Henning Solberg fears his lack of pre-event preparation will rule out a top 10 finish on Rallye Monte-Carlo this week.
Solberg is driving a M-Sport Ford Fiesta S2000, run by his brother Petter’s eponymous team, on the Intercontinental Rally Challenge opener, which starts in Valence on Wednesday.
He said: “I have not done a test and I have never used the Michelin tyres before. They are 3.5 kilograms lighter than the tyres I had last year and I am not sure what difference that will make to the suspension set-up. I also know these guys in the IRC are very fast. It will not be easy but I try my best.”
Solberg will be reunited with co-driver Ilka Minor for the event. Minor missed the back end of last season after she injured her back in a crash on an Austrian championship rally with Manfred Stohl, but has since made a full recovery.