August 28, 2016 – With 12 Rally of Lebanon victories to his name, Roger Feghali has nothing to prove to anyone, but his desire to win is still flaming hot and he’s looking to extend his record to 13 victories in the 39th running of the event. We talked to Roger during his pre-ROL test in Sereel and found out more about his plans for the team and himself.
Q: You and Abdo are testing today in Sereel ahead of Rally of Lebanon. You’re the number 1 contender for victory due to obvious reasons: you’re the quickest and you’re carrying out proper tests. We know that Abdo and Nasser will be in the mix this year. How are things unfolding for you?
A: I haven’t driven the Fiesta R5 in a year and Ford had introduced an evolution of the engine, which is why we’re carrying out more tests than usual. This is the first time I try the upgraded engine, so I need to re-work on the setup and gear ratios. I drove cars that weren’t as quick in the previous three rallies, starting with an R3 (in Spring Rally) and then switching to Group N (in Jezzine and Cedars), but it was all good and I scored some good results for the team. Some people had doubts about the way Motortune Racing treated its drivers and they believed it was all about Roger, but I think Motortune Racing is above everything else and all of the team members are receiving equal treatment.
Hard work and good preparation is the most important thing. The Ford is running perfectly, but I can’t really know just how fast the Skoda is. We bought the Skoda this year because we already have a complete line-up as we have cars in every category, and Abdo picked the Skoda because it has a slight edge over the Ford, as we’ve seen in the WRC.
Q: Roger Feghali has the knowledge; he knows the market very well and does a lot of research. However, Roger does not rack up as many kilometers as other drivers in those cars. The Skoda is perhaps the better choice for you, so it’s a tough decision, and we all believe that you always make the right decision. How did you reach your decision, knowing that the Skoda was available for you?
A: I think we’re proving day after day and rally after rally that the team is the most important element. We brought the Skoda one month ahead of Rally of Lebanon and we made it available for any driver who desired it, and it was Abdo who immediately made the decision to switch to the Skoda. The car has the edge in the WRC, but we still don’t know whether that will be the case here in Lebanon as well. I hope not (laughs).
Q: You said that you are not going to let Abdo and Nasser even dream of a victory in Rally of Lebanon. Let’s assume you reached a situation in which you had to gift the win to Abdo, similar to what happened in Jezzine with Tamer Ghandour. Do you think it would be a worthy win? Would Abdo accept being gifted a win and would Roger make such a move, or is Rally of Lebanon different?
A: Every rally is different of course and every situation is different. We’re going to have to look at the championship points and standings. We’ll see…
Q: Roger, you and Abdo still have two tests after this one. How much can you benchmark the Skoda against the Ford and how much does it benefit you?
A: We enjoyed 50 to 100 kilometers of testing ahead of Rally of Lebanon when we used to drive WRC cars that were brought from outside back in 2001, 2002 and 2003. However, the Skoda is owned by Motortune Racing, so we can put more kilometers on it. We came to Sereel today because we have a good benchmark; Abdo’s driven the Fiesta R5 here during the Cedars Rally, so he can compare his times and he can get a better feel from the car, the suspension, braking, acceleration, gear ratios… We’re testing on different roads on Monday and Wednesday and the both of us are going to be there in order to better compare the two cars.
Q: Are you going to drive the Skoda? Your input and engineering prowess are highly valuable.
A: I don’t know whether I’ll get to drive the car because Abdo’s already got the necessary mileage and he needs more time in the car.
Q: Do you spend time with Abdo in the car?
A: Of course, we’ve spent a lot of time in the car together. We’re working on the setup and we’ve made a big step forward today. We’re trying to make the car suited to our roads and to Abdo’s liking.
Q: A lot of people are sensing a change in Roger Feghali’s behavior this year. What changed?
A: Can you give me an example?
Q: For example, the old Roger would not gift anybody a victory, he would not be friendly with the media…
A: Am I better this way? Okay, I’m gonna go back to being how I was before (laughs).
Q: This year, we’re witnessing young drivers in cars they’ve never driven before challenging, and sometimes beating, more experienced drivers. Do you think there’s something wrong with the championship? Young drivers with little to no experience are defeating other drivers. What’s the secret?
A: There’s no secret or magic. There’s a lot of work and a lot of time spent on watching onboards and there’s a lot of input from myself, the mechanics and all of the team members. The young drivers are very hungry to achieve something and to show people what they’re capable of.
Q: Do you think their cultural background, their education and the way they were raised by their parents have something to do with this?
A: Yes, it’s a possibility. I think they want to learn and there’s no ego involved; they’re here to listen and to watch carefully, and I think the results in the end show that we have the experience and the knowledge as a team. Every single person that joined us has been willing to listen and learn, and I’m not going to name a certain driver because all of them are raising their game and progressing, every single one of them. It’s really a matter of hard work from both sides.
Q: Today, you invested in a Skoda. Was there a possibility to invest in the Citroen for example or was it not available?
A: Citroen and Peugeot were available options, but if you look at the WRC, you’ll see that the Ford was the dominant car and now the Skoda’s slightly ahead, which got us excited to bring one. Citroen and Peugeot are still working on their cars in order to catch up. You see an opportunity and you study the market and then you take your decision accordingly, so it’s not easy, you can’t take a wrong step because it’s a big investment and it can hurt you. Thankfully, we’re slowly evolving as a team and I think it’s a major step for Motortune Racing, and every Lebanese person should feel proud because we’re really raising the bar for everyone else in the country.
Q: Roger, you never underestimate anyone. Yesterday, you did not underestimate Abdo and Nasser, but you challenged them through your message on LBCI. Can you send out a message through Biser3a?
A: I never challenge anyone, while a lot of other people do and start giving out excuses; it’s all simple, really. I’m going to try my best, and the most important thing is to prepare the car well and for me to be comfortable in order to give my best. It’s a three-day rally that you can’t win neither from the first stage nor by winning the most number of stages. It’s not easy, but we’ll see. We’re gonna watch out for the competition in every stage and see just how much we can raise our level.