After winning seven drivers’ titles on the trot, your only aim must be to become the first person in the history of motor sport to win an eighth world title…
“It’s difficult to see any other goal! But at least I hope I can fight to defend my title. I’m not going to change my strategy; we’ll just tackle the races as they come. This year with the new regulations there are a lot of unknown factors.”
Are you impatient to be in Sweden?
“I can’t wait! But I don’t think the results will be a pointer to the rest of the season. The most common surface in the world championship is gravel. That’s where the title will be decided. In testing I felt more at home on gravel than on snow. While it wouldn’t be very good to be two seconds off the pace of our rivals, the first rally isn’t the most important one of the season.”
Are you afraid that the change in the regulations will turn the established order upside down?
“I’ve got a good feeling about the car. During testing I’ve been pleasantly surprised by the engine and the overall balance despite the absence of the central differential. I really think that the season’s going to go off well, but the stopwatch is the only yardstick. I’m not the kind of guy who says things unless I’m sure of being able to back them up. So we’ll have to wait for the results of the opening rallies before making any predictions.”