The Handsome one enjoys test role
Andreas has made an impressive start in Volkswagen Motorsport, finishing 6th and 8th in Portugal and Argentina respectively in the VW Polo R WRC. We talked to him in a noisy Hannover, doing some PR-work for Volkswagen, soon on his way to spectate Monaco Grand Prix. We were curious to find out if he was happy with the progress so far and what was waiting in the horizon.
Now you have got a 6th and an 8th place in your two first outings in the VW Polo R WRC, how does it match the goal you probably set before the debut?
Well, I think we've had a pretty good run so far, driving according to plan. We had one SupeRally-day in Argentina, but at the same time it was not my mistake, it was a bolt that came loose from the car. Beside that, our speed is improving from rally to rally, which is the main objective. We started off in Portugal and was 1 sec/km slower than the leaders, but when we were pushing in Argentina, we lost just 0,2-0,3 sec/km. So it's going in the right direction.
We were watching you closely, it seemed like you had a cautious approach and the picked up some speed in the end, perhaps attacking a bit towards the end of Rally Argentina?
Well, for sure - in Portugal it was all about getting to the finish. In Argentina I was exploring the limits to some extent, I was driving very safely - some stages I tried to push a little bit. We agreed with team boss Jost Capito that I could pick out one stage and when we went for it - we were 3rd fastest with the same time as Jari-Matti Latvala. So the pace is there, it's all about taking it step by step all the time, not making leaps - then mistakes will be made. I know I have a long term deal, I'm just taking my time getting used to the rallies, the stages, especially the car and also the other competitors. It is a steep learning curve, but for me it is all about the long term and not taking dinosaur steps.
Do you receive specific targets from Jost Capito for each rally?
I sit down together with Jost and Sven Smeets before the rallies and we go through what is important for me in that rally. For Portugal it was important to finish and get the experience, and that's what we did. In Argentina the goal was much the same, but if we felt comfortable on some stages we could try a little bit to see where we were, which we also did. Now for Greece, I don't know, I haven't spoken to them in that matter. I would guess it would be to finish and get the experience and maybe get to push on several stages if we are comfortable. We will see when we get there.
In Argentina, Sebastien and Jari-Matti had trouble with the handbrake. You probably got some jealous looks from them because you had a different set of handbrake, do you test new parts for each rally?
Obviously I'm driving the third car, so I test a lot of parts before they get approved and fitted to the cars of Jari-Matti and Seb. I've had that handbrake in Portugal and in Argentina, different to the others, there's some improvement in it so we'll see. Not sure what handbrake they will use in Greece, but from what I understood during the test, they will also have the same system.
Do you consider yourself as a crash test dummy, testing out parts which may or may not work?
Yeah exactly, I'm the crash test dummy, you can put it that way. Sometimes I have bad parts on my car, sometimes I have good parts on my car, so it can go both ways. I don't think the new handbrake is a huge deal, but maybe it is more reliable. Volkswagen is really impressive in many ways, nothing is untested when they come to a rally. Obviously this a year full of learning and I'm sure VW are taking it step by step as well, not rushing into things and I'm sure they will be there in the end with the fastest car.
How are the pacenotes coming along, it seems less detailed in English than in Norwegian?
Well, ahead of Rally Portugal I had all the details in Norwegian and translated it to English. Okay - it was possible for a codriver to read it, but for me to process and remember everything that he said, is easier in Norwegian. So it happened a lot of times that I didn't remember what the pacenote was because it was too much information. It is hard when it's not your mother tongue. So we cut down on the information and changed the system a little bit, at the moment it is working really, really good.
Where was the pre-event test held?
I was in Greece two weeks ago and had one test day. Sadly it was raining so it was very slippery, probably not the conditions we will face during the event. I stayed a couple of days and was codriver for Jari-Matti and Seb, only for one run just to see how they do things and how they drive the car.
Being in the same team as Ogier and Latvala, but especially Ogier - who look nearly untouchable this season, do you take note and learn anything? Is it a completely different driving style, compared to your own?
