Apple reports 2023Q1 results, Cook says supply problems resolved

HONG KONG, Feb 14, 2023 - (ACN Newswire via SEAPRWire.com) - Earlier this month, Apple Inc. (AAPL) released earnings for first quarter that decreased from the same period last year and missed Wall Street expectations driven by a combination of a stronger US dollar, global economic malaise, and more strife at its China factories. The Revenue for the quarter fell 5.49% to US$117.15 billion from US$123.95 billion last year, earnings US$1.88 per share, below the US$1.94 expected by market analysts. Although this is the first revenue decline since 2019, there are also bright spots in Apple's financial results. On a geographic basis, the revenue in Greater China increased 54.5% from the same period last year to US$23.905 billion, due to the strong sales of new models launched in late September. Apple was the only major smartphone vendor to record month-to-month growth in October, accounting for 25% of the Chinese market, according to Counterpoint Research. With the end of zero-COVID policy, China's consumer confidence is gradually recovering.It was reported that Apple sold 26.09 million units of the iPhone 14 series in the first two months after its release. Most of the smartphones are produced in Foxconn's Zhengzhou factory, Shenzhen factory, Luxshare's Kunshan factory and Pegatron's Shanghai factory. Financial Times reported last month that Luxshare was set to secure Apple's first large order for the high-end iPhone, according to people familiar with the matter. In addition, Luxshare has already been producing small amounts of the iPhone 14 Pro Max since November 2022.Apple supplier Luxshare Precision released its preliminary 2022 annual results in October last year, noting that its net profit is expected to reach RMB9.55 to RMB9.89 billion, increasing 35%-40% yoy; the net profit attributable to shareholders of the listed company after the one-off gain amounted is expected to reach RMB9.13-9.61 billion, growing 53.26%-59.80% yoy.Luxshare Precision's nearly RMB10 billion profit reflects its excellent precision manufacturing capabilities, and considerable insight and forward-looking business presence. It has extended metaverse (AR, VR, and MR), automotive, and communications segments, besides consumer electronics. Another Apple supplier, Shenzhen Everwin Precision Technology, also released its preliminary 2022 annual results last month, expecting its net profit in 2022 to turn a year-on-year profit. Everwin denoted that its new energy segment has grown rapidly and has become a critical point of growth. In addition, more and more Chinese Apple suppliers are seeking diversified development, such as Goertek's VR segment and Wingtech Technology's semiconductor segment.Apple CEO Tim Cook said it has resolved many of those supply problems for now and that there are currently 2 billion active Apple devices in users' hands worldwide. "We believe the long-term positives outweigh the short-term negatives," Morgan Stanley's Erik Woodring thought.Looking forward, CICC issued a research report stating that recovery will become the theme of the consumer electronics industry. It is also believed that those consumer electronics companies will recover rapidly and regain their high-speed growth in 2023 because of global economic recovery and their diversification strategies. Copyright 2023 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. (via SEAPRWire)
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Apple reports 2023Q1 results, Cook says supply problems has resolved

HONG KONG, Feb 14, 2023 - (ACN Newswire via SEAPRWire.com) - Earlier this month, Apple Inc. (AAPL) released earnings for first quarter that decreased from the same period last year and missed Wall Street expectations driven by a combination of a stronger US dollar, global economic malaise, and more strife at its China factories. The Revenue for the quarter fell 5.49% to US$117.15 billion from US$123.95 billion last year, earnings US$1.88 per share, below the US$1.94 expected by market analysts. Although this is the first revenue decline since 2019, there are also bright spots in Apple's financial results. On a geographic basis, the revenue in Greater China increased 54.5% from the same period last year to US$23.905 billion, due to the strong sales of new models launched in late September. Apple was the only major smartphone vendor to record month-to-month growth in October, accounting for 25% of the Chinese market, according to Counterpoint Research. With the end of zero-COVID policy, China's consumer confidence is gradually recovering.It was reported that Apple sold 26.09 million units of the iPhone 14 series in the first two months after its release. Most of the smartphones are produced in Foxconn's Zhengzhou factory, Shenzhen factory, Luxshare's Kunshan factory and Pegatron's