Solberg boosted by pre-Turkey test

Petter Solberg says a pre-event test has given him the confidence to go on a “big attack” on Rally of Turkey.

The 2003 world champion, currently fourth in the WRC drivers’ standings, covered 117 kilometres during a test in Turkey last Saturday (10 April) at the wheel of the same Petter Solberg World Rally Team-run Citroen C4 he will use on round four of the World Rally Championship this week.

“In Jordan I was only 97 per cent happy with my car because we had an understeer problem on the two Jordan River stages when I felt I didn’t have enough grip on the rear,” said the 35-year-old Norwegian. “With a car as good as the Citroen it’s just the small things that make the difference. We found what those are during the test and now I am 100 per cent happy, even better than what I felt before Rally Mexico where I finished second.”

Solberg starts the Istanbul-based event on the back of two podium finishes and says a win on the high-speed gravel rally is not out of the question. “I am in a very good position after a very good test,” said Solberg. “I feel confident to go on a big attack from the start and I will do my very best.”

Like the bulk of the leading crews competing in Turkey, Solberg and co-driver Phil Mills will be entering unchartered territory when it comes to the stages located east of Istanbul in Turkey’s Asian countryside.

“We will need to make our pacenotes very good straightaway and to do that we have to get the rhythm right on our first pass in the recce because I don’t know the roads at all,” said Solberg. “I do know they are very fast and will need a lot of confidence to get right. I believe we will have that.”