Sordo: This rally will be special in all aspects

Winner in Germany, runner-up in France: you’re on a good run at the moment…

”I’ve always been there or thereabouts on tarmac, so there was no reason for that to be any different this year. Having said that, we haven’t had any proper tarmac conditions as yet this season, with ice and snow in Monte-Carlo and quite a lot of rain and mud in Germany and France. I hope the weather will be a bit better in Catalonia. I think I’ll feel confident there and I’ll be on the pace again.”

The word ‘confidence’ comes up again and again. What makes you feel confident – or not – in your DS3 WRC?

“It’s true that I have felt lacking in confidence on gravel this season. I suppose I mean that I can’t tell how much grip there is and so I don’t know how the car is going to react. When the balance of my DS3 WRC is right, when I feel good and when I have good pace notes, I know I can carry a lot of speed into a corner, like you would in track racing. This is essential for me to set good times and be able to fight for the win.”

How would you describe this event?

“This rally will be special in all aspects. We are going to tackle the first stages at night, a situation that we are no longer used to. I’m really disappointed that there is no reclassification at the end of the second leg. What is the point in pushing hard, building up a good lead, if you then find yourself first on the road, sweeping the line for your rivals on the Sunday? The gravel stages are so slippery that the leader won’t be able to prevent his challengers from making up ground on him.”