ŠKODA Motorsport star talks about achieving Intercontinental Rally Challenge success on home soil when he contests Barum Czech Rally Zlín this week.
Barum Czech Rally Zlín is considered one of the hardest events to master in the IRC. Why?
“The roads in the Czech Republic are different to other Tarmac rallies. They are bumpy, fast, you have loose stones on the corners and you can also find small holes in the road, although the organisation is doing a lot of work to try to fix these problems. Because the stages are high speed it can be easy to make a mistake.”
And the changeable weather can make it even harder…?
“The rally is one week later than last year and again the weather can be changing. It’s been hot and very dry in the Czech Republic recently but this can change. If it rains then the Tarmac in places can be like driving on ice and you really need to be cautious.”
What result can you achieve?
“I will try to go as fast as possible but it’s not going to be easy because I have to think about the Czech championship and getting the points for that and not taking big risks to win the rally.”
How much pressure do you feel as the Czech hero?
“I’m a Czech driver, not a Czech hero! To be honest it gives me more motivation to see the Czech people waving their flags and it gives you a really special feeling in your body because you know you are doing a good job.”
Eurosport and Czech TV will show four stages of the event live. How good will this be?
“It’s really good for the fans watching on TV but it’s also a really great chance for people around the world to see the Czech fans and all the support they show for the rally. This is the proper way to support the rally and these pictures will be shown around the world.”