Abu Dhabi: Citroen Team Abu Dhabi is all geared up to mount a challenge at the Rally Argentina from May 8 to 11.

“Rally Argentina is one of the most sophisticated events in the FIA World Rally Championship [WRC] because of its diverse terrains and conditions. That said, I have the utmost confidence in out team and the technical crew,” Shaikh Khalid Bin Faisal Al Qasimi said. “Unfortunately, I cannot participate in this rally due to prior business commitments here in UAE, but I will be in regular contact with the team and follow the results closely. I wish them all the best for a safe and successful rally.”

Marek Nawarecki, who will assume the role of Deputy Team Principal in the absence of Yves Matton, who is set to be busy with the WTCC, said: “Rally Argentina is one of the highlights of our season. The weather and road conditions can really vary. It’s a great event and one which is especially interesting for the team.”

To adapt to the constantly-varying conditions, the Citroen Total Abu Dhabi World Rally Team start preparations for the event long before it starts and draw on their extensive experience: “There are some sections at over 2,000 metres above sea level,” said Didier Clement, Chief Operations Engineer for the DS3 WRCs. “For that, we’ll use the work we did before Rally Mexico. For the set-up, we have had two days of testing with our drivers. Using our experience, we suggest tried and tested solutions for the various Argentinean stages. Then, we use a database and their feelings to adjust the set-up of the Citroen DS3 WRC, always with minor changes. Our aim is to help them to feel full of confidence.”

It is during these pre-event test sessions that the driver and engineer try to keep pace with each other’s expectations. “We know the type of set-up to adopt for each day of the rally. We also know what pitfalls must be avoided. But we are also currently working on development of the car. For Rally Argentina, we have the possibility of introducing some minor upgrades to the set-up. These are elements that have undergone testing and been approved. We never try to revolutionise the car in its entirety. We have made the upgrades available to our drivers, who were able to compare their feelings during testing. The aim is to have another option, which may be useful to them. They don’t necessarily make the same choices, because their driving styles are different. But the settings are never that far apart,” Clement said.