Mikko Hirvonen
Posted: 12 Apr 2010, 15:11
Maybe it's good to have a separate topic for the WRC-drivers too. I'll start with Mikko Hirvonen and an interview by Lex Hollo from MTV3 right before the WRC-season 2010 started:
You have the victory of the legendary Monte Carlo in your pocket now, I assume that the experiences were at least mainly positive?
- Absolutely. It has always been kind of a special rally and a legendary race. Really cool sceneries and a challenging race for the drivers. This felt much more like an opening race than Sweden probably will feel like. It was extremely great to win the race even though it has no WRC-rally status.
Should it have?
- Absolutely if you ask me, they have such long traditions and a great history. But obviously they don't want to be in the WRC-calendar themself.
It was your first race with Ford Fiesta S2000, how did the car you will drive next season feel like?
- It was okay. The chassis and the basic stuff are in order so it seems good. The S2000 -machine isn't exactly a cannon but the engine will change with the turbo so it seems to be good. The suspension, engine and power transmission are really good, I had some problems with the steering and some small electrical issues but we have time to get them fixed. The ability to perform was good, it came as a small surprise that the rally car was so ready. They put it together with a horrible hurry. The car was even easier to drive than I imagined before the race.
A year ago you were really doubtful and sceptic, even negative, about these Super 2000 -cars, have you changed your mind?
- You get an interesting and even competition with them but it isn't yet unbelievably flashing. There should definitely be the turbos so that the serie would be more flashy.
How does it feel to drive those night stages, the last two stages were during midnight?
- It was fun for a change, I would want more of stages like that in the WRC-serie. It measured how well the drivers can hang on and also their endurance, it suited me really well. I think that we will drive some stages in the dark during the WRC-serie. A prolonged day would of course be extremely hard but it would also separate the drivers.
It's two weeks before the WRC-serie starts, do you feel that "oh no, does it starts already" or "do I still have to wait two weeks"?
- Without doubt it's more like do I still have to wait two weeks. I would have wanted to start the WRC-serie immediately after Wales. I have more energy than ever before. We have been thinking more than before what we could do better this season.
Well what is done better then?
- We have to win more rallies than before and act accordingly. I have to have courage to make my own decisions. An example from last season: In Norway when it was really tight between Loeb and me, I was thinking on Saturday if the car should be changed but I didn't have the courage to change it so it wouldn't take a turn for worse. We had the guts to change the car on Sunday and damn it worked really well. We started to catch Loeb but it was already too late for that. They are small things like these that you face during the journey. You have to trust in your own feeling and react courageously during the races.
What kind of a time was this period between Wales (the last race) and Sweden, did you get some rest?
- There has been an awful lot of PR-gigs, award-events and other program. We even raced in some small races in China and Bologna. I got to keep a vacation only from Christmas to New year but it didn't bother me at all. Like I said, I have more energy than ever before.
There seems to be a lot of enthusiasm and new kind of self-confidence in your talks and your being than before, do you feel that you have changed somehow?
- I have got self-confidence more and more, the faith in beating Loeb has only grown stronger. Even Loeb confessed after last season that he was put really tight and it only increases my own determination. I believe that I am stronger than ever before this season.
You are not the biggest fan of strategies and team orders, the fact last season was though that with one team order in Corsica you would now be the world champion, how much have you chewed that matter inside your head?
- I have left it behind me already. One has to remember that in Corsica the situation was completely different and we weren't thinking about the championship. Citroen tricked a lot with team orders during the whole season and played the points into Loeb's bag, we have to be more precise and rude in that matter. If you got to do it then you have to do it.
You are now officially Ford's driver number 1, will this change your attitude in any way? There might be more team orders in your favour than before.
- Oh well, it doesn't exactly make the job easier. Once we see how the season proceeds, these matters can be of more significance. It doesn't affect me in any way.
Sebastien Loeb is a bit like the Germany of rally meaning forst you kick the ball for some time and in the end Germany and Loeb always wins, have you at any stage been hit by despair with this currently valid fact?
- Not really, it's more the other way around. The faith has become stronger because we have got closer year by year and I have a personal growing confidence that I will beat Loeb. I didn't feel any despair last season when Loeb won five rallies in a row. I knew all the time that with a perfect preparation we can beat him and we did have some extra problems in each five races.
The media buzz has been concentrated on Räikkönen instead of you and Loeb and it will probably also be concentrated on him in the opening race, is this a good or a bad thing for you?
- It doesn't have a big significance but it most definitely doesn't disturb me. It can be a good thing too if they let you be more than before. It's only a good thing if the reporters are running after Kimi.
Are you fed up with the fact that you have been asked question after question about Räikkönen during the last months?
- No I'm not fed up with that, I have tried to give very emptying answers. It's only a positive thing that there has been that much discussion and that the matter awakens the general interest. It is definitely benefiting the whole rally sport.
All teams seem to focus more on developing the car for next season than they do on this season, will this season be a transition-year in WRC?
