2014 Wales Rally GB - Press Conference

13.11.14
Transcript of the pre-event press conference organised by the FIA for Wales Rally GB
Present:
Sébastien Ogier, Volkswagen Motorsport
Kris Meeke, Citroën Total Abu Dhabi World Rally Team
Hayden Paddon, Hyundai Motorsport N
Elfyn Evans, M-Sport World Rally Team
Mikko Hirvonen, M-Sport World Rally Team
 
Q:
Sébastien, you are now a double FIA World Champion! With no championship left to be decided what will be your approach to this event? Full attack for the final win of the season?
SO:
Yes, of course. Let’s say it’s not bad to be here without so much pressure and to make the race with not so much pressure – especially when you are facing a challenge like Rally GB! I really start to like these roads now, they are really beautiful. This year there are lots of new sections which are also really fast, but I’m looking forward to the rally. We are all in the same situation: every driver wants finish the season with a good result – some want to finish their career with a good result! It’s going to be interesting to follow for everybody.
 
Q:
The weather is perfect - what you expect at Wales Rally GB! How much of a challenge is this event?
SO:
Sunshine, 30 degrees like always! At the beginning I was a bit afraid to drive these stages, the grip is changing all the time. When it’s slippery all the time it’s okay. But when it’s middle grip and then no grip, you have to get used to it. This morning there were some places like this in shakedown, so we got used to it a bit already. I heard the meteo can be quite difficult as well this week, maybe we have some fog joining the party – so it’s nice to drive without the pressure. I want a lot of pleasure in my car.
 
Q:
Kris, your first season with Citroën which you started well with a podium at the very first event in Monte Carlo. How do you feel the season has been for you?
KM:
It’s quite normal going to rallies for the first time, you can’t anticipate the road, you don’t know the grip levels – you have to learn everything. But then on the second time you come to a rally, things come to you more naturally and the natural speed starts to come through. The start of the season had three or four events which I had not done before and that was always going to be tough, but in the second half of the year we went to Finland, Germany and Australia we had done the year before. I said before the start of the season that it would get a bit easier and that was the case. I’m quite happy with the way it’s gone so far.
 
Q:
Wales Rally GB is as close to competing at home as you get. Do you feel there is pressure on you here to perform? Are you affected by that pressure?
KM:
To be honest, it’s nice to be driving here and, as you say, this is as close as it gets to a home rally. I did my first rally here many years ago, the first stage I ever competed on was Gartheiniog. This place holds special memories for me, I grew up on these roads and in these forests. But, like Sébastien says, there’s no substitute for experience in a World Rally Car on a rally like this and I have done it one time in the last eight years. It takes time to anticipate those grip changes; there are always places to catch you out, I need to keep understanding my limit. Just because this is my home event, it doesn’t mean I can drive at 120 per cent and achieve the impossible. Seb and Jari-Matti [Latvala] have been the only drivers capable of winning rallies this year. And this event is no different. I would love to be in the fight, but we haven’t done a pre-event test, which means we are a little bit on the back foot. You need the confidence straight away here, but it’s an event I enjoy and I am really looking forward to it. But, we need to stay realistic.
 
Q:
Next year is not far away, no announcement yet from the team on the Citroën line-up. How confident are you that you will be with the team next year?
KM:
I would dearly love to be part of the team. Yves Matton took a calculated risk on me, but I would like to think that risk has paid off. We have followed the trend we hoped for and got stronger in the second half of the year – I think the investment in me warrants another year. I always said you need a year to learn the car and rallies, a second year to confirm it and then a third year to show what you can do. I don’t think we’re in a position to win rallies yet, I know we still have work to do to get there.
 
Q:
Hayden, your first year with Hyundai Motorsport N. We have seen you compete on selected events through the year, with improving pace. How comfortable do you feel with what you have achieved, has it been what you expected?
HP:
It’s been very positive. It’s been a steep learn curve. I think we underestimated the challenge we faced when we sat down with the team for the first time in Sardinia. I’ve had to work a lot harder to improve. The last two or three events have been good and we have been within our limits. I know there are areas where I have to improve; ultimately I want to get closer to the top five.
 
Q:
Wales has very similar conditions to New Zealand weather-wise - are you comfortable with the slippy stages here?
HP:
In New Zealand the weather is a little bit better than this! But, there are parts of the route which are like home – especially through the forestry sections. I really enjoy the speed of this event, but the grip levels are so difficult to judge. At the moment we are looking for the fog to come; we work a lot on the notes, we have a lot of detail in them, so when the dust or the fog comes, it’s maybe not so enjoyable, but you can make some time up there.
 
