Q&A GUS GREENSMITH
There are two Brits competing full time in the WRC as factory drivers in 2021 and you’re one of them. What does that mean to you?
GG: “It’s been my dream since I fell in love with rallying. It’s the accumulation of years of hard work to get to this point. I’ve really got to knuckle down to make the most of it.”
Why did M-Sport give you this chance?
GG: “My rallying for the last couple of seasons has been quite sporadic. M-Sport have seen the potential in me but it just wasn’t being hooked up. Rich [Millner, M-Sport team principal] decided the best way to see exactly where my potential and ability lies is to give me a full season and a full testing programme.”
So, you’re not just a ‘paying’ driver?
GG: “It’s pretty clear all of us have to bring something but a paying driver is a pretty ridiculous assumption. It’s one of the things that gets on your nerves a little because the only thing I am doing is trying to be the best that I can. All I can do is try to deliver the results.”
Should those who have judged you harshly in the past reset and judge you based on what you achieve in 2021?
GG: “Last year was pretty disastrous. It was a bad start to the year and then with Covid we just didn’t have any testing so could never be competitive.
This year I have everything I need to do my part of the job. One thing that’s forgotten is this is my second year in a WRC car and my first full season. Sometimes last year I wanted it so badly that I wanted it too much. That’s why things sometimes went wrong.”
A full programme requires full preparation. What have you done to get ready?
GG: “I started working with a trainer, Rupert Manwaring from Hintsa Performance. He’s Carlos Sainz Jr’s personal trainer on-event in Formula 1. We speak daily and he sends me what I’m eating, what I’m doing in training. I’ve also completely restructured and broken down my pacenotes and there was a good improvement at Monza.”
So, no day job, just training, driving and testing?
GG: “I’m just giving it absolutely everything I’ve got. I want to end this year with absolutely nothing left to give. If I do that then I will be in a good position to be here in future years.”