Gronholm: 'I need to win'
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ByEurosport
Published 21/03/2006 at 17:24 GMT
Finland's Marcus Gronholm has set his sights on victory at this weekend's Rally of Catalunya after losing ground to championship leader Sebastien Loeb. The Finn, who won the opening two events in Monte Carlo and Sweden, lost precious points in Mexico after crashing out on the opening day.
2006 Monte Carlo Ford Gronholm Leg 2
Image credit: From Official Website
Reigning world champion Sebastien Loeb went on to win in Mexico, putting him in the championship lead on 25 points, while Gronholm, who said that his off was his own fault, fought back to claim the final point in eighth, leaving him five points adrift of the Frenchman.
The result was a blow to Gronholm after starting the season so well, and with two back-to-back asphalt events coming up in Catalunya and Corsica - a surface on which Loeb has dominated in recent years - the Finn now realises that the points lost could prove crucial.
"The next two rallies are very important," admitted Gronholm. "Because I made a mistake in Mexico and scored only one point, I really need to win one of the next two rallies to maintain a strong championship position."
His task, however, is a mighty one as the Finn is no admirer of the tight surfaces, with his only win coming on this year's Monte Carlo Rally. However, the Ford Focus has proven to be very strong on asphalt in the past and a four-day test in France has left the team confident going into Catalunya.
"It isn't an easy event," explains Gronholm. "You need to think like a racing driver on those roads and that doesn't come naturally to me. This is a new car but I've driven it enough already to know that it is competitive on that surface. We will have tough competition in Spain but anything is possible."
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