Ogier: 'If we can aim for a podium'

What conclusions do you draw after your fifth place during the Rally from Catalonia?
“We are quite satisfied with this result. For a first experience on this rally at the wheel of a WRC, I think we couldn't have hoped for much better. We can only regret the time lost during the first loop. By Friday noon, we were in the game. I think the team was satisfied with our work. »

In Great Britain, you find terrain that allowed you to shine last season for your first participation in the Citroën C4 WRC. Is this an advantage compared to the rest of the season?
“Indeed, the Rally of Great Britain will be the first event that I will not discover in the WRC. I imagine that this will be less of a disadvantage than in the other events because the other competitors also know these stages very well. I hope the conditions will be a little easier this year. We faced rain and ice in 2008. It might be better in October than a month later. »

You will be taking the start of your twelfth WRC event this season. Did this year go by too quickly?
“It actually passed very quickly. Until mid-season, we were not in the same state of mind. We had made small mistakes and we were asking ourselves questions. Since then, the work has paid off and we have gained confidence. The rallies follow one another, everything is going well. »

What will be your objective in Great Britain?
“We will arrive without pressure. We will be more or less free to adopt our own pace. I will try to ride as well as possible, a bit like in the last events, to achieve good performances. A place in the top 5 would be a good result. And if we can aim for a podium, we will do our best to be there. »

Is the arrival of Petter Solberg in the Citroën Junior Team an advantage?
“He is a big additional competitor with the C4 WRC even if he was already there at the wheel of an Xsara WRC. It?s positive to have him with us. From the tests before Catalonia, we talked a lot. He has a lot of experience. »

And the duel for the title between Loeb and Hirvonen, how do you see it?
“Being a Citroën driver and friend of Sébastien Loeb, I hope that he can continue his series of World Champion titles. It will be a difficult and competitive race. I sincerely hope that neither of them, neither Sébastien nor Mikko, encounters any problems. We are certainly going to experience a great duel. »