PARIS - Of all World Championship rounds, the Safari Rally and its uncompromising route demands the biggest single effort as far as car preparation is concerned. Mario Fornaris, the engineer in charge of Peugeot Sport's test and development team in the build up to this highly specific event, talks about the detailed work that has gone into the programme.

Q/ The Safari Rally is unique. How did you set about preparing for the 2001 event?

A/ Our preparations for this year's Safari began in October 2000 with a fortnight's test session that enabled us to lay the foundations for the rest of the programme. It was clear that we had to develop a totally specific car for this event. Over the winter, parallel to the development of the 2001 version of the 206 WRC, we worked on the Kenya-spec car that would eventually include all the features of the latest evolution car while at the same time adapting it to the Safari's special difficulties.

We went back to Kenya in April for a further two weeks of testing with what was something of a hybrid car since it still had some 2000-spec parts. By this stage, we had reinforced the running gear, improved the shock absorbing and optimised a number of finer points and the car proved much more reliable than last year's. It was also at this time that we validated the transmission and gearbox for this year's Safari.

On our return to France, we put the lessons learnt to another test with a 206 WRC in full 2001 configuration over the toughest loops at Chateau de Lastours in the middle of June. I think we can be satisfied with the overall robustness of the cars although some last-minute modifications are likely to be made after validation in a final test session organised on-site during the week prior to the start. In total, we will have covered between five and six thousand kilometres upstream of the event, plus close to three months of work in the drawing office. That's a lot more than for a classic rally.

Q/ What improvements built into the 2001 evolution car promise to be the most valuable in Kenya?

A/ First of all, the progress made in pure performance terms will be very useful on the Safari where you're often flat out for kilometres at a time. On top of that, the weight savings that have been made will also be important. The Safari car is heavier through fact that you're carrying two spare wheels and extra replacement parts on board, not to mention the overall strengthening of the car. To compensate, we have attempted to shave weight off certain accessories where the car's basic reliability is not compromised.

Q/ How useful are the aerodynamic and cooling improvements to the 2001-specification car likely to be?

A/ Their role will not be so critical. The aerodynamic changes are more to do with the internal cooling airflow than the car's actual drag coefficient. The high speeds you run at in Kenya also contribute to improved engine cooling. The mechanics tend to suffer most from the heat on twisty rallies like Cyprus. The image many people have of the Safari is one of water-crossings and cars picking their way around rocks, sometimes at a snail's pace. Yet this is one of the rallies where engines run the most often at full throttle and the top speeds exceed 200 kph.

Q/ What are the main difficulties that the Safari throws at cars that have been duly strengthened?

A/ In order to comply with the modern format of World Championship rallies, the Safari is much shorter than it used to be. Even so, it is still a terribly punishing event because the pace is so incredibly fast today even though the terrain itself is as uncompromising as it has always been. Total distance is longer than that of a classic rally and you get competitive sections of more than 100 kilometres on roads that aren't always closed to traffic. It's almost like putting the cars through an accelerated ageing test. Drivers coming across unmarked hazards at speed are always going to be tough on suspensions. They cannot steer clear of all the hazards all the time. So, even if it means sacrificing performance to an extent, you tend to err on the side of safety when it comes to setting up the car to soak up all the obstacles. The priority is to be able to dissipate a significant proportion of the energy when you hit something. In Kenya, parts sometimes fail not because they receive just one knock. It's almost as though they are progressively eroded away by thousands of successive knocks. This is why we pay special attention to reinforcing the suspension.

Q/ The electronics of today's generation of World Rally Cars must also come under fire in Kenya…

A/ All the electronic components effectively suffer from the heat and vibrations and we use a specific cooling system for the control units. On a classic event, the trend is towards a single system that runs a number of different parameters. For the Safari, we have come up with a certain number of mechanical 'default modes' for the electronics and hydraulics to avoid seeing an isolated problem shut down a group of functions that could eventually spell retirement.

Q/ The role of tyres is also vital…

A/ Absolutely. The tyres are the ultimate fuses between the car and the track. Last year, we experienced a number of punctures because the ATS mousse system, which generally works very well, finds life more difficult with the speeds, heat and stage distances you get in Kenya. We have worked enormously with Michelin's technicians, and notably Jacky Pageot. Their close collaboration has been indispensable. Given the huge constraints tyres have to work under today, another one of our roles is to produce a suspension that reduces the suffering tyres undergo. Once again, this work is perhaps detrimental to overall performance and ride comfort for the drivers – who must also show mechanical sympathy and think ahead – but it's work that can pay over the full distance of the rally.

Q/ To conclude, what is the ideal Safari car?

A/ We don't have it any more than our rivals do. The WRC regulations prevent us from making sufficient in-depth changes to our existing car to turn it into a machine that is indestructible. It's a compromise situation. Our Safari car is based on the WRC car, which is in turn, derived form the production 206. That's what makes this such a tough challenge but it also underlines the merit of the manufacturer when you are successful.