Before Rally Japan
Rally Japan is a crucial race for Citroen Sport. The team is fighting for the drivers` and constructors` championships; Team Principal Guy Frequelin believes that it will be a tough rally...
You saw the Japanese stages at first hand in 2004. What was your opinion of them?
"My picture last year was very incomplete. I didn`t see all the stages and, with the experience of just one to go by, there are still a lot of unknowns. If I had to describe the region, I would compare it to parts of the Vosges Mountains in France, but 10°C warmer. The countryside is quite rolling, with forest tracks and lush vegetation. The surface of certain stages is covered in sizeable gravel, small pebbles almost. The roads themselves are fast, often narrow and therefore difficult. This is a complex rally."
In what ways is it complex?
"The distance between the service park and the stages means you have to choose your tyres well before the stages are due to start. For example, on Day 1, the start of both the morning and afternoon attempts at the long 50km stage takes place three hours after the cars leave service. In a region where we are not at all familiar with the weather – which can be particularly unsettled at this time of year – we potentially face some tough tyre choices. A clear-cut, rational choice can prove totally unsuited if the weather suddenly switches. As I have already said regarding the Deutschland Rally, this lottery aspect is something I don`t like. One last point, with the experience of just one year behind us, reliability will be important for this event which we are less familiar with than any other. We will do our best to be impeccable on that front…"
What instructions will you give your crews?
"Given all the unknowns concerning this rally – the terrain, the weather… – and also given the psychological state of mind in which many people involved with the WRC will be in Japan, I simply want them to stay on the road and finish…"


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