WRC 2004: Acropolis Rally
Three weeks after the Cyprus Rally, the World Rally Championship faces up to the sixth event of the series: the Acropolis Rally. The Greek gravel stages are rocky and aggressive: a tough test for drivers, cars and tyres. Temperatures are typically hot and road surfaces rough, but the average speed of the Acropolis Rally is a lot higher than that seen in Cyprus. The performance of Petter Solberg's Pirelli-equipped Subaru Impreza in Cyprus showed that the P Zero tyre range is more than capable of victory on this type of demanding surface. The Norwegian was able to maintain a comfortable lead, clearly demonstrating the performance of Pirelli's XR tyres. Despite being slowed by dust in his radiator, Solberg fought back to win six special stages out of 17 and score 3 important championship points. In Greece the tried and trusted XR rubber will once again be the base tyre choice, with its excellent traction and braking performance. This tyre will be used in normal dry conditions. In case of exceptional 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 has always enjoyed excellent results on the gruelling Greek gravel, winning on several occasions in the 1990s. Solberg was on the podium last year and has even higher expectations this time having shown a winning pace over the last three rallies. Pirelli's Rally Manager, Fiorenzo Brivio, explains: "The strength and durability of the tyres will be even more important in Greece than it was in Cyprus. But we have always been competitive on this type of surface, so we hope to be able to fight for a win." Solberg is similarly upbeat about his chances. "We won in New Zealand, but we could have won in Cyprus as well," he said. "There's only one objective for Greece now - victory!" PIRELLI UP FOR THE CHALLENGE... The Acropolis Rally consists mostly of medium to slow rough gravel stages. Alongside the proven XR tyre, which is ideal for broken-up rough gravel, Pirelli drivers can also make use of the new KP tyre. This cover is specifically designed for gravel with slippery sections. As always, the PZero tyre range will be equipped with Pirelli's EMI anti-deflation system. FOR ROUGH GRAVEL, IN NORMAL CONDITIONS XR (Size: 205/65-15) Steps: 3 and 5 (with evolutions) Description: For normal rough gravel. Step 3 will be the base tyre choice in regular conditions. Step 5 (a softer compound) will be used in cooler conditions. Hand-cutting available. FOR WET CONDITIONS KP (Size 205/65-15) Step: 2 only Description: This tyre will be used in the unlikely event of rain. Step 2 is the hardest compound available, with excellent traction and braking performance in mud. Hand-cutting available. NB. The higher the step number, the softer the tyre compound. PIRELLIS LINE-UP IN GREECE 2 Subaru Impreza WRC2004 Solberg-Mills* and Hirvonen-Lehtinen* 2 Ford Focus WRC Papadimitriou-Harryman, Vovos-El Em 1 Peugeot 206 WRC Stohl-Minor 1 Subaru Impreza Gp. N Blomqvist-Goni 21 Super 1600 Bernardi, Aava, Meeke, Broccoli, Cols, Baldacci, Cecchettini, Andersson, Biasion, Wilks, Katajamaki, Feghali, Chicherit, Barratt, Latvala, Scorcioni, Pons, Tabaton, Rautenbach, Betti, Marshall. *Eligible to score WRC manufacturer points