Back from a very nice and interesting QS/shakedown. With the shakedown of 2012 in the back of my mind, my spot was chosen without much of a doubt. Lukyanuk and Abbring were very spectacular to see. Seen some very impressive high speed drifts in which they showed total control of the car, something you couldn't say of many other drivers. Loix and Bouffier were driving more preserved/clean, it wasn't exciting to see but for sure efficient, as the times prove us. In R2, as always, the Adam R2 is very interesting to watch, the chassis is amazing, it can take a lot... I'll try to post a few pics from shakedown tomorrow morning.

I did recce of most of the stages today and yesterday. Some places are quite dry, some are wet/muddy, a lot of variety. It will be difficult to estimate where the water will be, it's mostly determined by the height of the farmland in relationship to the roads, but that's something difficult for drivers to count with. I'm quite surprised there's still no bulletin declaring that handcutting will be allowed (if they will allow it)...

Quote Originally Posted by Fast Eddie WRC View Post
See what I meant about Tanak testing DMack tarmac tyres here... didnt seem any point to me with all the cutting and muck on the asphalt.
Yes, no point at all... There's no mud in a wet Rallye Deutschland, Tour de Corse, Rzeszowski, Barum, Valais etc. etc. Not even talking about the many national events where mud comes in the game, also events with mixed surface (for example I remember an event in Austria with some gravel parts but not enough to go full gravel set-up). It's crucial for a tyre manufacturer in rallying to have something that copes well with wet and muddy conditions, if they can't they should go to circuit racing...