Subaru prepare for Safari.

The Subaru World Rally Team completed a gruelling 2500km test in the Lake Baringo area of Kenya this week in preparation for July's Safari Rally and the forthcoming three rough-gravel events.

Richard Burns and Petter Solberg each drove the team's Subaru Impreza WRC2001 test car for three days, in some of the most punishing conditions found in the World Rally Championship.

Work concentrated on evaluating car and suspension durability, the latest Pirelli tyre compounds and high altitude engine mappings.

The test started in dry weather on March 28th, when Petter Solberg drove for a total of 630kms, experimenting with different engine settings on tarmac roads.

Petter continued with another 400kms on the second day, and again on the third, by which time the weather had changed to heavy rain. Richard took over driving duties on March 31st and spent three days pushing the car to the limit on three different stages in changeable weather conditions.

"The Safari presents teams with a unique technical challenge, and this test has helped us ensure our new car is up to the job," said Team Principal David Lapworth. "Richard pushed the car especially hard on the final day and completed four runs of a 100km test stage at far greater speeds than would be normal on the event."