring a win on the manufacturers' home ground were ruined by gear selection problems on leg one, but with a new gearbox fitted, the Norwegian promptly proved the driver to beat over the course of day two.
While he endured tricky conditions on the treacherous first loop of stages courtesy of being the first driver on the road, the cleaner second loop saw Solberg stretch his legs and score four straight fastest stage times.
Indeed, Solberg claims small changes to the car throughout the day were able to extract the most from the machine, something that he claims is important to persuade fans the team's current dismal form is at least not down to a lack of pace.
"The four stage wins today are very important for us and
Subaru, proving that we can set fastest times. Unfortunately yesterday's problems dropped us out of any points-scoring position, but I am happier with the pace we have now.
“This morning I wasn't so comfortable with the car but after making a few changes it is clearly working better. It is important for the fans that we are still pushing hard. Even though we do not have a proper result this weekend, we are not giving up, that's for sure.”
