2013 FIA WORLD RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP

RALLYRACC RALLY DE ESPANA

 

Pre-event Press Conference

Thursday 24 October 

 

Present:

Yves Matton, Citroën Racing

Jost Capito, Volkswagen Motorsport

Nasser Al-Attiyah, Qatar World Rally Team

Dani Sordo, Citroën Total Abu Dhabi World Rally Team

 

Q:

Yves, we hear there are now five drivers on the ‘list’, can you confirm who they are? Could this list possibly increase?

YM:

Yes, it’s Mads Østberg, Kris Meeke, Dani Sordo, Mikko Hirvonen and Robert Kubica.

 

Q:

What are the reasons for the inclusion of Meeke, Østberg and Kubica?

YM:

Part of the strategy is to bring new talent to the World Rally Championship. We want one driver with the new talent and that is why we speak to the drivers who have never won a rally or have not been for a long time in the WRC.

 

Q:

When will we get a decision?

YM:

We hope to have one partly before Rally GB, and the other I won’t say when the decision comes.

 

Q:

We will know about the number one driver first?

YM:

I don’t know if it is the first, but for sure I need a leader. I hope it will be my first choice and I hope I can make the announcement. 

 

Q:

Who will it be?

YM: 

Maybe this is not the time for me to explain my choice?

 

Q:

What are the objectives for next year?

YM:

The intention is to try to continue to win some rallies. Like I explain, one of the problems for the WRC is that the number of drivers capable to win the event is too low, that’s why we try to bring the new driver – but also we still want to win.

 

Q:

What are your feelings looking back on the 2013 season?

YM:

For sure, we did not achieve what we want to achieve. We win some rallies, but at the end, only one title is left. And with only six points needed for Volkswagen to have the title, it will be difficult. Maybe that’s the reason we change the philosophy and driver philosophy.

 

Q:

We saw a very fitting tribute to Sébastien Loeb at the podium in France, what was that like for you?

YM:

It was in two steps; last year we saw his last title, we knew it and it was very emotional. This year it was really his last rally. A lot of people came and this was important for him. It was something very strange to be there and all this emotion, but I will say the rally was one step in the career – that’s also the reason for the part of the emotion that wasn’t there… because we know he will be with us for a few years in the World Touring Car Championship.

 

Q:

Jost, after one Championship was sealed in France it seems that we could possibly see another completed here. You are on the verge of claiming the Manufacturers’ Championship here in Spain. How are you feeling ahead of the weekend?

JC:

The team is quite excited. We still need the six points, everything can happen – we are not on the safe side. We are all very excited and focused; we will see what the weekend brings.

 

Q:

You have mentioned many times during the season that you did not expect this success. The team seems to be constantly growing in terms of strength - do you feel there are any areas for improvement?

JC:

I think there is always room for improvement. In whatever sport, you have to improve or you will fall back. We know the strengths and weaknesses for the team and we try to improve. We know the competition is hard next year and we will not lean back.

 

Q:

Are you still looking at future drivers?

JC:

Look at our driver line-up, we have the future….

 

Q:

So you are not looking for any other drivers?

JC:

We are very happy, we have no need to look anywhere else.

 

Q:

Is it possible your second team could run two cars?

JC:

The 2014 driver line-up will be the same as this year.

 

Q:

Are you disappointed not to be part of this driver market?

JC:

It’s exciting to be watching it!

 

Q:

I’m sure you are very proud of Volkswagen’s success, but what does it mean to the wider company of Volkswagen?

JC:

The whole company is very proud. When we go into the factory, there are posters everywhere. We had the presentation in the workers meeting in Wolfsburg and we had close to 60,000 people, so the whole company really backs up our efforts. [It would be the same] If we would not have this success. We got the feeling everybody was very proud of it.

 

Q:

Nasser, firstly, congratulations on securing your ninth FIA Middle East Rally Championship title last weekend! That was also a mixed surface event so do you carry a good bit of confidence after the win?

NA-A:

Yes, actually we have a good time in the Middle East. We won most of the rallies [in MERC] and that is very important for me. We are in Spain with a mixed rally and I think we enjoy this rally a lot. Our target is to make a good race and to at least bring one car to the podium

 

Q:

We have seen Qatar in collaboration with M-Sport this year. Do you feel it has been a successful partnership? Is it a partnership that will continue? What can you tell us about the plans for next year?

