ERC Q&A: Marijan Griebel
ByERC
Published 02/10/2016 at 23:04 GMT
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Eurosport
Image credit: Eurosport
By claiming the FIA ERC Junior title, Marijan Griebel earned a prize drive in a ŠKODA Fabia R5 run by Motorsport Italia on the final round of the ERC. The German looks ahead to his debut in R5 machinery.
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AUTO - ERC LETTONIE RALLY 2016
Image credit: ERC
How excited are you by this opportunity to make your R5 debut?
I’m really excited. This is the first time that I can drive an R5 car, and also the first time for me in a four-wheel-drive car on a rally. So I’m really, really looking forward to it, and I hope it will be a good one! On Wednesday I did a really small test with a Fabia R5 from the Austrian BRR team to be well prepared. One test day is not really much, but I hope I can have good fun and a good result at the end.
What was the car like to drive?
For sure it was quite different to the R2, because it’s four-wheel drive and also because it has a turbo. But it was OK. Ten kilometres and 16 kilometres was not so much but I was driving quite fast – not on the limit, but quite fast – and everything worked well, so I think I can be satisfied with that.
Your mentor Armin Kremer, a previous European champion, regularly drives a Fabia R5. Have you been able to get any advice from him?
Yes, for sure. In my test I was actually sitting next to Armin Kremer because he was testing for the World Rally Championship round in Spain at the same time. He gave me some advice in the car and also outside of the car, so that was definitely a good help for me.
What are you expecting from the Cyprus Rally? You will have to face both gravel and asphalt…
Yes, that’s quite special because I’ve never done a rally which is nearly 50-50 Tarmac and gravel. But I think it’s not bad for me because other drivers are also not too used to that. So I think it will be a lot of fun with those surfaces and this car. I’ve never been to Cyprus so I don’t know how rough the stages are or much about the characteristics but I’m looking forward to it and I hope we can do a good recce.
At the end of the rally you will have the Love Cyprus Golden Stage with prize money on offer to the fastest crews. Are you going to be pushing to get a share of that?
Maybe that would be an opportunity for me, that I can practice and get used to the car over the first day and a half and then do a big push on the Golden Stage. For sure it would be an opportunity. We have to see which drivers are still in the rally but maybe it’s possible to go for some extra money: that would be really nice.
I’m really excited. This is the first time that I can drive an R5 car, and also the first time for me in a four-wheel-drive car on a rally. So I’m really, really looking forward to it, and I hope it will be a good one! On Wednesday I did a really small test with a Fabia R5 from the Austrian BRR team to be well prepared. One test day is not really much, but I hope I can have good fun and a good result at the end.
What was the car like to drive?
For sure it was quite different to the R2, because it’s four-wheel drive and also because it has a turbo. But it was OK. Ten kilometres and 16 kilometres was not so much but I was driving quite fast – not on the limit, but quite fast – and everything worked well, so I think I can be satisfied with that.
Your mentor Armin Kremer, a previous European champion, regularly drives a Fabia R5. Have you been able to get any advice from him?
Yes, for sure. In my test I was actually sitting next to Armin Kremer because he was testing for the World Rally Championship round in Spain at the same time. He gave me some advice in the car and also outside of the car, so that was definitely a good help for me.
What are you expecting from the Cyprus Rally? You will have to face both gravel and asphalt…
Yes, that’s quite special because I’ve never done a rally which is nearly 50-50 Tarmac and gravel. But I think it’s not bad for me because other drivers are also not too used to that. So I think it will be a lot of fun with those surfaces and this car. I’ve never been to Cyprus so I don’t know how rough the stages are or much about the characteristics but I’m looking forward to it and I hope we can do a good recce.
At the end of the rally you will have the Love Cyprus Golden Stage with prize money on offer to the fastest crews. Are you going to be pushing to get a share of that?
Maybe that would be an opportunity for me, that I can practice and get used to the car over the first day and a half and then do a big push on the Golden Stage. For sure it would be an opportunity. We have to see which drivers are still in the rally but maybe it’s possible to go for some extra money: that would be really nice.
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