Greensmith looks to rekindle fun factor in Belgium

The Briton finished seventh overall at the previous round in Jyväskyla and is keen to return to the highs of the early season. After round two, the only full-time drivers ahead of him were Kalle Rovanperä and Thierry Neuville.

Technical troubles at four of the past six rallies have left Greensmith unable to challenge at the sharp end of the leaderboard and he admitted that things have not been 100 per cent since the Croatia Rally in April.  

“We made good progress through the week in Finland,” said Greensmith. “But I’ve got to be honest and say that I haven’t enjoyed myself in a car for a long time – probably since Croatia. 

“Finland was great and I felt like the spark was coming back. There’s probably still some work to do to bring some more speed in the first pass of the stages in the morning, but I’m really happy with the improvements.”

Greensmith’s first experience of Ypres last year ended after just four stages when he got stuck in one of Flanders' notorious ditches. This time around, the Puma pilot’s primary focus is enjoyment. 

“Ypres is a very unique rally,” he explained. “We’ve shown good speed earlier in the season on the Tarmac and we know the car is fantastic on this surface - but Belgium is a tricky place with narrow roads, ditches and not much room for error.

“The key thing is to enjoy it – when we come to the end of the stage with a smile on the face, it generally means the driving has gone well.”

• Full coverage from Ypres Rally Belgium will be available on WRC+ All Live here, including every stage broadcast as it happens as well as key interviews, features and expert analysis from the service park.