“I am definitely looking forward to Rally GB. For me it will be the first time in the 2006 car, I have done three asphalt events with
Stobart and it’s been a great car, but now it will be even better,” said. “I have a good feeling with the stages in Wales and have a good set-up, this will help. My best result was in 2003, but last year I had some problems. Despite those, we set a sixth fastest time on three stages. Last year was good experience and will help me a lot with my confidence for this year.
“I liked Wales when it was dry last year, but I think now it will be wet and muddy, but it helps now that I have been driving my last rally in New Zealand as the conditions were very similar to what it will be like in Wales. It’s also encouraging that we have won the last two Production rounds - it gives me a good feeling going to GB. I hope that I can keep the same speed and I hope I am a cleverer driver now than earlier in the year. I made mistakes with the previous events, but I have definitely learnt a lot from them.”
Red Bull Skoda:
[Harri Rovanpera, car #11 and Andreas Aigner, car #12]
Red Bull Skoda conducted an extra test this week ahead of the event, when Harri Rovanpera and Andreas Aigner put their Fabia WRC cars through their paces on Monday, November 27.
The Austrian-based outfit have missed the last two events in Australia and New Zealand, as they were not apart of its programme. As such the test was extremely useful as their last outing was on the Rally of Turkey, which ran from October 13-15 – nearly two months ago, when Aigner and Rovanpera finished tenth and eleventh overall, the former taking the final manufacturers’ point.
“With this extra knowledge [from the test] it should be possible to repeat the performance we showed in Germany and Turkey,” predicted team boss, Armin Schwarz, “so that we can celebrate a positive conclusion to the season.”
