But now we've done our first gravel and asphalt events in the Subaru Impreza N14, it is great as the information we've gained during the rallies will set us up well for our next time out on each surface as we continue to develop the new cars.
What we did with the wood really proves that you should never give up on a rally though, and that you have to think on your feet. That could easily have been the end and I would have gone home with the 16 points I got on the Pirelli and nothing more.
It's a key part of being a rally driver or co-driver to never give up until you've tried everything possible to keep your rally going. That's why it's also important to have the right co-driver with you. They need to be as dedicated as you, in that they'll do everything they can to get you to the end of the event. It's crucial to work as a team at all times, and Ieuan [Thomas] and I do that well.
So now we're in China. It's a late start to the championship here this year - last year, the Shanghai Rally was two months earlier. I've already been out testing twice, but it will be good to get back into competition. We're back with the WY rally team and really looking forward to it.
Last year, we won all of the rallies, and we were proud to be the first rally crew who had ever managed to do that. This year, the aim is to become the first rally crew to do it twice!
The
Jim Clark achievement was tempered somewhat when I received the very sad news that, the day after the event, my grandfather, Ken Leece, had passed away.
It was my grandfather who got the family involved in motorsport and, on Sunday, when I took the lead in the British championship, my brother Mark won the rally, and
Lewis Hamilton won the Grand Prix in Monaco, he would have been very proud of all of that. He always kept a keen eye on what was going on in the world of motorsport.
He also actively encouraged my mother and father to participate in the sport, and then did the same when Mark and I followed in their footsteps.
