FIA WORLD RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP

Present:
1st - Sébastien Ogier (FRA), Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT 
2nd - Thierry Neuville (BEL), Hyundai Shell Mobis WRT
3rd - Elfyn Evans (GBR), Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT
Jari-Matti Latvala (FIN), Team Principal, Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT

Q:
Seb, congratulations on your seventh win here in México. You get to wear the customary winner’s boots again. Have you still got them all?
SO:
Almost, to be honest. I think one I gave to Colin (Clark) but I still kept them. Obviously I never wear them but I am pretty reluctant to throw away things. I collect things and I always think maybe one day I will make a small museum. You never know. They are nice. This one is a bit tight to take off without cutting something. It’s a nice feeling to wear them. 

Q:
Talk to us about the win this weekend. With six wins under your belt you know when to push and you know when to hold off.  Was there a moment when you were in the fight with Esapekka (Lappi) when you were starting to push a bit more? 
SO:
To be honest, on day one, I focused on myself. I knew that with my starting position I had a good package to be competitive. Honestly, I stayed calm and I saw the time of Esapekka and I knew the most important thing was to focus on myself and have a good clean day. He was faster. But, still at this moment, I talk with Vincent and I said to him ‘well I don’t think we should change our approach because there is still a long way to go.’  I wanted to control well in the car and do more. Unfortunately, he went off on the first stage of the morning on Saturday. I did not enjoy that because I wanted to carry on this fight. I was a team-mate with him and I appreciate him. It is a shame it happened like this but that is rallying. At this moment, of course, my approach changed even more. We became more cautious but I still had to keep the rhythm because the other guys were not far behind and it was very easy to quickly lose time. I think we managed it very well but I was fearing at the pre-event press conference that Sunday, I knew for me, it was the toughest loop of the weekend with the longest stage to go through. I just started to feel a bit more relaxed when we crossed the finish line on this one. 

Q:
Let’s talk about the Power Stage.  You are leading the championship. It’s a partial season. Is there a possibility Mister Ogier that there are going to be more events than just partial?
SO:
I knew this question was coming and I’ve already been asked it many times. Well, this Power Stage is a place I really like. I think I have won on here a couple of times already. If we are honest, starting last on gravel gives you a bit of an edge. I knew that I could have a decent drive and with a push have the chance of decent points. I was not necessarily going for five points but I know I am going to take part in the next event on tarmac and the starting position is good to be in front of Kalle and Thierry.  So I thought, why not take some points and have a good starting position for the next rally. I think for the team as well.  I am here for myself to enjoy and have fun but also to give the maximum points I can to Toyota. 

Q:
The next event is Croatia. It’s a challenging tarmac event. Why have you selected that one?
SO:
I hope this time it will be a bit smoother. I think this one came about after a common discussion with the team. They have seen my form on tarmac and we decided that could be an event where I am a good asset for the team. It was not necessarily my choice to go there but I was happy to give it a go. Like I say, I have good memories and I am allowed to drive in Croatia again. That’s good.  

Q:
Thierry, it was a final stage showdown for that second position. It was a brilliant battle between you and Elfyn Evans. How are you feeling about your second position?
TN:
Yes, definitely. As anybody could see Elfyn did not want to give up and he was fighting very hard. I knew it was going to be very difficult. The sections were very difficult and some were very fast. On some we had a good speed and others we struggled to keep up. We knew that it was going to come to the last stage if no-one does a mistake. That is actually what happened. Really, honestly, when I entered the long stage I knew that there were only two more stages and I knew them very well. I knew it would be difficult to make a gap.  But then, obviously, Elfyn got into trouble and I saw a small opportunity to go again. Because, at that point, I was going to save the tyres for the Power Stage. But there was another opportunity, He was in trouble. Let’s go for it. And it paid off…

Q:
We didn’t know about Elfyn’s problem until you told us at the stage end. Are you auditioning as a stage-end reporter?
TN:
When I saw that he was still flat out, I said that this guy really has big balls. The arm was broken and he fixed it with some masking and some tie wraps. I found out at the end that he wasn’t so confident. But, if I had been in the same position, you need to play with your luck and he did it and it worked well and he took the fight until the end. We can be proud of what we have done this weekend. We knew that we were competing against Sébastien this weekend. I hoped that Dani and Esapekka would make it hard for Sébastien. Generally, it was a fun weekend for me and I really enjoyed the drive. 