Shanghai factory. Financial Times reported last month that Luxshare was set to secure Apple's first large order for the high-end iPhone, according to people familiar with the matter. In addition, Luxshare has already been producing small amounts of the iPhone 14 Pro Max since November 2022.Apple supplier Luxshare Precision released its preliminary 2022 annual results in October last year, noting that its net profit is expected to reach RMB9.55 to RMB9.89 billion, increasing 35%-40% yoy; the net profit attributable to shareholders of the listed company after the one-off gain amounted is expected to reach RMB9.13-9.61 billion, growing 53.26%-59.80% yoy.Luxshare Precision's nearly RMB10 billion profit reflects its excellent precision manufacturing capabilities, and considerable insight and forward-looking business presence. It has extended metaverse (AR, VR, and MR), automotive, and communications segments, besides consumer electronics. Another Apple supplier, Shenzhen Everwin Precision Technology, also released its preliminary 2022 annual results last month, expecting its net profit in 2022 to turn a year-on-year profit. Everwin denoted that its new energy segment has grown rapidly and has become a critical point of growth. In addition, more and more Chinese Apple suppliers are seeking diversified development, such as Goertek's VR segment and Wingtech Technology's semiconductor segment.Apple CEO Tim Cook said it has resolved many of those supply problems for now and that there are currently 2 billion active Apple devices in users' hands worldwide. "We believe the long-term positives outweigh the short-term negatives," Morgan Stanley's Erik Woodring thought.Looking forward, CICC issued a research report stating that recovery will become the theme of the consumer electronics industry. It is also believed that those consumer electronics companies will recover rapidly and regain their high-speed growth in 2023 because of global economic recovery and their diversification strategies. Copyright 2023 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. (via SEAPRWire)
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TOYOTA GAZOO Racing in search of more Swedish snow success JCN Newswire

TOYOTA GAZOO Racing in search of more Swedish snow success

Toyota City, Japan, Feb 3, 2023 - (JCN Newswire via SEAPRWire.com) - Sweden was the scene of TGR-WRT's first victory in 2017 when Jari-Matti Latvala - now Team Principal - claimed a shock win in only the team's second event. Since then the team has taken three further wins in the rally's last three editions, including the first victory for the GR YARIS Rally1 HYBRID one year ago in the hands of Kalle Rovanpera.2023 GR YARIS Rally1 HYBRIDThat result kick-started Rovanpera's run to his first drivers' championship, and the Finn will again arrive in Sweden this year effectively leading the race for the title. Last month he completed a one-two finish for TGR-WRT on the season-opening Rallye Monte-Carlo behind Sebastien Ogier -- who heads the standings but does not include Sweden in his part-season programme.Takamoto Katsuta therefore steps up to be part of the main three-car line-up for the first time, alongside Rovanpera and Elfyn Evans -- who won in Sweden in 2020. Having often rallied on snow and ice in Finland as part of his training through the TGR WRC Challenge Program, Japanese driver Katsuta also has a strong record in Sweden, taking a breakthrough WRC2 win there in 2018 and finishing fourth overall last year.TGR-WRT will still have four cars in action in the top category in Sweden, as Italy's Lorenzo Bertelli becomes the first customer driver to compete in the GR YARIS Rally1 HYBRID.Part of the inaugural WRC season 50 years ago, Rally Sweden is the only true winter round on the calendar. Last year it moved to a new home in Umea: the largest city in northern Sweden and closer to the Arctic Circle than it is to the country's capital of Stockholm. As well as providing a greater guarantee of the extreme conditions the rally is known for, the move also brought even quicker roads. Special studded tyres bite into the surface to provide impressive grip; helping make this one the fastest rallies of the year with drivers 'leaning' their cars on snow banks by the sides of the road to carry more speed through corners.The rally will begin on Thursday evening with a short 'sprint' stage in Umea, which is run again on Friday following two loops of three stages: Brattby and Sarsjoliden to the west were driven on Saturday and Sunday respectively last year, while Botsmark to the north is new. Saturday's repeated loop of three stages begins with two new tests: Norrby and Floda, which is the most northerly stage of the rally and also the longest at 28.25 kilometres. A double-length version of the Umea stage rounds out the day, and will also serve as the rally-ending Power Stage on Sunday following two passes of another new test, Vastervik.For more information, visit https://toyotagazooracing.com/wrc/release/2023/rd02-preview/. Copyright 2023 JCN Newswire. All rights reserved. (via SEAPRWire)
