Pirelli at the rally of Argentina

Milan, 8 May 2000 - Once again the World Rally Championship returns to gravel for the Rally Argentina (the sixth round of the championship, 12-14 May) and this surface becomes the theme for the next four events through the central part of the season. Last year with five victories on gravel, and already with wins in Safari and Portugal this year, Subaru-Pirelli has enjoyed great success. These results, together with the constant domination of Pirelli-equipped Mitsubishi Group N entries, demonstrate the great reliability and optimum levels of performance by Pirelli's PZero range of gravel tyres. However, the Argentine gravel is different from that of the other rounds of the championship. Occasionally hard and abrasive, sometimes with deep sand and nearly always very fast, the stages around Cordoba create a theatre of battle and great spectacle. The presence of rain can radically change the nature of the contest. In South America first we must find strength and resistance to these surfaces as well as traction and directional stability. Pirelli takes on this challenge with a PZero range of gravel tyres in two patterns; K and KM, both of which have proved through experience over recent events to be very competitive. Pirelli has already won in Argentina. Unforgettably last year we enjoyed a 1-2 result with the Subaru Imprezas of Juha Kankkunen and Richard Burns dominating the contest and going on to achieve even more fantastic results in the middle and end of the season. The expectations are therefore again high, strengthened by the high levels of competitiveness already shown by the new Subaru Impreza WRC2000 that won in Portugal and which was extremely competitive last month in Catalunya. Pirelli will be present in Argentina with a PZero range of gravel tyres featuring two tread patterns (approved by the FIA according to the rules for this year) that are the result of a long and demanding test programme in the past month with both Subaru and SEAT. TWO TREAD PATTERNS FOR THE PAMPAS A range of 1500 tyres - all fitted with the EMI anti-deflation system in its latest evolution - will be at the disposal of the Pirelli-equipped teams in Argentina. The PZero range of gravel tyres chosen for the stages around Cordoba is the result of both a long recent test programme and also the victories in Safari and Portugal. As in Portugal the new regulation permitting just two tread patterns approved in advance by the FIA is applied. Here are the details of the Pirelli range of tyres and their characteristics. FOR HARD GRAVEL K (Size 205/65-15) Type A tyre for hard and clean surfaces Compound options 2: Level 4 (base) and 6 Description Level 4 (base) is for dry or abrasive surfaces, with an Evolution with similar performing characteristics to 4 (base) but designed for maximum durability on longer stages. Step 6 is for use when wet or with low temperatures. FOR SOFT AND SANDY SURFACES KM (Size 205/65-15) Type A tyre for soft, damp or sandy surfaces Compound options 2: Level 4 (base) and 6 Description The medium-soft compound of Level 4 (base) is for dry surfaces; as with the K-pattern tyre an Evolution is present for use on longer stages. NOTE: The higher the compound number, the softer the tyre. THE PIRELLI TEAM IN ARGENTINA 2 Subaru Impreza WRC2000 Burns-Reid & Kankkunen-Repo 2 SEAT Cordoba WRC E2 Auriol-Giraudet & Gardemeister-Lukander 7 Mitsubishi Lancer Group N Aghini, Stohl, Trelles, Sanchez, Mendez and Menzi ...plus other teams not regularly contesting the World Rally Championship. OUR DRIVERS SAID... RICHARD BURNS Everyone at Subaru is feeling very confident for the next few events. Argentina was a good result for the team last year with a 1-2 and there's no reason why we can't do it again. We know that the Pirelli tyres we had in Australia and Britain last year will be suited to the conditions and we've found some new options from our recent tests that should improve things even more. JUHA KANKKUNEN I won in Argentina last year so I'm pretty confident that we have the right combination this time. We've been testing hard to improve a few things on the new car and generally we're feeling very good right now. We've got four events that should suit our car and the tyres; Argentina, Acropolis, New Zealand and Finland. I hope it's going to be a good summer for Subaru and Pirelli! DIDIER AURIOL I've won in Argentina twice and finished third four times so I know I can do well on this event. It's quite a difficult rally with different surfaces but I know it quite well by now. Pirelli's result last year was a big success for them so I hope that, between us, we can enjoy the same kind of success once again. TONI GARDEMEISTER I don't know a single thing about Argentina because I've never been there! The only thing I know is from what I've seen on television or what Ive been told. I understand that one leg in Argentina is fast and smooth, one is twisty and quite rocky and the other is twisty and soft. However, after Pirelli's result last year for Juha and Richard at least I'm sure we'll have the right tyres! EIGHT MORE ROUNDS TO...THE END OF THE WORLD Monte Carlo 20-22 January Asphalt/snow/ice Richard Burns (Subaru-Pirelli) was in second place and chasing a possible victory when his car failed to restart the second day. Juha Kankkunen (Subaru-Pirelli) finished third after setting a stunning fastest time on Sisteron while SEAT-Pirelli's young Finn Toni Gardemeister was acclaimed as a star of the rally in fourth. Sweden 10-13 February Snow/ice/gravel Burns claimed a few stage wins as well as being extremely competitive during the first leg and was looking to challenge the leader. Unfortunately the high speeds of the event did not allow the chasing drivers to significantly cut the leader's advantage. Subaru finished fifth and sixth while SEAT finished tenth. Safari 24-27 February Gravel No punctures for Subaru as Pirelli dominated the event from start to finish. Burns won from Kankkunen while Didier Auriol was third for SEAT-Pirelli. Pirelli enjoyed absolute domination in Group N. In a hard event from a technical point of view the durability of the PZero range was the key to Pirelli's success. Portugal 16-19 March Gravel The debut of the Subaru Impreza WRC2000 saw Burns take immediate command, lose the lead with hydraulic problems, regain it and then lose it once more before finally taking a winning lead on the final day. Kankkunen crashed out while SEAT-Pirelli finished ninth and 10th to confirm the performance of PZero gravel tyres. Catalunya 30 March-2 April Asphalt The Subaru Impreza WRC2000 proves impressively quick on asphalt. In a wet first leg, Burns takes command thanks to the N-pattern tyre before battling for the lead with the Ford of McRae who eventually takes a narrow win over Burns. Burns, however, consolidates his and Subaru-Pirelli's lead in the World Championship. Argentina 11-14 May Gravel Acropolis 8-11 June Gravel New Zealand 13-16 July Gravel Finland 17-20 August Gravel Corsica 28 September-1 October Asphalt San Remo 19-22 October Asphalt Australia 9-12 November Gravel Great Britain 22-26 November Gravel