Kris Meeke makes his full time return to the FIA World Rally Championship this weekend after taking part in a selective programme while the Citroën Total Abu Dhabi WRT team worked on their 2017 car.
Talking ahead of the 2017 Rallye Monte Carlo he revealed his excitement in getting back in to the flow of a full time season.
“I think we’re all excited about this, the media, the fans and it’s nice to be part of it.” he said. “Last year I done seven rallies and then concentrated on testing. In hindsight, I was maybe a bit frustrated not to go to some more rallies, but this was the right approach.”
With the slate wiped clean for the top WRC class this weekend provides the first opportunity for competitors to get an true representation of each other.
“Let’s see, it’s a big step into the unknown. We have some new regulations and this is opening it up for everybody. Time will tell, but we’ll probably not tell a lot this week – but we’ll see in the coming rallies.”
Kris Meeke 2017 Rallye Monte Carlo – Credit: Jaanus Ree/Red Bull Content Pool
Asked about the unpredictable weather conditions that greet the teams in Monte Carlo, Meeke said that it can sometimes make things easier in terms of decisions.
“One thing: the tyre choice is a little more simple because of the conditions. The weather is very stable and doesn’t look like it’ll change a lot.
“But this rally is always complicated and certainly Friday and Saturday are going to be in full winter conditions. It might be simple for the tyres, but it’s never simple from the driving side.
“It will be very tricky in places, even with the full studded tyre.” he added.
