Press conference
Q:
This is your first win in PWRC; how do you feel?
Martin Prokop:
It’s nice to be here. I didn’t believe this result before. It’s really difficult to be here for the first time and to try and fight for the first place. Before we said we want to push and go carefully, but enjoy the rally. After Friday and the first section, we could see we could fight for the podium or first place, so we went a bit faster and started to push and fight with Mirco (Baldacci) on Saturday morning. Then we got the gap to one second between us. It was again a big battle. We were quite lucky Mirco did a mistake and we could win, but it was also hard for us.
Q:
It’s the first time you have ever been to New Zealand and to win the event against the likes of Hanninen and Aigner, and of course the local drivers, is an incredible result.
MP:
No absolutely, we don’t believe it’s possible to fight with them. After Germany when we lost the chance to win the Juniors, we lost a bit of motivation. We wanted to make a relaxed race and make miles. I wanted to be back in Spain and Corsica to fight for the Junior win. To win the Production race is something strange and something new. But it’s nice to see two Juniors on the podium, but for me it’s wonderful to win with a four wheel drive car.
Q:
It’s a difficult event but you seemed to get into the rhythm quite easily. How do you explain that?
MP:
It’s difficult to explain. I felt very well with the car. We found a good set-up on the Monday test. My chief mechanic had to stay in the Czech Republic after a big crash on the IRC Rally, so I was scared, would the car be fine? But we were in touch over the phone and we felt very good with the car and very good feeling in the slow corners. We were driving quite safety, but fast.
Q:
We have seen you locked in battles in many rallies this year, in the JWRC too as you are tackling both the Championships. You must know how to keep your cool in those situations?
MP:
It’s good. Last year, we won a few races in Juniors, but every race we won was not easy, but not a big fight. This year every race is a very big fight for each second through every stage. This is something new for me. This helped me and makes me more ready for something bigger or higher. So yes, I like it.
Q:
What is the aim for PWRC until the end of the year, being that a Championship win is mathematically impossible?
MP:
I said that we lost a little motivation in Germany, with no possibility to win one of the Championships. We show our speed all of the time, but this year we have too many technical problems. I don’t know why, my team is the best for the car. All of the time it was small things stopping the car. We will show our speed and we are fast, that’s all we can do. Now I will enjoy the rest of the season. Now it’s good, my co-driver said he wouldn’t shave his hair until we won, so now he can do that.
