Peugeot back on top at the Finnish

Paris - known for fashion and culture, fine wine and gourmet cuisine plus the amazing history of the region.

Indeed, it is a place where many go to just languish in the atmosphere - but now we're going to look at Peugeot's return to top form as Marcus Grönholm managed to find his winning way in the Neste Rally of Finland.

With the 206 WRC car and Marcus Grönholm back in their winning ways in Finland, Peugeot is still very much in the race for the 2001 world title. In six questions and answers, Peugeot Sport director Corrado Provera shares his analysis of the current situation.

Q How do you view Peugeot's return to the highest step of the podium?

A Our win in Finland puts into perspective our recent barren spell that was perhaps judged a little over-harshly by the media.

Of the nine rounds completed so far this year, Peugeot has now won three. That is to say the same number as the two manufacturers currently ahead of us in the Manufacturers' championship. When you consider that our wins have come from three of our four works drivers, I believe it underlines just how competitive and polyvalent the 206 WRC is.

It also has to be said that Harri Rovanperä won in Sweden where he wasn't officially nominated and therefore didn't earn the slightest point for Peugeot. That goes some way to explaining our current points deficit in the provisional championship standings, a situation compounded by the 2001 car's reliability problems on its first outings. Even in Finland, where we came so very close to securing a one-two finish with Marcus Gronholm and Harri Rovanperä, Harri dropped time with a shockabsorber problem right at the end, while Didier Auriol was forced out by the failure of a suspension component.

Cases like these have been our achilles heel and we must address them, but we have a very competitive package, even if it does exactly show in points terms at the moment.

Q Apart from being reassuring, your win in Finland must have had a special flavour for you.

A It did, and on a number of accounts. For the first time, it was the first win for the 2001 version of the 206 WRC witch revealed its true potential. It was also Marcus Grönholm's first victory of the season. At the same time, Harri Rovanperä's performance was every bit up to the expectations we have in him, while Didier Auriol was also particularly competitive before his retirement.

The presence of so many Peugeots at the sharp end of the timesheets in Finland is very encouraging for the events to come. It was vital for us to win there if we were to keep our championship chances alive. It's not going to be easy, but everything's still possible. We're going to give it all we've got!

Q The gap between your wins in Catalonia and Finland must have seemed long for the team.

A Deep down, nobody at Peugeot Sport really had any doubts about the team's potential. After winning two world titles last season, we couldn't just suddenly have become bad. Some might think it paradoxical but we still lack experience in comparison with our rivals who have been competing in the world championship for years.

It was a brave, if not rash decision to join the series in 1999 with a programme of six rallies, immediately followed by a full-scale assault that, let it be said, ended with us winning two world titles.

We now have an apprenticeship of two years behind us but, in a way, we are still chasing after the time we never had. It is no doubt for this reason that the first half of 2001 was not so fruitful for us as the back-end of 2000 seemed to promise.

Q There is also the team's Latin flavour, which perhaps has a tendency to exacerbate certain situations.

A Congratulatory hugs and angry outbursts alike take place in full view to everyone. Situations are rarely arbitrated out of sight in the relative seclusion of a motorhome. Total transparency like this can effectively give rise to different interpretations by observers. But we are proud of our Latin nature which has many positive sides.

On the Sunday after Rally Finland, for example, we celebrated our victory as a team and the standing ovations given to the drivers and co-drivers were particularly moving. For sure, Finland was a tremendous morale booster!

Q Has your relationship with your drivers suffered from the different problems encountered in the early part of the championship?

A Not at all. Despite our problems, our relationships with Marcus, Harri and Gilles have never been better. As for Didier, he is an exceptional character. Not only is he a very fast driver - he proved that in Catalonia - but he never gives up and is an absolute perfectionist, including with himself.

However, that is not always easy to live with in a team which, as I have said, does not have his experience. But each time we have given him a car that has suited him, his performances have been remarkable.

Q Jean-Martin Folz, the President of the PSA Peugeot Citroën Group, was in Finland to see Peugeot's winning performance. What were his thoughts on the rally?

A It was the first time that Mr. Folz has spent two full days on an event. He shared everything with us in real time: the problems, the complexity of the rally, the joys and disappointments, as well as the contagious passion the sport inspires.

His presence was added motivation for the drivers and everyone in the team, and he made no attempt to hide his delight when Marcus and Harri finished first and fourth. I think I can safely say that Peugeot Sport and rallying have one more ardent supporter in their ranks!