Taking your season in the DS3 RRC together with the rallies in which you have competed in various different World Rally Cars, does your experience mean that you can feel relaxed about switching to the DS3 WRC?
“I think it’s difficult to compare the races I have competed in so far in a WRC with Wales Rally GB! This will be my first time competing in a gravel event in top-level rally car. I still have a lot to learn about: the stages and the team, of course, but also my co-driver. There are lot of new things, but I’m looking forward to making the most of this opportunity.”
After having competed all year with Maciek Baran as your co-driver, you are actually going to team up with the Italian Michele Ferrara. Can you therefore just switch from one language to another?
“I’m not going to get into the details, but Maciek told me he wanted to stop after Rally de España. I don’t want to force anyone to drive with me, so I looked for the best alternative solution for this final rally of the season. Michele isn’t any more experienced than me, but he is very motivated for us to do well together. Although I have spoken Italian since I was very young, it won’t be easy to switch languages, especially as I have made extensive changes to my pace notes system this season. But we’ll just have to get on with it, and cope with it all as well as we can!”
You have finished in the top 10 of the overall standings five times with the ‘little’ RRC. What would you consider to be a good result here?
“Obviously, it would be great to finish in the points again, but I’m not aiming for a specific result. My goal is to rack up the miles and increase my knowledge of the WRC. Each rally in the World Championship has its own distinctive features. In Wales, I know that the combination of fast roads and extreme weather can make it very difficult, especially for an inexperienced driver.”