Wilks plays a safe bet on Rallye Monte Carlo
Skoda UK Motorsport driver Guy Wilks continued to place only safe bets on the opening round of the 2010 Intercontinental Rally Challenge, Rallye Monte Carlo, by making good tyre choices and driving without risk on the middle day of the event. Whilst others gambled and lost, Guy drove his Fabia S2000 faultlessly to move from 10th to 7th by the end of the day.
Heavy overnight snow on the event’s most northerly stage (SS6) made tyre choice for Leg 2 all the more difficult, as the two other stages on the loop were mostly wet. Co-driven by Phil Pugh, Guy went out on snow tyres – and returned to Valence for the mid-day service halt (and the halfway point in the rally) having moved up to 8th position after an excellent run through SS7.
The three stages were repeated in the afternoon, and whilst conditions were generally drier, there were patches of snow, ice and mud to ensure snow tyres remained the safest option. After a good run, Guy finished the day in 7th, just 13.5 seconds behind Franz Wittmann.
Guy Wilks: “I’m pleased, because this was a typically tough Rallye Monte Carlo day and we’ve had a very solid performance, made no mistakes and moved up the leaderboard.
“Conditions have been very tricky. Where Kris [Meeke] crashed this morning, our ice note crew said that it was a sheet of black ice, and to drive as slowly as I would in a supermarket car park. They were right!
“We had a very good afternoon. However, 600 metres into the final stage, my headset flew out of its net and landed under the clutch pedal. It was a bit of a distraction and we lost about 15 seconds, but it’s a good day on the Rallye Monte Carlo if that’s been your only problem.”
Leg 3 starts tomorrow in Valence at 06.30 and immediately heads south towards Monaco, with an 18.8 mile (30.42km) stage en route. After arriving in Monte Carlo, crews have a rest before they leave for the final four stages – which include two runs over the famous Col de Turini. After all 15 special stages have been completed, the rally returns to Monte Carlo at 01.15 (Saturday 23 January).
