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Transcript of the pre-match press convention organised by the FIA for the 2020 Rally Italia Sardegna.

2020 WRC - Rally Italia Sardegna - Elfyn Evans, Toyota Gazoo Racing (Photo DPPI)

FIA WORLD RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP

Describe:

Elfyn Evans (GBR), Toyota Gazoo Racing

Dani Sordo (ESP), Hyundai Shell Mobis

Esapekka Lappi (FIN), M-Sport Ford

Company: Petter Solberg (NOR) and Andreas Mikkelsen (NOR), Sainteloc Junior Team

Q:

Elfyn, you’re the Championship Chief heading into Rally Italia Sardegna. Initially, please suppose me how you’re feeling sooner than this match. It modified into once a big exercise for you in Turkey but you’re first on the avenue right here. How does that truly feel?

EE:

In some programs it’s a ways upright to be in the main plight. However we are able to see the following day how it goes…

Q:

Discuss over with me about the following day’s first stage because all people appears to be like to claim how inspiring it’s a ways, how narrow it’s a ways. What construct of test is it going to be?

EE:

Yes, all people can agree that or no longer it’s, you know, the intense side. For instance, we now have faith viewed tough sections in the previous on this rally but most seemingly no longer a stage beefy of it, so it’s a ways rather unknown. It’s tough in areas, very narrow, rocks on the sides… So, you know, or no longer it’s a inspiring one to glean us going.

Q:

How are you feeling mentally with, I’m prance, the total journalists asking you how you feel in the case of your Championship probabilities? Bear you ever been batted by these questions or are you no longer allowing them to have faith an impact on you?

EE:

I have been getting rotten a couple of times for prance. If reality be told, you know, it’s a fast season and the rest can occur. For me, for the time being, it’s a ways a case of carrying on as authorized. As soon as more, admire we saw in Turkey, issues can flip around so fast one manner or the replacement and clearly that can occur right here or in the following round. So there is no room for tactics, or no longer it’s merely the case of doing the most easy we can

Q:

Dani Sordo, is broad to undercover agent you relief in the championship, welcome relief to competition. It has been a whereas since we now have faith viewed you on the relief of the wheels of a FIA World Rally Automobile on a WRC match, are you feeling unusual, are you ready to transfer?

DS:

Truthfully, it’s been a lengthy time since Mexico. It is tremendous to be relief in a rally automobile, also on these levels. This would possibly well maybe maybe maybe be inspiring levels, especially the first stage of the rally to birth Rally Italia Sardegna. All people has this stage in mind.

Q:

It modified into once a exercise in spite of all the issues closing yr – a dramatic Energy Stage but irrespective of what came about on the Energy Stage, it modified into once a preferrred efficiency by you on nearly each stage. Are you able to bring that construct of efficiency to the point out this yr?

DS:

Yes, in spite of all the issues, we are able to… Remaining yr, it modified into once so tremendous but I maintain, in authorized for the period of the weekend, it modified into once a tremendous efficiency. Ott (Tänak) modified into once a piece on a special level, although, or no longer it’s correct, he had problems. However ,yes, this yr I maintain we’re even a cramped bit bit more willing and we are able to try and attain the the same.

Q:

Discuss over with me about the levels and the Toughen Championship drivers… It is an inspiring configuration that we see right here in Sardinia; both Friday and Saturday morning you have faith two passes, a regroup after which one other two passes of the the same levels. How grand of a compromise attain you feel that it will be with tyre want and along with your location-up?

DS:

Yes, in spite of all the issues this would be fairly inspiring. Many kilometres, this construct of levels are very worrying and whenever you have faith most productive few tyres and you have faith a puncture, after you have to attain these forms of levels and it changes so much from the first trudge to the second. Especially right here on this rally, you have to suppose also about this: this would be a downside for everyone.

Q:

EP, how are you feeling after Shakedown this morning, because everyone is aware of vivid now there is no big amount of checking out going on with M-Sport. How is the automobile feeling, are you joyful with what you have faith sooner than the weekend?

EP:

Yes, it felt gorgeous ravishing, to be merely. We carried the the same settings the assign aside we carried out the closing time in Turkey and proceed from that. We did some runt changes for the third and fourth trudge, so it’s a ways OK.

Q:

Oh well, you are sounding gorgeous confident. It is a upright birth. How inspiring of a downside would you say is it to birth the rally now that now we have faith moved away from summer season and the dryer, hottest stipulations? Does it produce it any simpler or does it produce it more worrying and inspiring when it involves tyre want and the total rest of it?

