You made it clear you were disappointed to see Monte-Carlo disappear from the WRC
calendar, so you must be pleased to see it back again?
“For me, it’s a no-brainer: the Rallye Monte-Carlo has to be in the World Championship. It is
the world’s most famous rally; you just can’t have a world championship without it! It’s also a
rally where I have always done well. The roads are very enjoyable to drive and there is always
a great roadside atmosphere for the special stages. And let’s not forget this is Daniel’s home
rally. I’m sure he’d rather be on my right in the DS3 WRC than behind the wheel of a DS3 R3 like last year!”
You begin this new season with two new team-mates. How has your new working relationship with Mikko Hirvonen gone so far?
“I’ve only ever known Mikko as a rival, so it’s nice to be working on the same side now. We get on well and I think we have a lot of respect for one another. We’ll have to change our working habits a little and communicate in English, but I think that is a fairly positive thing. For the time being, we have the same feeling about the car, but that was already the case with my previous team-mates. Mikko has lots of experience and he has moved from a team with a very fast car. I am sure he will bring new ideas on board and that will help us to improve.”