07/06/2007
Marcus Grönholm: "Catalunya and Corsica will be key races for the World Championship"

Marcus Grönholm and Daniel Sordo at the Barcelona Car Show

Current World Rally Championship leader Marcus Grölholm was at the Barcelona International Car Show today to present the new Focus 2.0 TDCi, a special edition that celebrates the 2006 World Constructors Title won by the manufacturer. In his flying visit to Barcelona, Grönholm posed with Daniel Sordo at the entrance of the Montjuic Car Show and said "Barcelona is a really pretty city, I don't know it very well but it has a cosmopolitan flair to it, and the Car Show is a good token of its car-related vocation".

Grönholm has been testing with the BP-Ford team in the Tarragona area for a couple of days. On Thursday and Friday, his team mate Mikko Hirvonen took the wheel of the Focus RS WRC car.

The 39 year old Finn is a mature, focused man who is well aware of the good sporting outlook of a season that is fuelling his hopes for a new World Championship title. "I will try to win again in Finland, of course (Marcus has won as much as 6 times in the amazing Finnish jumps), but then there's Germany, and our possibilities there are not so good. In any case, the races in Catalunya and Corsica will be key for the overall standings, and for the points. We need to work hard to scoop as many points as possible in both races, because our rivals will push hard there. I think I can do better at the RallyRACC, which has fast sweeping roads in general, than in Corsica, but we'll have to work really hard in both".

The RallyRACC Catalunya-COSTA DAURADA will be held between October 5th and 7th, and the Rally de France - Tour de Corse will be held on October 12th to the 14th. As things are going, Grönholm does not believe the championship can be settled before the last couple of races: "We have a good car, we're in good shape and we are among the top guys for all the races ahead, but Sébastien is also strong in these rallies, so we'll have to dose our lead wisely".

As expected, in this unusual setting, Grönholm was asked about Daniel Sordo, his young rival: "He's good, and he will get better, no doubt. Mikko and himself are the drivers of the future and on asphalt, they are fast, they are among the best". What about Pons? "Well, I know him less, but last year he did really well in some of the races. He's still learning, but he has great potential".

Still on Spanish drivers, Marcus said "Dani can be World Champion, but definitely not this year!" claiming his intention to fight for his third World Title. Two professionals, two worlds, to futures and one single common denominator: victory in the WCR series. After the logical handshake between both men, a token of the merger of generations that the current WCR Championship allows for, Marcus moved on to present the new commercial version of Focus with the President of Ford Spain.