Objective : 2009At least three years – that's how long Suzuki World Rally Team technical manager Michel Nandan expects it will take to bring the crown home.
After spending time at Toyota and Peugeot, and being part of several race victories for each team, Nandan
is quite aware of the fact that World Rally Championships are not won without an enourmous amount of preparation, as he explained on the Suzuki WRC Challenge website.
The engine will be going through a deep overhaul, and the SX4 car itself is a small but nonetheless tall car which will go through all the stages of being re-engineered for competition. Every model has its good and bad points, but Nandan's overall opinion is quite clear : “I am a strong believer that compact is beautiful!”
He has also confirmed that the Suzuki team will place its SX4 WRC on the track next October during the Tour de Corse. The event will be used as a testing grounds not only for the car itself, but to try out the practical sides of the project for all those involved. “It will be a test in the realistic rally environement” Nandan explained. “A testing operation”.
The aim is to prepare the future.
“We will do our best in 2007 in order to start in good shape in 2008. From the 2009 season on, we will fight for the championship, hopefully”declared Michel Nandan.
Daniel BASTIEN © CAPSIS International
