20/06/2012 16:10
Belgian World Rally Championship duo Thierry Neuville and Nicolas Gilsoul are set to take part in the Brother Rally New Zealand in the absence of Citroen team-mate Nasser Al-Attiyah.
Neuville, who has been asked to fill in for his team-mate due to schedule conflict, has described the opportunity as "a dream come true".
Al-Attiyah is unable to take part in the rally as he is currently in the thick of preparing to take part in his fifth Olympic Games in the skeet shooting event.
Neuville has been in impressive form in recent rounds of the WRC season, securing a number of surprise points finishes, and will be looking to carry his confidence into the Kiwi race.
He is leaving nothing to chance and has conducted a great deal of research prior to the event to ensure he gives it his best shot.
Speaking ahead of the race, in which he will drive a Citroen DS3 WRC sporting Qatar World Rally Team decals, he said: "I've looked at a lot of onboard camera footage from previous years to get a good idea of what to expect over there.
"That way, I will be well prepared, even though I know that we will be short of experience in terms of driving on the stages when we line up at the start."
He compared the surface to that experienced in Mexico and said it will be vital to get the car appropriately set up for the track.
"With only two runs in free practice before the qualifying stage, it certainly won't be easy to compete with drivers who have already raced on these roads several times before. But the aim, of course, is to pick up as much experience as possible," he added.
Neuville and Al-Attiyah have exceeded expectations this year after being brought into the fold at Citroen to complement the roster that includes Mikko Hirvonen and Sebastien Loeb.
Posted by Craig Salter