Before Rally Japan
After finishing second in Great Britain, Citroen driver Francois Duval will aim to score more points in the next round of the World Rally Championship: Rally Japan.
What were your impressions last year of the region where Rally Japan is held?
"It wasn`t love at first sight. I don`t like grid-pattern cities with all those parallel and perpendicular streets. Like everyone else, I found it difficult in the ten days we were there to get to known and understand the people and to order food and drink. It was really very different. But that`s what memories are made of…"
How did the rally go for you last year?
"It started in difficult circumstances when my co-driver Stéphane [Prévot] was forced to go back to Belgium just prior to the start following the death of his father. Finding a replacement locally was impossible and, in the end, Philippe Droeven bravely accepted to step in at the last minute. He arrived just before the start, totally jetlagged and without sleep. It was a tough event for him and, as a consequence, for both of us. That said, we were always in the top-seven stage times and we were 6th overall when he miscalled a pacenote. We slid down a bank and couldn`t get back on the road. We were competitive, but we didn`t have a result to show for it."
What do you think of the Japanese stages and what sort of position do you think you can achieve this year?
"The stages are very narrow, and the grass that masks the corners makes it very difficult to read the road. The only way to anticipate what`s coming next is to drive 100% to your pacenotes. Judging by what we achieved last year in the circumstances I have just described, and also going by my recent performance with Sven on Rally GB where we set some excellent stage times without making any mistakes, I feel quite optimistic. My confidence is back and Sven and I now function perfectly together, so I think we should be able to meet the objective set by Citroën for Rally Japan."


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