EP:

I maintain, yes, definitively now we want to utilize more the medium compound which is in point of fact no longer glaring on the entire right here. The mornings are going to be in point of fact chilly so the exhausting tyre is no longer going to work at all, but then it’s a ways one other chronicle in the afternoon when now we have faith the preferrred height of temperatures in the day and now we want to suppose the replacement solutions for tyres, but definitively it makes it more tantalizing when it involves tyre want.

Q:

In the previous few years, M-Sport have faith been very joyful to exercise podium positions right here. Is that striking merely a cramped bit tension to your shoulders to have faith a upright outcome?

EP:

Not in point of fact tension, but or no longer it’s construct of giving me self belief. The automobile has been upright right here so I in point of fact hope we can succeed as well this weekend. It construct of provides me a exercise and we can in point of fact try and fight.

 

Q:

Give me your thoughts as well on that opening stage the following day morning, all people is speaking about how inspiring it’s a ways. What’s Esapekka’s seek for going to be on it?

EP:

Definitively. I have confidence the total feedback, even I truly have faith no longer heard, but it will also be a stage the assign aside you need to maybe also gamble. That you just would be succesful to set all in or all out. Perhaps you need to maybe even have faith a big hole whenever you succeed, but on the replacement side of the coin, you need to maybe also invent as well over there.

Q:

What’s your feeling, are you taking of venture the following day morning?

EP:

Yes!

Q:

Petter and Andreas: Pirelli duo… I admire the truth that you just take a seat in the express same positions, that you just’ll be in the automobile this weekend with Petter in the driving seat. Not likely to undercover agent you both right here! We see Pirelli coming in the WRC championship in 2021 as the most necessary tyre dealer. Petter, suppose me the aim why you are right here this weekend.

PS:

Initially, it’s a ways an inconceivable chronicle. I want suppose you this earlier than. I modified into once in Sardinia earlier than and also with Pirelli and they mounted the chronicle around this. I did not have faith the rest to attain anyway (he laughs). I maintain or no longer it’s upright stress-free and or no longer it’s upright for Pirelli to attain one thing admire this when it involves promotion. And also for the fans, it’s a ways broad.

Q:

So we are going to undercover agent you force the Energy Stage: how did you rob between you who modified into once truly going to be in the driving seat?

PS:

That modified into once also very inspiring because I truly have faith never had Andreas as a co-driver, but he obviously had some wide… yeah… he did not have faith any negate at all to attain it, but he modified into once truly unheard of to write run-notes and to learn the run-notes. I modified into once impressed.

Q:

Petter, your run-notes are famously inspiring, technical, beefy of files, Chris Patterson no longer steadily took a breath when he sat alongside you.

PS:

That’s the aim why Andreas modified into once no longer negate at all. He did not have faith any problems.

Q:

Bear you ever made them much less technical for Andreas?

PS:

No, a ways more.

Q:

Andreas, has he made the notes a cramped bit simpler for you or is it fairly a couple of work?

AM:

Clearly I do know about his run-notes system from earlier than, so already mentally I modified into once beginning to prepare myself. However when we began to attain the recce, I modified into once vexed on how grand knowledge, but, you know, I merely want to learn out all the issues as fast as I will to time it I cannot even suppose to time it fast, confidently merely to be there. However it absolutely’s upright stress-free, or no longer it’s truly the first time in my life the assign aside I’m no longer afraid being a passenger because on the entire, I rob to take a study what’s going on out of doors and that makes me afraid, but now I’m so busy, I construct no longer have faith time to be afraid because I’m so centered on what I’m doing. We had a preferrred time on Shakedown this morning. Yes… I modified into once a piece too uninteresting but I modified into once recuperating.

Q:

Andreas, I will be succesful to even see a cramped bit little bit of disaster on your eyes when Petter joked with you on some of the social media that he modified into once going with you for the quickest time on the Energy Stage.

AM:

Oh yes, the favorite 5 parts!

Q:

Present me a cramped bit bit about your work with Pirelli since you are the growing driver for them, how has that being going and how grand are you taking a seek for ahead to seeing it all pan out in 2021?

AM:

This would possibly well maybe maybe maybe be very tantalizing to undercover agent. Clearly, the most necessary aim with Pirelli is to provide the tyre in conserving without a surprises also performing on a in point of fact, very high level. I’m in point of fact confident that we managed to provide this success. I’m taking a seek for ahead to listen to the solutions from other drivers but we had some in point of fact upright test days, both on tarmac and gravel and I in point of fact feel in point of fact confident about the tyres, so I maintain we’re in upright plight.

