Q&A: Guy Wilks and Phil Pugh.

Suzuki driver Guy Wilks won his first ever Junior World Rally Championship [JWRC] event this weekend on the Acropolis Rally. Here Wilks and co-driver, Phil Pugh reflect on their Greek triumph...

Q:
Guy, tell us about your victory.

Guy Wilks:
After going off in Monte Carlo, I said to Phil we would be going to Greece with the aim of winning it. After we had our test in Chateau Lastours, it was clear to me the car was good enough, Phil and I were good enough, so why not?

Q:
Phil Mills has pointed out that it's been a good weekend for Welsh co-drivers. Is it something they put in the tap water?

Phil Pigh:
Yes. It's pure water we drink in Wales. It's been a very good weekend for Wales and as you say all the top co-drivers come from Wales.

Q:
Guy, a word about the car. It's been consistently right up there. What are its biggest strengths?

GW:
I would say it doesn't have anything that stands out from everything else - because I think everything is fantastic on it, the gearbox, the engine and the suspension. That's all you really have on a Super 1600 car. But I do believe we have a fantastic engine. It's never missed beat in all the testing and rallies. In 1600, you have to make your car the most reliable and the team has done that and we've made it the quickest.

Q:
What are Guy's biggest strengths?

PP:
Well, I wouldn't say it was his haircut; that's utterly diabolical! For a young man he's go an old head on his shoulders and he uses it quite well, when I put him in the right frame of mind. We thought a lot about the stages from last year and that put us in good stead. We knew what pace we had to go at and he judged it spot on.

Q:
Guy, how much of this event is a compromise between going as fast as you can and trying to avoid the rocks?

GW:
It's becoming less and less every year, even with Super 1600 cars. As they were saying with the World Rally Cars, they're setting such a high standard and going so quick all of the time. With the Super 1600 cars, they're being developed so quickly and becoming so much stronger and more reliable that there isn't that much of this event that you have to back off and you can take a lot of the event flat. It's very hard and flat here. I would say the percentage of the route that you have back off for is probably in single figures.