In Portugal for sure I was very upset too. When we came to service we had lost one tyre, but we had all four rims and we had a spare in the boot. On the way back I called the team to ask should we change to the spare. They said: ‘No it should be OK'. Unfortunately though, it wasn't. For me the punishment was quite harsh because we drove very slowly on the road sections and just tried to get the car to service in one piece.
Q:
Last year of course you used the Peugeot 307 WRC and the
Citroen Xsara WRC, how have you found it switching to another different car?
TG:
It is not so simple to switch cars, but the Mitsubishi was immediately quite easy to handle and it suited my driving style quite well. OK, all the cars - the Xsara and the 307 - were quite easy too, the Peugeot was at the start a bit more difficult, but once I drove it a bit more, it also started to suit my style. But for sure always if you haven't tested before you jump in another car it takes a while to get top speed.
Q:
You aren't included on the entry list for Argentina. So what is the plan now for you?
TG:
We are entered in Sardinia at the moment but after that I don't know again. It is always one rally by one rally. OK, the entry for Greece will finish very soon and we need to make a decision quite soon if we are to go there or not. But we will see. At least we are entered for Sardinia.
Q:
Do you have any idea how many events you might do this year in the WRC?
TG:
I cannot say how many. I don't know how many, but we will try something.
Q:
Generally speaking, it looks like it will be another battle between
Sebastien Loeb and Marcus Gronholm this year for the drivers' title. Who do you think will take it?
TG:
It is very early at this point, everything could change. But it looks, if Loeb can get a lot of points in the early part of the year, on the gravel events, the chances are slightly better for him. There are a lot of tarmac events in the second half of the season and he excels on asphalt. I don't count Marcus out though. He is quick - and also Mikko [Hirvonen] could be close as well [and could take points from Loeb].
Q:
Have you been surprised by the new Citroen C4 WRC and how good it has been straight out of the box?
TG:
Not really, because they have been - or what I have heard, have been testing with it a long time before the season. I am not so surprised the car is quick. They had a good car last year and a good car to make a comparison with. It is not a surprise that Citroen are so quick.