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Trintech Celebrates the 10-Year Anniversary of Cadency(R) by Trintech ACN Newswire

Trintech Celebrates the 10-Year Anniversary of Cadency(R) by Trintech

DALLAS, TX, Nov 11, 2022 - (ACN Newswire via SEAPRWire.com) - "The Avengers(TM)" came together in 2012 and have defeated numerous villains over the last 10 years. Similarly, Trintech's finance and technology experts also came together in 2012 to launch Cadency(R) - the world's first end-to-end Record to Report SaaS solution transforming the way enterprise finance and accounting professionals around the world close their books. Since then, Trintech has been laser-focused on continuing to help the Superheroes of Finance and Accounting defeat manual work by standardizing, streamlining, and automating their financial close processes."The Office of the CFO has evolved considerably over the last ten years, with CFOs serving as key superheroes within their organizations. Today, we celebrate the 10-year anniversary of Cadency and the role it has played in helping global organizations vanquish compliance headaches, rescue un-reconciled balance sheets, and bring peace to the world of transaction matching," said Teresa Mackintosh, CEO of Trintech. "The last three years have asked even more from the Office of Finance, as the pandemic introduced new challenges and increased expectations to conquer. CFOs need to be more agile than ever before and have accurate and accessible data available at any given moment, making solutions like Cadency a must-have in their Superhero toolbelt."Over the last decade, Cadency(R) has helped organizations around the globe streamline and automate the entire Record to Report process in a standardized control framework. To celebrate the 10-year anniversary of the Cadency launch and the release of Cadency 10.3 this week, Trintech has put together a look at how the heroes of Marvel and the heroes of Finance and Accounting have tallied up some impressive stats over the last ten years:- Following the successful roll-out of Cadency, Serco now has a centralized global solution that provides greater insight into the total number of reconciliations performed as well as their timeliness and accuracy. Today, Serco is running 5,000 balance sheet reconciliations through Cadency on a monthly basis. In addition, they are auto-reconciling 15,000 accounts which has saved their team a total of 500 hours per month. That's enough time to watch the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe (3,831 minutes of film) over the course of eight months!- Over 10,000 crew members are listed in the credits of Avengers: Infinity War(TM). That's a huge number, but did you know that Boston Scientific Corporation currently has 29,000+ accounts housed within Cadency, with more than 4,400 of those accounts set to auto-reconcile each month? Additionally, BSC has experienced increased productivity and time savings, greater visibility and standardization across their balance sheet reconciliation and previously manual Journal Entry processes. The automation features inside Cadency have increased their efficiency, as well in areas such as SOX sampling and testing.- As the Avengers showed us, the best teams need to grow. While they started as a group of six superheroes in 2012, it took over 30 heroes to take down Thanos in Avengers: Endgame(TM). LKQ Corporation, a leading global distributor of vehicle parts and accessories, implemented Trintech's Cadency solution and successfully conducted 130 acquisitions from 2003-2019, growing 38 times their original size with no additional headcount increase to their F&A team. In addition, they were able to reduce their close to six and a half business days, reduce their cash specialist headcount by nearly 50%, and achieve nearly 90% auto-reconciliation.Looking to become the Superhero of your organization? Learn how Trintech can help. https://www.trintech.com/schedule-demo/About TrintechTrintech Inc., a pioneer of financial corporate performance management software, combines technical and financial expertise to create innovative, cloud-based software solutions that deliver world-class financial operations and insights. From high volume transaction matching and streamlining daily operational reconciliations, to automating and managing balance sheet reconciliations, intercompany accounting, journal entries, disclosure reporting and bank fee analysis, to governance, risk and compliance - Trintech's portfolio of financial solutions, including Cadency(R), Adra(R), and targeted tools, ReconNET(TM), T-Recs(R), and UPCS(R), help manage all aspects of