WRC – Rally Finland – Pre-tournament press conference transcript

FIA World Rally Championship

Original:

Kalle Rovanperä – Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT

Craig Breen – Hyundai Shell Mobis WRT

Gus Greensmith – M-Sport Ford WRT

Esapekka Lappi – RTE-Motorsport

Q:

Kalle, a dominant have on the Acropolis Rally. Has that amazing result settled in and are you bringing that self belief to your foremost tournament?

KR:

Pointless to pronounce it was a terribly superb tournament for us. I possess it didn’t utilize lengthy to genuinely decide in, it dazzling felt genuinely honest after it. Now we are focusing on this tournament.

Q:

It is a mountainous tournament and extremely grand your mutter tournament. We’ve overlooked it for a year thanks to Covid. What was it cherish seeing the stages again and knowing you might perhaps well be in a World Rally Automobile on this stages for the first time?

KR:

Pointless to pronounce it feels genuinely honest. It feels cherish it has been a longer spoil than finest 365 days. Nonetheless keep in mind that the circumstances are somewhat diversified, it’s no longer summer any more. Nonetheless the stages aloof see genuinely superb and scrumptious.

Q:

It seems elegant in the entire autumn colours and the temperatures are loads cooler than we are outdated school to for Rally Finland. How does that build the skin and what ought to aloof we search files from of to see this weekend?

KR:

If it’s dry cherish this, it’s no longer this sort of enormous disagreement. Now the floor is more compact, we haven’t got so grand free gravel than in the summertime time when now we possess somewhat more warmth and dust. I’d pronounce if it’s no longer raining it would be no longer so diversified. Pointless to pronounce this year now we possess fairly diverse novel stages and that is continuously somewhat diversified and fairly complicated with the novel notes on a handy e book a rough rally cherish this.

Q:

Consult with me about rallying in darkish cherish, which we’ve never seen on Rally Finland sooner than. What’s that going to be cherish and the procedure grand possess you ever examined in the dark time?

KR:

Using in the dark time is fully diversified. It’s fairly a huge disagreement even whenever you realize the stage, and I possess right here it would be on a handy e book a rough rally with fairly diverse crests and fleet corners it’s no longer so easy to have faith the notes in the dark time, thanks to route you might perhaps presumably presumably no longer survey all the pieces even with the genuinely honest lights now we possess on the automobile. On the entire when we pressure in the dark time it’s frigid weather time and moreover you potentially can survey the light colorful from the snow banks and it’s grand brighter. Nonetheless without any snow it would be genuinely honest darkish. And I possess Oittila shall be a terribly tense stage in the darkness. You’ve got no room for errors there.

Q:

After Acropolis and coming right here to your mutter tournament each person appears to be like pinning the must your shoulders already, and we haven’t even launch up the rally. Carry out you feel that stress or set up you push it to one aspect?

KR:

Pointless to pronounce I possess it somewhat  nonetheless I’m no longer alive to in it too grand. I are conscious of it’s dazzling a rally dazzling cherish every diversified rally. I try to possess that methodology and dazzling try to establish the same job as on the entire rallies. We continuously try to establish as honest a job as imaginable. Pointless to pronounce it offers us a minute boost to possess all our chums and household right here observing who can’t in most cases come to the rallies outdoor of Finland. Hundreds followers and toughen and keep in mind that it feels superb.

Q:

Craig, there’s some stress on you as effectively. We’ve seen you on the podium right here sooner than. You were second in Estonia and moreover you did so effectively in Ypres. What are you able to set up that weekend?

CB:

Yeah, clearly it’s been a honest chase of months. Closing couple of events were genuinely honest. Honestly I’m no longer outdated school to being in the automobile so in most cases, so doing two events in a row first of all was superb between Estonia and Ypres, and getting two podiums was clearly better again. Nonetheless I’m having a see forward to the rally. For some unknown cause these fleet gravel rallies are inclined to switch effectively for me. Very cherish aid dwelling, with our narrow Tarmac roads. I’ve no belief why I are inclined to enhance on rallies cherish this, nonetheless I’m having a see forward me. It’s a odd shape of a rally being in autumn time. The ache is there and it would for disappear be an exhilarating weekend.

Q:

What roughly challenges set up you possess rallying this time of year will issue for you?