Q:

We know the plan your personality is admire, you are fairly stern with Petter, have faith you been telling him of at all?

AM:

No, I maintain now we have faith merely been two wide smiles in the automobile. Clearly Petter has persistence with me in the automobile as a co-driver. Well, in the recce it modified into once tremendous and exact.

PS:

It’s essential to smooth see how we writes the run-notes.

AM:

Yes, that revolutionized the co-drivers and how they on the entire work.

Q:

Ah, ok: what did you attain?

AM:

Whereas driving, I construct no longer write the run-notes, obviously or no longer it’s too inspiring. So what we did is I recorded what he modified into once pronouncing, then we had a thirty minutes espresso ruin after the stage so I will be succesful to even write down the total knowledge in peace. It took a lengthy time but we managed. I’m delighted we’re doing most productive one stage because they took without a end in sight!

Questions from the flooring

Luca Santoro, MotorioOnline (ITA) to Elfyn Evans

Q:

It looked that the Yaris WRC had grip problems on the first passes in Shakedown, can even this be caring impending to the the following day’s levels?

EE:

No main grip problems that I’m responsive to. Surely; I did not have faith the most easy first hotfoot in Shakedown but even while you overview with the fellows that the assign aside fourth or fifth on the avenue, the time modified into once no longer so ghastly. I maintain it will be major to preserve in mind that once the weather stipulations are dry admire that, the avenue can perfect very, very fast, so I maintain that there’s no wide considerations about that.

Q:

With Mäkinen’s departure as Team Valuable, what attain you request the following season will be?

EE:

Truthfully, there is no such thing as so much being discussed for the time being. Clearly it came as a news after Turkey. Clearly for me being fairly unusual in the team anyway, I’ve loved working in a terribly tremendous atmosphere. My wants are most productive that we can proceed with this tremendous atmosphere in the team and all people retains working collectively. Tommi obviously did a big job of introducing Toyota into the World Championship and bringing the total success out to this point, so confidently we can proceed on doing a upright work even with him on the sidelight.

Bo Christer Bofeldt, Worldrally.se (SWE) to Elfyn Evans

Q:

That you just would be succesful to even have faith got a brand unusual team boss after Tommi Makinen has made up our minds to transfer away, did this substitute your preparation for this rally and Ypres?

EE:

No, because nothing will substitute till subsequent yr, so admire I discussed a piece earlier no longer too grand has been discussed, so for now all the issues stays the the same.

Ben Johnston, Paddockeye.ie (IRL) to Dani Sordo

Q:

Does the truth that you just won right here closing yr provide you with extra self belief going into the match or attain you deal with it admire any other match? I designate that the match is been hotfoot in a special manner when put next to closing yr, does this substitute your manner when it involves making ready for the match?”

DS:

Clearly, while you exercise an match, you have faith more self belief. In authorized, I truly have faith a upright self belief as the time closing yr in authorized modified into once fairly upright. I’m joyful with the automobile, also our avenue plight is candy when it’s a ways complete dry, so now we have faith fairly a couple of self belief for the rally.

Reiner Kuhn, Motorsport Aktuell (GER) to Dani Sordo

Q:

Will you be in the Hyundai line-up for Monza?

DS: I construct no longer know if Monza will be performed. I did Monza step by step, now we want to back till Monza will be in the championship or no longer.

Reiner Kuhn, Motorsport Aktuell (GER) to Andreas Mikkelsen

Q:

Will we see you in WRC or WRC2 subsequent yr? What’s your design?

AM:

I’m engaged on subsequent yr as we discuss. Clearly it’s a ways rarely easy for the time being with totally a couple of seats available, but I’m attempting to bring collectively my manner relief to the championship. Here is no longer the first time that’s has came about to me, so for me right here is authorized. One more bump on the avenue, but we are able to climb this mountain as well.


FIA WRC 2 CHAMPIONSHIP

Describe:

WRC2 – Pontus Tidemand (SWE), Toksport WRT

WRC2 – Ole Christian Veiby (NOR), Hyundai Motorsport N

Q:

Ole Christian, you have faith been right here deal of times on your profession, in many diverse autos. How grand are you taking a seek for ahead to this one to in point of fact glean a upright outcome on the board?

OCV:

Well, definitively I take care of this rally and the gravel levels in point of fact trudge well with me well. So for prance, it’s a ways a upright support on them. It’s a brand unusual automobile right here so I hope it fits for this rally.

