Australia pace pleases Petter

Petter Solberg says being able to match the leading pace on Rally Australia was more important than clinching his second podium finish in this season’s World Rally Championship.

Solberg, who claimed the world crown in 2003, arrived in Coffs Coast for the Australian leg of the WRC on the back of lacklustre showings in Finland and Germany.

But armed with a replacement 1.6-litre turbo engine in his Citroen DS3 WRC, the Norwegian privateer was a contender from the outset alongside his Northern Irish co-driver Chris Patterson.

“Seriously I don’t care as much about the result, it’s more the speed that is right - the car was on the pace again,” Solberg told Wrc.com shortly after the finish in Coffs Harbour on Sunday evening. “Citroen put in a new engine and things worked straight from the shakedown. It was good and I can’t say anything else than that.”

Ken Rees, who runs the Petter Solberg World Rally Team, admitted during the event that the underfunded squad had contemplated missing the trip to the Southern Hemisphere.

“That’s true,” said Solberg. “You have to remember the speed on the last two rallies we were not up on even one split on one stage and I haven’t sold it into the sponsors to be fifth or sixth on every rally, especially after two rallies we were winning the most stages out of everybody.”

Asked about his prospects for the remaining three events of the campaign, Solberg said: “I don’t know for the rest of the season. We have to sit down and analyse so we know we get the same performance on the next rally.

“The plan is to test before France, it’s essential but it all depends on the budget and the strategy. It’s tough being a privateer team now compared to what it was last year. I will do everything I can on my side.”