Motor Rally: Proton survive treacherous run in Belgium
2011/06/27
Proton’s P.G. Andersson and Giandomenico Basso in the Satria Neo S2000.
PROTON yesterday completed the Geko Ypres Rally in Belgium and claimed an important breakthrough in the development of the Satria Neo S2000 which demonstrated strong pace in the Intercontinental Rally Challenge (IRC).
In a rally so treacherous, and competing in extremely wet, cold and slippery conditions, Proton's P.G. Andersson finished 19th from a field of only 61 of the 124 cars that started the two-day 18-stage rally.
The rally had also attracted the biggest entry of 31 S2000 cars.
Inflicting serious casualty, the Geko Ypress Rally claimed the likes of many top drivers, including local favourite, Thiery Neuville who did not even reach the finish of the first special stage.
Restarting under Super Rally Format, Neuville again retired on the first special stage of the second and final day.
Proton drivers, Giandomenico Basso and Andersson, had both come within nine seconds of creeping into the top 10 finishers at the rally which was dominated by Skoda and Peugeot, before being struck by misfortune.
Pushing hard to get into the top 10 after finishing the first day in 11th and just nine seconds adrift, Basso's rally came to an end in SS7 when he hit a low brick wall which was hidden in the tall grass that put the Satria Neo S2000 into a ditch.
But all was not lost for Proton when Andersson began to pick up his pace and shot from 18th in the opening stage (SS7) to 17th and then 16th over the next two special stages (SS8 and SS9).
By SS10, he was 12th and with one stage to go in SS17, the double Junior World Rally Champion brought the Satria Neo S2000 to 11th and within 8.9 seconds of that top 10 finish.
"Despite the misfortune and missing out on a top 10 finish, we come away from what was clearly a very tough and treacherous rally, achieving tremendous progress in terms of the development of the Satria Neo S2000," said Proton Motorsports head Datuk Abdul Razak Dawood.
The rally, which was run on 287km of competitive asphalt stages, was won by Freddy Loix in a Skoda Fabia S2000.
Bryan Bouffier, driving the Peugeot 207 S2000, finished second ahead of Hans Weijs in a Skoda Fabia S200.
In a rally so treacherous, and competing in extremely wet, cold and slippery conditions, Proton's P.G. Andersson finished 19th from a field of only 61 of the 124 cars that started the two-day 18-stage rally.
The rally had also attracted the biggest entry of 31 S2000 cars.
Inflicting serious casualty, the Geko Ypress Rally claimed the likes of many top drivers, including local favourite, Thiery Neuville who did not even reach the finish of the first special stage.
Restarting under Super Rally Format, Neuville again retired on the first special stage of the second and final day.
Proton drivers, Giandomenico Basso and Andersson, had both come within nine seconds of creeping into the top 10 finishers at the rally which was dominated by Skoda and Peugeot, before being struck by misfortune.
Pushing hard to get into the top 10 after finishing the first day in 11th and just nine seconds adrift, Basso's rally came to an end in SS7 when he hit a low brick wall which was hidden in the tall grass that put the Satria Neo S2000 into a ditch.
But all was not lost for Proton when Andersson began to pick up his pace and shot from 18th in the opening stage (SS7) to 17th and then 16th over the next two special stages (SS8 and SS9).
By SS10, he was 12th and with one stage to go in SS17, the double Junior World Rally Champion brought the Satria Neo S2000 to 11th and within 8.9 seconds of that top 10 finish.
"Despite the misfortune and missing out on a top 10 finish, we come away from what was clearly a very tough and treacherous rally, achieving tremendous progress in terms of the development of the Satria Neo S2000," said Proton Motorsports head Datuk Abdul Razak Dawood.
The rally, which was run on 287km of competitive asphalt stages, was won by Freddy Loix in a Skoda Fabia S2000.
Bryan Bouffier, driving the Peugeot 207 S2000, finished second ahead of Hans Weijs in a Skoda Fabia S200.
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