Poland: Grégoire Munster: “We will really have to have confidence in aerodynamics”

Do you have any memories of the 2019 and 2021 editions of this event where you were present?

Regarding the course, there is not much similar. This is not very serious, because if it is new, it is new for everyone. However, it was not easy to work well, because the videos provided by the organizers were not exceptional. Here too, it was the same for all the competitors.

What are the main characteristics of the Polish stages?

It's an event that I like with times where it's great to progress. Generally speaking, the roads are very fast and narrower than in Latvia or Finland. The ground is very soft and it digs a lot for the 2^e passage. One of the difficulties is that sometimes in a braking zone there will perhaps be a portion which will be a little harder and the rail will break which can seriously destabilize the car. This can cause unpleasant surprises at high speeds. If the rain gets involved, it's real carnage, because the sand turns into mud on which there is no grip.

Have you prepared the rally ?

We decided to go to Estonia to have a day which will be used for the three races that we are going to do in a row. It was a good test session, but more for Latvia and Finland. We actually missed a little the narrow side and the “soft” aspect of the terrain that we will face in Poland. Our base was too wide and not technical enough to get these rails that are created when you are at low speed and you put more loads and you are aggressive on the throttle which leads to skating and digs this rail. We will have to apprehend him during the shakedown.

Do you think you are more comfortable on fast events like Poland or rather on slow ones like Sardinia?

I think I express myself better quickly. However, I am waiting to see the importance of the aero factor that we were able to feel during the tests. It's a big part of the performance. You will really have to have confidence and determine where the limits of the car's grip are at high speed. When it's all the way... it's all the way. The question is more present in sections between the two where you don't know how much brake pressure you need to apply or if lifting your foot is enough. Often you don't want to stress the car too much with the aero. You have to do it once with a flick of the steering wheel so that it settles, but then you have to avoid doing it in the middle of the turn so that it doesn't get out of this aero flow.

What will be your goal in Mikolajki?

I think the crews who are going to start in front of us are going to have a good time. If there are rails at the start, this can help you engage more speed in the curves. We will try to keep the same dynamic. I think it would be good to aim for a top 5 again. It would be positive if we could do it a little more often.