Peugeot battling 'strange' problems

Peugeot will face a race against time to solve teething troubles that forced the retirement of both factory 208 T16s on last week's Circuit of Ireland.

For the second event in succession Kevin Abbring was stopped by a radiator problem, while his team-mate Craig Breen dropped out of his home event with a mystery electrical problem.

Both drivers will be in action in the Azores Rally on May 15-17 and the two 208s will be departing for the Atlantic island event in just over a fortnight.

A source inside the team admitted both the radiator and electrical issues had them scratching their heads.

"We are looking at everything," the source said. "The water temperature problem is a strange one and Craig's car stopping is very strange.

"We have to look at this, but an electrical problem is very likely."

Acropolis Rally winner Breen, whose retirement was officially put down to a sensor failure, admitted the team had some hard work ahead.

"This is a new car, we have to remember that," he said. "And there's nobody more frustrated with what happened than all of us in the team - we all want to win.

"I have complete faith in the team that they will work through this and get to the bottom of the problems."

Abbring scotched rumours that a heavy landing had been to blame for his radiator issue.

"There was no heavy landing, the car flew perfectly and landed squarely. If a heavy landing had broken [the radiator], Peugeot would have explained it that way."

Peugeot is also investigating two rear screen failures after Breen's car lost two rear screens after heavy landings on the opening day of the event.

Originally on Autosport.com