Kris Meeke wants Mikko Hirvonen to return to the Intercontinental Rally Challenge so he can get the opportunity to try to beat the Monte Carlo Rally winner.
Meeke, from Northern Ireland, was running second to Hirvonen on the IRC season opener when he crashed on a patch of black ice and into retirement on the first stage of leg two. Hirvonen went on to claim victory in his M-Sport Ford Fiesta S2000.
Peugeot UK driver Meeke said: “You could see from the way he drove why Mikko’s number two in the world. He’s a class act and it was incredible to be exposed to that level of ability. Hopefully he comes back more this year because I don’t think we disgraced ourselves competing against him.”