“It felt rather familiar to be driving the Xsara,” he noted. “It’s also quite surprising but the 2006 version didn’t seem to be very different from the one I was competing with in 2003. The test was important to know how to play with those passive differentials and everybody has tried his best to make me feel as comfortable as possible before Turkey. The session was planned originally for the C4 WRC but
Citroen Sport’s development team brought one Xsara for me to use.”
McRae reckons he could benefit from running further-down the order on Friday, something that could help him to outpace the two
BP Ford ‘works’ drivers. Gronholm and Hirvonen will run first and third on the road, due to their championship positions and consequently will have to sweep away the loose gravel, something that will cost them time.
“I feel very excited of course,” he continued, “and impatient too! It’s not very often that you are given such an opportunity to drive the World champion’s car. It’s also nice to see that some people think I am still capable to achieve the result they want to me to produce. I don’t know [if I can be on the pace straight away though] but the good thing about Turkey is that I should have a good position on the road the first day. If I started with Marcus and Mikko, I think it would be harder. Hopefully the conditions will be dry and I can profit from starting around fifteenth position. It might be enough to make the difference on the first day and give me time to get back in the pace for the second day. That’s exactly what happened in Australia last year. On the first leg I found clean roads, built up my confidence and I could match the front runners pace the next day.”
Daniel Sordo meanwhile will be determined to try and stop the rot, after three disappointing events in Finland, Japan and Cyprus. Although Dani’s confidence took a battering in Cyprus, after he went off in the non-competitive Down Town Super Special, following a two-day test in the UK, he is feeling much more positive.