Q:

As soon as you occur to hunt for relief – I do know you did not have faith a big want of occasions to this point this season – but how would you assess your efficiency?

OCV:

Well I positively suppose the efficiency has been corrupt. We merely did not have faith preferrred fortune on our side and I truly have faith performed a couple of tiresome errors on the Sunday in two rallies. However i maintain now we want to exercise the prance issues. It appears to be like now we have faith a upright kit, we merely want to set all the issues to work collectively.

Q:

Pontus it’s a ways exhausting to accept as true with, but you have faith never competed right here earlier than! I modified into once bowled over by this statistics, how near you have faith never been to Sardinia earlier than?

PT:

I construct no longer know, to be merely. We now have faith planned it step by step, but it didn’t occur. It has been on the team solutions earlier, but right here is the truth, or no longer it’s my first time right here. I truly have faith been doing most productive the recce right here.

Q:

And what have faith you intend to be the levels on your first time right here? What’s your thought?

PT:

Surely I in point of fact admire this levels, for prance it’s a ways upright to have faith some abilities, or no longer it’s in point of fact a combination between Portugal and Turkey, there are some differences but I in point of fact admire this levels.

Q:

For you the championship is taking a seek for so tantalizing vivid now, what’s your design on the championship push vivid now?

PT:

Surely whenever you push you will cruise right here. We will try our simplest for prance and you merely want to push from the first stage and see how this would possibly well maybe maybe maybe trudge, it’s a ways a lengthy rally to transfer.

Q: That you just would be succesful to even have faith the championship lead in spite of all the issues, but it’s a ways most productive 5 parts sooner than Østberg, what number of rallies attain you have faith final?

PT:

Here is my fifth.

Q:

So it’s a ways all or nothing on this one then…

PT:

Yes it’s a ways. We will see, there is an older rule, you need to maybe also attain as many rallies as you wish but it’s a ways the fifth that it counts.

Q:

So, there can even presumably be the means so that you just can attain more if there have faith been the means to attain more.

PT:

If the inducement is there, yes.

Questions from the flooring

Luca Santoro, MotorioOnline (ITA) to Ole-Christian Veiby

Q:

Andrea Adamo talked about disappointment concerning your season and Nikolay’s. You smooth got some podiums this yr in WRC2, but perchance one thing is smooth missing. What are the difficulties you have faith encountered this season? And on your thought, modified into once it in point of fact disappointing till now? “

OCV:

Surely I construct no longer blame Andrea (Adamo). It is been inspiring, I need to say, especially for me, with many errors I did on the two Sundays. Yes, I truly want to claim that the efficiency has in point of fact no longer been there, now we want to glean the kit all collectively, there is rarely a ways more to claim about that.

Reiner Kuhn, Motorsport Aktuell (GER) to Ole-Christian Veiby

Q:

Which other rally will you enter this yr, Ypres and Monza?

OCV:

This can even presumably be my fifth rally in WRC2, so for me it wants to be the closing one. We now want to glean the most parts as a team this weekend in affirm to envision out and stable the team championship, that’s our main aim this weekend, that both autos want upright parts.


FIA WRC 3 CHAMPIONSHIP

Describe:

WRC3 – Marco Bulacia (BOL)

Q:

Marco, you are main the WRC3 championship as we’re heading right here in Sardinia, how are you feeling self belief-vivid heading into this match?

MB:

I maintain my self belief is in point of fact upright, now we have faith been working so much for this match to defend the first plight of the championship. I maintain the automobile and the location-up and also my driving and run-notes are fairly upright. I maintain now we want to retain on with the strategy, push from the first stage and see how it goes.

Q:

Discuss over with me about those levels; what construct of stipulations have faith been they admire on the recce, because we’re right here at a special time of the yr. In total there’s hot heat, it’s dusty and hot accessible, but a piece diverse this time around.

MB:

My first time modified into once closing yr. It modified into once a cramped bit bit inspiring as a result of the weather. It is extremely diverse. I maintain that we are able to face the the same manner the levels because they are very worrying. I maintain the wide distinction will be that we are able to utilize more delicate tyres than closing yr.

Q:

How many rallies have faith you final, Marco?

MB:

Here is my fourth.

Q:

So, what else are we going to undercover agent of you?

MB:

We will want to back and see if Monza will seem on the calendar. I construct no longer know, so I want to undercover agent if I will bring collectively some funds to attain one other rally.

