Peugeot’s stars head south for the temporada

For several decades, motor racing’s European winter break gave South American organisers a chance to run an event that would go on to become one of the sport’s classics : the Temporada. This March sees the Intercontinental Rally Challenge revive that legend from its ashes, and Peugeot will naturally be there for the occasion…

Last’s year IRC saw the series cross the Atlantic for the first time for a one-off visit to Brazil. The Peugeot 207 Super 2000 brigade profited from the trip to dominate the Rally Internacional de Curitiba, with Kris Meeke claiming the first of the four wins that would ultimately earn him the 2009 IRC crown.

« I loved everything about the event, » recall the British driver. « The city, the atmosphere and, above all, the stages ; they are wide and fast, and the quality of the surface is fantastic. You can just get on with your driving and indulge in long power slides without reservation. »

After an early January’s Rallye Monte Carlo, the Brazilian round (March 4-6) will be the second fixture of the 2010 IRC. This year, however, it will be followed just two weeks later by the Rally Argentina, which is still based in the Cordoba region but which will be taking place for the first time in March.

« I am very pleased with the way our recent test session with Peugeot Sport went, » continues Meeke. « I hadn’t driven the 207 Super 2000 on gravel since last November. It was useful to find my marks on the loose again and the car has improved. It seems faster the ever. » Kris, who will be driving the Peugeot UK-entered, Kronos racing-tended 207 Super 2000, stands out as one of the favourites for the Brazilian event which saw him secure a resounding success this time last year.

In contrast, Bruno Magalhaes, who will defending the colours of Peugeot Portugal, will need a little time to familiarise himself with the terrain. « I’ve seen video footage of several stages and they look quite impressive, with quite a lot of blind crests and corners. I expect it to be very tough, although that doesn’t bother me unduly ; it’s just that the last time I drove on gravel was nine months ago. That’s why I was so happy when Peugeot Sport asked me to joint hem at their test. The first day was disrupted by snow, but I did manage to get in some driving the following day, and the 207 Super 2000 felt even better balanced than before. The test has left me feeling quite confident, and I intend to push much harder than I did on last month’s Rallye Monte Carlo. »

In Brazil, the Briton and the Portuguese driver will be joined by local star Daniel Rolim Oliveira who is entered in a Peugeot 207 Super 2000 prepared by Manfred Stohl.

The view of the engineer : « The stages of the Rally de Curitiba are predominantly smooth, » observes Bertrand Vallat, the Peugeot Sport engineer in charge of developping and fine-tuning the set-up of the 207 Super 2000. « The going resembles Finland, but without the jumps. To be competitive, you need a car with good straight-line stability which doesn’t have a tendency to amplify slides. To help the drivers fell 100 per cent confident, it must be very easy to drive, even at high speeds. It will be different in Argentina where the stages will be twistier and rougher… » But let’s not jump too far ahead of ourselves and let’s first of all make the most of the mini-South American first stop over in Brazil, where driving skill is pised to take centre stage. The Peugeot 207 Super 2000 and its crews can’t wait to get going!