Novikov vows to come back stronger

Evgeny Novikov has vowed to fight for a top result when he returns to Neste Oil Rally Finland in 2012.

Russian Novikov, who was returning to the event for the first time since his spectacular landing from a jump on the Leustu stage in 2009, dropped out on both Friday and Saturday due to technical problems. However, he still said he was able to gain vital stage knowledge at the wheel of the M-Sport Stobart Ford Fiesta RS WRC he shares with Frenchman Denis Giraudet.

He said: “We’ve had some small problems with the car this weekend, both [on Friday and Saturday]. My one and only objective this weekend was to learn the stages and, for sure, we did that but it just would have been nice to get through all of them and to have made it to the end of all of the stages. I’d like to come back to Finland next time faster and without any problems, then I think I will be a lot quicker.”

Novikov was fighting to break into the top 10 when his Fiesta broke five kilometres from the finish of stage eight on Friday. He restarted on Saturday but was forced to stop for good following the onset of another technical problem on the road section heading to stage 16.

“I am disappointed to have to retire - everything was going to plan, we were learning the roads, getting experience and improving the pace notes,” he said. “Then we had the problems on stage eight which was definitely not in my plan! I know this is how rallying can be but I did not expect it to happen and I had no warning. This event was perfect preparation for next year when I think I will be much faster.”