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2015 Tour de Corse - Press Conference

01.10.15
Transcript of the pre-event press conference organised by the FIA for the 2015 Tour de Corse - Rallye de France

Present:
Sébastien Ogier, Volkswagen Motorsport
Thierry Neuville, Hyundai Motorsport
Bryan Bouffier, M-Sport World Rally Team
Stéphane Lefebvre, Citroën Total Abu Dhabi World Rally Team

Q:
Seb, it seems like yesterday we were in Australia, where you provisionally won your third FIA World Rally Championship title! What is the feeling with title number three?
SO:
Of course, I was very happy and I have had some opportunities to celebrate a little bit but for sure, the big celebration will be for after the end of the season.

Q:
We saw you here in 2008 and that was in the Junior Championship. It’s very different from 2008 to now. How do you feel about returning here?
SO:
I feel really good, it has been quite a long time already since 2008 but I have a lot of good memories here. I was here for the first time in 2007 and I was the zero car driver and that is when I learnt that I would do the Junior Championship so that was already very good news. Then the next year I got the Junior title, which has opened some doors for me so yes, I do have a lot of good memories on this island but not so much experience. I think we are all more or less in the same situation. It was a lot of work during the recce and it seems that the weather forecast is not so good for the rest of the weekend so we have quite a good challenge in front of us.

Q:
Challenge is definitely the word of the weekend! Talk to me about the stages: what are your thoughts? Good?
SO:
Yes! They are very demanding; it is still Corsica. Lots of corners, it is called the 10,000 corners rally. I haven’t counted them but it might be not far from that! It’s very technical, some sections with very old tarmac and probably a lot of standing water. That will be for me the biggest difficulty of the weekend, to anticipate this standing water, the water running on the road. Hopefully our gravel crew will be able to see it when they go through and give us the information because this might be really tricky for us especially without wet tyres.

Q:
In Australia, you weren’t really sure about the objectives for the rest of the season. Have you thought more about what you want to achieve now over the next three events?
SO:
Of course I am completely relaxed now because the target of the season is achieved. We have both titles, for the team and for us so it’s perfect. But being back here for sure gives me some extra motivation to have a win, which I have never had a chance to do because I haven’t driven here with a World Rally Car. So that’s of course enough motivation for me to give my best this weekend but I am also aware that we have to face tricky and sometimes maybe dangerous conditions so we will have to find the right balance between taking risks, pushing, and staying in safe conditions.

Q:
The strategy is going to be only about acclimatisation this weekend?
SO:
At least it will not be a tyre strategy this time because it’s clear that it is going to be wet, but I think it is going to be difficult to find the right rhythm. We have only long stages and no split times in the car so it will be pretty hard to find the right rhythm and performance without too many risks. It will for sure be interesting.

Q:
Thierry, 2011 and your first international win was here in Corsica. It must be quite special coming back. Nice memories, it was a great battle that year and I am sure very special for you to take that win. How are you feeling about returning?
TN:
For sure, very nice memories: my first international win in 2011 in Corsica. The best thing this year is that we start the rally on that point where I finished the rally; it’s the same stage but the opposite way so for me it will be a very emotional start. But at the same time this stage is very important because, as Seb mentioned, it’s a very tricky one on a long event. It’s a different challenge than the others because we have hardly any repeated stages, only long stages and there are only three stages a day. You can start on a wrong rhythm, and if you are losing time on the first stage, it would be difficult to get it back.

Q:
Did you feel you were in the right mind-set going through the shakedown; do you have the right set-up?
TN:
We tested here one week ago and it was 36° and now it is 5 to 10° in the morning! It’s quite different and that is why we adapted a bit the set-up but still the car feels quite competitive, especially in those tricky and difficult conditions. I am quite confident.

Q:
What is the strength you have to have for this event?
TN:
Consistency and the ability to be precise. The pace notes have to give you the confidence to push on every single corner.

Q:
So you had a good recce to get those crucial pace notes to be absolutely spot-on?
TN:
Yes, it all went fine. We even had two punctures so I know where not to cut, but otherwise everything went well. The pace notes are good, we really feel comfortable so we hope to have a strong result and a big push.