the financial close process. Trintech's excellence in both innovation and client support have been recognized with a variety of awards over the years including most recently "Easiest to Do Business With" and "Fastest Implementation" in G2's Fall 2022 Report. Over 3,500 clients worldwide - including the majority of the Fortune 100 - rely on the company's cloud-based software to continuously improve the efficiency, reliability, and strategic insights of their financial operations.Headquartered in Dallas, Texas, Trintech has offices located across the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Singapore, France, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, and the Nordic countries, as well as strategic partners in South Africa, Latin America, and the Asia Pacific. To learn more about Trintech, visit www.trintech.com or connect with us on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.Media Contact:Kelli ShoevlinSr. Manager, Global Corporate Marketing & Communicationskelli.shoevlin@trintech.comSOURCE: Trintech, Inc. Copyright 2022 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. (via SEAPRWire)
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TOYOTA GAZOO Racing going for gold in Greece JCN Newswire

TOYOTA GAZOO Racing going for gold in Greece

TOKYO, Sep 2, 2022 - (JCN Newswire via SEAPRWire.com) - The TOYOTA GAZOO Racing World Rally Team aims to return to the top step of the podium on the legendary Acropolis Rally in Greece on September 8-11, round 10 of the 2022 FIA World Rally Championship.2022 GR YARIS Rally1 HYBRIDMap Acropolis Rally Greece 2022The Acropolis returned to the WRC calendar in 2021, having been an almost permanent fixture up until 2013 with a reputation for rocky mountain roads and high temperatures which combine to create a tough challenge for the cars, tyres and drivers.Kalle Rovanpera, who won the event at the first attempt last year, has a lead of 72 points with four rounds remaining and the possibility to write his name in history in Greece if he can finish the rally on the podium, depending on others' results.After finishing second last time out in Belgium, Elfyn Evans is third in the standings and one of those also still in contention for the drivers' title. Following two podiums in the last two rounds, Esapekka Lappi will contest the Acropolis for the first time since 2014, while Takamoto Katsuta will make his event debut with TGR WRT Next Generation.This year's rally begins with a Thursday night superspecial stage in the Athens Olympic Stadium, which previously hosted the WRC in 2005/06. From there crews head directly west to Loutraki, ready for two passes of the stage of the same name on Friday morning, sandwiching a single pass of the adjacent Harvati. The afternoon journey north to the service park in Lamia includes three more stages: a tyre-fitting zone separates the new Dafni and Livadia tests, which are followed by Bauxites. Saturday consists of two loops of three stages west of Lamia and almost half of the rally's competitive distance. Pyrgos is the longest stage of the weekend at 33.2 kilometres and precedes the returning Perivoli and famous Tarzan test. On Sunday, Elatia-Rengini separates two passes of Eleftherohori, the second forming the rally-ending Power Stage.Quotes:Jari-Matti Latvala (Team Principal)"After being very close to the victory in the last two rallies, we go to Greece really wanting to win, but we know that it won't be easy on such a tough event. The Acropolis is a legendary rally and it's great to have it back on the calendar since last year. We saw that the gravel roads there are generally not quite as rough as they were in the past. This means that, although reliability is still really important, we also need to have a strong level of performance. Kalle took a great victory last year in difficult conditions and rain which is of course not typical in Greece. Repeating that will be difficult now he is running first on the road, especially as most of Friday's stages are run only once, but Kalle has been handling this challenge very well so far this season. Elfyn and Esapekka have also been very strong recently and hopefully they can continue in a similar way in Greece."Elfyn Evans (Driver car 33)"I'm looking forward to the Acropolis Rally. After the high-speed nature of Estonia and Finland, Greece will offer a very different challenge for a gravel rally. Sardinia was the last rough gravel event we had in Europe and we had quite a good feeling with the car there and good speed, even though we didn't get the result at the end of the weekend. There are still things we can improve, and hopefully we can pick up where we left off and keep making steps forward in Greece. Most likely it will be a hot and tough rally like the Acropolis is known for, but we saw last year with the rain that we can't be completely certain