“Obviously I am disappointed about the penalty, but it’s there, there’s nothing we can do about it,” said the
Stobart VK driver. “I have to just get on and drive. It does make getting a good, strong finish very difficult, but I can’t think about that. I’ve driven the 2006 Focus three times now, and each time I drive it, I just can’t help grinning that bit more – it’s an amazing thing to drive and driving it at home in front of people who have watched WRC on the television all year is mega!”
Asked about the event in more detail, Matt said it is the one he has been looking forward to all year and the fact he has competed on it before, unlike all of the other events, should help his case, especially in terms of setting competitive stage times.
“I’m really looking forward to this one! Having travelled around the world for the past year, it’s great to be coming home for the biggest rally in Britain,” he added. “As you might expect, Rally GB is the event where I have the most experience, which will help me. The one thing which is likely to be different is the weather. Every time I’ve done it before it’s been in September. Okay, we’ve had some rain during those events, but nothing like the conditions we could experience this week. There could be anything: rain, snow, ice, anything, but that’s all part of the challenge. Competing in the world championship means everything to me, but coming home is always going to be just that bit special.”
Jari-Matti Latvala meanwhile will drive the number two car and while he didn’t have much luck on his other outings with the team in Spain, France and Germany, the Finn has been given a boost of late, having taken two
FIA Production Car WRC wins in Australia and New Zealand. He is now eager to keep up that momentum in Wales and try and secure a more full-time World Rally Car programme for next season. As such he needs a solid result, ideally in the top eight, to prove he is now a ‘cleverer driver’.
