Q&A with Kris Princen

Kris Princen will be chasing success in both the IRC Production Cup and the IRC 2WD Cup when he returns to the Intercontinental Rally Challenge in Ypres this week in his Renault Mégane RS.

What’s your objective for the rally?

“I don’t know for sure but I’m quite happy with the car because we did some good testing. I hope we can beat the Citroëns and also try to get a good result in Group N but it won’t be easy because there are a lot of [Ralliart Mitsubishi Lancer] Evolution Xs. The top 10 won’t be possible but I will do my best to finish in the top 15.”

With rain affecting shakedown, how much of a concern is a wet Ypres Rally for you?

“If it’s very dry or very wet then it’s okay. When it is very wet the car is really good with the traction but if it’s muddy like in shakedown then it’s difficult because you need to have four-wheel drive.”

How much has the car changed since you last drove it in 2011?

“We’ve had some small evolutions and it’s quite a bit better, especially with the engine torque, which is even better. But it could be a big disadvantage if the conditions are muddy or wet.”

Brakes can be an issue on these cars – will this be a problem?

“It’s often a big problem but last year there were no problems with brakes so I try not to do a lot of left-foot braking. When it’s very hot then for sure it’s hard on the brakes.”

How hard is it switching from the Renault Clio R3 you normally drive to the Mégane?

“There are some small things like the normal gearbox and not the sequential one and with the Clio you need very high revs. But it’s not so difficult once you get some stage kilometres.”