Crash.net:
Will that be your final outing in the Honda this year?
GW:
Possibly, they are talking about maybe wanting to do something on tarmac. If that isn’t a rally, it will definitely be a test just to iron out a few things. We will wait and see. I am talking to them quite a lot and in a way they are quite sad to lose me. But at the same time I have said: 'We have a bridge there and we can always cross back and forth'. Hopefully Honda will come and maybe do Super 2000. That would be fantastic.
Crash.net:
You mentioned your regular co-driver, Phil Pugh a moment ago. He is hopefully going to be back for Rally GB and that event with the Honda in Australia too isn’t he?
GW:
Yeah - Australia and Rally GB. Hopefully Rally GB is going to be very important because we will have done a good job on the Trackrod. It is a bit hard on David because he has sat in the car now for two BRC events and this will be his third. He has played his part. We have not had the best of luck while he has been sat in the car but that is not down to him - not at all. It is one of those things. I think he has definitely gained from the experience and hopefully he will have learned a lot as well. From my point of view it has been interesting to have somebody different in the car to Phil - although I am looking forward to getting him back.
Crash.net:
Going back to the BRC, as you said it hasn’t been an easy year. Gwyndaf Evans is now back as your team-mate. Were you sad to see Phillip Morrow go?
GW:
If it was me and I had lost that opportunity it would definitely be a killer blow. At the same time though I think you have got to move on. I have not had that exact experience. But in my early days Ford weren’t so interested after my first year in continuing with the Super 1600 programme. I almost got left in the lurch. But fortunately enough I had a fantastic result in Finland. However going back to what you were saying. It is never nice to lose a driver or a team-mate. You try and build a relationship up. Obviously I know Gwyndaf very well. Phil and I were getting to the point where we were starting to know each other. That is all water under the bridge though now and Gwyndaf is back. He is a very professional guy. I enjoy having him around. I know he is going to do a job for the team and that is important. It doesn’t take any pressure off me because the pressure is still there to try and win and bring home the maximum points. I wouldn’t do it if there wasn’t any pressure. If there is no pressure there is no adrenalin. I love competing and that is why I am here. We are in a pressure situation, but I am looking forward to it.
Crash.net:
Can Mikko Hirvonen beat Sebastien Loeb this year and stop him winning the WRC drivers’ title again?
GW:
It is difficult for Mikko. There are two tarmac rallies left in the championship and it is going to be an up hill struggle. Citroen seem to dominate on asphalt – and not only Sebastien, but Dani Sordo is also very, very fast [on the black stuff]. It is going to be very hard for Mikko. Although I must admit I have a closer friendship with Mikko than I do with Sebastien. Maybe for that reason I would prefer Mikko to win. He is a nice guy and he had unbelievable bad luck in New Zealand. That really was a massive kick in the nuts on the last stage! But Mikko is strong and he will come back from it. He will brush it off his shoulders and he will continue forwards. He will be thinking he needs to take maximum hauls in Wales and Japan and hopefully something can maybe go wrong for Seb in Spain or France - a mechanical issue or something because it has happened to Citroen. It is still in the balance.
