Acropolis – Yohan Rossel: “We’re going there to play in front”

After going to Finland to improve your knowledge of the event, are you eager to start again?

I'm starting to get restless (laughs). We're also going to start a good period, since there will be several rounds in a row. Outside of the rallies, I can easily disconnect from the competition and I don't think too much about what's going to happen. I only get into my bubble when I leave home. Until Sunday evening of the event, I'm almost a different person, because I'm completely focused on the event.

Is the Acropolis an event that you are starting to get to grips with?

This is my 4^e participation and I consider it a real rally… you’re not going there for nothing. You know it’s going to be complicated. Like all the rounds, you need a lot of concentration, but this isn’t Finland where you need to know the special stages by heart to be able to perform well. Greece is very technical and, to exaggerate a bit, I can say that all the bends are similar. The course has some new features that haven’t been used for a long time. It will be a discovery for everyone, which I appreciate. We will also find more traditional sections like the Tarzan section or those towards Loutraki where there is always a bit of sand.

This will be the first time you will aim for the podium with your new co-driver. How is it going with Florian Barral?

I have no worries. Florian is a very hard-working person. I really feel that he has adapted perfectly to the team, more than the opposite. He has fitted in without asking any questions. That is to his credit. We have talked about it and we agree that these are difficult tests, but that you have to give your all to have no regrets.

What will be your approach? Should you try everything to win? Should you secure points?

It's a terrain that has often suited me. You have to race intelligently there, avoiding silly things like a puncture or a mistake. With the improvements made to the car and the progress I've made on gravel, we're going there to compete at the front. The field is tough so we can't dawdle. To keep our chances of winning the title, we have to, at the very least, aim for the podium. I think that if we want to be champions, we'll have to win two of the three races we're going to compete in, which doesn't leave too many options. We're going to give our all to show that we're good everywhere.

Comments collected by Loïc Rocci

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