Q:
We are hoping to see a strong result for you because we saw a strong start to the year, then maybe a little dip in the middle point of the season. I am sure you are hoping to end the year on a high, but what is it going to take to do that?
TN:
Yes, we set a very good start then it was a bit more difficult for us due to some motivation loss and some disappointment, but now we are looking forward again. 2016 is approaching, things are looking better, so that’s why our motivation is full now as well as our motivation for the championship so we have all the good reasons to push with this car.

Q:
Why the motivation loss in the midpoint of the season?
TN:
Well I expected to be in a very fast car at the beginning of the season and it was not the case. We had a lot of delays and many things went wrong but now we have to focus on the last couple of rallies of the season and especially on next year where we hope to be on top.

Q:
Bryan, also a winner of the Tour de Corse. How are you feeling about being back? Great to see you back as part of the WRC again, do you feel confident about this weekend?
BB:
I am very happy to be here, it’s not so easy for me to do this kind of race; we have to thank all our sponsors. I haven’t driven this kind of car for a long time. It’s great to be back in the driving seat and especially on this event. I like Corsica, the conditions are very different from what I knew before but we are in a good shape and very motivated.

Q:
We are looking forward to seeing you do a good result this weekend. Are you confident you can fight up there with these boys?
BB:
Yes of course, easy! We have to feel good in the car and we will see in the classification if we can fight with the top guys. I would like to for sure! It is going to be a very long race and I think that if we have a good feeling we can do well. With those tricky conditions it is really not easy to find the right pace and to drive 100% but I will try.

Q:
In terms of preparation, what have you been doing?
BB:
Well I ride my bike a lot and I am in good condition. We tested last Friday although it was like many people in dry conditions. We took good pace notes and we did our best from our side so now let’s get the show going!

Q:
There are only nine stages. They are long stages. Are there any particular stages that stand out, more difficult than the others?
BB:
All the stages are difficult on this event. What is nice on this event is that you can find a lot of different surfaces, narrow, twisty, fast, uphill, downhill… I think that stages two and three will be particularly difficult due to the fact that it will be a bit dirtier because of the guys in front. It will not be easy to avoid the dirty corners. All the other stages will be difficult too. In Corsica even if it is dry it is very easy to go out because the pace is very high with blind corners. So we have to stay concentrated on each corner.

Q:
Any more plans for this year? Will you be attending any other WRC events?
BB:
No we don’t have plans. We will see first how this weekend goes.

Q:
Stéphane, first, let’s talk about Australia briefly. You were supposed to do the recce only but then you had to compete. How did you enjoy it?
SL:
It was really incredible for us. I started with no testing. I never drove the car before on gravel so it was a big moment for us. The pleasure on the stages was very nice. The feeling on gravel is completely different compared to asphalt.

Q:
Are you feeling ready and confident ahead of this event?
SL:
Yes, better than in Australia! I worked a lot with videos before the rally. I think I have good pace notes for this rally.

Q:
What is your objective here?
SL:
I have no idea. Making some good times and make no mistakes. It’s easy here to make a big mistake.

Q:
Is there any chance that you drive a WRC car in Spain?
SL:
Yes, I will in Spain.

Q:
What is your hope for next year?
SL:
The same as this year: back in WRC next year but for the moment I have no plan.

Q:
Do you feel any pressure to show to Citroën how much you can perform in a World Rally Car on this event?
SL:
No, for this rally, the team is good with me. They just want me to finish the rally.


FIA WRC 2 CHAMPIONSHIP

Present:
Esapekka Lappi, Skoda Motorsport
Eric Camilli, Team Oreca

Q:
What are your thoughts about the rally here Esapekka and what was your preparation?
EL:
It’s nice to be back here. Last year, it didn’t go so well, so it’s good to have some revenge, I would say. Preparation has been good. The car feels good but I was quite shocked on the shakedown by just how much mud there was on the roads.

Q:
Road conditions should be tough then…
EL:
I’m not so scared about the wet but more scared about the dirt that will come from the mountain. It’s not a good thing that we don’t have a gravel crew but it’s the same for every WRC 2 driver so we will see.

Q:
This rally is called the ‘Rally of 10,000 Corners’. There is so much information coming from your co-driver: how difficult is it to cope with this process?
EL:
It was a problem in Germany when we went off so I hope we can manage it now!

