François-Xavier Demaison (Hyundai): “Thierry Neuville has a good command of his subject”

Was a hat-trick the initial goal?

We knew that on a rally like this one, anything could happen. We had a strategy and we stuck to it. On Thursday night, I said it would be the drivers who would have to watch out for the cars. With the homologation systems, we can't have a specific car for every race. So it was all about how they drive, how much risk we let them take, how much leeway we give them.

With drivers in different positions in the championship, didn't you have a better game than Toyota ?

Our situation allowed us to manage this race a little better. Dani Sordo was only there for the Constructors' points and he was able to attack on Friday and Saturday. On Sunday, his mission was to finish in order to validate the points from the day before. Ott Tänak could push as much as he wanted and Thierry Neuville was to bring the car back. Again, we had a plan, we implemented it and it worked.

How did Thierry Neuville surprise you in the way he managed his race?

He reminded me of the Thierry we were fighting with in 2013 when he was driving the Fiesta WRC (face Ogier on the Volkswagen Polo. Ed.). It had been a very difficult fight. He has a good command of his subject, he doesn't panic, he attacks and he delivers when necessary.

Interview by L. Rocci, in Greece

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