14 Sep 12

Oleksowicz
vows to
push in
Wales

Maciej Oleksowicz says it's vital that he pushes from the start of Wales Rally GB to ensure he maintains his grip on third place in the FIA Super 2000 World Rally Championship standings.

The Polish driver has impressed during his maiden season in the SWRC, scoring points on all his four starts so far.

“At the moment we are third in SWRC classification,” said the Ford Fiesta S2000 driver. “Wanting to maintain the position we must push from start to finish. I think the first day of competition will be most crucial for the final results.”

Oleksowicz prepared for his Rally GB debut with a test on Monday. “At the beginning we could not find a grip at all,” he said. “We changed the springs and afterwards although sliding all the time, we were able to find a good pace. The car is quite stable at braking points, but one has to be cautious at the slippery parts. Nonetheless, you can get used to it. Besides the springs, we tested various set-ups.”

After Friday’s opening stage, Oleksowicz is seventh in the SWRC classification after reporting his car was set-up too low to the ground. Hayden Paddon holds first place with title rival P-G Andersson 4.4s behind.