Hirvonen happy with Australian roads

After a month of summer break, competitors in the World Rally Championship will resume hostilities on the roads of New South Wales from Thursday evening. On terrain that they are discovering, the Ford drivers want to be cautious. Thus, Mikko Hirvonen, the leader of the Drivers classification, returned to the differences that there could be with previous editions of the rally Australian which took place near Perth.

« I don't think the roads are as demanding as the previous ones but the mix of twisty sections and fast roads is something new ", says Hirvonen. “II think we will be faced with some very fast stages from the start. On Friday there will also be a lot of technical stages where you have to be patient. It will then be difficult to find a constant rhythm because of the variety of the stages. »

On terrain that reminds him of the roads of New Zealand, the Finn knows that he will have a lot to do, especially in his opening position. “ The roads are very hard with a bit of dirt on top, which could make it difficult for me as the opener on Friday. It won't be like the logs we had in Perth though. He adds.

His teammate, Jari-Matti Latvala (Ford), was satisfied to be able to compete in an event which reminded him of the previous round which he finished in third place. “ After Finland, it?s good to compete in another fast rally. Yes, there are stages in the forest that are slow and winding but I would say 80 percent of the roads are fast. »

Competitors will set off on Thursday evening with the Tweed Super Special in Murwillumbah, followed by three days of competition: Friday, Saturday and Sunday.