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Stars celebrate new season ahead of Monte-Carlo start
Fighting Talk Rallye Monte-Carlo
A selection of pre-rally rhetoric from the Championship’s stars as they gear up for this week’s Rallye Monte-Carlo.
Sebastien Ogier. VW Polo R [above]: “For me, the Monte Carlo is the ideal way to start the new season. The area around Gap is my home. This is where I was born and grew up. My fans know this too, and they definitely give me a clear mental advantage. The support at the ‘Monte’ is incredible.”
Stéphane Lefebvre. Citroen DS 3 R5: “It’s a brand new challenge for me. In a four-wheel drive car, everything goes more quickly!”
Sebastien Loeb. Citroen DS 3 WRC: “Every time I start a race, I give it my best shot. It’ll be no different this time and if we can fight for the win, so much the better!”
Kris Meeke. Citroen DS 3 WRC: “Generally speaking, all drivers make progress in their second full season and I hope I’m no exception to the rule. I also think that the work done on the DS 3 WRC is going to help us to go even faster.”
Ott Tänak. Ford Fiesta RS: “We need to find the balance between being fast, and being comfortable –nowhere is that more of a challenge than at Monte-Carlo so it is going to be a really tricky start to the year.”
Thierry Neuville. Hyundai i20 WRC: “It’s true that we haven’t been very successful at Rallye Monte-Carlo in the past but it’s always a pleasure to drive on these roads and this year we really want to do well. We had some good preparation for the rally and we’re ready for it.”
Jari-Matti Latvala. VW Polo R: “I want to be crowned World Champion come the end of the season. As such, I will be aiming for a place in the top four at the Rally Monte Carlo. That would be a success for me. I will definitely not be risking everything to try and win the rally. To be honest, I am always happy to have survived the ‘Monte’.”
Dani Sordo. Hyundai i20 WRC: “A podium is possible because on Monte everything can be achieved due to the unpredictable weather. It’s important to remember we were third last year when we had a small, but unfortunately terminal, technical problem.”
Elfyn Evans. Ford Fiesta RS: “If we can secure a solid result to start the year that would be great. This is a difficult rally so if we can get to the end with glimpses of speed and some good consistency I’ll be happy.”
Mads Ostberg. Citroen DS 3 WRC: “I learned a lot last year with a new car and a new team. And although it’s always difficult to set goals at the start of the year, I want to keep improving. I am going to take each race as it comes and I hope that this approach will pay dividends.”
Andreas Mikkelsen. VW Polo R: “The fact that I live in Monaco is not really much of an advantage for me, as I don’t know the mountains all that well. My main aim is to finish the rally in the points, and then to head to Sweden in a positive frame of mind.”
