With mud and slippery conditions to contend with after yesterday’s storms, today’s shakedown session proved to be a real workout for the 2014 Vodafone Rally de Portugal drivers. While the rain has been thankfully absent, the conditions left as a result have been less than favourable – a huge departure from the normally dry and dusty stages.
Despite the uncharacteristic conditions for Portugal, Volkswagen Motorsport’s Jari-Matti Latvala set the fastest time using just two of his available four runs, completing the session in 3:05.2.
Henning Solberg recorded the second fastest time through shakedown in his Ford Fiesta RS WRC, though unlike Jari-Matti, Henning was the only driver of the day who opted to use all four runs through the shakedown stage. It was tactic that worked, reducing his time from 3:15.7 to an impressive 3:06.
Third fastest was secured again by a Volkswagen Motorsport car thanks to previous Rally de Portugal winner, Sebastien Ogier. Much like his teammate, Ogier completed only to runs with a fastest time of 3:07.
Dani Sordo secured a close fourth in his Hyundai i20 WRC after completing two runs and securing a time of 3:07.8 despite the tricky conditions caused by yesterday’s heavy rain.
Today (Wednesday 2 April) saw a long one for the crews preparing for the 2014 Vodafone Rally de Portugal. Not only did they complete the recce, including the stages that many missed on Tuesday due to the weather, they also undertook the pre-event shakedown, FIA press conference and several media functions before dinner and bed.
Many crews were out at 06.30 ready to recce three planned stages and complete the two that they were unable to yesterday due to flash flooding. They were forced to wait at the stage starts for some 20 minutes until it was light enough to be able to make useful pace notes before they tackled up to ten individual passes over the roads.
Once the recce was complete, the WRTC1, 2 and 3 drivers undertook the event shakedown, with a minimum of two and a maximum of four runs over the Vale de Judea stage close to the Algarve Stadium. Fastest was VW’s Jari-Matti Latvala, with returnee Henning Solberg competing four runs to go second-fastest.
While the shakedown was taking place, the Drive DMACK Fiesta Trophy crews were testing close to the Faro base, getting their first taste of their Ford Fiesta R2s while the Junior World Rally Championship drivers were also in action on the shakedown stage.
Once this was complete, representatives from the WRC, WRC2 and JWRC attended the pre-event press conference in front of the attending media before both the JWRC and DDFT were officially launched in the event service park.