NA-A:

I think it’s very important to support the team. If we don’t support M-Sport then maybe we don’t find everything. And the plan we did with Thierry [Neuville], it’s not easy from the beginning – we put a lot of money for the team and Thierry, but now we are so happy with him. He is second in the Championship and this is fantastic for the team and for the sponsor. We are quite happy what Qatar do with our support.

 

Q:

What would you hope for next year?

NA-A:

We are still negotiating for next year. We don’t know which driver. It’s not clear. I will stay in motorsport and continue. We are happy with M-Sport and the team has made a great performance this year.

 

Q:

Will you personally stay in the WRC?

NA-A:

Of course. I would like to continue, but it all comes from Qatar. I will know exactly next week.

 

Q:

Thierry is the driver everybody wants. How do you hold on to him?

NA-A:

We try to help him this year. We saw last year that he is able to make something. Me and Malcolm [Wilson] support him and take the chance, he showed a lot of things. But it’s his decision where he wants to go now and we cannot say he [must] stay; the driver needs to get paid in good condition. I would like a good future for him, he is a nice driver and a nice person.

 

Q:

Dani, you have had a great run of results recently; does this give you more confidence?

DS:

Of course, when you win a rally it’s fantastic and a really nice sensation; it’s really difficult to explain the feeling. Even if we didn’t win in France, it was very, very close with five drivers and this was incredible. I arrive here with a good feeling and nice confidence, let’s see what happens

 

Q:

With the first two days on Tarmac and the final on gravel what will your strategy be?

DS:

For myself, it’s more easy if we start on gravel. To pass gravel and then on the tarmac is more easy, but the rally is like this and we need to do it as it is. It’s okay.

 

Q:

What can you tell us about next season? What are the options?

DS:

I don’t have many options. Hyundai is speaking to every driver, that’s the option, but not many more.

 

Q:

Is your passion for rallying the same as it was?

DS:

Yeah. We struggle a little bit in the middle of the season, there were some difficult rallies for me and the feeling in the car, but now we get to the tarmac and I am confident. I did do some very nice rallies in tarmac.

 

Q:

If you win here would it help next year?

DS:

I don’t think one rally will help for a decision. For me, to be a professional driver you need many things. I have many things and if this is not [enough] we can do other things. We can improve the bad things. In Germany we didn’t learn so much when we won, but in Finland the feeling wasn’t good and we need to work in this direction. But on tarmac, we always do our best and some rallies we win and other rallies we do the same thing, we don’t win, but I am happy with the performance.

 

QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR

 

Martin Holmes

Martin Holmes Rallying, UK

 

Q:

Yves, what will the feeling be if you beat Sébastien Loeb in Condroz?

YM: 

If I pass him in the stage with his wife pushing the car, then I will smile…!

 

 

FIA WRC 2 CHAMPIONSHIP

 

Present:

Nicolas Fuchs

Sepp Wiegand

 

Q:

Nicolas, congratulations on winning the Production Cup within WRC 2 earlier this season*. We haven’t seen you since Italy this year, is it good to be back?

NF:

It is different to celebrate at home. I am in my office, I am watching and I am champion. I don’t like my office – I prefer to win my Championship here. This is my third time in Spain and I try to fight in the Production. I don’t know what will happen. I try to go fast.

 

Q:

How much of a challenge is a split surface event?

NF:

It’s different – last year first we had the gravel stages and then the tarmac. I think it’s better this way. I don’t test the car on tarmac, but I will go fast.

 

Q:

Do you know anything about next year?

NF:

Maybe I drive S2000. I talk to many teams. I want to see what is the right car to go [in].

 

Q:

Sepp, you had the best start to the season with the win in Monte Carlo, when you look back across the season how do you assess it?

SW:

I think the whole season is quite good. It was difficult for me last year when this was my first international year with the IRC. Then we changed to another new season and again I don’t know the rallies. This was quite difficult, but we managed well. I tried my best and had one win and three podium places – that’s the way it can be. I try my best here. We have the small chance for the podium. We want to finish, but we try to fight.

 

Q:

How have you prepared for this rally?

SW:

Normally I prefer the gravel. I don’t know why, maybe because I was a motocross rider. I had a test last week on a circuit in Spain and I drove with Pepe Oriola, a driver from the World Touring Car Championship and my engineer is the same as his. It was a nice test also for the driving style, but it’s hard to bring this to the rally. You drive five laps and you know the track. I try to do my best. The Monday test was good.

 

Q:

How is your confidence? 

SW:

I feel confident. The shakedown was not similar for the rally, but I feel confident – I hope for good points for the Championship.

