Duval replaces Latvala for Spain and Corse

[Buzz Lightyear]

I wonder how he did so well in Ireland last year....

I wasnt tarmac, it was a skating rink of muck.

[N]

Don't be so harsh on Latvala, I'm sure he'll get some points on those rounds just to prove a point.
But, it's good news for Duval, it's now or never, his carrer depends on this.

[Finni]

Let's see if Duval can beat Hirvonen on asphalt as comprehensively as Grönholm did. Or can he beat at all.

[rus]

Duval outperforming Latvala is quite impossible scenario on gravel. Only if Latvala "ditches" himself.

Outpacing Latvala in NZ isn't the aim for Duval. He has to make more miles in his car, even on gravel, and not crash the car. I'm confident he won't. Pressure will be much bigger in Corse and Spain though... Hopefully it will turn out well.

[Buzz Lightyear]

Outpacing Latvala in NZ isn't the aim for Duval. He has to make more miles in his car, even on gravel, and not crash the car. I'm confident he won't. Pressure will be much bigger in Corse and Spain though... Hopefully it will turn out well.

No, but if Latvala parks it in a rotorua thermal mud pool... and Duval cursies in 3rd, the pressure could really be on.

[A.F.F.]

I think it is very good to have one more countryman represented in a big factory team:-) Instead of just one country (Finns are good but on the promotional side of the sport it is not good when all top drivers are coming from one country only)

Don't blame us. We try to produce as fews drivers as possible :

[jonkka]

Very good news, not only for Ford but also for Duval. As he seems to have matured a lot in the past two years, it's good to see him back in works car.

This reminds me of Toyota's decision to nominate Freddy Loix as points scorer entry in Catalunya 1998 instead of usual number two Didier Auriol. Frenchman went on to win the event and Loix was second and back then points for non-nominated entries were lost (instead of being jumped over as rules are now), hence Toyota scored only six points from Loix's 2nd place.

There isn't a direct analogy as Toyota's motivation was to shake Didier up and test Loix whereas here Latvala is acknowledgedly poorer on tarmac compared to Duval and this is solely a points scoring maximization operation.

[rus]

No, but if Latvala parks it in a rotorua thermal mud pool... and Duval cursies in 3rd, the pressure could really be on.

...for Latvala you mean

[Roy]

Very good news. i don't understand why they did not earlier (in MC and Germany). Good choice, little bit to late.

[Zes]

Very good news. i don't understand why they did not earlier (in MC and Germany). Good choice, little bit to late.

I was thinking the same. Germany has always been Duval's best rally. I don't expect same performance from him in Spain and Corsica. Last year Latvala was 4th in Corsica and Duval 5th.