Q&A:
Alastair
Fisher

Congratulations on your second WRC Academy win, following your success in France last year. How much confidence does this give you for the rest of the year? “It’s the best possible start to the season and it gives me a lot of confidence. So much about this sport comes down to confidence, so I’m absolutely delighted to have won - particularly on such a tricky event.”

It certainly wasn’t easy - did you have any moments? “The conditions on Friday were very tough, unbelievable but I felt I coped with them well and had no moments. Some people said I was going too fast because the conditions were so bad but I tried to be smooth and consistent all the time and it worked.”

How disappointed are you not to have been able to compete on Friday afternoon’s stages, which were cancelled? “I would have liked to have driven on the stages, that’s for sure, as it’s all useful time in the car. But having seen them today, I can imagine how it would have been, so unfortunately it was probably the right decision to cancel them.”

Were you happy with the car and the tyres? “Absolutely: the Fiesta didn’t miss a beat and I was very impressed with both the performance and the strength of the Pirelli tyres, even though the conditions were hardly ideal.”

How strong is the opposition looking on the FIA WRC Academy this year? “It’s looking very strong indeed. Even though there are fewer entrants this year, I’d say that the quality of the field is actually higher, so I’m sure it's going to be a very tough and exciting season.”