Q:
What can we expect to see from you this weekend? Are you allowed to ‘go for it’?
HP:
I wouldn’t say we’ve been on a leash much this season. We’ve been in the third car, so we haven’t been there to score manufacturer points. I want to show more progress and more development for the car so we’ll be pushing. That plan didn’t quite work in Spain – at least not on one stage. We found the limit on that stage, we’ll bring it back one notch from there and see where we sit here.
 
Q:
Next year - is there anything you can tell us?
HP:
We’ll definitely be in the WRC next year, but there are a lot of details and talking to be done before then.
 
Q:
Elfyn, your first season with M-Sport at the top level of WRC. It was during the second half of the season where we started to see your pace increase and Germany was a high point. How do you feel about 2014?
EE:
It’s definitely been an up and down year. Some of the new events have been challenging and we’ve had to take our time to learn them. There has been an improvement in pace in the second half, but there’s still more to learn.
 
Q:
Wales is home for you, are you feeling the pressure? What are your expectations?
EE:
I’m trying not to think about it. This is my first time here in a World Rally Car, so I’m just going to make the most of the opportunity.
 
Q:
Is your team-mate Mikko [Hirvonen] offering you much in the way of advice?
EE:
He just seems to be making a lot of sheep noises this week..!
MH:
I just want to make him feel at home!
 
Q:
Next season you will be with M-Sport - what can we hope to see from you in 2015?
EE:
Hopefully some more progress. It’s too early to think about victories, but I’d like to be challenging for podiums in the second half of the year. We need to keep working hard. We’ve got a lot of work to put in over the winter and hopefully that will pay off next season.
 
Q:
Mikko, this will be your last WRC event as you announced your retirement last week. Why have you decided to stop now?
MH:
Why not? There is really no guideline about when it’s a good moment to stop. It has to come from yourself. I’ve been around quite a long time and, even though I have not won the championship, I’ve had all the chances to live my dream. I feel proud of what I have achieved and now it’s time to move on. There are still so many other things to achieve, one of those is to spend more time with my boys, see them grow up. They are only young once and already I had enough times listening down the telephone to what happened at this or that football match or what they have been doing, so now I’m going to be really happy to be seeing that for myself. It just felt now is the time to finish.
 
Q:
Were there possible contracts on the table for next year? 
MH:
I said already to the closest people to me after Rally Finland; I started to have some thoughts and then I talked to the others. I told them: “We don’t need to look any further, this is going to be my last year.”
 
Q:
What has your preparation for the event been like Mikko?
MH:
We had a really good test. The feeling in the car is pretty good – I’m looking forward to getting going.
 
Q:
There have been some special memories over the years, which out of the many is your favourite? 
MH:
There are so many. I am happy to have been part of the fight, but the thing I’ll miss most is the people around the WRC – that’s something I will really miss. We had such a good time, such a good laugh with the drivers, mechanics and media people – I will miss that.
 
Q:
This event has been good and bad for you. What is the plan on your last run in the WRC? 
MH:
For sure, the win would be fantastic – if we can be up there in the fight and have the chance to fight for the podium like we were on the last round in Spain that would be great. To be there and wave to the fans, farewell from the podium would be really fantastic. But we have already seen now that there are so many other guys with the same plan and it’s going to be a tough fight and a tough rally, let’s see what’s going to happen. Hopefully it’s not going to be like last year when we ended upside down in ditch… but that’s always an option as well!
 
Q:
To the rest of you, what’s your best memory of Mikko?
SO:
It’s hard to say, I didn't share all of his years. I think I arrived when he was at his highest. I remember 2009 where they [Loeb] were battling so hard – this wasn’t such a great moment for you. But it was incredible how they were flying through the stages and it felt like I was quite slow. I remember thinking there must be such frustration when that bonnet flew up on the windscreen – to be so close to it [the title].
 
KM:
I was working at M-Sport, in the design office when Malcolm Wilson walked through the doors and said: “I want to introduce you to two future world champions…” And Mikko and Jari-Matti [Latvala] walked through the door. I was introduced to him when I worked there, so I’ve seen Mikko’s career from the start and I’ve worked on his cars. I never thought I would be sitting here, but it’s a privilege to be doing so. 
 
HP:
I remember watch them on the television at home. I remember looking at Mikko and Seb [Loeb] and thinking: “That’s where we want to be…”. My most vivid memory would be in 2008 or 2009, when Mikko and Jari were one-two going into the final Whaanga Coast stage and it, er, all went a bit wrong. I remember the place it happened and thinking how tough that feeling must have been to have had the victory taken away at the finish, it was heart-wrenching. 
 
EE:
It’s a bit strange, to be honest, having watched Mikko at his peak, while I was driving a one-litre Micra on the Cambrian Rally and now to end up as his team-mate! It’s been a fantastic pleasure to work with him and he’s been a massive help all season, so thank you! 
 
