FIA WORLD RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP
Hyundai Shell Mobis World Rally Team – Thierry Neuville (BEL), Hyundai i20 N Rally1 Hybrid
Hyundai Shell Mobis World Rally Team – Martijn Wydaeghe (BEL), Hyundai i20 N Rally1 Hybrid
Hyundai Shell Mobis World Rally Team – Esapekka Lappi (FIN), Hyundai i20 N Rally1 Hybrid
Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT – Kale Rovanperä (FIN), Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 Hybrid
Hyundai Shell Mobis World Rally Team – Cyril Abiteboul, Team Principal

Q:
Guys, what a crazy end to what it has been a difficult weekend. Thierry, Martijn congratulations on the first win of the season under very difficult conditions. Thierry, tell me what it was like out there this weekend especially today?
TN:
First of all, happy to be back again on the first podium position. It has been a tough, challenging weekend out there as everybody could see, we have been involved from the beginning in a tough fight with some highs and lows the whole weekend, but always able to fight back due to a good attack, a better feeling in the car and quite a good tyre strategy, I think, while involved in a fight with Sébastien and Esapekka as well. At the end somehow the strategy paid off by putting on the pressure on Ogier who made a mistake and that gave us then a good opportunity for us and for the team to secure a double podium here this weekend. That is all what we were looking for, waiting for and that is what the people deserve as well in the team. So we are grateful for that and happy to be here.

Q:
I think a lot of people are quite surprised that your pace early on this morning, they thought that maybe you would have taken it a little bit easier out there but you seemed very much on it on the first two stages?
TN:
Actually I wasn’t I was just driving through and trying to keep a decent rhythm because we all know that once you drive too slow the car doesn’t work and it feels just horrible. I felt comfortable like this, but yes, the Power Stage was the worst to me. Obviously, it has been a long day, we left early, we did a lot of road sections, we had long waitings before TCs, long waitings in the regroups, just to wait and see if the rain was coming and the stage was getting very wet and in horrible conditions. I knew that my tyres were very bad for the last stage so yes it was very stressful at the end and so the target was just to get through. We knew as well that Kalle was going for the five points anyhow and even if I would have taken all the risks, I would have taken maybe one point maximum and I think even not so we had a quite good approach, we brought it to the finish and yes, that is it.

Q: 
Martijn, Thierry says a stressful final day, the wait for the Power Stage which was in such a tough condition. How have you found the weekend out there in general, the weekend because it is unusual here in Sardinia, we had rain every single day, which has made it complex for you guys.
MW:
Yeah, exactly. The strategy was very important for the tyres and so on, but we worked very well as a team and it paid off at the end so yes, we are very happy with that.

Q: 
Martijn, from your prospective out there co-driving-wise we had some new stages, we had the monster Monte Lerno stage which is two stages sandwhiched together with a little bit of something else as well, how difficult was that stage in particular from a co-driving perspective?
MW:
Yes, challenging but this is what I like and that is why I also like Kenya which is the next event: long stages, challenging, you need to stay focused for a very long time and try to give a good rhythm to the driver. And yes, this is the challenge and I like it.

Q:
Thierry, how important would you say now the win is for the championship because we have seen such great battles between all the drivers this year so far.
TN:
Yeah, it is definitely. I mean, for us it was quite important as we all know Kenya can be a good event, our car is quite reliable and strong in such rough conditions but we also know that Finland and Estonia aren’t my privileged surfaces and races in the calendar and they are definitely the ones where Kalle is going to be strong, so it was important to take some good points, but it is going to be even more important to have a good event in Kenya and grab some more points, especially more than Kalle on that event. The battle will be on there and it is going to be a tough challenge again as always, but I am really looking forward to that because I have a good feeling.

Q:
EP we could see you had a good feeling throughout the weekend, you have been leading the rally, battling against Sébastien Ogier, the pace has certainly been there. It is a brilliant result team-wise, another podium for you, consistency has been key so far this year. How do you feel about this result?
EL:
Well, in the end I am very happy and satisfied for sure. There have been a couple of podiums, third places, let’s say in the last three years I’ve been always third, so it is nice to be back on second place at least. As you said, it is a very good result for the team I think, after what has happened in the last two months, so this is the reward for everyone in the team. 

Q:
What have you found the biggest challenge out there this weekend?
EL:
Twelve softs. I mean, you don’t do a rally with 12 tyres normally, okay we used 14 with the two hards, but I mean if you tell someone you do Rally Sardinia with 12 soft tyres, they are not gonna believe you. So, for sure this was the biggest challenge.