CB:

For definite doing the stages in darkness is going to issue a entire novel element. It’s something I’ve in most cases idea of over the years, what would it be want to establish a stage in Finland in darkness, and lo and take into yarn now we possess it now. Esteem Kalle acknowledged, we’re outdated school to doing this on this profile of avenue in Sweden and on the Arctic Rally this year we had fairly loads. Nonetheless whenever you occur to don’t know the reference to shine the lights off it’s a entire diversified ache. You are colorful the lights into full launch dwelling and moreover you are going by the fields and over the pinnacle of crests and moreover you might perhaps well possess nothing to possess the lights off, it’s incredibly tricky. In the wooded space sections it’s somewhat less difficult, you’ve purchased the timber in most cases to originate a reference. For definite the closing stage the next day evening and perhaps again on Saturday evening we’d possess somewhat of darkness in the latter stages. It’s going to be a huge ache and novel stages as effectively, so a odd shape of rally this year positively.

Q:

Enjoy you ever examined in darkness?

CB:

No. We weren’t on condition that possibility. I don’t know why. Nonetheless we weren’t in a mutter to study in the darkness.

Q:

The schedule right here is relentless: stage after stage after stage aid to aid. Are there any particular stages that stand out as more of a ache than you expected?

CB:

I possess the two novel stages on Saturday evening. The closing two stages of the loop. They possess got fairly a odd profile to the others. Plenty of it is miles predicated mostly in the wooded space and all of it seems accurate same and no person has any experience of it from previous years, so I possess they’re going to be two key stages. And the next day especially Oittila in the dark time is going to be a huge ache. Finest one chase by it and we don’t even salvage a chase by it sooner than in the daylight hours. You prefer to possess the choke out on the first chase over and commit to your notes. They are positively going to be the principle points

Q:

What are you able to disclose us about next year? There are such diverse rumours. What might presumably be lined up for you next year?

CB:

Honestly no longer grand better than what it was in Ypres. Issues are progressing positively. I possess there’s somewhat of light at the pinnacle of the tunnel now. I might presumably be hoping in the next… it’s purchased lower than months anyway, it’s no longer fairly at days yet. Nonetheless in the next couple of weeks issues must be somewhat more clear. I possess obvious and that’s the most necessary thing.

Q:

Gus, a entire bunch adjustments in the addition we survey this year, and your favourite stage Päijälä has been reversed this time. Is it aloof as honest in reverse?

GG:

It’s no longer fairly as flowing, so potentially no longer fairly as superb, Nonetheless for definite it’s loads quicker on this route. We’ve been observing among the used videos from 2016 when Kris [Meeke] was driving and I purchased my co-driver Chris to translate Kris’s trek notes to salvage some dinky pointers. It seems intellectual. Nonetheless on the opposite hand so set up diverse the diversified stages.

Q:

It’s the 70th model. What set up you possess of the route total?

GG:

Busy. Sophisticated, especially in the two Saturday afternoon stages nonetheless they are fully novel for each person. Nonetheless we build the rally and then we also build this expertise of rally autos on gravel, which doesn’t genuinely enhance than that

Q:

What does that feel cherish, with the alternate in regs for the autos? Is there somewhat of disappointment?

GG:

Mostly disappointment, yeah. These autos are barely honest, barely particular. The novel autos are also engaging nonetheless as a driver I don’t possess it gets critically better than what we are driving now.

Q:

What about your hopes. You’ve got honest experience in Finland and issues were bettering for you. What set up you possess you potentially can utilize a ways from this one?

GG:

It’s tense to deliver. We didn’t salvage to study at fascinated about the tournament, so the principle thing is to come to a option how snappy we can get up to speed. They call it the superb prix rally because of all the pieces is separated by tenths and shedding seconds right here’s a danger, so if we’re no longer up to speed correct away it’s going to be a genuinely no longer easy rally. We’ll set up what we can.

Q:

Esapekka, it’s honest to see you in a World Rally Automobile this weekend. It’s been nearly a year because of you’ve been in a single. How are you feeling about being aid and aid at your mutter tournament?

EP:

If feels mountainous. I’m no longer genuinely sad cherish these guys are! It might perhaps most likely presumably be the closing gravel rally, nonetheless I’m dazzling genuinely livid to pressure this expertise of autos all once more.

Q:

You’ve had the last success right here, you’ve been on the pinnacle step of the podium. Nonetheless being outdoor of a World Rally Automobile for some time, some might well pronounce they don’t feel fairly as fresh. What are your expectations for the weekend?

EP:

I possess I possess to be life like what to await. For the next day I possess we are going to lose somewhat bit. I possess to salvage outdated school to the velocity from the fresh avenue, from the trek notes. It’s easy to establish a honest chase on a check avenue which you realize. Nonetheless to switch that chase real into a honest stage is no longer that easy. Perchance the next day it would trot cherish that and then optimistically after a honest night time’s sleep I will perceive more in my head set up it and then on Saturday we might presumably be on honest originate.