about the weather."Kalle Rovanpera (Driver car 69)"Belgium was a difficult weekend for us, so in Greece we just need to get back at the level where we should be and try to have a good rally. The championship is never over until it's over so we can't think about it too much: We're just trying to get good points from each event and control what we can. Greece was a really nice rally for us last year but our chances this time will probably depend a lot on the weather. If it's going to be dry then I think it's going to be really tricky for us to open the road on Friday. If so, it probably won't be much easier for our rivals just behind us, and hopefully we can still make the best of the situation."Esapekka Lappi (Driver car 4)"In Greece we will be going to something that's quite unknown for me. I did the rally once before in 2014 when it was a round of the European championship, but half of it was on asphalt then, so there will be a lot that's new to discover. But I had also not been to Ypres for eight years and we finished on the podium there. So we will try and aim for something similar again this time. We had good speed and a good feeling on similarly rough gravel roads in Sardinia, and hopefully we can find that again in Greece."Please visit www.wrc.com for the latest. Copyright 2022 JCN Newswire. All rights reserved. (via SEAPRWire)
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Zijin Mining Announces 2022 Interim Results: Achieved 89.95% Increase in Net Profit Attributable to Owners ACN Newswire

Zijin Mining Announces 2022 Interim Results: Achieved 89.95% Increase in Net Profit Attributable to Owners

HONG KONG, Aug 16, 2022 - (ACN Newswire via SEAPRWire.com) - Zijin Mining Group Co., Ltd. (2899.HK; 601899:SH; "Zijin Mining" or "The Company") announced its interim results for the six months ended 30 June 2022 ("Reporting Period"). The Company realised RMB132.46 billion in operating income, up 20.57% year-on-year, while net profit attributable to owners surged to RMB12.63 billion, representing an increase of 89.95% compared with the same period last year. The profit increase was largely driven by the completion of major mine projects, including Serbia Zijin Mining, Kamoa Copper in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Julong Copper in China, which have commenced production and reached their designated production capacities on schedule. During the reporting period, the production volume of mine-produced copper and mine-produced gold amounted to 410,000 tonnes and 27 tonnes, representing an increase of approximately 70.47% and 22.79%, respectively. Zijin Mining 2022 Interim Results Highlights:For the six months ended 30 June 2022, the Group realised an operating income of RMB132.46 billion, representing an increase of 20.57% compared with the same period last year (same period last year: RMB109.86 billion).For the six months ended 30 June 2022, the Group realised a profit before tax of RMB18.57 billion, representing an increase of 61.90% compared with the same period last year (same period last year: RMB11.47 billion).For the six months ended 30 June 2022, the Group realised a net profit attributable to owners of the listed company of RMB12.63 billion, representing an increase of 89.95% compared with the same period last year (same period last year: RMB6.65 billion).As of 30 June 2022, the Group's total assets was RMB271.57 billion, representing an increase of 30.19% compared with the beginning of the year (beginning of the year: RMB208.60 billion).As of 30 June 2022, the Group's net assets attributable to owners of the listed company was RMB77.47 billion, representing an increase of 9.06% compared with the beginning of the year (beginning of the year: RMB71.03 billion).CHEN Jinghe, Chairman of Zijin Mining, commented, "Our strong performance in the first half of 2022 is attributable to the strengths of the Company's global growth strategy. By leveraging Zijin Mining's strong financial resources and track record of mining expertise, we will continue to seek opportunities and add to our global asset mix. As the world races towards a 'net-zero' transition, we have also allocated resources globally to increase our competitiveness in new energy minerals. Looking forward, Zijin Mining will continue to work closely with in-country local communities and government authorities to ensure our mission of 'Mining for a Better Society'."Heralding new energy minerals boomWith a 15% equity stake in the DRC Manono Lithium-tin project and the completed acquisition of Neo Lithium Corp and its flagship 3Q Lithium Project in Argentina, the Company has continued to prioritize new energy minerals such as copper, lithium and other metallic minerals. Zijin Mining currently owns over 10 million tonnes of lithium carbonate equivalent resources, with long-term development plans to boost annual production