FIA Junior WRC CHAMPIONSHIP

Describe:

Ruairi Bell (GBR)

Enrico Oldrati (ITA)

Q:

Ruari, I literally merely saw you jumping out your rally automobile and hotfoot right here to the clicking convention. Has Skakedown been a cramped bit bit worrying this morning?

RB:

Honest morning, you are a cramped bit a ways-off are no longer you?! Yes, it modified into once for a upright aim, we had some brakes problems, we did not have faith the brakes on both rounds on Skakedown. So confidently, we are able to be relief for the following day. That wants to be upright to transfer… I attain no longer want to abilities that on stage.

Q:

No, that’s no longer the construct of birth you favor to glean issues going with.Here is a inspiring, worrying match that we see right here in Sardinia yearly but for you, every rally has been a big studying project. What have faith you intend to be the levels right here?

RB:

I truly want to claim, every rally is wretchedness the assign aside I truly have faith never been so it’s a ways in point of fact exiting. However this one presumably is one thing I will uncover a cramped bit bit more to as the tough, rocky roads are corresponding to those in Portugal the assign aside I have been a couple of times. However as you say, we merely want to provide some abilities. Our aim is to envision out and develop well. The levels are in point of fact upright, it appears to be like in point of fact tremendous but very rocky and it’s a ways rather unpredictable what can occur.

Q:

Your first season for the period of the Junior WRC Championship has been an interrupted yr, we could maybe say, with all the issues going on with COVID. However what have faith you intend to be your abilities?

RB:

It has been big. We have not performed a WRC match but in affirm that’s going to be tantalizing. Here is going to be the first true Thursday to Sunday so it has been big stress-free to this point, a special vogue from what now we have faith performed on runt occasions with autos already construct of location up. We merely want to transfer with it, so it has been improbable. I’d advocate it to fairly a couple of of us but confidently we can produce the most of it with what we now have faith got and see how we no longer sleep on the stay.

Q:

You did not have faith Matt Edwards alongside with you, a two time British champion as a co-driver relief in Estonia, now Darren Garrod is relief with you; what modified into once the abilities admire with Matt?

RB:

That modified into once very tantalizing in Estonia. We examined collectively so he called notes to me earlier than. However it absolutely has been on the entire about three kilometres of notes calling so it modified into once fairly funny. We started the first stage, we did the first three corners, then regarded as much as transfer and I remembered I’ve got truly 18 kilometres left, so I set my head relief down. He didn’t say the rest but it labored in point of fact well, he’s a big man and I truly want to thank him so much for jumping in the automobile with uninteresting seek for after the accident the weekend earlier than. On tale of the brakes, it wasn’t too upright, but yes, I in point of fact loved it. They are both in search of to educate me Welsh, I’m no longer going very a ways… Expectantly more on the stay of the season.

Q:

Enrico, big to have faith you right here, suppose us about your Shakedown this morning. Has it been much less stressfull than Ruairi?

EO:

Yes, because closing yr we have faith been already right here and we had a special location-up. We tried a couple of location-ups, for prance the following day there are unusual levels, but, ok, we are able to see because right here or no longer it’s a ways rarely the quickest guy who wins however the neatest. Let’s overview after the following day how we attain.

Q:

As you acknowledged, it’s a ways rarely the quickest driver, you have to have faith a preferrred head, have not you? It is tantalizing as I discussed to Ruairi with those levels to hotfoot twice the following day morning, it will be charming to undercover agent how you guys attain especially working a cramped bit bit further relief on the avenue.

EO:

Surely, as I acknowledged, this would be inspiring for us also since it’s a ways my dwelling match so I will have faith more worrying from the total fans and also, physically speaking, this would be a inspiring match, but we’re right here, I will attain my simplest as consistently.

Q:

We’re working obviously in a special time of yr, we’re coming into Autumn, even you need to maybe also no longer accept as true with it, with the sunshine out of doors. However on the recce, did you seek for a wide distinction from the summer season because we’re hearing it modified into once muddy in some sections, so much more humid and dump?

EO:

Yes, certainly. It modified into once tough in June but now there can even occur fairly a couple of issues, admire if it will rain this would be very slippery. However for now let’s see what the weather is going to be – very upright, and for us, for prance or no longer it’s a upright designate, let’s hope this would possibly well maybe maybe maybe stay admire this for the total weekend.

Q:

Enact you watched you need to maybe also presumably be the favourite accessible this weekend?

EO:

Yes, I hope so!


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