Crash.net:
I guess the only other main person confirmed so far is David Higgins.
GW:
Yeah, David is coming back and it will be interesting to see how he does because he is going to use the new
Subaru. I think we had the measure of David last year and it didn't matter whether he was in the Super 2000 or a Group N car. But it will definitely still be interesting from the start of the championship. I am sure he is looking forward to the championship and being in a known quantity. I suppose it is a known quantity, as such.
Crash.net:
You will have a new team-mate, as you mentioned, in the shape of Phillip Morrow, are you looking forward to working with him?
GW:
Yeah, when you are involved in a proper team it is always nice to work with different people. Phil is a little bit younger than me - and he has come to the BRC by a slightly different route. He has always really driven Group N cars, whereas I came from front-wheel drive. He is probably more familiar with Group N cars than I am. But I am sure he is going to be relying on some of the experience I have and will want to glean some of that knowledge. It will be interesting. I have never really had a younger team-mate or a less experienced team-mate as such. Not that it is going to be much of a problem for myself. But it will just be interesting because I am probably coming from a different perspective. Somebody is going to be trying to get information from myself as opposed to me trying to get information from them.
Crash.net:
Last year you had Gwyndaf Evans as your team-mate, are you going to miss him - and his input?
GW:
I enjoyed my year with Gwyndaf. It was fantastic. Gwyndaf is a fountain of knowledge in terms of the British championship and I think he enjoyed working with me. We come from, not necessarily different ends of the spectrum, but something along those lines. Definitely in terms of our personality and the way we drive but we always worked together and we always found a good set-up. It was great to be involved with Gwyndaf.
Crash.net:
Phil Pugh is obviously staying on as your co-driver, that wasn't 100 per cent certain last year. How important is that and how much of a boost is it?
GW:
Phil is just milking it! He likes the media attention
[laughs]. Yeah he was a little bit uncertain last year and I didn't want to force him into anything. We have been together a few years now and we have travelled far and wide over the world and we have been fortunate in that respect. But it had become more of a frustration than anything that our careers, they didn't necessarily stall as such, but we just got to a level where there wasn't room to go anywhere else at world championship level. That is how the British Rally championship opportunity with Mitsubishi came about. I think perhaps winning the title in the BRC has given us both a bit of an extra boost. It just makes it a little bit easier and that is probably what swayed Phil's mind. It is difficult to walk away from rallying. It is not so difficult when you have to pay for it, but when it is all being paid for you have a different mentality towards it. We are going to keep going together this year and we will see what happens.
Crash.net:
The first event, the Pirelli International, isn't until April, what are you going to be doing to prepare for round one of the BRC?
GW:
Good question
[laughs]. We definitely won't be preparing by going down the pub! It is something you have to take very seriously and the only real preparation that doesn't cost a lot of money is the fitness and that does amount to something. If you are physically fit then you are mentally fit. I am a great believer of that. We have a few months on our side yet. That is the biggest preparation that Phil and I can do. In terms of testing and getting in the car, that will come much closer to the event. Obviously it will be quite limited. We are dealing with a budget here and as such we won't really be getting in the car until probably early April.
Crash.net:
Looking away from the BRC, are you still hoping to do some events in the WRC this year?
