Vouilloz full of ambition in Ypres

Nicolas, tell us about your week in Ypres?

I arrived in Ypres on Monday afternoon. We carried out the reconnaissance on Tuesday and Wednesday and we are carrying out the shake-down on Thursday evening.

Can you tell us about the rally of the Azores during which you took third place?

The Azores Rally went well. We missed second place at the end, it's a bit of a shame. We had somewhat difficult conditions with fog and rain. We may have been too careful at times but we absolutely wanted to be at the finish. The championship is long. In Brazil, we took second place from Basso; this time the opposite happened.

But it?s still positive because it was a rally full of pitfalls and we got on the podium. We managed to regain a point from Freddy [Loix] in the championship. We lost some on Kris but we are attacking the asphalt now.

Have you carried out any tests on the Ypres route?

No, I haven't had the opportunity to ride with Kronos. I nevertheless carried out two days of testing with Peugeot a month ago. We will take advantage of the rally shakedown to test the car on this occasion.

Last year you took second place in the Ypres Rally behind your teammate Freddy Loix. How do you envisage the race this year?

Every year there are new things but victory will once again be between the same people. There will be four or five drivers who can claim victory. The Belgians will be strong at home as always. We will try to have a good race. If we can find our rhythm, there is definitely a way to achieve a good result.

Do you think Kris Meeke will be a little behind on gravel rallies?

I don't know. That?s a bit of a question mark. But, apparently, he should be fast based on his experience in the Junior World Championship. I won't be surprised if he's in front.

What is your objective for this rally and for this season?

My goal is always to retain my title. We are entering a part of the season which should suit us more. I hope we will be on pace. In any case, it's a rally that I like. For my third participation, if we can fight for victory, we will do everything to win.