The JK Tyres supported Ford Fiesta of Gaurav Gill and Glenn Macneall had a challenging entry into the World Rally Championship in Turkey last weekend.
This was the first time that the Indian star had driven an R5 car since Rally Australia last November, and the first WRC event with new partner JK Tyres.
In the lead up to Rally Turkey, the boat bringing the brand-new M-Sport built Ford Fiesta MkII was late arriving, meaning Gill and Macneall only got to complete 25km of testing.
The shakedown stage that followed enabled them to start getting to grips with the car, and also gave them a good indication on how rough the rally was going to be, with huge rocks punishing the cars.
On Friday the pair made a good start, but punctured a tyre at the end of SS2. This was followed by another flat on stage three, which required them to stop and change it mid-stage.
Dust was a constant hazard on Rally Turkey's rugged stages.
In the meantime, Gill was trying to find a good balance with the new car and making changes on each stage. The engine in the new car was proving to be very responsive.
"Then 4km into the first stage after lunch on Friday, we broke a rose joint on one of the suspension arms," Australian co-driver, Glenn Macneall, explained.
"It happened whilst braking on a straight. No other damage, simple fix, but we didn’t have a spare in the car. The boys brought a spare out, changed it and we drove back to service."
Continuing on day two, the pair were starting to build up speed, but on the first stage after lunch they had a rear suspension damper fail.
There was no obvious damage to the car, but the damper had failed and they were forced to just cruise through the remaining stages of day two.
The M-Sport team were kept busy keeping the JK Tyres entry on the stages.
"On Sunday we played a bit more with the set-up on the first two stages and had some good speed," Macneall added.
"Unfortunately, toward the end of the second stage, fourth gear started to become hard to select. We eventually we lost it all together with a few corners of the stage to go.
"The engineers advised us to carry on using just first, second and third gears, but unfortunately the gearbox locked up 4km into the penultimate stage.
"All in all a pretty frustrating week, but there were still plenty of positives to take away and the new car has good potential,' Macneall said.
Gill and Macneall will next appear on the World Rally Championship in three weeks time, at Wales Rally GB on the first weekend in October.
SUBSCRIBE BELOW TO READ THE FULL STORY
RallySport Magazine Subscription
Select Subscription Level
Select Subscription Length
Recurring Subscription Cost
A subscription to RallySport Magazine give you access to all our rally
content from Australia, New Zealand and around the world – with news,
features and experiences nobody can match.
Our team are dedicated to providing an unrivalled experience which
shares, supports and promotes the sport of rallying.
By clicking "Subscribe Now" you agree to receive news, offers and updates on RallySport Magazine.
If you do not wish to receive marketing communications, you can update your preferences in My Account.
We will commence charging your payment method after the 7 day free trial expires.
If you cancel after expiry of your trial, cancellation will take effect from the end of your current monthly subscription period.
You will not be refunded any fees paid to RallySport Magazine unless otherwise set out in the terms and conditions.
Account Created!
Welcome to RallySport Magazine VIP Membership.
Get ready for your rally news experience to completely transform.
Start browsing news, exclusive VIP content or check out your account.
