- Gronholm, 2007'nin sonunda emekliye ayrılıyor

[just717067]

Marcus Gronholm, bu yılın sonunda Dünya Ralli Şampiyonası'nı bırakacağını açıkladı. 39 yaşındaki Fin pilot, Peugeot aracıyla 2000 ve 2002 WRC şampiyonalarını kazanmıştı. Pilot şu an da şampiyonada lider durumda ve en yakın rakibi Sebastien Loeb'in 10 puan önünde bulunuyor.

"20 yılı aşkın bir zamandır sürdürdüğüm Rally kariyerim bana çok şey kazandırdı" diyen Gronholm, "Her zaman için, şampiyonada lider olduğum bir sezonun sonunda emekliye ayrılmayı istemişimdir. Şartlar şu an da tam istediğim gibi ve bu fırsatı kaçırmamayı düşünüyorum. Benden sonra gelen genç pilotlara da rüyalarını gerçekleştirme fırsatı vermenin vakti geldi" ifadelerini kullandı.

Sezon başında şampiyonluğa ulaşacağını iddia eden Gronholm, o zamandan beri seride hep lider oldu ve dediğini yaptı. Kariyeri boyunca 30 yarışta zafer kazanan pilot, ilk WRC startını da 1989 yılında yapmıştı.

İkinci pilot Timo Rautiainen de, Gronholm emekliye ayrıldığı takdirde kendisin de aynı yolu izleyeceğini söyledi. "Gerçekçi olmak gerekirse, Gronholm'den başkasıyla yapamam" diyen Rautiainen, "Marcus sene sonu ayrılırsa beni de pistlerde göremezsiniz" şeklinde konuştu.

TurkiyeF1.Com

[böyk]

Gronholm bizi Loeb'le başbaşa bırakma Allah aşkına

[pisman]

başarılı bir pilottu ama çok soğuk tavırları nedeniyle hiç sevmem, bırakması iyi olmuş

[OmerRS]

Loeb comments on Grönholm's retirement


Last week, Marcus Grönholm declared his plan to retire at the end of the year. Sébastien Loeb, his rival for the title, shares his impressions on the Finn and their working relationship.

Sébastien, Marcus has announced that he will be leaving the WRC championship when the season ends. How do you feel about that?

"We already knew that he was thinking about it. I had an inkling of his decision since Rally Germany where we talked about it a little bit. He had not told me outright, but he hinted at it. For the sport, for rallying, it is not exactly good news. Big names, guys like Marcus, there aren't many! But it's his decision and I respect that. He will soon be 40 years old, and I don't see myself running until then. It's true that he did appear late in the WRC – in 2000 – but overall he's been rallying much longer than I have. I think he was at the start of his 18th or 19th Rally Finland this year. That's quite a lot..."

How is your relationship with him?

"We have a good relationship and mutual respect, I think. We fight against each other, we are equal in performance, it's always both of us. It's not like on a circuit where there can be tension. On the stages, each is fighting against the clock and when he's ahead of me, I can only respect his time. We're not in direct confrontation, so there is no reason for tension. On the rallies, we often start one behind the other; on the podium, we're often one next to the other – that builds ties...
"

What do you think of his career?

"I think he is a person who built up a very nice career. In fact, he is closest to my victory record. Very close. He arrived even later than I did in the World Championship, but he was at the top right from the start. He has a lot of talent. He drives a lot on feeling and he is sometimes capable of accomplishing remarkable things."

In your opinion, what are his two major character traits?

"His determination. He is really not the type to let go. I would also say his simplicity. He is not one to lift his nose, he has always been himself."

Will you miss him next year?

"Yes, drivers of his level in the championship, I don't know of many. But no one is irreplaceable. We saw that when Carlos Sainz, Tommi Mäkinen or Colin McRae decided to stop. We thought there would be a void, but performances did not go down as such. It is also time for the younger crowd to reach for the top. It's not easy for young drivers to fight for victory because with Marcus and I, there's a big step. But a few are starting to gain from experience: Hirvonen has a lot; Latvala, Sordo and Atkinson also achieve great runs from time to time."

We can imagine he would like to leave with the title. We can also imagine that you will not give it to him as a gift...

"I won't be giving it to him as a gift, that's for sure! That title, we both want it. If he wins it, he will have deserved it. He is in a good position with a ten-point lead and it will not be easy for us. But three asphalt rallies remain and after Corsica and Catalunya, we will already have a better idea."

Daniel BASTIEN
© CAPSIS International

[böyk]

Loeb'in bu kadar ingilizce'si var mıymış yawfransızca yaptılar sonra çevirdiler herhalde röportajı