A few seconds before the start of FP1, a blood-red injector symbol appeared on our dash with an equally unpromising number linked to it. It was immediately painfully clear that the engine had to make do with far too little fuel due to a fuel pressure problem.
We got off the start line with difficulty and while sputtering and stuttering we finally reached the finish of FP1 with considerable time loss. Unfortunately, the problems persisted and the course of the 2nd special stage was copy and paste of the previous one, resulting in even more time loss.
With 2 stages to go before the serve, there was little point in continuing in this way and we decided it was wiser to plan a restart in rally 2 in the next loop. Unfortunately, upon arrival at the service, a restart turned out not to be a viable option, so we were forced to throw in the towel prematurely. This means that we were not able to gain a single metre of valuable experience during this beautiful and challenging race, which was spiced up by the difficult weather conditions.
Fortunately, we did the shakedown 5 times on Friday, the first 2 passages of which were far from flawless, solely due to a lack of rhythm and kilometers in the legs. From the 3rd crossing it went much better and we have already been able to experience what a great car this is !!
Despite the difficult start, we are looking forward to the Rally de Wallonie in good spirits, but first there is an extensive test in Mettet on the agenda at the end of this month.
A big thank you to the whole team and especially to the mechanics who had to brave mud and rain all weekend to support us. Respect!
R-Box’s disappointing start to a new chapter due to banal issue during the Rally des Ardennes.
Just seconds before the start of SS1, a blood-red injector symbol appeared on our dashboard, accompanied by an equally ominous number. It was painfully clear that the engine would have to deal with far too little fuel due to a fuel pressure issue.
We even struggled to launch from the starting line. Sputtering and faltering we reached the finish of SS1 with significant time loss. Unfortunately, the problems persisted in SS2 resulting in even more time lost.
With 2 stages remaining before service it did not make any sense to continue so the plan was to go for a rally 2 restart in the next loop. However, upon arriving at service, it became apparent that a restart was not a feasible option. We were forced to prematurely throw in the towel. This meant that we couldn’t gain any valuable experience during this beautiful and challenging rally, which was made even more difficult by the adverse weather conditions.
Fortunately, on Friday, we did 5 runs on the shakedown. The first 2 runs were far from flawless, solely due to a lack of rhythm and mileage under our belts. However, from the 3rd run onwards, things improved significantly, and we got a taste of what an incredible car this is!
Despite the difficult start, we are looking ahead with optimism to the Rally de Wallonie. But first, we have an extensive test scheduled in Mettet at the end of this month.
A huge thank you to the entire team, especially the mechanics who braved mud and rain all weekend to support us. Respect!