Q:
This has made things really interesting in the championship standings now. How much are you looking forward to the next event in Croatia?
TN:
Yes, I am looking forward. Two times at this rally and each time I was leading. The tyre choice on the first edition and then alternator problems, so the target is definitely victory. But., obviously, with the line-up of the other teams it won’t be easy, that’s for sure. I am looking forward to a really exciting challenge. I love the roads over there. They are really challenging, really fun. If we feel as comfortable as this weekend, it’s going to be another nice fight.

Q:
Elfyn, third overall. You missed out on the Power Stage but you had a really interesting morning. Where did this steering arm issue come in? When did you notice it?
EE:
We had an impact in braking three kilometres from the end of the long one. I knew then that the steering was a bit out of line but I was not really expecting to find what I did. It was a bit disheartening. We just had to do what we could with it. 

Q:
You are a pretty good mechanic. That is well known in the service park. Did you think that maybe it wouldn’t hold? 
EE:
I was fearful, yes. Those things can go either way. We thought we would try and see what happened. I wouldn’t say we went flat out on the Power Stage, There was an element that we had to look after it. If there was a bad dip or a bad jump, we had to take a bit of care. We were trying not to give away time if we could but it was a fine balance between trying to hang on to second and not coming away from here with no points either. At the end we were 0.4 (seconds) short! 

Q:
How would you sum up the performance this weekend?
EE:
Relatively happy, but I am not fully satisfied. Obviously I have a team mate who is still faster than us, so you can never be fully happy. Saying that, things seem to be moving in the right direction in terms of the driving and the feeling with the car. The guys have worked very hard since Greece to find improvements. Big thanks to them. Of course, the work is not all finished. Things are improving all the time. 

Q:
The tarmac of Croatia coming up next. What are your thoughts on that?
EE:
I like the rally. There are some great stages. It’s definitely not an easy one. The grip changes, especially if the weather is perhaps not so kind.  It can be very challenging. It’s an event I’ve done pretty okay on. Hopefully we can enjoy this one. 

Q:
A big step-up on gravel. Obviously the team is delighted with the win but you must be delighted that the team has made that step-up?
JML:
Yes, absolutely. Our development engineers have done an amazing job because we had our doubts coming into this event. We didn’t have the performance last year in Greece and Sardinia. It is difficult also to have a car for the boys so that they can fight for the victory. We have made the right steps in the right direction to get these results. It’s fantastic to be here and the third place for Elfyn is really good icing on the cake as well. Also, Kalle finishing fourth is good for his championship.

Q:
The championship standings are so close now. It’s exciting to watch?
JML:
Definitely, I don’t remember for a long time after three rounds having such a tight championship. It just shows that we have a very high level of drivers and that’s very interesting for everyone.

Q:
We have been back in México after three years. Was it good to be back this weekend? 
JML:
Definitely it was nice to be back. What I noticed was that there was a little bit less people than previous years. Maybe the three-year absence because it has been a regular in the championship. I know that there is a lot of passion here in México. Other than that, it has been a really nice event and a good atmosphere and the drivers enjoyed it. It’s a difficult one. It’s a difficult event but we need to have events like this in the championship. 

Question from the floor

Reiner Kuhn (DEU), Motorsports Aktuell

Q:
You are obviously special when it comes to Power Stages but also for special lifts to the airport. Do you leave with a motor bike or something else? This time, do you have your own plane?
SO:
I was lucky this year. The timing is perfect, it’s just like half an hour earlier, so I have plenty of time for my ‘plane. I will not be needing an escort to the airport!

FIA WRC2 CHAMPIONSHIP

Present:
1st WRC2 - Gus Greensmith (GBR), Toksport Škoda Fabia RS
1st WRC2 Challenger - Kajetan Kajetanowicz (POL) - Škoda Fabia Evo

Q:
Gus, you are sitting in the same position as you were on Thursday.  But this time you can celebrate a WRC2 win. A great weekend. What are your thoughts?
GG:
Yes, it’s been the perfect start to my season and it’s what we wanted from this weekend. Not sounding boastful but it’s that we wanted from coming to México. For sure, we didn’t expect to be able to control the pace as much as we did. Obviously, Oliver (Solberg) hit the rock face and even then it was very easy. We were just monitoring not getting any punctures and just going from there.