Q:
And talk to us about the fact that we headed into the day, you said at the end of the stages yesterday after you saw Ogier’s car off the road you backed off straight away, you knew it would be the case of holding position from then on. What was the approach out there today?

EL:
Very similar, I mean we had a big gap to Kalle so we just tried to drive smartly throughout the day and keep some speed as my tyres were finished already when I started this morning, so I couldn’t really push on the Power Stage and plus the weather was crazy so you need good tyres on that stage when it is muddy and I didn’t have them so pretty much Sunday cruise today.

Q:
Quick look ahead to Kenya because this is an event now which is going to be brand new for you. That is goning to be a challenge in itself, the guys all around you have the experience. Is this going to be a disadvantage do you feel or do you think going there with fresh eyes will be interesting, let’s say?

EL:
For sure it is interesting, I cannot say it is an advantage not to have been there so for sure it is a disadvantage, but yeah I guess the approach would be a bit different from my side. I need to be probably smart, not to push really hard, try to understand what I should do and how I should drive in these conditions, what we are facing. Like in Croatia I hope it pays off in the end.

Q:
Kalle, let’s turn to you now. It was always going to be a tough weekend, wasn’t it. You came here as championship leader, you leave as championship leader, but first on the road in normal conditions here was always going to be tough. It was still tough on Friday, did you think in your mind you could get on the podium or is this a pleasant surprise at the end of it?
KR:
I think it is a bit of a surprise. I was not really hoping much from the weekend, from a rally which I don’t like in the calendar really at all. So it has always been a big struggle for me here. It just does not suit me so well. So definitely, I am quite happy how it came out at the end. Definitely the weather was helping us but still we lost a big chunk of time on the Monte Lerno on Friday when it was dry and after that we still have been trying to fight back a bit in places and also being clever to get the places that we can, let’s say staying there and waiting if something happens. We could not really fight back much, but I think we did a good job.

Q:
Obviously, maximum points on the Power Stage as well, which we have come to see as a regular from you, difficult conditions and maximum points go together on the Power Stage. You made reference though early on in the day to the fact that tyres’ saving on a Sunday is not fun for you guys, is not fun for us watching either, what is the solution?
KR:
I think it is quite clear, FIA has to make a rule to keep new tyres before the Power Stage. I think it is not a big add to the cost and it is quite easy to make a tyre fitting zone before the Power Stage. Like in Portugal it is the same thing, when there is no fight it feels bad for the fans. We are actually going very slow on the stage and you do it because everybody else do this also. It is not so nice for the fans and not for us either. I think that could be a solution.

Q:
Talk to us about Kenya, the next event. It is always a challenging event, but we wonder if this one would have been even more challenging maybe then Kenya: we do not know what the conditions are like until we get there but how much are you looking forward to that?
KR:
I have always liked the event in the two times we have been there. Last year it was good, 2021 was going good also until we had some issues and got stuck. But yes, I am quite happy to go there, let’s say. It is always depending a lot on the weather also because it can change completely from one rally to another so it is really a big challenge, but I think it suits us quite well. So of course we have to see what the conditions are and hopefully we can have a good race there again and good points.

Q:
Cyril on to you now, a Hyundai one-two, the first one of the season as well. It has been a really hard rally for every single team, driver and co-driver out there. It is your first win as well, I know it is a whole-team effort, what are the feelings at the end of it?
CA:
Exactly, it is a team effort. It is good to see, it is good to observe, it is good to lead, we have been doing motor sport for this moment. I have to say that I never won in Formula 1 so I am glad I found some place where I could win. Jokes apart, it has been great and very much deserved by the team. It has been close on occasions before. We have been very consistently on podiums before this season, but clearly there was a trend and I think we cannot deny there was a trend that Toyota was starting to chip away from us in the different championships so clearly that win today and this team result is important to the championship, but not just to the championship but to the whole dynamics. It is not just metal, it is also brain and heart and confidence and you know this has been changing a little bit things, changing the dynamic in particular before another tough one which will be Kenya is extremely important.    

Q:
You mentioned changes, we have seen FX Demaison in the team, his first rally actually with you guys. He has a wealth of experience coming in as technical director. What is he going to bring to the team, Cyril?
CA:
We did not win because of him, just to be clear. He is not going to take all the glory and it is not because of me. Jokes apart, I think that was clear to me since joining that there was a big gap in the orchard in the absence of a technical director. Motor sport is about technology, including rally, we have got very good ingredients, we have an excellent powertrain, we have a very good chassis, a lot of effort in terms of data science, performance analysis and rally engineering, but at some point you need someone at the top which is giving a technical direction, happy to try and give some strategic directions to the team but you also need to provide strong technical leadership and make sure that we deliver. We have got a lot of good ideas, lots of excellent intuitions, but at some point we need to turn all of that into a realisation, concrete execution and this is very much what we will be focused on doing.   

