“We will have an even better chance, of course, if he finishes lower than second. It won't be easy because he is quick in Japan, but we will try to put the pressure on him," he added.
Daniel Sordo meanwhile has said that he will be happy with a top-five finish, as he still has a lot to learn about the event. Sordo made his debut on the Hokkaido-based round last year, but didn’t score after he was excluded from seventh place due to a seat-belt infraction.
The Spaniard though still did all the stages and that experience should be of helps as he looks to continue to improve on the ‘loose’.
"I still have a great deal to learn about Rally Japan and there will also be some sections that are new to me this year, so that doesn't play in my favour,” he explained when asked about his objectives.
“I will try to use the experience I gained in 2006 though to avoid making the same mistakes. I don't know whether we will succeed in giving Seb a helping hand. We will do our best, but it is perhaps more reasonable to target a top-five finish.”
BP Ford WRT:
[Marcus Gronholm, car #3 and
Mikko Hirvonen, car #4]
Too close to call, says Gronholm.
Marcus Gronholm has predicted that the battle for the 2007 drivers’ title will probably go all the way to the wire.
Gronholm heads into the Rally Japan still in the lead, albeit having seen his 10-point cushion cut back to just four points following the back-to-back asphalt events in Spain and France. Speaking ahead of this weekend’s event, the Finn conceded though that with 30-points still up for grabs, it is difficult to say who will ultimately come out top.
“The drivers' championship is at an exciting point. There are just four points between myself and
Sebastien Loeb and that is not a comfortable margin. It is too close to call,” he confirmed. “A win in Japan would obviously help but I think this could go all the way down to the final round in Wales.”
