Catalunya : Subaru World Rally Team
The Subaru World Rally Team overcame the disappointment of two Leg one accidents to take some positives away from the 41st Rally Catalunya.
Chris Atkinson, on just his third tarmac event, set top ten times on all three of Leg three`s special stages and achieved his best-ever finish on a sealed surface with 9th overall.
After Leg one accident damage ruined any hope of a podium for Petter Solberg, he worked hard on his car`s set-up on Legs two and three and was rewarded with a stage win and two crucial manufacturer points.

The team now goes to Australia and the final event of 2005 determined to secure second in the drivers` and third in the manufacturers` championship.

Petter Solberg
“Today was getting better! We`ve been fine-tuning the setup on dampers and diff settings, and I think that being able to run these last two days and spend time testing the car in rally conditions, will be very useful for the event here next March. Of course it was disappointing not to be fighting for a podium after the accident on Friday, but that`s how it is sometimes. At least we`ve got two manufacturer points and a lot of useful data to take away. In Australia you will see a big fight as it is always very close and I can`t wait to get down there and into it!”

Chris Atkinson
“This rally has been good for us. It`s just our third asphalt rally and we`re achieving the pace targets that we agreed before the event. We`ve had no problems at all and have learnt a lot. I think that the set-up and driving style are coming together and I`ve been able to lift my speed all the time. From here we`re off to my home rally in Australia and after getting such a good result last year I`m looking forward to doing even better this year, as it will be my first time in a World Rally Car there. The event really suits my style and I`m hoping for a good bit of home support to give us a further boost!”

David Lapworth, Team Principal
“In many respects it has been a frustrating weekend, as we came here to fight for a podium, however after the two accidents on Friday that was not to be. We`ve been very impressed with the way that Chris has grown in confidence and picked up his pace throughout the weekend. He has set some very encouraging split and stage times and is now relishing the prospect of his home event next. Since Friday, Petter`s focus has been on his set-up and I`m pleased that we have also made some good progress. His stage win today was an added bonus and a just result of his hard work. We still have to be happy that we can now go to the final round with Petter in a straight fight for second in the Drivers` championship and third in the manufacturers championship is not an unreasonable target.”

After two European events the WRC once more makes its way east. Australia concludes the 2005 World Rally Championship, with three days of flat-out gravel action on the roads around Perth. The technical nature of the western Australian forest stages invariably punish cars and drivers hard for any the smallest of mistakes. While the weather is normally hot, rain showers are not unheard of - another twist to what is always an intriguing and popular event.


Tags: france, subaru, impreza, asphalt, solberg, sarrazin,