Drivers: Patrik Sandell, Spyros Pavlides

Press conference:

Q:
Patrik, normally when we travel about from country to country jet lag sets but you have come straight from competing in America to be here. What were you doing there?

Patrik Sandell:
It's a busy time if you want reach the top in world motorsport, it has to be this way. We went to the States for one rally in the American Championship. It was not so good, we broke the engine on the first stage. But, it was good experience to see how it works and get some good contacts.

Q:
Just a couple of weeks ago you were battling hard with Nasser Al Attiyah, who beat you to victory on the very last stage of Rally d'Italia by just 1.5 seconds. Are you fired up from that defeat?

PS:
Yeah, absolutely. It was an amazing weekend, we were pushing really hard and Nasser was pushing so hard as well. On the final stage, he was a little bit faster; it was maybe not so good. But it was eight good points in the Championship and after Rally GB hopefully, it will be eight good points.

Q:
How did you feel on that last stage?

PS:
When we missed it, I realised he was faster on this stage. We did everything we could: we went over the rocks, we were flat out everywhere, but he found some small shortcut in one small corner and I have to say congratulations to him for this drive. We had the lead for one and a half days and then we lost it. That's part of the game some times.

Q:
You are in the Skoda S2000 – how well will the car deal with the rough conditions out there this weekend?

PS:
It will be really good. It's little bit faster roads than before, although I've only been here once. You still have some rough and some soft places, so after the World Rally Cars, we will have to take it easy.

Q:
It's going to be hot, though, not quite what a Swede like yourself is used to…

PS:
It's going to be amazingly hot and as you say I'm from 600kms north of Swedish Rally – we have winter all year. This is completely different, but I'm doing my training and it wasn't a problem in Sardinia, where it was hot also.

Q:
The top three from PWRC are all here. It's going to be a tough event. Can you win it?

PS:
Yes I think I can take the win, but it's not about being the fastest – it's the cleverest who will win here.

Q:
This is a pretty crucial round for you isn't it? Only one more event for you after this – all three contenders are here in PWRC this weekend so it's very important that you take away maximum points?

PS:
Absolutely. I think also you have to be a little bit clever. It's quite rough, look back in the past it's mostly not the one who wins the first stage who wins this rally. My plan is to win the Rally of Greece; I'll take it easy then go flat out.

Q:
Spyros, you had a strong finish in Argentina, a great result – what can you hope to achieve here this weekend?

Spyros Pavlides: