Proton picks up first IRC points in Spain

18 April 2011 - Proton's progress in the motor sports scene continues apace having just picked up its first points of the 2011 Intercontinental Rally Challenge (IRC) at the Rally Islas Canarias El Corte Inglés in Spain. Italian driver Giandomenico Basso finished ninth in the Rally Islas Canarias El Corte Inglés in Spain, the second round of IRC 2011. The rally was won by Skoda’s Juha Hanninen ahead of teammate Jan Kopecky and the Peugeot of Thierry Neuville in third.

“It is a positive result to start with the new team…I think we did a good job and now that the event is over, we will be discussing what further improvements we can make to the car with as there is still a long way to go in the championship,” said Basso.

Meanwhile, Basso's teammate PG Andersson had a less memorable rally to reflect upon. Andersson's Neo S2000 endured two punctures and finished 16th as a result. He was able to swap his tyres for the first puncture, but without a second spare, the Swede simply had to limp through Special Stage 6, costing him over six minutes in time.

The rally's 12 special stages were contested over undulating asphalt on the small Spanish island just 100km off the coast of Africa. Results of this rally places Proton fourth in the IRC championship point standings after two rounds behind leaders Skoda and Peugeot, and just two points adrift of Subaru currently in third place.

Reflecting on the results of the rally, Proton Holdings Berhad Group Managing Director Dato’ Sri Haji Syed Zainal Abidin Syed Mohamed Tahir said, “While the Satria Neo S2000 has benefitted from a number of enhancements, we arrived at the rally fully realizing that the competition will be extremely stiff. A top 10 finish and securing 16 championship points is nevertheless encouraging, proving that we are progressively moving forward and getting more competitive. Above all, it tells us how much more is required.”

Pictures: Official Proton release.