The storm was different this year / a record number of participants ...over a 120 vehicles...a whole lot of new safety features... and stages that went on and on not forgetting the laison sections, which were rather tight as well. The stages could not be called car breakers per se, in fact the terrain was rather smooth and flowing but yet the attrition rate was phenomenal, the highest in any storm till date. So what was the one major cause of all this mayhem in the start grid. The scale and the pressure !
While no stage could be classified as rough or rocky, which are the major cause of car faliure, there were long and ardous . The concentration levels required to do 100 km stages at 10/10ths was something found missing. The vehicles too couldn't keep up with the pressure imposed by long high speed competitives and tight transports with very little rest time for both man and machine. The sustained beating inflicted on the man machine combination started to take its toll and competitors started to tumble like king pins.
Also contributing to this situation was the level of car preparation seen on the grid. Poorly prepared vehicles suffered and could not keep up with the harsh terrain and the searing temperatures.
Pre event preparation from the navigators end was also found to be wanting. Even with GPS tracks in hand and multiple navigational aids the competitors were found to be wandering without a clue on where to go in the stage.
The smart participant should treat the above as learnings for next year. The vehicles have to be prepared to 200% and that too much in advance so as to be able to test them comprehensively. The driver navigator teams should be formed much in advance to get fimiliar with each other and the job ahead. Working towards improving personal fitness levels will also go a long way towards a better performance in the rally . Getting fimiliar with the leg maps and understanding stage layouts vis a vis major landmarks in and around the area also help in getting you back on the track if you have been unfortunate enough to stray off. Fimiliarity with the GPS unit is imperative and understanding zoom levels and the behaviour of the unit in relation to the indicating icon while stopping or slowing down should be studied to avoid confusion during the event. The point being that when you stop or crawl the icon has a tendency to rotate and give out an ambiguous reading which can be confusing when pressures are high .Reading the regulations comprehensively is a must because it gives you a better insight into the event. Lastly, always working towards displaying sportsman spirit while competing is mandatory....after all it is a game.
