Galli eager to return and stay with Stobart team.

Stobart Ford's Gigi Galli has said that he is not worried about getting back behind the wheel of a World Rally Car following his monster crash on the Rallye Deutschland back in the summer.

Galli, who suffered a fracture to his left femur in the accident and who has been on the sidelines ever since, is recovering well now and while it is almost certain he will not compete again this season, he is determined to return in 2009.

Indeed having joined the Stobart Ford team this year, the Italian is eager to stay with them and build on what he achieved prior to Germany.

"The plan is to forget this season now," he told Crash.net Radio. "[Ford boss] Malcolm [Wilson] and I have taken the decision together to save some funds for next year and to try and work to find support for 2009.

"I would really like to stay with the Stobart team [in 09] because this year for me and my co-driver it was really good. We enjoy the atmosphere in the team. Okay sometimes we made some mistakes first of all and sometimes we had a bit of bad luck. But this is part of the sport. What is important is we felt at home within the team and part of a great family.

"Malcolm knows how to manage drivers and maybe one of the reasons is he was a driver himself. He knows exactly how people feel when they are in the car. This is very good and really positive. This is one reason I would like to stay there. I have a good relationship with everybody else too. They are all very passionate about rallying and I like that."

Galli, who attended the asphalt events in Spain and France earlier this month, recently stopped using crutches and he is hopeful he will be able to get back in a WRC car sometime in November or December.

"I still look like a drunk!" he joked, "because I am not very precise [when I walk] but it is okay. Everyday is getting better and the pain is disappearing. I am doing a lot of physiotherapy and everyday I go in the swimming pool. Last week I had another check-up to see how everything is and everything is okay.

"It is frustrating not being able to compete. However, we did do the recce in Catalunya. Just in order to stay involved in the sport and with our team.

"I am already hoping we can do something like a test or something like that. But it is still a little too early. I am a little bit scared to come back too soon. I am not 100 per cent yet and maybe with a big jump or something like that I might have a problem with the leg. As such I prefer to take it easy for a few more weeks and after I hope to jump in the car."

As for how he felt in the aftermath of his accident, he conceded that while there were some dark times, he still takes comfort from the fact the off in the 23.04-kilometre Grafschaft Veldenz 2 test wasn't his fault.

"After the accident I did have some bad moments," he continued. "We had a big crash and it was the first crash that we suffered a really serious injury. But the most important thing is that what happened was because somebody in front of us moved some stones from beside the road and put them in the middle of the stage. That was why we hit the stone.

"We couldn't avoid it and after we crashed onto the tree. We couldn't do anything about it. It was just destiny and I have to accept that. What I feel very strongly now though is that I would like to rally again."

TO HEAR THE INTERVIEW IN FULL WITH GIGI GALLI : CLICK HERE