0

2021 Secto Rally Finland – Transcript of the post-tournament press conference organised by the FIA

2021 WRC - Rally Finland - Scott Martin (left) and Elfyn Evans at the final event podium

FIA World Rally Championship

Verbalize:

1st Driver – Elfyn Evans (GBR) – Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT

2nd Driver – Ott Tänak (EST) – Hyundai Shell Mobis WRT

3rd Driver – Craig Breen (IRL) – Hyundai Shell Mobis WRT

Safe manufacturer – Jari-Matti Latvala (FIN) – Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT

Q:

Elfyn, what a outcome for you. It’s the rally each driver in the WRC wants to score. You would be section of a extraordinarily decide team. How are you feeling?

EE:

Rather fully cheerful with how the weekend went. Perhaps I wasn’t that confident coming into it to be perfect, nonetheless we chanced on a correct feeling with the auto pretty early on, managed to enhance that again for Saturday and then took it from there. Obviously the four stage wins on Saturday morning in actuality went in direction of building the score. From there on it was as soon as a case of trying to fend these two guys off, they had been charging pretty laborious, nonetheless I’m fully cheerful we managed to know it.

Q:

It was as soon as Saturday morning where we in actuality did watch you shine: four stage wins encourage-to-encourage to lengthen that income. Whenever you happen to had been going through these levels at such bustle invent you know this was as soon as one among your simplest drives of the season to this level?

EE:

All the pieces was as soon as working at some level of the auto and I had self belief in what the auto was as soon as doing. It’s amusing, I mediate it’s doubtless you’ll per chance per chance well also feel extra on the threshold in rallies where it’s doubtless you’ll per chance per chance well perchance be less aggressive in actuality if it’s doubtless you’ll per chance per chance well perchance be combating the auto. It felt in actuality pretty correct and inviting to consume the strength of the auto and the do-up that I selected to bring correct traction at cases because they had been pretty slippery. We had to push laborious on the other hand it got here pretty naturally I would bellow.

Q:

Ott and Craig had been placing you below some extreme stress and we’ve viewed hundreds moments for drivers. You would possibly per chance well also’t no longer maintain them at such speeds. Was there one thing that was as soon as in actuality touching on for you with regards to moments this weekend?

EE:

About a slides, positively. The biggest one I had was as soon as on Friday on the third stage, I mediate, staunch at excessive bustle and couldn’t get it became in. But we in actuality rectified that section of the do-up afterward. Devour I talked about, when the auto was as soon as going in actuality effectively it looked, pretty bit anyway, as much as bustle.

Q:

Finland in autumn time has been the setting for the final time we will watch this expertise of World Rally Automobile on gravel. A extraordinarily becoming swansong for the auto. What does it imply for you to consume that final score for this version of the auto in Finland?

EE:

I mediate we are all pretty lucky to be here riding these automobiles now, I don’t know whether we’ll ever get a Rally Finland pretty admire this with so noteworthy aero. This form of riding again, what we will now, in all equity diversified let’s bellow for 2022. I mediate we can even aloof expertise this now while we will.

Q:

You did expertise it on the Vitality Stage since you went for optimum factors. You clearly felt confident sufficient so to push and assemble that.

EE:

Yeah, admire I talked about the total thing was as soon as clicking nowadays and I had to staunch level of curiosity on riding trim and riding effectively in the Vitality Stage and thankfully it was as soon as sufficient furthermore to uncover the additional five factors, which acquired’t ever ride amiss.

Q:

Are you throwing a spanner into the works now for Sébastien Ogier’s championship hopes. OK, he’s aloof prior to you, on the other hand it’s bought loads closer. We head to Spain with perchance a diversified complexion on the championship than we had coming to Finland.

EE:

It’s positively moved in the qualified course, on the other hand it’s aloof a prolonged, prolonged plot away. We knew it was as soon as a extraordinarily some distance flung chance after Greece and it’s no longer noteworthy of a bigger chance now. Then again it’s sharp in the qualified course. On the tip of the day, we maintain to staunch ride to the following two events that are left on the calendar and give it our simplest shot and get the most sensible doubtless outcomes we will. That’s all we will attain.

