IRC competition excites PROTON´s Basso

Four-time Intercontinental Rally Challenge event winner Giandomenico Basso says the best thing about competing in the series is the high level of competition.

Italian Basso is tackling an expanded programme of IRC events with PROTON Motorsports and scored points on his debut with the team on Rally Islas Canarias El Corte Inglés last month.

“It’s really good for me to be back competing in the IRC: it’s a very competitive series with all the drivers pushing so hard to win but there is still a very friendly feeling between everybody there,” said Basso. “For example, in the Canaries, Juho Hänninen had a minor traffic fine, so we all had a whip round so that he had enough money to pay the fine in cash and get on his way without being late for the next control. I don’t think that would happen in many other championships.”

The double European champion added that he has already identified a great potential with the Malaysian PROTON marque, adding: “It’s clear that we have a lot of work to do with PROTON but the car reacts well to set-up changes and the distance that we did in the Canary Islands was very useful to help me adapt the car to the way that I drive. My first impressions are good and there is a very nice atmosphere in the team. I can see that, like myself, [team boss] Chris Mellors is a person who puts his heart completely into what he does.”