– Mitsubishi is the team to beat this year. Is there extra pressure to win the event for a seventh time in seven years?
I suppose our success has created a pressure to maintain the high standards we have achieved in the past. We have taken part in the Dakar Rally for 25 uninterrupted years and now have six successive wins. That record speaks for itself. But we have an ongoing commitment to high standard performance.
2006 has been a very tough year for our team. We have developed a new car, we suffered the tragic loss of Henri Magne in June, and in motorsporting terms we have come up against a very strong Volkswagen team. The pressure is really on us to achieve the target of that seventh win in seven years. My personal goal is to achieve the win and dedicate the victory to Henri.
– The tests with the MPR13 have gone very well. What are the new cars strengths?
I believe the general strengths of the new car are its driveability and stability. The other key factors are the habitable space inside the cockpit and the improvements we have made for the comfort of the driver and co-driver.
– What is the secret of winning the Dakar?
Experience and commitment are the most important factors. We have managed to retain a solid team unit over the last few years, with a stable and consistent team line-up. I feel that we have the best drivers and co-drivers in the business and that, coupled with the hard-working and enthusiastic teams at Pont de Vaux and in Japan, makes us a very strong family unit with a great team spirit.
– You are always a very patient team manager on the Dakar. This year could be the teams biggest test ever. Will you have a similar strategy to 2006?
For sure the key element will be our race strategy. I will be a quiet team manager, especially at the start. I will not place extra pressure on our drivers and will be reactive, only making important decisions if the need arises or the circumstances change during the race. Being a team manager on the Dakar is very different to a team boss at the 24 Hours of Le Mans or the WRC. The Dakar Rally is unpredictable therefore you cannot have a set strategy. Each day can be so very different.
– What makes a good team director?
Maybe the key element is an absolute dedication to the job. A good team manager needs to be quiet, professional, stable, and be able to anticipate situations as they arise to deal with them effectively. A good team director should be a businessman. I must liaise closely with MMC on all aspects of the budget and be aware of the importance of sponsors and suppliers. It´s a heavy responsibility. We have 48 people involved in this project at Pont de Vaux and a further 20 to 30 staff in Japan, so this is a full-time commitment. I have 15 years experience with Mitsubishi seven years as Sports Director and eight years as a co-driver. We have won for the last six years; hence I must try and maintain a similar standard in the future.
– Henri Magne was a tragic loss to the team and the sport in general. How have you managed to maintain team spirit and morale through this very difficult time?
Since I became involved in motorsports I always knew the risks and the dangers of the discipline. From 2001 I have always trodden very carefully to try and protect our team from potential incidents. After Henris tragic accident in June, I went through countless emotional moments and for many weeks. Henri was a good friend. He was a great loss to the entire motorsports world. Life is full of pressure, difficult decisions, and situations.
After the first Morocco test in July, I went with Torii-san and the members of the team to Annecy for two days. The place was relaxed and quiet. We talked at length about the past, the present and the future of the Cross-Country program. The team was unanimous in its decision to carry on. The days and weeks passed and we proceeded with the second test in Morocco. The team was back on the path again. Life is very tough at times; however we have all managed to carry on in a determined and professional manner since the accident.
– How important to the Dakar preparations is the final test in Dubai with the new car?
Dubai is the last race before the Dakar; consequently very important. It´s a big opportunity for Stéphane to drive the new car and for Hiroshi and Luc to gain some more experience before the Dakar. Also, it´s a good occasion for Nani Roma to carry out between 1,500 and 2,000 km of testing. Not going to Dubai might not affect the final result in Dakar, but we feel it´s an important opportunity to shakedown the new car and carry out some last minute tests.
– Is it a big advantage having the same four drivers again this year?
This is a good question. It is surely one of our major strengths. We have four of the best drivers in the world and they are not under pressure to perform in last minute tests to get their name on contracts. I have faith in our drivers and know that they are capable of achieving great performances. There is nothing worse for a driver than to be uncertain about the future and whether he or she has a contract for the following year. Our drivers are settled, employed all year, and can concentrate on the task in hand with the knowledge that they have a commitment from us. This leads to a settled and stable team with great morale as they are not spending two or three months waiting to see if they have a contract for the next race.
– What are the strengths of a good driver?
Stéphane and Hiroshi are very experienced drivers. Luc and Nani are both race winners in their own right and all our drivers are Dakar winners. There is now only a small gap between the rival teams, but I feel that our drivers have the commitment and strength to win. Nani has finished sixth and third in the last two Dakars and I am sure that he will reach the very top level in the next two or three years. He has the commitment and determination to succeed.
– The route for this years event looks very difficult. Where do you think the race will be won or lost?
Mauritania will be the key. For us to follow the leading cars through Morocco would not be a problem, as long as we are close. Once the event crosses into Mauritania, the race really starts. Winning stages by a couple of minutes in Europe and Morocco is not that relevant in terms of the overall picture as we talk of many minutes and even hours in Mauritania. I will be patient and see what happens.
– BMW and Volkswagen have been working hard with their cars and we know that the Buggies are very fast. Where do you see the biggest danger?
Volkswagen, for sure, will be a major force. Giniel de Villiers is a top driver at a high level and Carlos Sainz and Mark Miller are extremely competitive. We all know Ari Vatanens experience and track record on the event. We also must not forget BMW this year. Nasser (Al-Attiyah) is an experienced driver and Jutta (Kleinschmidt) is more than capable of reaching the podium. Then there is (Jean-Louis) Schlesser and the Buggies. I feel that there are 12 cars out there on the Dakar chasing the top five places. It will be quite a fight&.
