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May 7, 2008
Petter Solberg tested new WRC Impreza
Former world champion Petter Solberg has driven Subaru’s all-new Impreza WRC2008 for the first time in Sardinia this week, autosport.com can exclusively reveal.
Solberg was unavailable for comment on his first run in the car - codenamed the S14 - but SWRT managing director Richard Taylor confirmed that both Solberg and his teammate Chris Atkinson had completed two days of testing each on the Italian island.
"It was always in the plan that they [Solberg and Atkinson] would drive the car for the first time this week," Taylor told autosport.com. "The test was part of the development process. I have no comment to make on the technical aspect of the test, but I will say that we are pleased with this stage of the programme."
The team’s full-time test driver Markko Martin was on hand for the duration of the four-day test, which concludes with Atkinson’s final time in the car tomorrow.
The team has been running the car - with Martin at the wheel - for much of the year and it’s no secret in the WRC that much rides on Subaru’s first ever hatchback rally car. The team haven’t won a rally since Rally Great Britain in September 2005, making the last 25 months comfortably their longest winless streak since the marque’s first victory in 1993.
Subaru’s recent upturn in form - it came close to scoring second and third in Argentina – was halted on the recent Jordan Rally. Solberg’s Impreza WRC2007 burst three dampers and left the Norwegian fuming about the state of the car’s suspension.
The 2003 champion’s event went from bad to worse when he rolled the car out of the event on Sunday.
Atkinson did manage to collect a third consecutive podium, placing the sister Subaru third in the Middle East, but the Australian managed to contain his enthusiasm, saying: "Okay, we’re third and that’s great – but at the same time I’m not sure how this has happened. We’re five minutes behind the winner. We still have work to do."
Technorati Tags: Subaru, Impreza, WRC, Impreza WRC 2008, Petter Solberg, Chris Atkinson
Via: AutoSport
- Posted in : 2008 Subaru, Motorsports, News
- Author : admin
guys i hope the new car will go good for swrt,as i am a big fun of wrc,and i suport peter solberg and i hope for peter to go good because all the time he’s try and the fucking car is not let him to see any win.i don’t know what’s wrong!!!that’s all
Two weeks after I bought my impreza 2.5i, the passenger sensor does not work. If a person is on the passenger side, the sensor stays off sometimes; if the person leaves it is still on sometimes. The dealer is now trying to fix it, it has been two days and they are now trying to re-wire the whole car which is very messed up. This is my first Subaru; I never had problems with other Japanese cars namely Toyota, Honda, Nissan, and Mitsubishi. I bought those cars brand new and no problems from the first time I drove it to the time I sold it. I always wonder why I haven’t bought any Subaru’s before, now I know.