capabilities to over 150,000 tonnes per year, laying the foundation for becoming a leading lithium producer and meeting growing demand amid the global 'clean energy transition'.Construction at the 3Q Lithium Project has accelerated and first-stage trials of brine mining and solar evaporation have been concluded. Completion of the 3Q Project and commercial production is planned for the end of 2023. The Company has also accelerated the construction and development of the Lakkor Tso project and Xiangyuan project, with the Company having finalised a 70% acquisition of the former and is near completion on a 71% acquisition of the latter.Increased investment to tackle global climate change During the reporting period, the Company prioritized strict controls of pollution emissions. SO2 and NOx emissions intensity by revenue decreased by 25.59% and 4.22%, respectively. The Company's investment in environmental protection measures also continued to increase during the first half of 2022, amounting to RMB577 million, of which RMB271 million was used for ecological restoration, representing an increase of 67% compared with the same period last year. Zijin Mining's efforts at the Kamoa-Kakula Mining Complex in the DRC have also ensured the project is on track to become one of the world's 'greenest copper producers'. With RMB120 million already invested as of the end of 2021, the Company continues to enhance and invest in the rehabilitation of the Mwadingusha, Inga G25 and related networks to realise the overall electrification of the mining fleet, and further reduce the GHG emissions per tonne of copper produced from the project.During the reporting period, the Company obtained a 25.04% equity share in Fujian Longking Co., Ltd. (Longking) and secured controlling rights through corporate governance and other arrangements. Zijin Mining aims to leverage this new acquisition's leading environmental management service expertise to further minimize the Company's global carbon footprint; and promote Longking's strategic 'environmental protection + new energy' transformation to achieve greater industrial synergy.During the reporting period, the Company continued its biodiversity and restoration efforts, with a total area of restored vegetation amounting to 7.92 million m2, and over 839,000 trees planted. Mining for a Better SocietyAdhering to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, Zijin Mining remains steadfast in promoting its core value of 'Mining for a Better Society'. The Company's efforts have been widely applauded for its contributions to the social and economic development of local communities and host countries where projects are located. With global operations, the Company has continued to deliver on its social development and responsibility commitments, including the USD4.4 million development plan for the Musonoie community in the DRC and support of the 'Sustainable Livelihoods Program' at the Kamoa-Kakula Mining Complex providing approximately 12,000 community members with clean water. Zijin Mining also supports the coffee growers of Western Antioquia, Colombia, through training, construction of infrastructure and maintenance of coffee plantations, helping coffee-growing families increase their scale and ability in 'going abroad'. In Serbia, the Company also maintains investments for environmental protection and community support, amounting to over USD200 million since 2018. During the reporting period, the Company also launched the 'For a Better Future Program' to support local Serbian students, by offering scholarships and providing school supplies.ZOU Laichang, President of Zijin Mining and Director of the ESG Management Committee, commented, "We have made significant steps towards our goal of 'Mining for a Better Society' as Zijin Mining strives for even higher-quality sustainable development. The Company actively promotes local industries, local employment and local procurement policies across our global network, aiming to contribute to global economic growth and supporting the betterment of all people in all countries."* USD1 = RMB6.7423 Copyright 2022 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. (via SEAPRWire)
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TOYOTA GAZOO Racing into Africa to defend Safari crown JCN Newswire

TOYOTA GAZOO Racing into Africa to defend Safari crown

