Ken Block and Alex Gelsomino, hoping to get the most out of a shakedown session on Mexican soil before the start of this weekend’s rally, have been plagued by gearbox trouble. In fact it only took four passes of the practice stage for a cog-swapping gremlin to materialize on the pair’s brand new Monster World Rally Team Ford Focus RS. Luckily, after nursing the ailing Ford back to service, the team’s support crew were able to get things sorted. “I was looking to get every mile in the car I could today, so I am a bit bummed that I was only able to make four passes, each hampered with gearbox issues,” says Ken Block on the Monster World Rally Team Blog. “The good thing, though, is that the M-Sport crew was able to fix the issue, and it’s better that it happened today during shakedown than during a stage this weekend.” The tough Mexican shakedown stage also affected other competitors; its deep water crossing clawing off numerous car bumpers and body parts.