Exasperated by the constant gearshifting problem that is seriously affecting his speed, M-Sport driver Mads Ostberg has now clearly explained what is happening.
Mads Ostberg is suffering from continual downshifting problems in his Ford Fiesta RS WRC.“The challenge is the problem with downshifting. This affects the rhythm of my driving and the confidence in which I tackle the corners, whenever downshift is involved,” he explained.
“This must improve if our speed is to get better. The car does not always downshift the moment I tell it to. We have an electronically controlled hydraulic shifting system. All I have to do is push or pull a lever to downshift or upshift the gears.
“Every time the car does not downshift, there is a big risk of going off the road. It happens several times during each stage. I do not get any warning when it will not work. The looser the surface of the road, the greater is the problem.
“The better the grip from the road surface, like on the second passage through the stages in the afternoons, the less the problem. Running early on the road on dry gravel stages makes the issue worse. My problem is that we are still regularly picking up championship points.
“By regulations I had to drive no. 2 on the road in Argentina and much of the time also in Portugal. In Sardinia running no. 3 on the road will be better than two, but not enough that it will solve it.
“Comparisons with how my team mates are running when they are further down the running order has no value. Changing my driving techniques can help, the way I use the brake and throttle in combination with downshifts to balance the car, avoiding putting pressure on the gears when we shift. These are the solutions.
“Over many years in my career I have driven many cars with paddle shifts in the same way, without there being a problem. I'm going to work with the team to find a solution. If it does not come into place immediately, I must live with it, I just hope something is happening in the right direction.
“Until it is all resolved, we cannot have a realistic expectation of improving my pace while we are so high up in the championship.”
Note: Mads always drives the same World Rally Car on WRC events this year (chassis 50) as M-Sport does not have the chance to alternate which cars their drivers will use from event to event, which is what the rival Volkswagen and Hyundai teams do.
Restrictions on the use of registered championship cars and components limits the chance for testing the actual championship cars between events.
Mads is not alone in suffering from running order rules. The World Champion, Sebastien Ogier, suffers this to an even greater degree, but happily without the added problems suffered by Mads.
- Martin Holmes
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