Dubai: Having endured a catalogue of technical problems during last weekend's ADAC Rally Deutschland, the Ford Abu Dhabi Word Rally Team are eager to make amends when the World Rally Championship (WRC) heads to Australia next month for round 10 of the 13-event season.
In a rally notable for Citroen winner Sebastien Ogier ending teammate Sebastien Loeb's run of eight consecutive victories in Germany, punctures curtailed Ford Abu Dhabi's hopes on the tricky asphalt tests.
Mikko Hirvonen, the team's lead driver, narrowly missed out on a podium in his 100th WRC event by finishing fourth, while the squad's second driver, Jari-Matti Latvala, ended up 14th.
Unpredictable weather and the rally's iconic Baumholder stage ended the Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA)-backed team's push in round nine. Heavy rain caused havoc with the team's choice of hard compound Michelin Pilot Sport tyres - options best suited for dry conditions - on day one, before both Finns suffered punctures after colliding with high kerbstones on day two.
"It was a difficult weekend because so many things happened," said Hirvonen, now third in the drivers' standings behind the Citroen duo of Loeb and Ogier. "When everything went well I had a good pace and if we continue to work hard as a team and improve the car, then we can challenge on the remaining asphalt rounds."
Return to gravel
Australia, however, represents a return to Ford Abu Dhabi's preferred gravel surface. Shaikh Khalid Al Qassimi, the team's third non-points scoring driver, who missed Rally Germany to observe the Ramadan fast and spend time with his family during the Holy Month, is confident his teammates will bounce back.
"Germany is one of the toughest rallies I have experienced as a driver," said Al Qassimi, who notched an impressive four points in last year's event. "The asphalt produces sporadic pot holes and sharp edges on the roadside that just cannot be predicted - it's a mixture of luck and good driving to win in Germany.
"Australia will be a little more to our liking; the gravel stages suit our set-up and we need to chase for victory Down Under. For me, this is the time to start winning some points to make it possible to reach my goal of a top 10 season finish - I need a strong performance."
