North-East native Wilks finished a creditable third on his team debut at the season-opening Monte Carlo Rally despite deliberately racing with caution.
“When you change manufacturer the car always has a very different feel so you don’t want to do anything silly and risk losing the chance to develop a good feeling with it,” he told Eurosport.
“That is why it was such a good result for me to finish on the podium: the guys ahead of me and several of those behind have been in their cars for a while now and know them inside-out.
“On the Monte, I learnt the car with every kilometre.”
The upcoming rally on the Spanish archipelago differs from the famous Monte in several key areas, despite both being asphalt-based.
“The Peugeot is very good on tarmac,” added Wilks. “But this rally will be radically different to the Monte Carlo season-opener.
“There are different conditions from stage to stage (in Monaco) so you can never find an optimum set-up, whereas in Gran Canaria you can set up an out-and-out rally car: stiffer in the springs and rollbars.
“The roads are abrasive and the temperatures warmer – there is no snow, for one thing – so you need a hard tyre and a car that gives you out-and-out power.
“And it’s always interesting to see night stages on a rally; we’ve seen a decline in them in recent years, but it’s a good move for the excitement of the IRC.
“I hope it pays off for the organisers.”
Two of the 12 special stages will be run under cover of darkness, which requires a drastically different approach to managing the rally car.
“It completely changes your approach,” said Wilks. “You are relying on the lights on the car, with six extra super-strong spotlights fitted; it is very important to set them up correctly and do proper running and testing with them.
“They can become dirty though from water splashes or heavy rain – and if they start to reflect off the puddles, you’re better off turning them off so they don’t blind you.
“I’ve always done well in night stages over the years – they seem to suit me. Some drivers just don’t seem to like them – they get anxious and think about them too much. I’m not fazed – I just go out and enjoy them.
“Of course you have greater peripheral vision in the daytime, whereas at night you can only see the road ahead: it’s like tunnel vision.”
Jonathan Symcox / Eurosport
http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/28032011/58/wilks-peugeot-new-level.html
