Congratulations on WRC win number 69. Was it as easy as it looked? “It wasn’t easy at all. But in the end I’m very happy: it’s been a long weekend with plenty of long stages and a big battle. We had to give everything because Mikko [Hirvonen] was quick and the Fords were quick too, but we did it: we’re here on the top step of the podium for the sixth time and we’ve got some nice cowboy boots to celebrate!”

What did you think of the stages? “The long stage today was not too bad as we were looking after our lead and not pushing hard but the 42-kilometre stage on Saturday was very tough. The car was incredibly reliable with no problems at all, which was a big part of this success here - as I am sure that Mikko will agree.”

How difficult was it to cope with the altitude? “Actually, we were maybe a little over-confident because we did not work too much on the altitude with our car. Instead it seems that Ford has made a big improvement in this area, so that was a surprise for us and we know that they will be strong for the rest of the year as well. But the most important thing is that we were first and second at the end!”

How is the championship looking for you now? “It’s much too early to say. But the main thing is to get to the end of each rally; we have two wins now and Jari-Matti [Latvala] - who is one of my biggest rivals - has retired twice. For the future I am just going to continue like I always do, pushing hard but without taking too many risks, and then we will see what happens.”