Q&A with Paolo Andreucci

Six-time event winner talks about taking on the Intercontinental Rally Challenge big guns during this week’s Targa Florio-Rally Internazionale Di Sicilia.

Having won this event so many times do you consider yourself to be the favourite and how much pressure does this put you under?

“It’s true that I’ve won this rally many times, but every time you go on the start ramp the scores are set to zero and you start again. As always our aim is to try and win, but there are lots of people who will have exactly the same aim, so it won’t be easy. Mostly when I drive though, I feel enjoyment rather than pressure. We will do our best and hope that is enough.”

We’re not expecting you to reveal all your secrets but what does it take to win this rally?

“There’s no secret in particular: it’s just experience and a feeling for the roads. The Targa Florio is quite bumpy and slippery, so there’s not a lot of grip. You need to have an instinct for where the grip is and of course good tyres. We are privileged to have Pirelli as our tyre partner, so this definitely gives us an advantage.”

As well as your rivals from the Italian championship you’re also up against several leading runners from the IRC. What do you think of the competition?

“I’ve been in the IRC before and I know that the level of competition is fantastic: this year even more than before. It’s nice to be able to measure yourself against world class drivers, so everyone is very happy that the IRC is coming to Sicily.”

What’s the best stage on the rally and why?

“I think the most important stages will probably be the two new stages, Collesano and Castelbuono, as it’s somewhere that nobody will have an advantage. On most of the event I’ll be able to use my experience but here we all start on a level playing field and it will be very interesting to see who pushes the hardest.”

What’s the biggest challenge on the rally?

“Probably to somebody coming into this event for the first time, it’s getting your head around the specific nature of the roads. They’re like nowhere else in Italy: quite slippery and bumpy, with grip that changes quite a lot. It’s the sort of event where it’s very easy to make a stupid little mistake, so the main thing is to keep the concentration and make sure you judge the grip correctly. There are lots of local specialists as well: if you can beat them, you are doing well.”