- Absolutely not. We at least test as much as we can this season. We aren't allowed to classify any new parts for this season anymore but we can play a lot with suspensions and locks and we will develop just as we did before. I believe that everyone else does the same.
There will be four races on tarmac this season while there were only two last season, this must show in your testing program in some way?
- Yes of course, we try to get more into testing on tarmac than before. We will have our normal tests on gravel too but on gravel we know our own car much better so it's not a significant matter.
A lay person thinks of course straight away that your possibilities compared to Loeb will weaken when there won't be as many races on gravel, is it so?
- Maybe the challenge will be bigger in the endseason but it doesn't horrify me. We have talked and acknowledged for many years that we have to get a better pace on tarmac. And every year we have been a little better in that. This year we hope and believe that we will take one more huge step closer to that.
Do you think it's a good thing that this season you can during one stage be driving both on gravel and tarmac, is it a good or a bad thing?
- Mostly it will make the tyre-choices tricky but it's not that problematic if the setup is made for gravel when there's more gravel. Cyprus was much more difficult last season when we drove on gravel one day and on tarmac the other day.
The opening race in Sweden will be the most interesting WRC-rally for ages now that Räikkönen makes his debut and now that even Marcus Grönholm is taking part with a competitive machinery, what are your expectations for that race?
- We try to take the opening victory but I bet Loeb will go fast. If Marcus succeeds in any comeback it will be in Sweden, he knows the race and the stages so unbelievably well.
Do you think that Bosse still has the pace? Could the man still tour the WRC-serie?
- I believe that he will be fighting for the victory especially in Sweden. I haven't talked with him for a while, we talked before christmas the last time and he seemed to be filled with enthusiasm. But I still don't believe that Marcus would have the energy to tour the whole WRC-serie.
Which races will be the most decisive when thinking of the championship?
- I haven't thought about it that way. I've sometimes made a mistake thinking that we are especially strong in certain races. And of course those races have gone down my b***. You can't go to any race with loose wrists, every race is equally important. Of course the row of races on tarmac in the endseason will be a huge challenge for us.
Do you think differently about winning the championship now than for example last year at the same time? Is it more important to you now?
- Maybe the attitude has changed year by year. A couple of years ago when Marcus retired I imagined that we will barely be able to stay in the fight and it went that way. Last year we knew that we had a possibility to be really close to the championship and that proved to be the right estimation. Now my thoughts are a damn more strong - now we take the championship. You are hungry every year and the hunger just keeps growing bigger and bigger.
Can you also send your greetings to Sebastien Loeb...
- Let's hope that he has done his homework well. Otherwise he will be second.
You have the victory of the legendary Monte Carlo in your pocket now, I assume that the experiences were at least mainly positive?
- Absolutely. It has always been kind of a special rally and a legendary race. Really cool sceneries and a challenging race for the drivers. This felt much more like an opening race than Sweden probably will feel like. It was extremely great to win the race even though it has no WRC-rally status.
Should it have?
- Absolutely if you ask me, they have such long traditions and a great history. But obviously they don't want to be in the WRC-calendar themself.
It was your first race with Ford Fiesta S2000, how did the car you will drive next season feel like?
- It was okay. The chassis and the basic stuff are in order so it seems good. The S2000 -machine isn't exactly a cannon but the engine will change with the turbo so it seems to be good. The suspension, engine and power transmission are really good, I had some problems with the steering and some small electrical issues but we have time to get them fixed. The ability to perform was good, it came as a small surprise that the rally car was so ready. They put it together with a horrible hurry. The car was even easier to drive than I imagined before the race.
A year ago you were really doubtful and sceptic, even negative, about these Super 2000 -cars, have you changed your mind?
- You get an interesting and even competition with them but it isn't yet unbelievably flashing. There should definitely be the turbos so that the serie would be more flashy.
How does it feel to drive those night stages, the last two stages were during midnight?
- It was fun for a change, I would want more of stages like that in the WRC-serie. It measured how well the drivers can hang on and also their endurance, it suited me really well. I think that we will drive some stages in the dark during the WRC-serie. A prolonged day would of course be extremely hard but it would also separate the drivers.
It's two weeks before the WRC-serie starts, do you feel that "oh no, does it starts already" or "do I still have to wait two weeks"?
- Without doubt it's more like do I still have to wait two weeks. I would have wanted to start the WRC-serie immediately after Wales. I have more energy than ever before. We have been thinking more than before what we could do better this season.
Well what is done better then?
- We have to win more rallies than before and act accordingly. I have to have courage to make my own decisions. An example from last season: In Norway when it was really tight between Loeb and me, I was thinking on Saturday if the car should be changed but I didn't have the courage to change it so it wouldn't take a turn for worse. We had the guts to change the car on Sunday and damn it worked really well. We started to catch Loeb but it was already too late for that. They are small things like these that you face during the journey. You have to trust in your own feeling and react courageously during the races.
What kind of a time was this period between Wales (the last race) and Sweden, did you get some rest?
