It’s the perennial Thursday night Rally México question: to Guanajuato or not to Guanajuato?
Tonight, no Guanajuato. Instead, I’m going to write lots of words questioning how this rally goes ahead when the one some way south of here and seven weeks on has been cancelled. Rally Argentina’s demise was the talk of the Rally México service park as the start of round three neared.
But in the end, I couldn’t help myself. Guanajuato and its magic was calling. Argentina and the virus can wait.
I know the ceremonial start of this event has been talked about until the cows haven’t just come home, but they’ve come home and gone to bed, but it’s worth it. It’s so worth it. Standing in the square waiting for the first car, with a quite breathtaking light show beamed onto the surrounding buildings, the sky illuminated with fireworks and the much of Mexico vibrating to a not-too bad choice of tunes, the rest of the world and its woes could, for now, go figure.
Chile did a fine job with its ceremonial start last season and we all thought maybe Concepción had provided a new benchmark. Nah. The atmosphere and the ceremony of Guanajuato really is second to none. The fact the cars arrive for a quick chat before heading off the line into SS1, through a hairpin left and down into the tunnels with thousands upon thousands of fans going completely mental is something so special.
It was great to see Oliver Solberg is clearly a chip off the old block, hanging out of his Volkswagen Polo R5 on the way up through the narrow city streets, waving and cheering along with the locals. The cheer when the Solberg name went out was second only to the noise for the 18-year-old’s fellow Monster Energy driver Ken Block.
Unfortunately for Block, his opportunity to show what 1990s power and glory was all about was spiked by a misfire aboard the iconic Ford. But the good people of Guanajuato didn’t mind.
The world had, for the 17th year in succession, come to their backyard and they were putting on the perfect backdrop for the season’s most sensational start.
If there was one point to raise, it’s the mariachi bands. Quite noisy. Strictly necessary? I’m not so sure.
Otherwise… same time, same place next season.
