Skoda's Didier Auriol is a multiple winner of ea💟ch of the trio of asphalt events in October but he still doesn't like being called an asphalt expert. Here he talks about those events, and their differences...

Q:
With three rallies in four weeks, Octo🔯ber is going to be a busy month isn't💃 it?

Didier Auriol:
Yes, but not only for me! The drivers wil🌜l be busy and so with the engineers. I really don't think that it is a good idea putting these eveꦡnts so close together. Maybe the people at the FIA should try competing on two rallies with not even a day between them!

Q:
There must be a problem trying to devel🦄op a car over these three events. Will there be any time to put anything you learn on one event onto the car for the n๊ext one?

DA:
Not really although we will certainly try. Maybe a few small things but there will be no chance for a🅺nything really big. Of course this is not a problem for teams that know their car very well but for us with a completely new car it is quite a serious problem.

Q:
Have you been able to prepare well foꦉr the three events?

DA:
We have made some good tests, for sure. I was working in Spain at the end of September and Toni [Gardemeister] was in Corsica so be𝓰tween us we hope that we have learned what we need for all three rallies. Certainly we have seen some big improvements with the car and every day we seem to be making a step forward which is good. The whole team is working very hard together and we are seeing some good results because of it.

Q:
You ar✨e seen as an asphalt expert.🍎 What's the secret?

DA:
I don't really like to be called that because I actually enjoy driving on gravel as well but I'm used to it after so many years! I've certainly had a lot of success on asphalt. There isn't really a secret but you have to learn how to set up your car and preserve the tyres on the long stages especially. You have to treat the stages like a race track and be v𒁏ery smooth, braking as late as possible but keeꦦping it very smooth.

Q:
S🅘anremo, Corsica and Catalunya are all very close to your home so do you get a lot of support on these events?

DA:
Yes of course. Always there are p🌌eople coming to me and saying that they are supporting me on the event. Of course I have won these events many times as well so I have made them very happy and they keep coming back. It's not pressure for me and it's a nice feeling to see so many people supportജing you of course.

Q:
You have won Sanremo three times and Catalunya twice but six wins in Corsica iꦛs a record isn't it?

DA:
Yes but it is one that I share with Bernard Darniche. Now Bernard is part of the orga♋nisation and I am still driving so I have said to Skoda Motorsport, 'Please give me a fast car so that I can try and beat the record!' We will have to see if we can do something special.

Q:
These ar📖e three very different events aren't they?

DA:
Yes and no. Some years ago they were much more different between each other but now there is a lot of new asphalt that gives similar amounts of grip o🃏n all three events so the differences aren't so great as they wꦛere. The roads in Corsica, for instance, used to be very narrow but now they are a lot smoother and faster. It's still twisty but it's a lot nicer to drive. Catalunya is probably the fastest event of the three. Sanremo is somewhere between the two and has the biggest variety of roads. I like all three events very much.