Mathieu Franceschi: “I have work to do to be more circuit-oriented and apply myself more”

How is your approach to this event?

The timing is intense. We have carried out our tests and then there is a day to carry out the reconnaissance. The schedule is therefore tight.

Have you had the opportunity to advance in learning the special stages?

Yes, like every time. I watched videos to take notes. It takes me a lot of time at home, between 15 and 20 hours to make all the notes on each rally, but then, it saves time and energy on shopping. I stop at every turn to see where I can put the wheels or not, I go back... As it requires a lot of concentration to write all the notes during the same day, the fact of having roughed up the work allows me to not discover everything and move forward more quickly.

At the end, do you know the specials by heart?

I've never been there in my life, but it's true that I know where I am. This sometimes avoids surprises, but a real ride, behind the wheel, is also important. This allows you to have the feeling of the car moving, the vertical... everything you don't see on video. What Barum offers is very beautiful, but also very special. These are forest roads that must have been laid out a long time ago. They must not have had a backhoe loader, because they followed nature. So there are a lot of differences in altitude, bumps, bowls... it's a lot of impact and the roads are very degraded. Apart from these paths in the woods, we take large, very fast national roads. Watching the videos, I realized that in the rain it was even more complicated, but luck is with us. The weather should be nice, which is not bad. For the first time, it's still better if there is no mud.

Do you think you have progressed on asphalt which was not your favorite surface?

I feel that I am more at ease in fact. In Rome, it was special. I had to get to know the car and a new co-driver. It was a lot and I had to maintain a certain restraint. The goal was not to end up in a tree, but to complete all the stages. Riding often and even on dirt also allows you to already get into the rhythm. I have to be able to put things in place that work on the tarmac. It's the first thing Andy (Malfoy, his co-pilot, editor's note) said to me when he got in with me: "you drive like you do on dirt!" » So I have work to be more circuit-oriented and apply myself more.

Where are you in your adaptation to the new Fabia RS?

It's really easy to use. The driving position is much better than in the previous one. I am perfectly settled. It will still take us a little time to go through it and find the right set-up. It is much sharper. Either it works or you're missing the point. This was not the case with the Evo at all. You didn't do anything and it kept running because it was everyone's car. Anyone who doesn't persevere and doesn't really like to adjust will not succeed with the RS.

What will be your goal in Zlin?

 We are not changing our goal. I want to ride all the stages to learn. Added to this discovery is our desire to do miles with this new car in order to understand it well for the future.