Focus: P-G Andersson's co-driver.

Per-Gunnar Andersson's co-driver, Jonas Andersson: Home story

Feature courtesy of the Suzuki World Rally Team

Q:
How would you describe yourself in two sentences?

Jonas Andersson:
Usually I'm very calm and focused on the work I do but, at the same time, I really want to win when I'm in competition. I can be really disappointed when something happens that shouldn't.

Q:
What is your favourite place in this house? (Note: The interview took place in Jonas' kitchen.)

JA:
The kitchen is the room in the house we spend most of our time in during the week. We try to have some quality time with the family, prepare some food, drink a coffee or just sit down and have a chat with some friends.

Q:
Who is the most important person in your life?

JA:
The most important person in my life is my fianc?e Maria, because she is always there for me, and when I am away she takes care of the kids and everything else.

Q:
What is your favourite destination?

JA:
My favourite destination is home. I love being right here by myself, or playing with the kids.

Q:
What is the main difference between the WRC pilot and the private Jonas Andersson?

JA:
When I'm at a rally, I try to be just a co-driver; very professional and not as social as I am when I'm at home. I stay more to myself, and concentrate on my work. At home I am more relaxed.

Q:
Where do you see yourself in five years time?

JA:
Hopefully in five years I will still be in the WRC, co-driving for P-G. We'll be World Champions and life will be very good.

Jonas' residence

Arvika is a locality in the traditional province of V?rmland, in Sweden, and the seat of the Arvika municipality, V?rmland County. The town of Arvika is situated by Kyrkviken, a bay of Glafsfjorden, which is Sweden's only inland fjord, and a remnant of the time following the last Ice Age (once a fjord of the Ancylus Lake). The area is hilly, with the tallest hill, Storkasberget, close to the town's centre.

Arvika and its surroundings have excellent water infrastructure. In fact, Arvika has the innermost harbour in Sweden. Lake V?nern can be reached through a system of canals and from there, the G?ta Canal allows further passage to Gothenburg and Sweden's West Coast. Arvika is one of 134 towns in Sweden with the historical city status.

County: V?rmland County
Province: V?rmland
Coordinates: 59? 39? 0 N, 12? 35? 0 E
Area: 10.66 km?
Population: 14,184
Density: 1,330/km?
Website: www.arvika.se

Additional quotes

"The kids turned my life upside down. It has all been good though and we are just having a great time together; playing, crying and screaming of course. We definitely have lots of good times when I'm at home. It's difficult to be away of course and it's always nice to come home. They are always happy when I come back. So far, they actually don't understand why I'm going, so it's quite okay."

"With regards to rallying, the kids have actually not changed my attitude towards the sport. From the beginning, I knew about the risks and I'm definitely willing to take them, because I love it so much. The birth of the kids didn't really change me in that respect."

"Two days after Lennon was born, I went away on a two-week-rally trip with Daniel Karlsson. He phoned me on the very day my son was born and asked me if I could do two events with him. So I had a small discussion with Maria, but she was fine with that."

"Charlie, the older one, is the nicer one of them, because the smaller one is always playing on being the kid brother, thinking that he can do anything he wants to do and always trying to get his way. Charlie is a bit calmer, and Lennon just does everything."

"I don't think I was as wild as Lennon, maybe I was a bit more like Charlie. If you ask anyone else though, they'd tell you I was the wild one and my twin brother was the calm one."

"I have a twin brother and a kid brother. We spend a lot of time together. This weekend is actually one of the first weekends in my life, that I haven't seen any of them. We all get along very well. Both of them are interested in motor sports. My kid brother drives races and rallies and continuously wants to teach me how to drive."