Subaru's number two driver,
Chris Atkinson has set his sights on finishing 'a little higher' than seventh on the Rally d'Italia Sardegna.
Atkinson had to get use to a new co-driver in Argentina two weeks ago, but is now raring to go in Sardinia, his second event with Stephane Prevot. Furthermore while the Aussie was reluctant to set any specific targets, he did say he hopes to get more than two points this time out.
“Although Rally Argentina was quite tough, we finished in the points in seventh position,” he reflected. “Now though we need to aim to finish a little higher up the order in Sardinia.
“It's difficult to make an exact prediction until after I've tested the Impreza on the Sardinian roads, but I'm hoping we can make some progress during the test and gather some significant data to allow us to challenge competitively. As far as the special stages are concerned, this is a rally I always enjoy, and I went well there last year.”
Subaru World Rally Team operations director, Paul Howarth meanwhile has warned that the event is not an easy one. However, he believes the fact the route has been quite heavily revamped for this year, as it always is, could be advantageous to Atkinson.
“Sardinia is always a tough rally, especially because of the way the road condition deteriorates when the drivers tackle them for the second time. The opening leg of the rally on Friday is made up of three long stages and will be particularly tough on the tyres, especially when the drivers go back along those roads in the afternoon. The tests are all very demanding on the car and this rally is all about reliability and consistency,” he explained.
“About one quarter of the roads will be new for this year, which is good for Chris, because the more experienced drivers will not be able to rely on familiarity of the stages."
