Portugali ralli 2009 I päev
Moderaatorid: Jaanus, KAIKUL, Strike, Erki, jagr
Jari-Matti Latvala’s place at the BP Ford Abu Dhabi Team is in doubt following his huge accident on today’s third stage.
The Finn has finished on the podium only once this season, and has completed the other two rounds only with the help of SuperRally after driving errors caused his retirement.
After his crash today on SS4, Latvala told World Rally Radio that his future at the team was now uncertain.
Latvala said: “The crash happened after a blind crest, when I should have been braking for a slow corner that followed. But it seems I have a little problem in that I want to brake only when I see I have to. So instead I went too fast, hit a bank, went over a barrier and that was that. That where my problem is. It’s not an easy situation. I know that I have been giving the team a frustrating time. They want to get good results, and want to take the fight to Citroen, and I want that too, but I have had too many crashes and that’s made it difficult. Malcolm is thinking what he will do next but the future is a little bit open now.”
Ford team principal Malcolm Wilson admitted he would consider Latvala’s role in the team after the rally was over.
“At the moment it’s difficult to comment, but we have to review the situation,” he said. “It’s been a disastrous start to the season, the worst we’ve had for a number of years. We made some driver changes last year when we brought in Francois Duval for some rallies and I think we now need to look at everything again. We tried a few things with Jari-Matti on the test, like trying to alter his pace notes, but now we need to have another think. It would be wrong to make a decision here, we still have Mikko to focus on, so we will be sitting down and reviewing things after this event.”
The Finn has finished on the podium only once this season, and has completed the other two rounds only with the help of SuperRally after driving errors caused his retirement.
After his crash today on SS4, Latvala told World Rally Radio that his future at the team was now uncertain.
Latvala said: “The crash happened after a blind crest, when I should have been braking for a slow corner that followed. But it seems I have a little problem in that I want to brake only when I see I have to. So instead I went too fast, hit a bank, went over a barrier and that was that. That where my problem is. It’s not an easy situation. I know that I have been giving the team a frustrating time. They want to get good results, and want to take the fight to Citroen, and I want that too, but I have had too many crashes and that’s made it difficult. Malcolm is thinking what he will do next but the future is a little bit open now.”
Ford team principal Malcolm Wilson admitted he would consider Latvala’s role in the team after the rally was over.
“At the moment it’s difficult to comment, but we have to review the situation,” he said. “It’s been a disastrous start to the season, the worst we’ve had for a number of years. We made some driver changes last year when we brought in Francois Duval for some rallies and I think we now need to look at everything again. We tried a few things with Jari-Matti on the test, like trying to alter his pace notes, but now we need to have another think. It would be wrong to make a decision here, we still have Mikko to focus on, so we will be sitting down and reviewing things after this event.”
"Maailmas on ainult kolm spordiala: härjavõitlus, alpinism ja mootorisport, ülejäänud on vaid mängud!" [E.Hemingway]