Well.. It was not so.. I codrove both and I expected it would be more of a difference between them. If you look at the data in the team it is a very different kind of driving style, but I found it hard on the stage to really see the big difference between them. A big difference for me is that they brake so late into the corners, there I need to improve. I use the handbrake quite alot which I also need to improve and not use as much. Definitely things to take onboard after taking a ride with them.
Less sideways then?
No, not less sideways, but in the sharper corners, try to use less of the handbrake. Let the car work, trust the car instead of flicking the handbrake in the really tight corners. That's where I loose some time. In the S2000 you need to make the car spin all the time, because you don't have the torque to push you out of the corners. A habit I need to get rid of inside the Polo.
Are you staying up in your hotel, practising NOT to flick the handbrake?
Hahaha, well.. No, not so much.
You are one of the few, despite your age, to have driven the last generation of WRC, the PWRC, the S2000 AND the new generation of WRC-cars. How much of an advantage would you consider that compared to Benito Guerra and Gabriel Pozzo, who jumped straight from PWRC to WRC?
Well, I'm not sure. The one thing I felt now when I got back to a world rally car, okay it has been several years since last time in 2008, was that it didn't take much time to get used to it out on the stages. With all the kilometers in a world rally car I really felt it wasn't hard to get into the rythm in the Polo. I also learned alot when I drove the Subaru Cup-car where I really learned how to always take care of the speed around the corner. If I did a mistake, I'd lose a lot of time. This is something I bring with me back into the world rally car. When we are pushing now on the stages, we were 3rd fastest and still I made some mistakes here and there. I definitely feel I have the speed. I think it was good for me to take the steps back and start from scratch. I was probably marked as a spoiled little kid in one way, and I can understand that - driving in one of the best world rally car since I was sixteen. It was good to go back and show my potential as a driver and not just the equipment which was so good. I really showed my talent and what I was good for.
In what way do you keep up the energy and maybe also recharge your batteries? You went cross country skiing ahead of Portugal?
Yes, it's good training for rallying, keeping up the physical shape. In the winter time I do skiing, in the summer I go bicycling and running. It's good to have different kind of training. You don't have to be a fast runner to be good in rallying, but keeping up the stamina is more than enough. It can be up to 80 degrees in the car, so it is important to be fit - and we can drink up to 12 liters a day at the extremes. Good endurance and strength in the upper body is quite important, in case you loose power steering, like in Argentina.
What do you think of the level in ERC compared to WRC?
The level on tarmac in the ERC is very good. If you take one driver from WRC to compete in ERC, look at Petter Solberg in IRC Monte Carlo a few years ago - he didn't win one single stage. So the pace on tarmac is very high. For me, that I did IRC for two years with so many tarmac rounds, was really good for my development as a driver. I now feel as confident on tarmac as I do on gravel and snow.
So we can expect good things from you when WRC arrives at Germany and France?
Yeah, I think these can be strong rallies for me. Germany will be difficult for me as it would be the first tarmac rally in this car, so it could take time to get used to this, but other than that - it should be quite ok.
Question from one of our favourite followers, Gary Boyd (@KiwiWRCfan): If you look 5 years ahead, which 6 drivers will be fighting for the drivers title?
Yeah, I can try. Hopefully I will be there. Ogier, Latvala, Neuville, Novikov and Mads Østberg.
Can you give us a name on a wildcard which will be on the verge of a breakthrough at the time (2018)? (Esa-Pekka Lappi is considered cheating, ruled out. Andreas wanted very much to name Lappi)
If I can't pick Esa-Pekka Lappi, then it's hard to say. I don't know many juniors outside Norway, but Pontus Tiedemand is really fast now in JWRC. He will be there if he gets the opportunity. Hard to say, but I've been testing with the son of my manager, Ole Christian Veiby. I was testing with him last winter, I was driving his car and I needed 4-5 tries on the test road in order to beat his time. And then he beat my time, and he was only sixteen years old! That was stressful! It's my feeling, he's a talent but it's still early to say. If he does everything properly and work hard, he has the potential to be there.
We wish Andreas the best luck for Rally Acropolis and hope to see him continue the progress from Argentina with some good stage times and probably more important: To finish first, first you must finish.
Photo: Fronek Honza