Q:
Have you had some extra practice?
EL:
To be honest not any practice but we changed the pace note system a bit, so it shouldn’t happen again. I actually added some “dirt” on the previous corner and I missed something for the next one so I had to find a nicer way to add corrections.

Q:
What is the objective here as you still have a title to fight for?
EL:
It’s quite interesting. For sure we need a good result. First we have to finish and if we finish this rally we should be quite high in the standings. That’s the only target for the moment.

Q:
Tour de Corse is an iconic event Eric. How do you feel ahead of this weekend?
EC:
For me, it’s a special event as my family is from this area. I’m happy to be here. I think we are ready with my team. This morning the shakedown was not so bad: we were second fastest twice. We’ll see because it’s not an easy rally without a gravel crew, but I’m happy to be here.

Q:
In terms of preparation and testing, what have you done?
EC:
We did a test on Sunday in dry conditions. It’s the first time that we have wet conditions today so it’s not so easy to find the right set-up but I think we don’t have a bad one. We’ll see during the race.

Q:
What is the objective for you this weekend?
EC:
After the second place in Germany, our objective is to finish the race and why not to do a podium? It will be a very different race. It’s less of a sprint and more an endurance event. It’s the first time for many drivers to do such a race so let’s see. To be on the podium would be very good.

Q:
What is the future of Eric Camilli?
EC:
First, it’s to finish this rally, as well as Spain and Great Britain. After that, the idea is to compete in WRC 2 again next year. Then, we will have to see. It will depend on our results. So, it’s in my hands.

Q:
Do you feel any extra pressure, as it’s your home event?
EC:
No, I’m just happy. I like the rally. I like this race a lot and I feel no extra pressure.


FIA JUNIOR / WRC 3 CHAMPIONSHIP

Present:
Quentin Gilbert
Ole Christian Veiby

Q:
You can win the Junior WRC Championship this weekend Quentin. Are you nervous? How do feel?
QG:
Yes, it’s possible for us to win the championship in Corsica. For sure, it would be very good to do so. It’s important to finish the rally. It’s not the last of the championship. We still have several rounds. Considering the weather forecasts, the important thing here is to finish and avoid any problems or any punctures. The first objective is this rally, not winning the championship.

Q:
What preparation have you done to get ready for this event?
QG:
A normal preparation. I did some physical training and we had a good test session in the Vosges last week with the team. It was a good day. We had rain during this session so I think it will be good for this weekend.

Q:
Many drivers don’t feel confident ahead of this tough event but it sounds like you are feeling confident. Are you?
QG:
Conditions will be the same for everybody. The weather forecast is very bad but I like these conditions. In my region, there is also rain so we are ready to deal with rain.

Q:
How special would it be for you to win the championship this weekend as the prize is driving next year in WRC 2?
QG:
For sure, it would be good to win the championship. It would be a new step in my career. To win the Junior WRC Championship would be a nice feeling. We are ready for that but I prefer to stay focused on my rally and not think too much about it.

Q:
You still mathematically have a chance to win the championship. How do you feel about this event? What is your objective here?
OCV:
I’m not giving up. Quentin is a little bit in front. Just let’s see how it goes. There is still a chance. We will have a fight and that is the main goal at least this weekend and for the rest of the season. There are still three races left.

Q:
You did an asphalt rally in Italy. Do you think this is going to help you here?
OCV:
Yes, I did a rally in Italy a couple of weeks ago. It was a good preparation and nice roads. This weekend, we had a test too. I feel comfortable in the car. It was a bit of a challenge today in the shakedown with the rain. I have not so much experience in the rain. Only in Monte-Carlo, which is a long time ago.

Q:
It’s your first time here in Corsica. Are you blown away by the number of corners?
OCV:
Yes, there are a lot of corners! It’s very tricky. It’s not so easy to write the pace notes. I think we have found the good way though and I’m really looking forward to this rally. I feel well prepared.

Q:
We have seen you on the podium in the Juniors this year; do you think it’s possible again this weekend?
OCV:
Of course. That’s the goal. I don’t have so much experience on asphalt but, for sure, I will try.

Q:
What’s the plan for you next year?
OCV:
Actually, I don’t know yet. Still, I have half a season left in Junior WRC so we just have to see how it goes and we’ll see about next year later.