Stobart Ford team drivers Henning Solberg and Matthew Wilson are each hoping for strong finishes on Repco Rally Australia next week as they near the end of potentially their best WRC seasons to date. With just two rounds remaining in Spain and Great Britain after the upcoming long-haul event, Solberg and Wilson are aiming to keep their top ten positions in the drivers' standings and beat their best personal best placings of sixth for Henning (in 2007) and 10th for Wilson (in 2008).
After a suspension-related retirement on the last round in Finland, Norwegian Solberg said he and co-driver Cato Menkerud would be back challenging for the podium again in Australia - hoping to add to the third places they scored this year in Argentina and Poland.
Henning heads to Australia fifth in the drivers' standings and with the honour of being the highest ranked non factory team driver. His younger brother Petter is sixth, two points adrift, but has elected to miss the rally which gives Henning an extra incentive to do well. And with the likelihood of a newer, more competitive car for Petter in Spain and GB, Henning is anxious to put some space between them on the championship table.
“I really enjoy the fast gravel rallies and from competing in Australia before I know that I enjoy it there," said Henning. "I had an accident there last time so I really don’t want a repeat of that. I hope that I can achieve another top-five finish as, with Petter not competing in Australia, that would help my position in the drivers’ standings; so I need to make the most of his absence and score good points. I have had a lot of bad luck recently, and I know that anything can happen, but I hope that it is my turn to have some good luck.”
Meanwhile, Britons Wilson and co-driver Scott Martin are hoping to maintain their consistent finishing record this year, which has featured top-eight placings on seven events and only one non finish. Like Solberg, Wilson is on course for a personal best this year, and like his team-mate he's also trying to make the most of Petter's absence - although Wilson will be playing catch up, trying to narrow the five point gap between them.
“It’s a completely new rally so it’s going to be really exciting but with 35 stages it’s going to be a pretty challenging weekend for us," said Wilson. "We haven’t seen a rally with that many stages for a while so it’s definitely going to be different. I have done Rally Australia before, but it will be a new experience for Scott [Martin] and being in a new venue it will be a great challenge for us both as a team. From what we have heard that are some great, flowing stages, with wide, fast roads so I’m really looking forward to seeing them on the recce.”
Source: wrc.com
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