Q&A: Jan Kopecký

The new-look FIA European Rally Championship got off to a thrilling start in Austria last week. This is what the International Jännerrallye winner, Jan Kopecký, had to say.

Q: Congratulations on a second consecutive victory on the Jännerrallye although it was a bit more dramatic this year. Can you describe what it was like at the end of the final stage?

A: “We were just a little bit quicker! The last stage was very difficult but we had a really great car and the set-up was very good for the stages. We just said we would try because we had nothing to lose apart from maybe the car in the forest. We tried and finally we won.”

Q: You were leading fairly comfortably until stage 15, what happened and did you fear your chances of victory were over?

A: “You have too many rocks on the side of the corners in Austria! Sometimes for me I don’t understand. I think the Tarmac has a little more grip than the field but on the second pass I had the feeling we are using the field more than the road. There was some lose stone in the line, I hit it and I made a puncture.”

Q: With the weather and stage conditions changing so often this was no easy rally. Just how hard was it?

A: “It ́s been an extremely difficult rally, with a large number of dramatic duels and all kinds of weather. We made a good start and it looked like a comfortable win but then the tyre defect nearly killed our hopes. We did not give it up, though, and we did something that seemed almost impossible – catching up with Bouffier whose lead was more than comfortable at that moment.”

Q: How pleased are you with this result?

A: “We are thrilled to bits now, because this rally has indeed been highly eventful. I wish to thank all the members of our team for putting in hard work, everything worked absolutely perfectly.”

Q: You said before the start that ŠKODA would announce your ERC programme for the rest of the year after this rally. What news do you have and how important would an ERC title bid be to you?

A: “Bohemia and Barum, that’s it, it’s true. It would be nice [to win the championship] because I have not been European champion and it would be a really nice feeling.”