Since last January’s centenary-edition Rallye Monte-Carlo, which produced a resounding win for the 207 Super 2000 of Bouffier/Panseri, the IRC has had a three-month break. Action resumes on April 15-16, however, with the Rally Islas Canarias, round two of the 2011 IRC. Peugeot provisionally tops both the Manufacturers’ and Drivers’ standings.
Meticulous preparation for the Spanish island sprint
With just 190.59km of stages on the menu, the 2011 Rally Islas Canarias is very much a sprint event, with action packed into a period of a little more than 24 hours, from the 1pm start on Friday, April 15, to the finish ceremony (Plaza de Canarias, Gran Canaria) at 2pm on Saturday, April 16.
"The competition is likely to be extremely fierce, so we will need to hit the ground running," predicts Frédéric Bertrand, manager of Peugeot Sport’s Customer Competition department. "That is why our technical team worked hard on optimising the 207 S2000’s set-up to match the specific characteristics of the Gran Canaria stages. The drivers running in the colours of our subsidiaries have tried this set-up and seem pleased with it. Our policy is to provide all the crews who choose to run a 207 S2000 with identical, competitive cars and ensure contained competing costs. That has been our chief focus since the Rallye Monte-Carlo."
Peugeot’s target in 2011 is to secure a fourth IRC Manufacturers’ title (after those obtained in 2007, 2008 and 2009) and to enable a 207 Super 2000 runner to claim the Drivers’ crown.
Bryan Bouffier on top
Thanks to his win in Monaco, Bryan Bouffier and Xavier Panseri currently top the IRC’s Drivers’ standings. Backing from Peugeot France and the French dealer network has given him the necessary resources to pursue his IRC campaign. "My objective is to defend my position and, if possible, take the title at the end of the year," smiles Bryan Bouffier. "I have never competed in the Canary Islands before, but I’ve heard that the stages and grip are very consistent. Given how nicely balanced my 207 S2000 feels, I don’t see why we shouldn’t be able to challenge for the win."
Six Peugeot 207 Super 2000s in Gran Canaria
Another favourite for top honours are Peugeot UK’s Guy Wilks and his co-driver Phil Pugh who were third on this event 12 months ago. "Last year, this rally was new to me but it didn’t take me long to settle in," recalls the British driver. "This time round, though, I won’t be able to profit too much from that experience because the route has changed significantly. That said, the lie of the land will be the same: you need to refrain from cutting corners and your lines have to be absolutely perfect. I think the night-time loop will be paramount. We’re not accustomed to driving competitively at night." Guy is third in the provisional IRC standings ahead of the Spanish round.
This time last year, Thierry Neuville – who is now navigated by Nicolas Gilsoul – made his second IRC outing and had his second drive in a 207 S2000 in the Canary Islands. "My times were quite good, even though I hadn’t quite mastered the niceties of driving the 207 S2000," remembers the Peugeot Belgium-Luxemburg driver. "I recently took part a test organised by Peugeot Sport and I profited from the presence of the engineers to find a set-up in which I feel confident. If the handling is the same this weekend, I think we will be competitive."
The Peugeot runners are clearly looking forward to contesting the Spanish rally in the 207 S2000, including Peugeot Portugal’s star crew, Bruno Magalhaès/Paulo Grave, who were fifth in 2010: "After my crash on the Monte Carlo, the recent Rally de Portugal allowed me to get my confidence back. I am looking forward to trying the new asphalt set-up we established for my 207 S2000 during a pre-event test. I know I will be happy with it because the asphalt stages of Gran Canaria are similar to those of my home country."
The two other Peugeot 207 Super 2000s on the entry list will be in the hands of Italy’s Massimiliano Settembrini/Corrado Bonato (N°12) and Spain’s Jonathan Perez/Enrique Velasco (N°14). In total, there will be six Peugeot 207 Super 2000 at the start, driven by drivers of six different nationalities, a pointer to the fact that the car remains a benchmark in its category, five years after its introduction. This year is expected to see sales reach the 100 mark, while there will be new national programmes for the 207 Super 2000 in the Czech Republic and South Africa this season.