Q:

How noteworthy attain you watched you maintain a shot at trying to consume that championship.

EE:

I don’t mediate. I don’t mediate too noteworthy about it to be perfect. After Greece it was as soon as a mathematical chance for me and now it’s a tiny bit extra practical. It would simplest consume Seb to maintain one retirement and it’s all originate. But I don’t desire that and all we will fright about is our performance on the following two rallies.

Q:

Immense birthday party tonight or are you going dwelling?

EE:

I’m no longer going dwelling, nonetheless I in actuality maintain a moderately busy week subsequent week. So no longer too noteworthy time for celebrating. We are already testing on Wednesday. That’s presumably no longer how Scott is thinking…

Q:

Ott, you know what it capability to score in Finland, you’ve done it twice. You acknowledged to me the day gone by ‘if Elfyn wins he’ll in actuality deserve it because I am placing him below some extreme stress here’. How attain you are feeling about your outcome and what you’ve done this weekend, because it’s been a most sensible doubtless performance from you furthermore.

OT:

We are here. So it’s a specific for Hyundai positively, a huge part. The do we got here from to where we now in the final two years, for particular it has been a huge step. I would bellow it’s pretty of a disgrace we couldn’t attain Rally Finland final year to get our first lessons and perchance set pretty extra stress on Toyota this year. But anyway I’m thinking in this period I am in Finland is terribly explicit in the calendar and furthermore with a huge historical previous, so it positively capability one thing in the event you attain effectively here.

Q:

Needless to claim it does and for Hyundai it’s one thing exquisite to maintain two drivers on the podium at what has continually been the bogey tournament for the team. Now they’ve had success here. How noteworthy of a section attain you watched you maintain performed from some of your recordsdata of winning here?

OT:

As I acknowledged, I’m staunch a driver who locations some gasoline in the auto, so that’s my section.

Q:

As I talked about to Elfyn, it’s doubtless you’ll per chance per chance well also’t be at these speeds with out having some scorching moments. Were there any for you where you belief you had been previous your limit perchance?

OT:

Fundamentally, clearly it took some distance too prolonged for me to amass the feeling in the auto. So for particular in the origin or the main section of the rally I was as soon as pretty struggling and no longer fully confident, staunch forcing myself and in some moments we by some capability managed to position it together. But coming encourage subsequent year with this automobile would abet. We know some issues we did unsuitable and some issues we couldn’t swap. On these hasty, huge roads, staunch taking some dangers and hoping it staunch goes through on elephantine gasoline, I would bellow I was as soon as ready to be on the hotfoot. But when it bought extra technical I had to be very staunch and trim. In these locations I was as soon as shedding pretty pretty. It was as soon as positively traumatic and furthermore perchance traumatic in locations, nonetheless aloof I would bellow when the grip was as soon as better and it was yet again uncomplicated to force in actuality it was as soon as pretty correct fun. It appears to be like Elfyn is no longer so sufficient with himself, nonetheless in actuality the hotfoot was as soon as pretty excessive and it was as soon as for particular on the limit in locations.

Q:

We got here into the morning with you guys aloof combating. What was as soon as the level if you belief I’m able to’t pretty gain him now?

OT:

I mediate the level was as soon as when Elfyn accelerated on Saturday morning. Then we knew clearly he has some hotfoot. We had the hotfoot to return halt to this, nonetheless when we got here halt he staunch chanced on yet another equipment. That’s how easy it was as soon as.

Q:

Craig, we watch you on the podium again. You would be making a behavior of this, because that’s three in a row at WRC events. You’ve led Rally Finland, you’ve been in an tale fight with the regulars on the championship. How are you feeling on the tip of it, on the podium again?