TOKYO, Jun 17, 2022 - (JCN Newswire via SEAPRWire.com) - The TOYOTA GAZOO Racing World Rally Team heads to Safari Rally Kenya on June 23-26 with the goal of defending its crown on the iconic African event.2022 GR YARIS Rally1The Safari made a long-awaited comeback to the FIA World Rally Championship calendar in 2021 when Sebastien Ogier led a one-two finish for TOYOTA GAZOO Racing. Ogier is making Kenya his third WRC appearance of the 2022 season as the team targets a 10th victory on the event for the Japanese marque.The team's first priority is to return to the podium after a challenging previous round in Sardinia, although Kalle Rovanpera still left the Italian island having increased his drivers' championship lead to 55 points. Both Rovanpera and Elfyn Evans will be motivated for the trip to Kenya after experiencing its pitfalls on their debuts there last year. Takamoto Katsuta, on the other hand, travels back to the scene of his maiden podium finish (after finishing second to Ogier one year ago) as he looks to continue his 2022 scoring streak for TGR WRT Next Generation.Having previously featured incredibly long stages on roads that were still open to the public, today's Safari Rally runs to a format similar to other modern WRC rounds. Still, the drivers and cars face incredibly demanding gravel roads with some very rough and rocky sections, while the weather has the potential to dramatically change the conditions in a very short space of time.Shakedown takes place on Wednesday before the rally begins on Thursday lunchtime from capital city Nairobi, with the nearby Kasarani super special kicking off the competitive action. The rest of the weekend is centred around the service park on the shores of Lake Naivasha, around 100 kilometres to the north-west. Friday's repeated loop of three stages around the lake includes a brand new test, Geothermal, as well as the weekend's longest: the 31.25 kilometres of Kedong. Saturday takes place further north close to Lake Elmenteita with two passes of three familiar stages from 2021, although Soysambu has been extended and Elmenteita itself will be run in the opposite direction to before. A trio of stages south of Naivasha are all run twice to form Sunday's final day, including the new Narasha test and Hell's Gate, which hosts the rally-ending Power Stage.Quotes:Jari-Matti Latvala (Team Principal)"It was exciting to have the Safari Rally back on the calendar last year and even though the rally is very different to before, the spirit of the event is the same: it's more about endurance than outright speed. At one stage it looked like it would be difficult for us to even be on the podium and in the end we finished one-two. So again this year we need to be prepared for anything to happen, and it will be another big test for the Rally1 cars. The conditions can look good during reconnaissance and then turn out to be very demanding in the rally. It's not rough all of the time but you can get quite a lot of big ruts with many really soft and sandy places. But all four of our drivers can count on the experience they gained last year and have some idea of what to expect."Sebastien Ogier (Driver car 1)"I'm looking forward to returning to Kenya. Last year we had a really nice welcome and a great atmosphere. It was something special and different to what we are used to. To win was the cherry on the cake and it will be great to try to repeat that this year with a bit of knowledge of what to expect from the stages. We saw that it can be a very tough rally; I think nearly everybody had an issue at some point and we came back from over two minutes down to win. So it's definitely a rally where you have to never give up, and this year with the cars still being so new, we might have to be even more clever than before."Elfyn Evans (Driver car 33)"Even though we have experience from last year, it's always difficult to know exactly what we're going to face on an event like the Safari Rally. There's always an element of the unknown, and we saw last year that the conditions can change massively from one area to the next. Some sections can be very soft sand, some parts are much more hard-packed, and in other places it's very rough. It's a big challenge for the drivers, for the cars and for the engineers as well. I've had a good feeling with the GR YARIS Rally1 on gravel so far and the speed has been there. Safari requires something slightly different in terms of setup but hopefully that positive feeling will still carry forward."Kalle Rovanpera (Driver car 69)"I think the Safari Rally will be another interesting weekend. Of course Sardinia was maybe not as strong a rally for us as we wanted it to be, but I'm hoping that in Kenya maybe we will not lose so much time opening the road and we can try to have a good weekend. Last year, it was a good rally for us overall, we were just a bit unlucky to get stuck when we did at the end of Friday. This year we will try to avoid things like that and tackle the event in a better way, because we see a lot of difficult conditions there and things we don't normally see in modern rallies. So for sure it's a special place and you need to approach it a bit differently too."Please visit www.wrc.com for the latest. Copyright 2022 JCN Newswire. All rights reserved. (via SEAPRWire)
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