In addition to this fight for the drivers’ championship, the Estonian will obviously have a very important role to play for the manufacturers’ championship. On an asphalt profile very different from Central Europe, the Hyundai driver will have to do much better than during his two previous participations in Japan.
“Rally Japan is another pretty tough event, probably one of the toughest we’ve done on asphalt. This is without a doubt the slowest asphalt rally we have competed in this year; it is very winding, narrow, more or less slow everywhere. Normally the stages are endless, so with the surface changes and general challenges it’s a tricky test. Japan is crucial for all championships, so we plan to do everything we can to give our best. With the situation we find ourselves in in the championships, we cannot afford to hold back. We know that Toyota will give everything and that the points gap is quite small, so we absolutely have to fight to maintain our lead. We must all do our best: we will approach this event in combat mode with the desire to give the best of ourselves.”
Belgium