CB:

Yeah, pretty correct I in actuality maintain to declare. A extraordinarily tremendous weekend. I mediate myself and Paul positively made yet another tiny one step admire we’ve done along the plot. I mediate sadly we’re no longer ones for a supersonic rise to the tip. I consume tiny one steps and we can even need taken a pair this weekend. Ive staunch enjoyed it from launch to discontinue, I was as soon as in actuality bowled over with the rhythm early on in the rally. OK, we had a extraordinarily correct road role on Friday, so I was as soon as quietly confident, nonetheless I was as soon as conscious that Elfyn had pretty a sinister road role on Friday especially, and was as soon as looking at for one thing on Saturday. Kakaristo, the main stage on Saturday morning, I made a tiny mistake on the tip of the stage and lost a pair of tenths so I was as soon as pretty fully cheerful with our time there, nonetheless admire Ott acknowledged he staunch managed to win, I don’t know, a seventh equipment or one thing on Päijälä, especially the main time, and then staunch drove into the distance. Silent, I’m incredibly sufficient with what myself and Paul did regardless.

Q:

Now we maintain viewed you flat out over the weekend and you’ve had your loved ones available in the market. Furthermore out on the degrees I’ve viewed extra Irish flags than one thing.

CB:

Or Finnish flags, which were pretty uncommon and then Tricolours. I mediate they all waited so prolonged to get encourage to this rally and lastly it was as soon as a possibility for spectators to be here, and it was as soon as qualified to survey. Closing evening in the forests, I mediate we will all agree… the stage on Friday evening, nonetheless especially final evening, staunch rattling down these forests at 200km/h, the tiny wooded discipline fires, the flags, the ambiance was as soon as staunch fully unbelievable. What it’s doubtless you’ll per chance per chance well also attain with these automobiles I don’t mediate we’ll be ready to realize for a prolonged, prolonged time. I positively enjoyed it.

Q:

You made the most out of it this weekend, yes?

CB:

Yeah, we positively tried.

Q:

Confer with us in regards to the prolonged tear. We’ve viewed you with Hyundai this year, is that this the final time we watch you in the auto? What happens subsequent?

CB:

Placed on the gap… I convey we’re getting to it in days of knowing what the prolonged tear will retain now. Bright cases, I would bellow.

Q:

We know it’s doubtless you’ll per chance per chance well perchance be desperate for a elephantine season. Is that on the playing cards.

CB:

Yeah, it’s looking pretty particular now, I would bellow. Let’s bellow we’ll be on the do to launch in Monte.

Q:

That’s unbelievable news. Mr Latvala, let’s flip to you now. You know what it capability to consume a score here. Elfyn in all equity a modest chap, as we’ve heard. He’s staunch acquired Rally Finland extra or less plays it down pretty bit. What did you watched of his performance?

JML:

For me he got here to this tournament no longer necessarily the favourite to score and he in actuality proved he was as soon as the fastest man of the weekend. He did an stunning job. For me it was as soon as on Friday, Oittila in the darkness where he proved the velocity, he sowed the self belief, and after that he was as soon as ready to gain the Hyundais and score the rally. There was as soon as one thing bigger than the others. With respect to Ott and Craig, they did a smartly-behaved, smartly-behaved rally. I couldn’t attain it anymore myself in 2018 or 2019 so I know to score Oitilla strive to be at a extraordinarily excessive level. So Elfyn can be very sufficient with his victory.

Q:

Were you concerned on Friday when Hyundai had been in actuality doing effectively on the front and there was as soon as no longer a Toyota in the lead. Were there some worries in the team?

JML:

Already on shakedown when we checked out the velocity of Craig and Ott we had been pretty bit concerned. There was as soon as pretty bit of a feeling, can we maintain sufficient bustle? But let’s bellow at that time on the shakedown it was as soon as slippier than the degrees themselves. It wasn’t the case, nonetheless let’s bellow we had been pretty horrified on Friday when we began and it didn’t survey that actual in the origin. But admire I acknowledged, Elfyn chanced on yet another equipment in the Oittila darkness and since then we had been in a considerably better zone. Needless to claim it’s our dwelling rally and we were very actual with Toyotas, nonetheless clearly we would possibly per chance well watch Hyundai has done smartly-behaved steps with the auto and their performance is better. But in actuality fully cheerful we would possibly per chance well aloof score here.

