Q&A with Andreas Mikkelsen

Defending Intercontinental Rally Challenge champion on preparing to mark title number two with second Cyprus Rally victory.

How has your season gone so far?

“We had a plan from the beginning of the year to do as much IRC events as we needed to do to win the title but, at the same time, I’ve had my programme in the WRC with Volkswagen so it’s been very busy with around 20 rallies. It’s been difficult finding the strategy to finish all the time but when you have your best eight results then you can really push. It will be shoulders down in Cyprus, I really want to enjoy the rally and push to the maximum.”

What’s your aim for the rally?

“All year I’ve felt I’ve been driving a bit careful to be honest just to finish the events. I won’t be doing anything crazy but, for sure, the aim is to win because I want to give all the guys in the team who have worked so hard for this year’s success, plus all our fans, a really great ending to what has been a truly fantastic season.”

Winning the IRC title would make you the first back-to-back champion. What would that mean?

“Nobody has ever done that before so that would be a nice record to achieve. The aim from the start of the year has been to try to win the championship again and things are looking good.”

How much of a challenge do mixed-surface stages present?

“With gravel and Tarmac switching together all of the time it’s hard to find the best set-up for the car but you don’t mind because of the beautiful landscape you encounter.”

What’s the best thing about competing in Cyprus?

“I love competing in Cyprus, the stages are really tough and challenging and we won there last year. It’s also a really good rally for the spectators because it’s a nice place to be and it’s warm and sunny. Cyprus has a lot of good memories after last year. It would be nice to come back to where I won my first international championship.”