Q:
Perhaps you’d like the final word, Mikko?
MH:
Thanks all of you. I’ve been really surprised to get so many nice comments, thank you very much. But it’s not the end of everything. Let’s see what’s going to happen in the future. 
 
 
FIA WRC 2 CHAMPIONSHIP
 
Present:
Nasser Al-Attiyah
Jari Ketomaa
 
Q:
Nasser, you lead the WRC 2 Championship and could win the title this weekend. How are you feeling ahead of Wales Rally GB?
NA-A:
We have a good feeling coming here to have a good result. We have a good chance to finish it in seventh position to win the title. Okay, also we are thinking to a good result here to finish in the top three. We had a good test and the speed was good in shakedown. We try to do our best. It will be a difficult race, everybody knows this. We are ready.
 
Q:
How are the stages? What condition are they in? Do you feel comfortable on such changeable grip?
NA-A:
The surface will be not easy here. Every corner is changing, but okay we try to do our best. I am sure this will be not easy, even for us all. We try to think and try to manage our race stage-by-stage, it will be tough. I know there are some really good drivers who will be fast here. The conditions will be not easy. I hope to win the championship, it would be good for me, my sponsor and my country.
 
Q:
What would it mean to you to claim the championship this year?
NA-A:
It’s a dream to win the championship – especially because the FIA prize-giving is at home in Qatar, it will be nice! Of course we are coming here in the WRC to support the championships. If we had a plan for next year it would be that we come and do WRC 2 again.
 
Q:
Jari, you still have a shot of the championship title here. You are 20 points behind Nasser, how are you feeling about this weekend?
JK:
We have had the speed in every event to fight for the wins. And now we have just a normal job for me to drive a car around a Welsh forest – it will be okay, I’m sure we can fight for the win, but Wales is such a big challenge. This is one of the rallies I enjoy most through the year, you have to focus so hard. It will be a big fight, but I know we can be winning this rally. I don’t know what Nasser does, I can only drive own car…
 
Q:
It’ll be flat out then?
JK:
Yes. We had a very good test on Monday. The car feels very good compared with other events this season. The DMACK tyres are very strong in muddy and slippery conditions, all will be good.
 
Q:
It has been strong season for you - lots of consistent second places but no win. Has that been frustrating?
JK:
It is frustrating and it’s very boring to end up with second! It’s great to be here fighting for the win. Someone has to win and somebody has to be second – there are so many things that can go wrong or right during the rally. There are so many things that have gone wrong during the season that have caused us not to win. I hope everything goes well and we can win. We will do our best behind the wheel and the team will push a lot. Now we just go and enjoy.
 
Q:
What is the plan for next season? Will you still compete?
JK:
When I was coming down to GB I needed to drive a 32-tonne crane for my friend. If I have no job in the WRC, then maybe I can ask my friend to do that job! To be serious, I have no plans so far.
 
 
FIA JUNIOR WRC CHAMPIONSHIP
 
Present:
Alastair Fisher
Martin Koĉi
 
Q: 
Alastair the battle is on for the second place in the Junior WRC Championship - are you up for the challenge this weekend?
AF:
I’m very much looking forward to the home event. We did have a very strong result in France on the last round. It was great to get a good result against the local specialists and the plan is to secure second in the championship, although this is a very tough event for a front-wheel drive car, but it's the same for everybody. We have to stay focused and stay on top of it.
 
Q: 
What do you think of the route, the stages?
AF:
On the recce the stages were very slippery – there has been quite a bit of rain, but the grip was pretty good and we could push on quite hard. Some of the stages are out in the open and are really fast, but then the ones in the north are a bit more technical – I hope this good balance suits us. 
 
Q:
What’s the approach?
AF:
As always with the Junior championship, it’ll be flat out from the start and then on the limit all the time. The cars are all very equal. The first day’s a very long day and it’s important to stay out of trouble, especially when there’s only the remote service there. We have to keep our nose clean and stay out of trouble.
 
Q:
What can you tell us about next year?
AF:
Nothing at the moment. We are fighting for second place here, even though there are no prizes for second place. Ideally next year would be an R5 car, but we’ll have to see how it goes over the winter.
 
Q:
Martin welcome to Wales – are you looking forward to the event?
MK:
I love the stages. This is my first time here. The roads are very nice, I hope we will be able to fight with Alastair. I hope it’s a good fight.
 
Q:
How has your year in the Juniors been?
MK:
In the beginning, it was great, we won stages in every event. We won Finland and then we were just four points behind. Then we had bad luck in two events from six – it’s not possible fight for the championship after that.
 
Q:
Will we see you back next year?
MK:
We hope to do WRC 2, but we are trying to get the budget.
 
Q:
How much are you prepared to fight for that second place?
MK:
101 per cent!