Looking back how good was your maiden ERC victory on Barum Czech Rally Zlín, your home event of course?
“It was the second best moment of my life, the first was the birth of my daughter. Especially for me, I grew up around Zlín, it’s my home and it was a fantastic atmosphere with a lot of friends. I’m really looking forward [to going back]. For us it’s the biggest rally in Czech Republic, not the easiest one but, on the whole, we will enjoy it.”
Breakthrough ERC victory came on local roads 12 months ago
© ERC
What are your earliest memories of watching the rally as a spectator and what happened when you got to compete for the first time back in 2019?
“When I was small guy I was big fan of Roman Kresta and Jan Kopecký. I won my first Barum Rally in my class. It was in the Opel Adam Cup and we were racing just on the first day. In 2021 I crashed on Semetin. I had the wrong line in the famous jump, moved to the left after the jump and hit a tree. I don’t remember anything from this, only pain in the hospital.”
Barum Czech Rally Zlín has a reputation for being a tough event to master. What makes it so challenging?
“Rally is the most complex motorsport. You make recce, and you race after just passes for one stage. There can be different weather than on recce, you have the cut and a lot of types of surface. You have to adapt at the moment so it’s the most difficult and also best. It’s not easy to find your confidence and not crash.”
What is your favourite Barum Czech Rally Zlín stage and why?
“Bunč. It’s the most difficult stage in Czech Republic and this year it will be the first time in this direction ever.”
Top 10 finish on Rally di Roma Capitale marked a return to form
© ERC
Do you feel under any pressure to repeat your victory?
“Yes for sure. It’s not been the best season so far for me. I hope we will make a good result. We had a nice result [on Rally di Roma Capitale] because we were around 0.4sec per kilometre behind the fastest driver [in 10th place]. We were happy with this and we will see how it’s going on Barum Rally. It was an important result for my mind and we improved. That’s what I really like.”