Post Rally New Zealand Q&A - Malcolm Wilson

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Will Mikko and Jari-Matti be as competitive on the two gravel rallies which remain?
I don't see why not. I genuinely believe the two guys are getting better all the time. But I've got one target before we get to the gravel - we want to be the team to beat Citroen on a pure tarmac rally. We were the last people to do it with Markko Martin in Spain in 2004 and hopefully we can find a way to do that on the next two asphalt ones.

Do you think the championship hinges on your performance in Spain and Corsica?
I think it does really. If you look at the manufacturers? championship then it's looking very difficult. But the drivers' is definitely not out of the question. We've seen what happened in New Zealand so you'd have to say at this moment probably the drivers is the more realistic than the manufacturers'. But that's the great thing about this sport - you never know what's around the corner.

Citroen crossed a line by openly used road position tactics in New Zealand. Do you think this means the rules are here to stay now?
I hope so. I can't remember another time when there were four guys starting the final day any of which could quite easily have won the rally. From my point of view it's never been as exciting as it is at the moment. Okay, there might be the odd tactical thing and slowing down on the odd stage, but for the spectators I think it adds to the excitement. It used to be that rallies were all but over on a Sunday, but in New Zealand we had a situation where any one of four could have won. For me that's great news for the sport.

What will the Ford team be up to between now and the forthcoming asphalt rallies?
We've got an extensive tarmac test in Spain and in Corsica with Francois and with Mikko. The main thing is to get some feedback from Francois on the tarmac set-up and try and make some more improvements to the car. I'd say we were delighted with the performance in Germany and our pace in New Zealand was fantastic. I think all the ingredients are there - we just need a little bit of luck.

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