 

Q:

Do you know anything for next year?

SW:

It’s sure that I drive next year, but at the moment it’s not sure what I will drive. We are talking, but nothing is sure.

 

Q:

What are the options?

SW:

Maybe it’s WRC or ERC.

 

QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR

 

Martin Holmes

Martin Holmes Rallying, UK

 

Q:

Is S2000 no longer competitive, Sepp?

SW: 

For me, it’s really difficult to say, but there are many cars in the WRC with turbos and not so much S2000 any more. I think it depends on the track. Here, if you are good on the technical side you can compete when the rally is more flowing. The torque helps you to accelerate, but I think the future is for the turbo.

 

 

FIA WRC 3 CHAMPIONSHIP

 

Present:

Mohamed Al Mutawaa

Enrique Garcia Ojeda

 

Q:

Mohammed, we have already seen you compete at Rally Deutschland which was your first Tarmac event. What did you learn from that event that you can use here?

MAM:

I just started rallying at the start of the year and I am trying to learn my [pace] notes. From Germany, I learned about the different tarmac – the surface changes a lot. Here the surface is really smooth and nice to drive on. I am more confident on my notes now, so I can go a bit faster.

 

Q:

Have ever experienced split-surface rallies?

MAM:

This is the first ever, it’s a great challenge and good experience. It’s going to be difficult to adapt from one to the other, but it will be good.

 

Q:

What are your career goals?

MAM:

I start now and I am trying to learn the notes. I came from circuit racing for five years at the top of my level and now I want to reach the top of my level in rallying, I want to prove there can be great drivers from both [disciplines].

 

Q:

What do you think of the rally?

MAM:

I really enjoy the rally here, I loved the stages [on the recce] and I am really looking forward to the event.

 

Q:

Enrique, we saw you at the last event in France as part of WRC 3. Unfortunately it didn’t end the way you hoped. What is the plan here?

EGO:

In France we have a lot of electric problems with the car. It’s very important to start here – very important for the sponsors.

 

Q:

Did you test for the event or was shakedown the test?

EGO:

The car is all okay from the shakedown. To fit the lights is very important for the night, this is very difficult part of the event.

 

Q:

What do you think about the switch from Tarmac to gravel?

EGO:

For me, I am [most experienced] in tarmac. I have a lot of experience in the gravel and the gravel stages are very nice – it’s a very good rally.

 

Q:

What do you hope to achieve here?

EGO:

I want to finish the rally. I want to go fast.

 

 

FIA JUNIOR WRC CHAMPIONSHIP

 

Present:

José Antonio Suarez

Martin Koci

 

Q:

José, the Championship title for the FIA Junior WRC was sealed in France but now the battle is on for second overall. How are you feeling coming into this event?

JS:

This last rally [France] is not good for us. I am at home now and I look to do my best and fight for the first position, but it will be a hard rally. It will be a big battle with Pontus [Tidemand] and I am ready for the fight. Second position is important, I did this last year and I want to repeat that with fastest times on the stages.

 

Q:

What’s the next step for you?

JS:

I will have a hard winter to find the money and then I sit with my family and team and hope to come with this money to stay next year in the WRC.

 

Q:

Is there more pressure competing at home?

JS:

Maybe when I am at home I have a little bit of pressure, but when I put on the helmet I am only thinking about flat-out…

 

Q:

How can you prepare for the two surfaces Martin?

MK:

I’m sure it’s not going to be easy. I have never done a rally like this during the season. We have done a few rallies where the surface if similar to the gravel on Sunday and some rallies where the tarmac is similar to the tarmac [here]. For sure, it’s not easy. This was the first season of Juniors for me and I’m the youngest – its all about skills. The big thing for me was that I change the co-driver in the middle of the season, but this was a very good change. I hope I am going to enjoy it.

 

Q:

What has the Junior WRC taught you?

MK:

Skills for sure. You can see the fastest guys, what’s their time and if it feels good then my time is more or less the same as them. I can see what I have to do to be more like them.

 

Q:

Luis Moya chatted to the Juniors this weekend, what advice did he give you?

MK:

It’s good in the WRC to get this advice. There are not so many drivers from my country who have done these events – there was one in my team from the past. But Luis gave some great advice; I hope I remember it and I can repeat it.

 

Q:

And what about next year?

MK:

We want to learn the skills this year and repeat them next year. We want to go step-by-step.

 

 

* Subject to the official publication of the results by the FIA