PROTON boss happy with Canarias progress

PROTON Motorsports head Chris Mellors says the Malaysian’s manufacturer’s challenge on Rally Islas Canarias El Corte Inglés is going according to plan with Giandomenico Basso on course for drivers’ points and the team set to pick up its first makes’ points of 2011.

Basso is ninth overall after six stages on his debut for the MEM-run squad. Although PG Andersson has been slowed by two punctures, Mellors is satisfied with the progress his team is making.

“We are where we hoped we would be, particularly with Giandomenico,” said the British team boss. “We’re changing the car all the time in what is effectively an extended test. It’s just a shame PG has lost out with the punctures.”

Andersson suffered a front-right puncture and a slow right-rear puncture on stage five. He stopped to change the deflated tyre in the stage but with no more spares he had to tackle stage six with a slow puncture, which caused him and co-driver Emil Axelsson considerable delay to the extent they are now 19th overall and more than six minutes off the lead.