Q:

Jari-Matti Latvala has already acknowledged he doesn’t want any stress on you. Are you hanging any stress on yourself? You assign your helmet on and issues alternate, correct?

EP:

Yeah, that’s in most cases the case. Nonetheless I try to be somewhat of an older guy now… Old-long-established that is perhaps the suitable observe. I try to be no longer tiring, let’s pronounce it cherish this.

Q:

What are you idea on the route and what Rally Finland has to present?

EP:

It’s tense to deliver anything better than the fellows possess acknowledged. Sunday is a connected as sooner than. Saturday we can possess honest novel stages which can presumably very effectively be a ways more technical, fairly diverse free gravel. The avenue are Slim roads now. It makes issues somewhat more engaging and positively when it would be in the darkness, when it’s damp and the darkish wooded space… if feels cherish the darkish wooded space and the damp avenue is sucking the light off of you. As Kalle acknowledged the visibility is no longer so clear, nonetheless aloof it be crucial to be bloody fleet on these stages! That mixture doesn’t sound genuinely scrumptious, nonetheless we try to take pride in it positively. I’m definite it would be a honest mark.

Q:

There are many rumours about you next year. We hear you might perhaps well doubtlessly be sharing a seat with Sébastien Ogier at Toyota. What are you able to disclose us?

EP:

Nothing.

Q:

What would you ought to be doing next year?

EP:

For definite I’d cherish a Rally1 automobile

Q:

All season or would a partial season swimsuit you?

EP:

I don’t care. Half a season, seven races, nine races, a fleshy season. , after zero races it feels fairly honest to possess at the least one. I might presumably be happy for all the pieces that comes up.

Q:

Sooner or later, the bit at the pinnacle is 21. You’ve all purchased him a present, correct?

CB:

21, oh my God. I’ve purchased 10 years on you…

EP:

You’re the oldest right here.

CB:

No, that you can very effectively be the oldest. When were you born?

EP:

1991.

Q:

How used are you, Craig?

CB:

31. If I pronounce it peaceable perhaps no person will hear.

FIA WRC2 CHAMPIONSHIP

Original:

Teemu Suninen – Movisport

Q:

Teemu, welcome aid to the championship. You’ve got decided to leave M-Sport nowadays and moreover that you can very effectively be right here in a Volkswagen. How possess the last few weeks been after that option.

TS:

I genuinely must pronounce it’s been fairly tense. I’ve been mountainous-hurried to kind out all the pieces and salvage all the pieces mounted for this rally and the upcoming rally. Nonetheless I aloof possess to deliver I’ve been having fun with every minute because of now we are in a mutter to establish the entire issues how I want to establish them. We now possess got been in a mutter to prepare fairly effectively for the rally. We now possess got been in a mutter to possess a few check days and prepare the automobile for the rally and check novel substances. I is seemingly to be fairly assured for the rally.

Q:

That’s honest because of it is miles your mutter tournament and the largest for you. Alternatively it would be very diversified in a tag-novel automobile and the route has changed somewhat bit as effectively. Nonetheless engaging times?

TS:

Yeah, I’m genuinely having a see forward to see what I’m able to establish with the novel automobile. The Volkswagen is genuinely diversified to pressure so I genuinely possess to reset my brains and check out to study a novel driving vogue. It’s been taking some time, nonetheless we’ve had some days to adapt to it and optimistically I genuinely possess learnt the entire serious issues from Volkswagen and study the methodology to pressure it precisely. And naturally Rally Finland after a one-year spoil is a large ache for the entire drivers because of half of the stages are novel ones.

Q:

What number of kilometres did you mutter up to establish on the check this week?

TS:

Spherical 200 kilometres. We examined for 3 days. I needed to possess the first check day fairly early because of I needed to possess genuinely sooner than the rally to present some time for the brains to adapt to the novel automobile and adapt to a novel methodology of driving and thinking.

Q:

And it is miles a novel methodology of driving, isn’t it? You’ve been aid and forth between a WRC and WRC2 automobile this year and it does utilize somewhat of a shift in thinking.

TS:

Yeah, precisely. I’d pronounce the tips between an R5 and WRC autos are built in the same philosophy to be succesful to very effectively be barely grand driving in the same vogue. Nonetheless this time it’s a odd tag, the automobile is made in another case. So it wants an absolutely novel driving vogue. It might perhaps most likely presumably be a huge ache for me.