Q:

You would possibly per chance well also survey objectively across the drivers’ championship. Elfyn’s outcome here locations him closer to Séb. Séb aloof has the income. Are Toyota going to maintain some headaches over the following couple of rallies?

JML:

Are target is no longer to realize team orders. But for particular it’s some distance no longer easy to observe if you maintain two guys combating. We desire to score the manufacturer championship furthermore, so we desire factors for that. It’s an enticing location, nonetheless these drivers, what I esteem in rallying in most cases is that all the drivers can be chums to each diversified. I don’t mediate this can also very effectively be very noteworthy [the case] in all sports activities. They can fight each diversified with respect and this is one thing routine we maintain in rallying and that’s making our sport in actuality unbelievable.

Questions from the ground

Tom Howard, Autosport UK (GBR)

Q:

Jari-Matti, as a Finn and a former winner, can you sum up how special Elfyn’s force was as soon as this weekend. And secondly, why did Kalle [Rovanperä] sit out the Vitality Stage and is he OK?

JML:

For me he can be in actuality sufficient with what he did here. Safe Finland is one thing I mediate amongst the drivers they all desire to maintain. There are two in the championship: Finland and I would bellow Monte-Carlo, which are the classics. Safe here is continually one thing special so that’s a terribly smartly-behaved job. On Kalle, when he had the accident the day gone by and hit the sandbank his hands had been pretty crossed and when it hit his arm was as soon as pushed backwards and he bought some bother in the encourage. He went to the physician, the total thing was as soon as stunning, nonetheless clearly the muscle groups are in actuality actual and he’s no longer feeling cheerful to force. We staunch wanted to maintain him force this morning in case one thing occurred to our valuable two automobiles, so he can then stable the championship factors. But issues had been looking correct, so we acknowledged you don’t must force the Vitality Stage. So this was as soon as the target. He simplest drives when it’s wanted, nonetheless no additional stress on the body because in two weeks’ time we maintain Catalunya and he wants to be testing on the tip of the following week. So this is crucial, the recovery. A really mighty part is he can relaxation now.

Q:

Craig, how attain you sum up the rally and why did you victory hopes open to depart on Saturday evening?

CB:

For the rally, I’m fully cheerful with the outcome. Why it slipped away, admire I talked about prior to Elfyn in actuality chanced on yet another level on Saturday, as you maintain to realize, and stepped forward. Indubitably, I knew how noteworthy possibility I was as soon as taking to retain up the rhythm. I don’t agree with someone who bellow no dangers had been being taken at any 2d in this rally, on the level it was as soon as at. Within the discontinuance it was as soon as with pretty loads of possibility and it arrived at a level where I was as soon as on the most amount of possibility I would possibly per chance well consume and fully banzai and making errors. It was as soon as better what we did to bring the auto dwelling.

Q:

Elfyn, where does this force sinister on your rally profession, provided that no longer many folk maintain acquired here?

EE:

Presumably pretty excessive. I mediate it’s going to be continually no longer easy to beat the main dwelling score in Wales, nonetheless clearly with regards to performance I would bellow this presumably ranks the most sensible doubtless.

José Luis Abreu, Autosport Portugal (PRT)

Q:

Craig, three podiums in a row. Invent we bellow that at this level, it’s doubtless you’ll per chance per chance well perchance be on your simplest execute ever?

CB:

Yeah, I mediate so. It took prolonged sufficient! It took 30-weird and wonderful years, nonetheless eventually it appears to be like admire the total thing is initiating to return together. Indubitably, I mediate it’s staunch being in the auto continually, pretty of consistency to the programme and that’s kind of what we’ve been missing since myself and Paul got here encourage, clearly after the Cirtroën years. It’s been very quit-launch. Devour final year as an instance we did staunch two rallies all year in the World Rally Automobile, whereas now we maintain some consistency extra continually than prior to. And staunch feeling cheerful in the environment, entering into the auto and knowing swap which does what, and it all feels pure. Whereas final year I was as soon as doing so noteworthy in the R5 and then leaping encourage in the World automobile again it didn’t feel traditional in any respect to be perfect. The R5 felt extra pure, whereas having stepped encourage from the R5 programme pretty extra in the latter months I positively feel noteworthy extra cheerful in the World automobile now.

