Former Peugeot asphalt specialist Gilles Panizzi says that the all-new 2004-spec Mitsubishi Lancer WRC is much better than the legendary 206 WRC was in its early stages of development.
Former Peugeot asphalt specialist Gilles Panizzi says that the all-new 2004-spec Mitsubishi Lancer WRC is much better than the legendary 206 WRC was in its early stages of development.
The Frenchman recently tested the new car for two days over the Sweet Lamb complex in Wales, as Mitsubishi prepares for its fully-fledged WRC comeback next year.
“I cannot compare the Peugeot as it is now with the Mitsubishi, but if I think back to how the Peugeot was when it was totally new, this is better,” said Panizzi.
“We’ve done two days of running and some small things have broken, but nothing serious. When the Peugeot was new, we were breaking things all the time.
“Straight away I had a good feeling when I drove the Lancer. It felt very balanced and extremely easy to drive. I didn’t have to fight the car at all. It’s difficult to say what the real performance is, because this car is still very new and we were using the wrong shock absorbers.
“But I feel very optimistic. On some cars, using the wrong shock absorbers would make the car undriveable. With this car, you just get in and drive,” he added.
“Mitsubishi’s newly-appointed technical chief, Mario Fornaris, led the design of the new car during the manufacturer’s sabbatical year. The machine, which has very little in common with the last Lancer WRC, features improved aerodynamics, cooling and weight distribution, and also features a new drivetrain system.
