TG:
It is always a very good feeling to drive there and you always want to get a good result on your home event. You have a lot of friends and family there. I don't think I will push more there though. I still want to ensure I get to the finish. But of course it would be nice to get a good result.
Crash.net:
Is Finland one of your favourite events?
TG:
It is one of my favourites. But I don't think it is the best event or the one I like the most. It is definitely in my top five though.
Crash.net:
After Finland the WRC goes to Germany. Germany is one of three asphalt events in the second part of the year. How is the SX4 WRC on tarmac?
TG:
In Monte Carlo it looked quite promising already. We haven't done any tarmac tests yet and Germany is also different to 'normal' asphalt events. It is quite dirty and it is a little bit like Monte Carlo in some ways. I think in Germany we could do quite well and I like the event there too.
Crash.net:
How would you sum up the first half of the season?
TG:
Like you said before it started quite promisingly and the team got points in Monte Carlo and Sweden. That was very good. In fact it was a surprisingly good start because it was a new team and new car - everything was new and there was not so much pre-season testing either. We immediately set quite good times. But then we started to get a few little reliability problems during the next few events. That was not so good. I would say it was mixed. There were good stage times - but there were also a lot of retirements. I have mixed feelings overall.
Crash.net:
There has been speculation
Suzuki might take a sabbatical at the end of this season. How much does the sport need them to carry on?
TG:
[long pause] ...Hopefully we can get some good results and everything will go well in the second half. I haven't actually heard anything from the team that they might be considering that. We need to get some results now and that is what we will try and do.
Crash.net:
Mikko Hirvonen and
Sebastien Loeb are currently battling for the 2008 drivers' title. Who is your tip to take the crown?
TG:
Hopefully Mikko will get the title. But there are some tarmac events coming up and Sebastien will be very quick on those rounds. I'd like Mikko to do it [as he is a Finn like me], but at the moment its look a
little bit more like it will be Sebastien.