Q:

Ott, You acquired the old two Rally Finland events, you maintain the velocity and expertise. What would you bellow was as soon as lacking this year?

OT:

Bustle. I had about 14 seconds of bustle missing. That’s what it takes.

Q:

Elfyn, you acknowledged no longer too prolonged in the past that hasty rallies haven’t favoured you. What changed?

EE:

It’s upright that I struggled on the Arctic Rally and on the other hand in Estonia. But on the flip aspect to that we had been OK in Sweden final year. Indubitably I’ve changed the auto pretty, no longer as a Sweden automobile nonetheless extra during the steadiness I had there and that looked to present me noteworthy extra self belief. Fundamentally I felt noteworthy happier on the encourage of the wheel and that’s mostly where the velocity got here from.

Q:

Jari-Matti, can you show veil where the work is split on your team between the fresh Rally1 automobile and the present automobile?

JML:

Fundamentally we maintain two test groups, so now in the coming week we are testing for the Rally Catalunya and there can be yet another test with the fresh automobile in Portugal. So there are two separate groups and our present drivers are essentially centered on what we call the 2017-spec automobile, nonetheless now Elfyn has already had one or two test lessons in the fresh automobile, and Kalle as effectively. But until this level we maintain centered on having Juho Hänninen testing the 2022 automobile because we didn’t desire to confuse issues. The next year’s automobile is terribly diversified to what we maintain already.

Jason Craig, Fracture.catch (GBR)

Q:

Ott, you and the Hyundai team appear to maintain made huge features this weekend. How attain hope the tips you maintain gathered here will abet if you return in 2022 with the fresh Rally1 automobile?

OT:

It helps nothing.

Q:

Completely it’s doubtless you’ll per chance per chance well also consume some recordsdata which is ready to will enable you to subsequent year?

OT:

I don’t know. We can watch. We are going to one thing diversified and it’s a huge swap.


FIA WRC2 CHAMPIONSHIP

Verbalize:

Teemu Suninen (FIN) – Movisport

Q:

Teemu, did it all feel correct on the encourage of the wheel?

TS:

Yeah, I must bellow it felt pretty no longer easy at cases in a really diversified automobile and we had 200km to maintain a study out and get former to it and get the do-up, so it was as soon as no longer easy on timing. However the auto is in actuality correct to force and I didn’t maintain noteworthy to swap, staunch tiny stunning-tuning. I learnt pretty pretty from the auto at some level of the weekend and I will maintain changed one thing tiny, on the other hand it’s itsy-bitsy. Silent, we will were faster.

Q:

I’m particular all drivers bellow that. You had been hasty sufficient to consume the score, which is qualified for you now in WRC2. We can now watch you in Spain with Hyundai, nonetheless you talked about the be conscious peril. A total bunch challenges this weekend with the reversed levels and riding in the sad for the main time in Finland. What was as soon as that admire?

TS:

That was as soon as smartly-behaved-no longer easy. I would bellow the predominant part is maintain crests and jumps precisely in the hotfoot notes since it’s doubtless you’ll per chance per chance well also’t watch beyond the crests in the sad since the lights are reducing to the tip of the crest. Then you positively maintain to belief your hotfoot notes and what you maintain done at some level of the recce, and in total that was as soon as the role where we attacked and made some dissimilarity to the others.

Q:

You talked about the day gone by that you just relished the fight between you and Mads Ostberg. It was as soon as a upright fight in Finland.

TS:

Yeah, it was as soon as a smartly-behaved fight with Mads. I was as soon as in actuality taking part in to maintain that fight and a cause to push the auto and our limits. I in actuality felt that’s what rallying must be and what it’s in its simplest moments.

