IRC Rallye Sanremo preview: The expectations

Giandomenico Basso (Italy), PROTON Satria Neo S2000: “It’s a rally where experience definitely helps and you need to concentrate very hard because of all the corners. It’s a really technical event that is not easy to master: you have to be really on top of the car. The speeds are not that fast and that makes it more demanding, physically and mentally. Then of course you have the long stage at night, which is a really tough test for everyone.”

Andreas Mikkelsen (Norway), SKODA UK Motorsport Fabia S2000: “Sanremo is a classic rally with a lot of history. There are some fantastic rally roads around Sanremo and I’m looking
forward to the really long night stage in particular because I enjoy driving in the dark and that one stage could decide the outcome of the rally. It will be a big challenge for sure, and I have a good
opportunity.”

Thierry Neuville (Belgium), Team Peugeot Belgium-Luxembourg 207 S2000: “It’s quite a difficult rally with some really narrow roads, just wide enough for one car. It means you have to be very precise with your pacenotes, particularly for the night stage, which has a great atmosphere. The rain can be a factor and when it rained last year we saw that the local drivers had the best knowledge and made the right tyre choices. But I know the roads and I know I can be competitive and challenge for a podium.”