Prodrive and Sordo hoping for better luck next time

Prodrive WRC Team boss Dave Wilcock and Dani Sordo are already looking ahead to their remaining appearances in the FIA World Rally Championship this season after their ADAC Rallye Deutschland outing didn’t go entirely to plan.

Sordo arrived in Germany on the back of four days of testing and with hopes of a podium finish at the wheel of his MINI John Cooper Works WRC. Instead, a puncture and an accident left the former Junior world champion languishing in ninth place at the finish in Trier on Sunday afternoon.

“We came here believing we had the pace to get a podium and by Friday evening and Saturday morning we were demonstrating that,” said Wilcock. “However, everything changed on Panzerplatte with the unlucky tyre deflation then Dani’s off, and after that it was damage limitation.

“While I am clearly very disappointed with the result, I am pleased with the pace we have shown. We can now focus on preparing for France in six weeks comfortable in the knowledge that we continue to have the pace to compete at the front.”

Spaniard Sordo added: “I am very disappointed, because we were going so well before the puncture and after that we were in sixth and didn’t really have anything to fight for. The car was good and I think we can improve the car further and with more luck get a much better result in France. France and Spain are really good rallies for me and for the car. We can do a good job on both.”