Q:

The next tournament you swap into the Hyundai. Will you maintain a pre-tournament test?

TS:

I’m testing at some point, staunch prior to the rally.

Q:

How noteworthy are you watching for a diversified expertise?

TS:

Yeah, I’m in actuality watching for checking out what the Hyundai is and then I in actuality maintain pretty noteworthy viewed the total automobiles in WRC2, quiz the Citroën. It’s correct expertise and it’s correct to survey diversified automobiles and see where the automobiles are actual, since the total automobiles maintain positives issues and negative issues, and in the tip with the do-u.s.it’s doubtless you’ll per chance per chance well even be ready to get a correct kit to get any automobile faster.

Q:

Talking about positives, what about subsequent season? Which championship will you be in?

TS:

Indubitably, I invent no longer maintain any thought about subsequent year. I in actuality desire these outcomes abet to get one thing. My final call is to get correct seats. I don’t in actuality thoughts if it’s WRC2 or WRC because my target is to maintain pretty loads of rallies, correct test kilometres because checks are the most sensible doubtless plot to change into a bigger and faster driver. My final function is to compete in the WRC in the coming years and be ready to fight for the realm championship


FIA WRC3 CHAMPIONSHIP

Verbalize:

Emil Lindholm (FIN)

Q:

Emil, you’ve had a correct couple of weeks of success in the Finnish championship and now a score at your dwelling tournament in WRC3 on Rally Finland. You wish to be flying pretty excessive correct now?

EL:

Completely yes. Indubitably, it’s correct to maintain some outcomes coming in after what I’d bellow has been a moderately no longer easy year in WRC. There were u.s.and downs and pretty pretty of downs, nonetheless eventually the luck has became, so I’m all smiles.

Q:

You’ve led from launch to discontinue, haven’t you?

EL:

I convey that’s correct, yeah! In WRC3 we had a correct tear so any extra I was as soon as comparing to the fellow sitting subsequent to me. OK, the day gone by evening we lost out and I belief that would happen in the rougher levels and the 2d passes, nonetheless I’m fully cheerful with the performance.

Q:

Issues were changed round this year on Rally Finland. What as the most no longer easy part for you this time?

EL:

For me it was as soon as combining the fresh levels with darkness. That was as soon as pretty a peril. Normally when fresh roads are added to the itinerary they on the total get pretty destroyed on the 2d pass and especially if you exit on the 2d loop in the sad. It’s no longer easy to survey where the ruts and rocks are. We struggled with that for particular the day gone by evening. Indubitably, I’m lucky we are here in one share.

Q:

Were there any scorching moments available in the market this weekend?

EL:

There were scorching moments and actually they alive to huge stones dug out from the cuts. We had two huge hits on Friday evening and thankfully the Skoda was as soon as tricky sufficient to consume them. The previous day evening we made up our minds to consume it easy and confirm out to retain away from these ones.

Q:

What was as soon as the response crossing the flying discontinue?

EL:

We had been pretty fully cheerful. First final weekend and then this the week after, it’s pretty tremendous. Reeta [Hämäläinen] and I in actuality maintain simplest been in the auto for four months, nonetheless we maintain grown pretty a actual relationship together. It’s so tremendous and furthermore fun together.

Q:

It was as soon as unbelievable to survey you each on the tip step of the podium and clearly she was as soon as joyful. It’s been a most sensible doubtless two weeks. What in regards to the prolonged tear? What can we quiz subsequent year?

EL:

Smartly, I convey there are some plans nonetheless nothing is particular yet. Obviously I desire to be in the WRC and save as loads of the events as that it’s doubtless you’ll per chance per chance well also factor in. Perhaps in WRC2, we’ll watch. As I acknowledged, nothing is particular. I’m hoping I’ll be here as noteworthy as that it’s doubtless you’ll per chance per chance well also factor in.


Like it? Share with your friends!

0

0 Comments

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *