Ready for Rally Argentina
The World Rally Championship moves to the southern hemisphere and Argentina for the eighth round of the series, which marks the mid-way point of the season. After three hot and rough gravel rallies, the harsh conditions of Argentina will present a complete contrast. At this time of year Latin America is in the grip of winter, with cool temperatures and a high risk of rain predicted. Argentinas stages are made up of soft gravel, which is frequently damp. The roads are quite varied, with a wide range of surface conditions and temperatures. Drivers, cars and tyres have to be as adaptable as possible to suit the changing conditions, which makes Argentina a real test of all-round skill and endurance. Pirelli has an excellent record on the Rally Argentina, having won four out of the last 10 events with two different manufacturers. The performance of the Pirelli-equipped Subaru Impreza has closed Petter Solberg to within 10 points of the World Championship lead for drivers, and the Norwegian is looking forward to the challenge of Argentina. In Argentina the tried and trusted KM rubber will be the base tyre choice, with its excellent capability of cutting through mud to penetrate hard surfaces below. In case of slightly warmer weather, Pirelli drivers also have the new KP tyre at their disposal - which made a winning debut in New Zealand with Solberg last month. Pirelli's Rally Manager, Fiorenzo Brivio, explains: "This is a different rally compared to the previous editions which makes the tyre choice a little more complicated, due also to the current restriction on the number of tyres and types available. It is therefore a new challenge for our selection of P Zeros." Solberg is also optimistic about his chances in Argentina. "Pirelli has always performed very well there," he said. "I'm looking forward to it!" PIRELLI IS READY FOR STORMY WEATHER... Rally Argentina will take in a wide variety of temperatures, speeds and stage conditions, which makes the KM tyre the perfect all-round choice. The KM is used for muddy events because of its capacity for penetrating slippery surfaces. In warmer weather, Pirelli drivers can also make use of the new KP tyre. This cover is specifically designed for predominantly dry gravel with slippery sections. As always, the PZero tyre range will be equipped with Pirelli's EMI anti-deflation system. FOR LOOSE GRAVEL, IN NORMAL CONDITIONS KM (Size: 205/65-15) Steps: 4, 6 and 8 (with evolutions) Description: The KM4 is expected to be the base tyre, but two softer compounds are available for cold weather. The KM is ideal for penetrating soft gravel and is designed to work well throughout a wide range of temperatures and conditions. FOR LOOSE GRAVEL, IN WARMER CONDITIONS KP (Size 205/65-15) Step: 4 only Description: This tyre, which made a winning debut in New Zealand, will be used in cases of warmer weather during the day. It is designed for dry gravel with wet and slippery patches, and provides excellent traction and braking. Hand-cutting available. NB. The higher the step number, the softer the tyre compound. PIRELLI'S LINE-UP IN ARGENTINA 2 Subaru Impreza WRC2004 Solberg-Mills* and Hirvonen-Lehtinen* 14 Group N Production cars Arai-Sircombe, Sola-Colon, Ligato-Del Buono, Trivino-Barrabes, Frisiero-Agnese, Galli-d'Amore, Paasonen-Rautiainen, Higgins-Gibson, Stohl-Minor, Pons-Julia, Al-Attiyah-Patterson, Vollak-Kolbach, Ferreyros-Garcia, Pozzo-Stillo *Eligible to score WRC manufacturer points