Gardemeister plots return

Toni Gardemeister has told Crash.net that he is 'working hard' to try and put together a programme that will see him back in action in 2010.

Although the former Suzuki and Ford WRC 'works' man didn't go into specifics, he did add that he is hoping to do some more events this season, and that next year he wants to compete in either the World Rally Championship or the Intercontinental Rally Challenge.

Indeed having already got a taste for the IRC back in January, when he took in the Rallye Monte Carlo in a Fiat Abarth Grande Punto S2000 - the same car that F1 ace Kimi Raikkonen drove on the Rally Finland recently - Gardemeister is already more than aware of what that series has to offer.

"We don't know yet what will be the plan for 2010. But we will try to get a seat or some place to drive. Even this year I want to do some more events," the Finn said in an exclusive interview with Crash.net Radio.

"It is really, really difficult being at home and just watching the rallies and following the guys there. Always I like to be in the car and I really want to be there a lot.

"We just don't know yet though. We are trying to work very hard. But next year I definitely want to be back at World Rally Championship level or in the Intercontinental Rally Challenge or something like this."

Asked about the IRC, Gardemeister stated that it is a very good championship: "I like the IRC and the concept. I like the Super 2000 cars because they are interesting to drive and they are like the old rally cars. You can push the car to the limit and they are a bit 'raw'," he explained.

"The IRC is good as well because there are more cars at the moment than at WRC level. We will have to see what happens in the future now when the new regulations come in for the World Rally Championship."

As for this year, Gardemeister has had a lot of time on his hands, although he did take in the Monte, as mentioned earlier, and he was also in Mexico back in July, for the Rally of Nations event.

"Monte Carlo was nice like always. I like the rally. Okay we had a lot of technical problems during the event and we lost some time because of that. But at least we showed that the speed was quite good and we were lying in second place overall before we retired just a few stages from the end," he continued.

"It was fun in Mexico too and I saw a lot of friends. A lot of drivers that I know were competing and there was good competition.

"Also for us it was quite a decent event because we were in a very good position before we got a problem. It was a pity that we retired so early. But at least we set some competitive stage times. [Overall] the Rally of Nations was a good thing, a good concept - what with two drivers in a team and then scoring points for their country. It was a little bit like in athletics."

So what happens now? And will he do any more rallies this year?

"We have some discussions going on for some events. But we will have to see what comes of them," he summed-up.

TO LISTEN TO THE INTERVIEW IN FULL WITH TONI GARDEMEISTER: CLICK HERE