The URT team's press-conference before the season's start showed the real interest of journalists. In WRC new season the URT team will represent Patrik Flodin, the champion of Sweden. Patrik with his co-driver Goran Bergsten and the head of URT Sergey Uspensky with co-driver Marina Danilova will participate in the first stage of the Russian Rally Championship "Peno-2009" as well.

The participants of the press-conference started at once to communicate with the media.

Sergey Uspensky: We are glad to see here all of us before the season's start. Last year we expanded much energy in achieving the technical results and we managed to show them. In coming season we would like to keep our success in "big" rally.

What do you mean "to keep success'? What exact tasks do the team and Patrick Flodin have in coming season of P-WRC?

Sergey Uspensky: We had a co-debut within Rally of England where Patrik won driving the car prepared by our team. It's a great achievement for the Russian manufacturer of sport equipment.
We want to keep this achievement. Patrik's aim as a fast and young driver is to reach the top. And our task is to provide with that equipment which will help to do it.

How did you start the cooperation with Patrik Flodin?

Sergey Uspensky: Our sport director Alexnder Kozhin and the URT manager Roamn Perevezentsev offered to find a foreign racer who had had an experience of driving different fast cars. Mr. Joshio Fujimoto from TEIN recommended new drivers for our company as well to check car's settings and find out what was good or not. We offered Patrick to participate in our team and we drove in Pskov and Great Britain and everybody was satisfied with such union. We didn't choose a driver according to his nationality.

How many rallies are you planning to participate in the world and in Russia this year?

Sergey Uspensky: According to P-WRC regulations it's necessary to participate in 6 stages, so we'll do it. As for Russia we don't have a certain plan, we don't have an aim to take part in the Russian Championship. Rally of Peno is a kind of test for us. We might drive in Viborg and Novorossiysk.

Does the sport TEIN suspension differ from other countries?

Yoshio Fujimoto (TEIN): We don't have any special settings for Russia. We make settings for every rally, it doesn't matter if it is in Russia or not. Of course, this week the stage of the Russian Championship will be a very good test before Rally of Norway.

How many teams will participate in P-WRC using TEIN suspension this year?

Yoshio Fujimoto (TEIN): This year there will be two crews driving URT cars - Patrik Flodin and Andreas Mikkelsen. The third crew will drive Mitsubishi, the crew of Armindo Araujo.

Patrik, could you compare Subaru prepared by URT with the preparations by other companies?

Patrik Flodin: I haven't had enough experience. I've driven a car prepared by Makinnen and in my opinion the Russian car is better - I like engine, suspension, gear box there.

Patrik, you've participated in the Russian rally competed with Russian sportsmen. Are there any serious competitors for you among them?

Patrick Flodin: Russian sportsmen are well prepared. Alexander Zheludov and Andrey Zhigunov are very serious competitors. I don't know their feelings when they drive on snow surface but as for me I like driving on snow and I'm happy to have one more opportunity to do it before Rally of Norway.

Did you drive fast on the track Veliky Luki? Did you do your best?

Patrik Flodin: On Friday when the weather was fine we managed to make an advantage. And on Saturday it was raining, the competitors had some special tyres and we had to do our best because it was too slippery. We could have driven faster but then it would have been a risk and our aim was to win this rally and we had to finish.

Goran, what can you say about the car you will drive this season?

Goran Bergsten (Flodin's co-driver): This is my second season when I'm driving a manufacturer car, I drove the WRC cars for 5 years before. The car is very good and moreover the team engineers take into consideration all Patrik's wishes and make settings of the car according to his way of driving in order he will be able to show everything he can.

Patrik will test the car during the Rally of Peno. And what aims will Sergey Uspensky have there?

Sergey Uspensky: Frankly speaking, I'm not a driver. Our team driver is Evgeny Vertunov. But unfortunately he won't participate in the nearest rally but I do hope that he'll come back soon. And me...I'm going to train and if I manage I'll try to disturb my competitors.

What changed in the car when a fast crew appeared in the team?

Alexander Kozhin (engineer): The car is changing very fast. For some time we couldn't change anything and didn't know how to do it. When Patrik came all the settings of shaft line, engine, suspension have been improved.

The Norwegian champion Andreas Mikkelsen has been mentioned. Could you tell about the prospects of cooperation with this driver?

Sergey Uspensky: It's early to talk about the prospects. Andreas just wants to drive our car at Rally of Norway. We could discuss the possibilities of our cooperation only after Rally of Norway if Mikkelsen likes the car and if he wants to continue the participation in P-WRC with us.

URT has been cooperating with TEIN for a long time. What are the plans for future?

Yoshio Fujimoto: As for motor sport we will support URT and Patrick as we have very good knowledge in suspension. We have been working with URT since 2006. It's a very good team and by my 25 year experience I could tell that this is one of the best Production teams in the world. Patrik Flodin is young but talented. He only needs some experience. The combination of URT and Patrik is very perspective and we will be glad to support them.

Why did Patrik choose the URT?

Patrik Flodin: For me a good team and a good car is the perfect combination for a successful season. I'm eager to win Production and I believe that I will be able to do it.

You have already described a good car. And what is a good team?

Patrik Flodin: It's like in football - it's not enough to have one good player, you need 11 good players. In this team there is everything:good suspension and engine engineers, skillful mechanics, an excellent co-driver and a splendid car. When all these components are united then it's a perfect team.

Mister Fujimoto, you have called URT to be one of the best world teams. Is it a marketing saying or your own opinion?

Yoshio Fujimoto: But you've seen the results of Rally of Great Britain! Unfortunately, it is considered that the best team and the best cars are prepared in Europe. When I came to Russia, I was surprised by high qualification of URT. For example, I used to think that only Prodrive ghad a motor stand. But it is here as well. Here the roll cages are weld in and cars are constructed from the beginning to end. When I talk to the mechanics, I'm surprised to their knowledge. It's not a commercial phrase. It's my own opinion. URT and Patrick Flodin won the last rally in P-WRC and it was the first victory of Subaru. And it was the proof of good working of engine, gear box. Let's say that URT is one of the best teams.

We are talking a lot about a fast driver in the team. May be the session in Peno is not just testing?

Sergey Uspensky: Only testing! The car has never been driven in winter and it will be the first time when Patrick will drive it. Of course, the engineer changed some engine settings and made accents of the power having seen how the driver pushed pedal. However, it's necessary to test the car on winter road. And it would be nice for Patrick to do it before serious competitions. A new car which will drive Mikkelsen will be changed due to the information and then we will be able to give a car to a man who will trust us.

Do you consider your participation in P-WRC like a commercial project or still like a sport event?

Sergey Uspensky: A commercial project means quantity. And we can't have more than two crews in P-WRC, then it will be negative quantity. We could maintain one more crew and provide with engineering service, not more. Will people buy these cars? You see, if a person who hasn't seen us buys our car for WRC by the recommendations of other teams and Russian racers pay 20 thousand EUR more to buy it not in Russia, then you should ask them.
The participation in P-WRC will be economically profitable if you have 5-6 crews and many financial supporters. Then it will be economy. And we have only sport. I have devoted to sport all my life, I cooperated with Prodrive and other companies within 10 years, I studied their advantages and disadvantage. I created this team to give the sportsmen such things that I didn't have. And we are proud of the fact that our car can be compared with the best cars in P-WRC, it's our great achievement. We'll do our best in order a Russian sportsman will drive our car.

The media service of the URT team.