Robert Kubica fastest in Tour de Corse WRC shakedown
Robert Kubica set the pace at Thursday's Tour de Corse shakedown stage in damp conditions, ahead of an event where drivers are expecting tricky conditions
Overnight rain is expected to continue into the opening day of competition, with some predicting as much as 200mm in the area of the stages.
"With these tyres, if the really heavy rain does come then it will be a big challenge just to stay on the road," said Kubica, who runs Pirelli tyres that are traditionally strong in the wet.
"It's so easy to start aquaplaning with the car and then you have no control.
"This rally and tomorrow especially will be a big challenge."
Kubica skipped the last round of the WRC in Australia to focus on his preparations for Corsica.
"We did a test out here two weeks ago," he said, "that went well and then we did another small test in Italy before we came out here this week.
"But those tests were in completely different conditions. The stages here are so demanding - and then we have the weather..."
"You need confidence on this rally, but it might be hard to find the confidence tomorrow."
Citroen's Kris Meeke was second quickest - eight tenths of a second behind Kubica - and the Dungannon man admitted all eyes were on the sky.
"When you're looking at that sort of [heavy] rain, you have to be thinking about landslips and that kind of thing," said Meeke.
"Obviously, it's going to be so hard on this tyre, a new tyre that none of us have any experience of.
"If the rain comes, it'll be about surviving the conditions. It'll be a huge challenge."
Jari-Matti Latvala was third fastest at shakedown, 1.3s down on Kubica, but leading the Volkswagen charge.
Newly crowned world champion Sebastien Ogier was just 0.3s behind his Finnish team-mate.
Dani Sordo was the first of the four Hyundais, fifth quickest on the 2.41-mile shakedown stage near to Corte.
M-Sport World Rally Team drivers Elfyn Evans and Ott Tanak - both competing on Corsica for the first time - were 10th and 13th fastest respectively in their Ford Fiesta RS WRCs.
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