ME:
No not at all. In fact the best thing about it is that the team has shown confidence in my ability and that is a very nice feeling. All I have to do now is drive my best and try to get a good result for the team.
Q:
What is your realistic target for the result in Sweden?
ME:
I can't talk about specific results because I don’t know what will happen on the event. At the team we have discussed the plan and the main target for the rally is to have a clean run for all three cars. I want to get through the first stage without any problems and finish the final stage exactly the same way – that’s the only target I’m setting myself.
Q:
The readers of a rally website in Sweden have voted that you will be the highest placed Swedish driver on the rally. How do you feel about that?
ME:
That’s very nice of them but I really don’t know what will happen. There are a lot of good drivers on the event that have more experience than me. If I’m the highest placed Swede then it will be nice but that’s not my priority.
Q:
Does anything from the DTM help you when you are competing on the WRC?
ME:
If the rally turns out to be full snow then I will have to follow the lines that are available to me. However, if the roads don’t have snow banks then the roads will be wider and so I can choose my own lines if the grip is even. That might be the only time that knowing racing lines will help.
Q:
Is Sweden a one-off drive for Skoda Motorsport or are you hoping to compete with the team again this year?
ME:
If the Swedish Rally goes well, and I will do my best to achieve that, then it would be nice to do perhaps a tarmac rally at the end of the season. However I can't mix DTM and WRC during the season because you have to be completely focussed on one or the other. I’m very happy that Audi Sport has allowed me this chance to drive for another part of the VW Group in a different sport but once the rally is over my concentration will turn completely to retaining the DTM title. If that season goes well then I might be back in the Fabia WRC but we’ll have to wait and see.