Questions from the floor:

Reiner Kuhn, Motorsport Aktuell (DEU)
Q:
A question to Kalle. How big was the risk on the Power Stage to maybe lose the position or the points. Did you have any moments or was it really, I would say, a confidence run?
KR:
It was not really a big risk, I think the tyre package was good, like few other drivers had. It was just, let’s say, a good run through, but nothing crazy. To be honest, nothing crazy.

FIA WRC SUPPORT CHAMPIONSHIPS

Present:
FIA WRC2: Toksport WRT 3 – Andreas Mikkelsen (NOR), Škoda Fabia RS Rally2
FIA WRC2 Challenger: Kajetan Kajetanowicz (POL), Škoda Fabia RS Rally2
FIA WRC3: Rautio Motorsport – Roope Korhonen (FIN), Ford Fiesta Rallly3
FIA Junior WRC: Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy – William Creighton (IRL), Ford Fiesta Rally3
FIA WRC Masters: Johannes Keferböck (AUT): Škoda Fabia Rally2 Evo

Q:
Andreas, an unusual end for you as well for this rally although maybe similar vibes to WRC Spain a few years ago, when you heard on the stop line that you had won the event. It’s the win here, in WRC2, tough weekend out there. How are you feeling at the end of it?
AM:
We are feeling good. I am glad it is finished, because we had really, really tough work this weekend. Tricky conditions, the changing all the time of tyre choices: when to use the soft when not to use them. So, it’s been a tough weekend, quite tired but happy to go out from here with a win. Quite unexpected after the morning, Adrian [Fourmaux] was in full control basically, it was a bit surprising but at the same time no, the conditions are so difficult especially on that Power Stage little things could happen in the end he made a mistake, so good result for us. Happy with the weekend, our approach was quite sensible I would say because in these conditions to push to the maximum all the time something happens, so I think we went with the correct strategy and in the end it proved to be enough for a win.

Q:
How difficult was that final Power Stage, because it was heavy rain you could see the ruts were just full of mud and water, it looked you could be aquaplaning at any moment.
AM:
It was aquaplaning, it was changing because when we were starting the stage it was not raining on the first corner, I had a moment on the first corner and ‘ohi!’ it’s going to be this kind of stage and then a lot of rain and aquaplaning everywhere for the next two to three kilometres. The rain stopped suddenly, conditions were good again, so it was changing all the time, I mean we tried to drive fast but at the same time if you are lucky with the conditions, you will win the stages, in the end I didn’t take so much risk, because we had quite a lot of rain on that stage, so it was okay, in the end there were no points given out and it was like that.

Q:
What’s the plan now? Because we remember speaking to you in Portugal, and you said it was Portugal, then it was Sardinia, you weren’t sure what events were coming up next for you. Any other insights you can give us? Anything planned you want to tell us?
AM:
I have to sit down with my partners after this weekend, that was the plan, we do these two events and then we have a sit down and see what we do next and hopefully in a week or two I know what the next event will be.

Q:
The win is certainly going to help in that kind of discussion, right?
AM:
Certainly, let’s see what to the next event will be. I don’t know for the moment.

Q:
Kajetan, let’s turn to you now, WRC2 Challenger winner and like we said to Andreas what a tough weekend you guys had out there, you have been on a great battle throughout, you are on the podium as well, you must be happy with the result, yes?
KK:
Yes, of course, hello everyone it has been an amazing weekend, very tough like Andreas said, but we want more. Of course, I am really happy with the results, but maybe I didn’t deserve for this because for example Adrien [Fourmaux] in the last one, but that was my debut in this car, we did a big step in this weekend with my feeling in this car, but at the same time we need to do more, I mean I need to speak with my team because, of course I love them, and we did a good job, but sometimes our concentration has gone, so there are lots of small things that we can improve.

Q:
You seem to have some kind of technical problem today, what was that?
KK:
Many technical problems, but this is how it is. It wasn’t so bad, I mean if we are talking about stage times, so we are happy, yes, I am sure we can improve not our pace, because I’m not so happy with my driving style and with my feeling with the car, but also about teamwork. We need to do more. As I said, I love my team, they are working very hard, but we need to do more, we need to focus on our job as much as possible, but sometimes it is difficult. Andreas [Mikkelsen] said it was a tough weekend and tired, it’s not this, this is WRC, this is World Rally Championship, it’s always hard to be here four days, all weekend, seven days let’s say, but we love this job if we need to stay here, we need to work very hard.

Q:
Johannes, congratulations on the WRC Masters Cup win, what a wild weekend it has been in your category, talk about your result, because you just told us you haven’t done many gravel events in your career, only for previous, and they were smaller events and they were smaller than the ones we see here in Sardinia, so this must be a very special victory.
JK:
Thanks, last weekend I was a bit nervous about the rally, because my last rally was on gravel in Austria, I think it was 2021 and that was only a short rally. I was surprised when I saw the videos from the organisers about the stages and I spoke with my driving coach, my best driving coach that is Mads Østberg I work with him and he coached me very well. I think we have a perfect strategy for this rally, we had no damage on the car, no punctures, we went clear on the stages, I did not look the times because I know that the feeling on the gravel is not like on snow which I prefer. But it is big step for us, the team is working really well, we have fun all the time, so that is the key point.

Q:
That is the key point at the end of the day isn’t it, you spend so much time together, it is all working well, what has been the toughest aspect out there, what has been the toughest challenge of the event if you were to pick one thing out, Johannes?
JK:
The toughest thing is when you go on the stage which Andreas [Mikkelsen] says and it is rainy and it means you have grip and you haven’t, and always you have aquaplaning, big eyes to come in the corner, we have seen many cars out of the rally and our plan was to stay clear and go safely.

Q:
And your next event is going to be…?
JK:
We have the plan to go to Greece.

Q:
Roope Korhonen, WRC3 winner, congratulations on your result, I believe there are some stories to tell from your weekend, we saw you without windscreen at one point, tell us about your weekend out there?
RK:
This was a tricky, tricky weekend, almost crazy I have to say, Friday we broke wheel hub and we lost our brakes, after that we had one puncture and then Saturday morning we rolled but it was a smooth one and today we had some steering issues, but okay, we are here so, I am happy.

Q:
It’s good that you are at the end, so you were driving without your windscreen at one point with some googles on to protect your eyes, how difficult was that?
RK:
I think it was better, because it wasn’t so hot.

Q:
Nice hair conditioning, Roope, you’ve done so well so far this year in WRC3, you must be really happy with your performances?
RK:
Yes, of course, three rallies all new for me and three wins, so really good.

Q:
And where are you getting your advice from, I know you are much linked to Mr Kalle Rovanperä, you are good friends, is he giving you good advice?
RK:
Yes, some tips of course, but not so much.

Q:
And your next event is going to be?
RK:
Estonia.

Q:
William Creighton, winner in FIA Junior WRC, congratulations. Again, in your category this weekend it has been pretty insane, I think Friday everyone on the Monte Lerno test in the final pass had a massive issue, congratulations for taking the win, how are you feeling at the end of it?
WC:
Pretty tired like the rest of the guys, it has been such a challenge, probably the most difficult rally that Liam Regan and I have done, so just to get to the finish was really the plan and we thought if we could survive and we would be in the mix, thankfully we came out on the top step.

Q:
It has been about survivability, but also I know you are a bit concerned Laurent Pellier was starting to rack up stage wins, a reminder for you that you know, stage win points are available in the Junior category and they can be all important at the end of the season?
WC:
It makes it quite a difficult strategy, knowing what to do and today we didn’t really want to have to push, but of course the stage points, if Laurent got a few of those then it makes the points gap look not so good. I was just glad to get to the finish and a few of the other guys got stage wins and that helped as well. But I think in the JWRC everybody is a threat, because of the point structure and the double points in Greece anything can happen, so yes, it is just a big thanks from my side to the team and the Motorsport Ireland Rally Aacademy, everyone who is supporting me to be here and Liam as well everybody did a great job and puts a lot of effort in, so to repay them with a win is really good for me.

Q:
Absolutely it is, on a rally such as this, Will, can you say it at any point that you are absolutely on your limit out there, because you have to look after the car, to manage so much as well to keep a good pace, have you been on your limit this weekend or no point?
WC:
To be honest I don’t think so, I think everybody is in the same position though, if you push to the maximum the risk of something happening is too high, so we were always trying to survive and stay within the limit with what the conditions were, so sometimes it worked, sometimes it made no difference at all. We should have went flat out in some stages but all in all it has been a good way to finish the weekend, as I said is a good way to repay everyone for all the support to me.