What is your analysis of what turned out to be a difficult Rally Japan?
“The long road sections, the timing, the demanding stages and the cold, damp weather combined to ensure that this year’s Rally Japan was by no means simple, as we saw by the high number of offs. The result wasn’t as favourable for Sébastien and Daniel as it might have been either. The fact that they and Marcus Grönholm retired resulted in a status quo at the top of both the Drivers and Co-drivers’ points tables, which means that Seb and Daniel are still in contention for the title. Dani and Marc finished second and didn’t make any mistakes, which was far from being a foregone conclusion given their limited experience of the event. “
Where does that leave the situation with just two rounds remaining, beginning with Rally Ireland?
“Ireland promises to be a turning point. It isn’t possible to predict all the potential scenarios, of course, but the fact remains that Seb and Daniel trail Marcus by four points, with two events remaining to attempt to bridge that gap. If they manage to win in Ireland, the final outcome will be influenced of course by the result Grönholm achieves in Sligo. If he comes second, Seb will still have a deficit of two points to make up on the championship’s final round in Wales. “
What lessons did you learn when you took part in the Donegal and Cork Rallies?
“From what the crews tell me, Rally Ireland won’t be easy. All the staff from Citroën Sport who attended these two events reported that the roads and surface they found were like nothing they have come across anywhere else. The stages are difficult because they are extremely fast and narrow, and also very slippery with countless potential pitfalls. It should be a great event and Seb and Daniel will try to win, while Dani and Marc will do their utmost to finish ahead of Marcus Grönholm. ”
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