Q:

Discuss driving in the dark time on Finland, right here with mountainous-excessive speeds…

TS:

I’d pronounce the ache might perchance be the launch fields. All of the corners are hidden at the aid of crests so that you might perhaps well possess to possess genuinely accurate trek notes to push the automobile to the boundaries. Especially when there are darkish stages on the Friday, on the first day, it makes it a ways more tense when we are aloof getting older school to the autos and the trek notes.

Q:

On the next tournament in Spain that you can very effectively be with Hyundai. What happens after then and what’s going on in some unspecified time in the future?

TS:

Honestly I don’t know. We now possess got to see how this rally goes and the procedure I’m able to pressure in Spain. I possess if we can originate honest results we can possess fairly a future. If no longer, I don’t know what we are going to establish. I dazzling possess to focus on this rally and set up my finest.

Q:

You don’t see terrified. I possess you realize what’s going to occur…

TS:

I genuinely possess prepared fairly effectively for this rally effectively and feel fairly assured. Nonetheless aloof anything can occur in rallying, especially when the automobile is novel and I genuinely possess loads to study. Nonetheless I genuinely possess to establish my finest and possess to take pride in my rally.

FIA WRC3 CHAMPIONSHIP & FIA JUNIOR WRC CHAMPIONSHIP

Original:

Mikko Heikkilä

Pepe López

Q:

Mikko, it’s been spirited to concept you this year in WRC3, on the Arctic Rally and in Estonia as effectively. Colossal results nonetheless what possess you ever idea of your performances?

MH:

The result was honest in Lapland and Estonia, nonetheless our chase wasn’t so excessive when put next to the pinnacle guys. Nonetheless that is one thing I want to enhance.

Q:

Is that this your first Rally Finland?

MH:

Here’s my first time, yes.

Q:

How has that took place, on condition that you will possess competed on the Finnish championship?

MH:

Perchance cash is the cause!

Q:

Factual acknowledge! It is also barely particular to compete right here this weekend.

MH:

Yeah, I’m genuinely livid and having a see forward to it

Q:

Out in the forests it seems spectacular this time of year. What’s it going to be cherish on the rally itself and what set up you possess of the stages?

MH:

The stages are genuinely superb and OK, it would be fairly darkish and and perhaps slippery nonetheless that doesn’t matter. We now possess got had some honest kilometres closing week and we had a honest Finnish championship rally and we had a honest observe there, so I don’t survey any danger.

Q:

What are you hoping for by methodology of a result? What’s life like.

MH:

High three shall be something I want. Nonetheless we’ll survey. The competition at this level is terribly excessive and it’s a lengthy rally. We now possess got to be artful and check out to be in the pinnacle three.

Q:

As you pronounce, cash is continuously a thing. Carry out you might perhaps well possess plans for next year yet?

MH:

Yeah, now we possess some plans and keep in mind that I’d want to pressure some WRC rallies nonetheless we’ll survey. We now possess got plans nonetheless nothing definite yet.

Q:

A honest result right here would abet…

MH:

Yeah, that’s why we’re right here.

Q:

Pepe, how are you feeling about the weekend?

PL:

It is one in every of the rallies you continuously want to trek, so I’m genuinely livid to salvage into the stages and survey what we can set up.

Q:

You had a terribly honest result in Sardinia on gravel this year, nonetheless this would presumably be very diversified right here in Finland. What are you aiming for right here?

PL:

We know Rally Finland is one in every of the huge rallies on the calendar and we want to switch to this mutter and study as grand as imaginable. This is why we are right here. Nonetheless also I’d want to possess a honest trek and check out to ship any messages to any managers of what we are in a mutter to establish.

Q:

Enjoy you ever managed to study sooner than the tournament?

PL:

If truth be told closing week we competed in the Finnish championship, nonetheless we had some complications on the rally, we were no longer in a mutter to study the entire issues we wanted. Nonetheless OK, we had a one-day check. So I possess it would be sufficient for the rally and in the shakedown we can try to adjust the automobile.

Q:

Using in the dark time shall be fairly an experience. How are you feeling about that?

PL:

We are livid for definite. Additionally for the co-drivers it would be genuinely tense. I’m having a see forward to this rally. For me it’s cherish a roughly dream to establish Rally Finland, so I will try to take pride in it and no longer be scared.

Q:

What are the plans for next season?

PL:

As of late we are working on it. We now possess got some alternate choices, nonetheless now we possess to abet somewhat to accurate the programme.

Q:

Alternatively it is miles sounding obvious, yes?

PL:

Successfully, I aloof don’t know for definite. We are in Rally Finland this week and we can try to salvage a honest result and that’s the assign my mind is correct now.