Q:
How well do you feel you adapted to the car this weekend?
GG:
Obviously, we are not quite there because on Saturday we made the mistake of trying something new and we didn’t need to do that. We should have carried on from where we were. For sure, Saturday was probably more of a stressful day because it wasn’t a case of going one second a kilometre faster, I was just trying to deal with the car. When we went back to the set-ups today, it was very simple. If someone was taking time we were taking even more time back on the stage after. 

Q:
How did you measure your pace this weekend. When to push and when to hold back?
GG:
It would have been a very different story if Oliver hadn’t had the puncture. I think we would have been on the door handles for the rest of the weekend. I am very pleased with the job I have done, the job that the team have done on our first rally together and also my engineer. We had not had much time in the car and had a lot to learn and he made it easier. 

Q:
No big moments out there this weekend?
GG:
For once, no. The only thing was I had to give my fire extinguisher away for the third time. I’m going to start charging. I’m just going to charge 100,000 Euros every time its needed!

Q:
Kajetan, winner of the Challenger aspect of WRC2. It has been your first rally since Japan. How was the feeling behind the wheel? 
KK:
To be honest, bad. First of all, I would like to say thank you to the organisers and the promoter because they made a new class and that’s why I am here with these young stars. It was a good weekend for us. It was nice to be here again, a great atmosphere and these people are amazing. I mean the fans from México create a fantastic atmosphere. My right foot because of it was much heavier when we can make a show. The feeling was not too bad, I was joking. Not perfect, but it’s going to be hard work to fight with the Manufacturers’ drivers with big experience. I try to catch someone sometimes. To be honest. I never give up and will try to do my best on the next rally and we fight to the end. We won the Challenger! 

Q:
What is your next rally?
KK:
I think Kenya. I hope maybe not time enough. We will try to do Portugal. We have a job to do and we probably need some time. 

FIA WRC3 CHAMPIONSHIP

Present:
1st - Diego Dominguez (PRY), Ford Fiesta Rally3

Q:
Diego, the winner in WRC3. It was a good weekend out there for you. Have you been happy with the performance?
DD:
I have been quite happy with our arrangement. It was fantastic being here. I saw a lot of spectators out there. It is one of the rallies with the most fans on the stages.

Q:
What was the major difficulty for you out there? 
DD:
For me, all the stages were tough and, thankfully, we only did El Chocolate once.  All the stages were quite tricky, especially El Chocolate and Otates. 

Q:
How much do you feel this rally has been a learning experience for you?
 
DD:
So, for WRC3 it’s good for the points for the championship but we came here to get all the pace notes and to learn about the roads for next year. 

Q:
Your focus is the Junior Championship this year?
DD:
Yes, but we would also like to do other rallies so we know the stages for next year.

FIA WRC MASTERS CUP CHAMPIONSHIP

Present:
1st - Jason Bailey (CAN), Ford Fiesta Rally3

Q:
Jason, it feels like everyone from pre-event (press conference) is back. You have won the Masters Cup element of the WRC. How do you feel you did this weekend?
JB:
We got here and that is no small trivial challenge, especially when you have a fantastic car but it is very close to the ground and it has half the suspension travel of these guys and you can’t go over the rocks and through the ditches. We sent it over the El Brinco jump and apparently we sent it the furthest. Maybe that means that I am dumbest driver because the landing was awkward..

Q:
What would you say has been the toughest element out there this weekend?
JB:
It’s the heat. It’s hot in that car and when you are climbing El Chocolate and Otates it’s so twisty and so hot in that car. The sun’s burning on you and you have to manage the heat of the car and manage the heat of the brakes and, especially, managing the heat of my head!

FIA NACAM RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP

Present:
1st - Carlos Salas (MEX), Škoda Fabia 

Q:
Carlos, you are the leading Méxican driver, 12th overall and first in the NACAM class. You must be really happy with your result?
CS:
We are really happy with the win. That was the objective.

Q:
What was the toughest challenge of the weekend? 
CS:
The toughest challenge was to take care of the car because the other cars have left the road with lots of rocks. So, we had to be careful.