Citroen privateer
Conrad Rautenbach has said that he is starting to know how to use the C4 WRC properly now and that he could be right up there on the Acropolis next weekend.
Rautenbach had a tough event in Sardinia recently and was dogged by handbrake problems on days one and two. With that issue fixed on the final day though, he was much more competitive and the Zimbabwean reckons that if he can have three days like that in Greece, he could do very well on the seventh round in the World Rally Championship.
Conrad has done the Greek event three times to date and while he missed the event last year, he likes it a lot, even if it is known as a car killer.
"The Acropolis Rally is all about heat, dust and tough stages. Coming from Africa, that's right up my street. I've always enjoyed the Acropolis – it's a real challenge," said the 23-year-old in his pre-event column.
"It's not quite the same as it once was, the roads are a bit quicker and wider now, but it can still throw up the unexpected – usually in the shape of an enormous rock right in the middle of the road.
"Aside from the roads being a bit wider and faster than in Sardinia, the other difference will be on the tyres. The tyres are going to have to work quite a bit harder in Greece.
"The difference from Sardinia is the surface was softer in Italy. This meant the tyre was generally spinning on top of the surface, or digging the surface out rather than getting down and biting into the road. In Greece, the tyres will bite down to a very hard base, so we will have much better grip - but at the same time this means there will be a lot more tyre wear than on the last round.
