After Thursday evening's ceremonial start in the historic city of Guanajuato, the proper competitive action of Corona Rally Mexico kicks off on Friday, when crews face 137.24 competitive kilometres arranged over nine special stages.
Cars will leave the Poliforum Service Park in Leon from 0700hrs to tackle a loop of three consecutive stages in the countryside east of the city. The morning loop ends back at the Poliforum with the short Coca-Cola Street Stage and a 30-minute midday service.
In the afternoon crews will repeat the three countryside stages, then make two passes of the Super Special Stage in the Leon Autodrome.
SS1/SS5 Alfaro (22.96km)
In general, Friday's stages are wider and more flowing than the ones on Saturday and Sunday and the opening test of the rally, Alfaro, is typical. The first 15 kilometres are really quick, wide, and on a road with a very good surface. In previous years this stage has been rocky, but this time organisers have run a grader though to make it a good deal smoother. There's still a lot of gravel around, but in places Alfaro resembles a stage from Rally Finland - just without the jumps. There's a character change for the last five kilometres, however, when the road becomes twistier.
SS2/SS6 Ortega (23.83km)
Even though Mexico is a rough gravel rally, this is quite a high-speed stage and one which is notoriously tough on brakes. It's caused a lot of problems in the past. Like Alfaro, Ortega has been graded this year and it's got faster as some of the narrow sections have been made wider. Some of the smaller corners have been straightened out altogether. It starts very fast for about 10km with lots of long crests across the top of the mountains. From there the road climbs for six kilometres straight, eventually levelling off at 2,737 metres - the highest point of the rally. Engines lose around 30 per cent of their power in the thin air at this altitude, and this is where the drivers will really feel it. The road stays more or less at the same altitude for about five kilometres and goes over some big dips, jumps and a river crossing until turning right at a narrow junction. After this point it is downhill and fast all the way to the finish. There are some very nice long corners in the closing kilometres but lots of concrete culverts to avoid too.
SS3/SS7 El Cubilete (18.87km)
El Cubilete is possibly the widest stage of the event and one of the fastest. It's practically fifth and sixth gear all the way through. Of course there are corners, but because the road is so wide, drivers will carry a lot of speed through them. The road changes character 5km near the finish, however, and the very final part is narrower very twisty with hairpins and some rocks and very big drop-offs on one side of the road. Drivers will have to be careful here because it's very easy to break the car.
SS4 Coca-Cola Street Stage (1.50km)
First used in 2008, when the rally wasn't included in the WRC, the street stage is like a mini super special built within sight of the Service Park. Tackled one car at a time, the asphalt stage is laid out in a huge park. It starts off with a few flat out corners, then turns into a succession of hairpins and 90 degree corners. It'll be over in a flash, but should be good to watch.
SS8/SS9 Super Special (2.2km each pass)
Many Super Specials sacrifice outright speed for technical sections, but this one is different; based in a motor racing complex on the outskirts of Leon it is wide with has a good high speed section as well as the normal tight and twisty stuff. Two at a time, drivers will tackle two jumps, two water splashes and a road surface which is a mix of gravel and asphalt. It's great fun to drive and should be good for the spectators, too.
Source: WRC
Cars will leave the Poliforum Service Park in Leon from 0700hrs to tackle a loop of three consecutive stages in the countryside east of the city. The morning loop ends back at the Poliforum with the short Coca-Cola Street Stage and a 30-minute midday service.
In the afternoon crews will repeat the three countryside stages, then make two passes of the Super Special Stage in the Leon Autodrome.
SS1/SS5 Alfaro (22.96km)
In general, Friday's stages are wider and more flowing than the ones on Saturday and Sunday and the opening test of the rally, Alfaro, is typical. The first 15 kilometres are really quick, wide, and on a road with a very good surface. In previous years this stage has been rocky, but this time organisers have run a grader though to make it a good deal smoother. There's still a lot of gravel around, but in places Alfaro resembles a stage from Rally Finland - just without the jumps. There's a character change for the last five kilometres, however, when the road becomes twistier.
SS2/SS6 Ortega (23.83km)
Even though Mexico is a rough gravel rally, this is quite a high-speed stage and one which is notoriously tough on brakes. It's caused a lot of problems in the past. Like Alfaro, Ortega has been graded this year and it's got faster as some of the narrow sections have been made wider. Some of the smaller corners have been straightened out altogether. It starts very fast for about 10km with lots of long crests across the top of the mountains. From there the road climbs for six kilometres straight, eventually levelling off at 2,737 metres - the highest point of the rally. Engines lose around 30 per cent of their power in the thin air at this altitude, and this is where the drivers will really feel it. The road stays more or less at the same altitude for about five kilometres and goes over some big dips, jumps and a river crossing until turning right at a narrow junction. After this point it is downhill and fast all the way to the finish. There are some very nice long corners in the closing kilometres but lots of concrete culverts to avoid too.
SS3/SS7 El Cubilete (18.87km)
El Cubilete is possibly the widest stage of the event and one of the fastest. It's practically fifth and sixth gear all the way through. Of course there are corners, but because the road is so wide, drivers will carry a lot of speed through them. The road changes character 5km near the finish, however, and the very final part is narrower very twisty with hairpins and some rocks and very big drop-offs on one side of the road. Drivers will have to be careful here because it's very easy to break the car.
SS4 Coca-Cola Street Stage (1.50km)
First used in 2008, when the rally wasn't included in the WRC, the street stage is like a mini super special built within sight of the Service Park. Tackled one car at a time, the asphalt stage is laid out in a huge park. It starts off with a few flat out corners, then turns into a succession of hairpins and 90 degree corners. It'll be over in a flash, but should be good to watch.
SS8/SS9 Super Special (2.2km each pass)
Many Super Specials sacrifice outright speed for technical sections, but this one is different; based in a motor racing complex on the outskirts of Leon it is wide with has a good high speed section as well as the normal tight and twisty stuff. Two at a time, drivers will tackle two jumps, two water splashes and a road surface which is a mix of gravel and asphalt. It's great fun to drive and should be good for the spectators, too.
Source: WRC