- There has been an awful lot of PR-gigs, award-events and other program. We even raced in some small races in China and Bologna. I got to keep a vacation only from Christmas to New year but it didn't bother me at all. Like I said, I have more energy than ever before.
There seems to be a lot of enthusiasm and new kind of self-confidence in your talks and your being than before, do you feel that you have changed somehow?
- I have got self-confidence more and more, the faith in beating Loeb has only grown stronger. Even Loeb confessed after last season that he was put really tight and it only increases my own determination. I believe that I am stronger than ever before this season.
You are not the biggest fan of strategies and team orders, the fact last season was though that with one team order in Corsica you would now be the world champion, how much have you chewed that matter inside your head?
- I have left it behind me already. One has to remember that in Corsica the situation was completely different and we weren't thinking about the championship. Citroen tricked a lot with team orders during the whole season and played the points into Loeb's bag, we have to be more precise and rude in that matter. If you got to do it then you have to do it.
You are now officially Ford's driver number 1, will this change your attitude in any way? There might be more team orders in your favour than before.
- Oh well, it doesn't exactly make the job easier. Once we see how the season proceeds, these matters can be of more significance. It doesn't affect me in any way.
Sebastien Loeb is a bit like the Germany of rally meaning forst you kick the ball for some time and in the end Germany and Loeb always wins, have you at any stage been hit by despair with this currently valid fact?
- Not really, it's more the other way around. The faith has become stronger because we have got closer year by year and I have a personal growing confidence that I will beat Loeb. I didn't feel any despair last season when Loeb won five rallies in a row. I knew all the time that with a perfect preparation we can beat him and we did have some extra problems in each five races.
The media buzz has been concentrated on Räikkönen instead of you and Loeb and it will probably also be concentrated on him in the opening race, is this a good or a bad thing for you?
- It doesn't have a big significance but it most definitely doesn't disturb me. It can be a good thing too if they let you be more than before. It's only a good thing if the reporters are running after Kimi.
Are you fed up with the fact that you have been asked question after question about Räikkönen during the last months?
- No I'm not fed up with that, I have tried to give very emptying answers. It's only a positive thing that there has been that much discussion and that the matter awakens the general interest. It is definitely benefiting the whole rally sport.
All teams seem to focus more on developing the car for next season than they do on this season, will this season be a transition-year in WRC?
- Absolutely not. We at least test as much as we can this season. We aren't allowed to classify any new parts for this season anymore but we can play a lot with suspensions and locks and we will develop just as we did before. I believe that everyone else does the same.
There will be four races on tarmac this season while there were only two last season, this must show in your testing program in some way?
- Yes of course, we try to get more into testing on tarmac than before. We will have our normal tests on gravel too but on gravel we know our own car much better so it's not a significant matter.
A lay person thinks of course straight away that your possibilities compared to Loeb will weaken when there won't be as many races on gravel, is it so?
- Maybe the challenge will be bigger in the endseason but it doesn't horrify me. We have talked and acknowledged for many years that we have to get a better pace on tarmac. And every year we have been a little better in that. This year we hope and believe that we will take one more huge step closer to that.
Do you think it's a good thing that this season you can during one stage be driving both on gravel and tarmac, is it a good or a bad thing?
- Mostly it will make the tyre-choices tricky but it's not that problematic if the setup is made for gravel when there's more gravel. Cyprus was much more difficult last season when we drove on gravel one day and on tarmac the other day.
The opening race in Sweden will be the most interesting WRC-rally for ages now that Räikkönen makes his debut and now that even Marcus Grönholm is taking part with a competitive machinery, what are your expectations for that race?
- We try to take the opening victory but I bet Loeb will go fast. If Marcus succeeds in any comeback it will be in Sweden, he knows the race and the stages so unbelievably well.
Do you think that Bosse still has the pace? Could the man still tour the WRC-serie?
- I believe that he will be fighting for the victory especially in Sweden. I haven't talked with him for a while, we talked before christmas the last time and he seemed to be filled with enthusiasm. But I still don't believe that Marcus would have the energy to tour the whole WRC-serie.
Which races will be the most decisive when thinking of the championship?
- I haven't thought about it that way. I've sometimes made a mistake thinking that we are especially strong in certain races. And of course those races have gone down my b***. You can't go to any race with loose wrists, every race is equally important. Of course the row of races on tarmac in the endseason will be a huge challenge for us.
Do you think differently about winning the championship now than for example last year at the same time? Is it more important to you now?
- Maybe the attitude has changed year by year. A couple of years ago when Marcus retired I imagined that we will barely be able to stay in the fight and it went that way. Last year we knew that we had a possibility to be really close to the championship and that proved to be the right estimation. Now my thoughts are a damn more strong - now we take the championship. You are hungry every year and the hunger just keeps growing bigger and bigger.
Can you also send your greetings to Sebastien Loeb...
- Let's hope that he has done his homework well. Otherwise he will be second.