IRC: Rally de Madeira : Citroen - PreviewThere will be no summer respite for Simon Jean-Joseph and Jack Boyère who will contest the forthcoming Rali Vinho da Madeira with their Citroën C2 S1600. The diminutive red and white Super 1600 will be tended during the event by
PH Sport with support from staff from Citroën Sport.
A prominent round of the European Rally Championship for many years, the Rali Vinho da Madeira counts among the world's finest asphalt rallies and is this year the seventh round of the Euro series. Its high organisational standard and reputation have also earned it a place on the 2007 International Rally Challenge calendar (Round 5) which essentially features three categories of event.
There are those that used to count towards the World Rally Championship such as the Safari and the Rally of Turkey. Others, like Rally Russia, are new on the international scene, while the likes of June's Belgium Ypres Westhoek Rally and the Rali Vinho da Madeira – which takes place on the Portuguese island of the same name – have long been established names in the sport.
The volcanic island itself measures just 57km long and 23km wide yet it features some truly spectacular scenery and its road network is ideally suited to the organisation of rally stages. "I always like going to Madeira which has a great deal in common with my home island of Martinique," says Simon Jean-Joseph. "This will be my fourth visit in as many years and I am beginning to get a good feel for the event.
The mountain stages are extremely twisty and essentially made up of climbs and descents. The asphalt is extremely worn, too, so there is precious little grip, while the unpredictable tropical weather provides a little bit of extra spice. You can easily find yourself in rain one moment and in fog the next. In the wet, the stages become very, very slippery."
"The mountainous terrain puts us at a disadvantage against the four-wheel drive cars," continues Simon. "Madeira always attracts a long list of top drivers and it won't be easy for us. The Citroën C2 Super 1600's agility is one of our main trump cards, so it will be up to us to compensate over the downhill sections. The reliability and potential of our car makes me to think that we could well once again stage an upset and our objective will be twofold: to try and obtain the best possible finish for our ERC chances and score IRC points for Citroën, and to show Citroën customers that the C2 Super 1600 is capable of scoring top results against stiff opposition."
Citroen Sport
