Latvala and co-driver Janni Hussi dominated the Rally Costa Brava in spectacular fashion. The duo set the fastest time on every stage of the rally, held around the city of Girona, securing victory with a margin of nearly four minutes.
“It was an absolutely fantastic weekend. I’m really pleased. Everything went perfectly. There were no issues with the car at all. The only thing we had to do was change the top mount of a shock absorber once,” Latvala told RallyJournal.com
“I never managed to win the Rally Catalonia, even though I really wanted to. Now, I’ve won the Rally Costa Brava in Catalonia. This gives balm for my wounds,” Latvala added with a laugh.
Conditions in the Rally Costa Brava were far from easy. Heavy rain, especially on Friday and Thursday evening, made the special stages extremely challenging. Latvala had been wary of the wet asphalt beforehand, as he had struggled in similar conditions earlier in his career.
“The weather was quite difficult. I’ve never really been in my element on wet asphalt, and it has made me a bit nervous. But this time, there were no issues at all. With this car and these tyres, I got a really good feeling. It was even enjoyable to drive in wet conditions. That was something new I learned from this weekend,” Latvala concluded.
Latvala and Hussi competed together for the fifth time, and their partnership has already found its rhythm.
“The cooperation with Janni has worked excellently. We can both be ourselves and take it easy, without having to feel nervous for each other,” Latvala said.
In the European Historic Rally Championship, there are no safety cars on asphalt stages, unlike in the WRC.
“Today, I made quite a lot of pace note corrections on the first runs since there were no safety cars, and a lot of dirt had accumulated on the asphalt while the locations of the cutting barriers had also been changed. It was a new learning experience for Janni, as you have to mark these changes while driving at full speed. It was certainly valuable learning for the future,” Latvala pointed out.
The European Historic Rally Championship continues on asphalt at the end of April in the Czech Republic, around the city of Klatovy.
“We’re doing one rally per month. The plan is to do some testing before the event in the Czech Republic because it’s a very different kind of rally. The speeds are higher on fast asphalt. We’ll probably have to adjust the car’s suspension a bit,” Latvala added.
