Schwarz eager to contest Safari Rally

Skoda Motorsport is poised to make its Safari Rally debut later this month. But will stage a week-long test of its Octavia WRCs later this week in preparation for the event.

The Swedish driver claims this year's event will be a learning curve for Skoda and his team-mate Luis Climent.

"The Safari is the longest and toughest round in the World Championship calendar - it puts a car to the ultimate test so it will help us to develop and improve the Octavia WRC in the most hostile of environments," said Schwarz.

"If we can build a car to survive the heat and dust on Africa's notoriously rough tracks, then it will help us greatly in the future.

"As we will be doing the entire WRC programme in 2001, it is important for the team that we experience either the unknown Safari or China Rallies this season - and Safari is a far bigger challenge.

"It remains a really tough test of both men and machinery."

Schwarz, who finished fourth in the event in 1987, is hopeful the Octavia can break into the top six.

"It's going to be important for both Luis and I to adopt the right approach and not to start too quickly," he stated.

"But, if we don't get any major problems, then we could still finish in the top six and score World Championship points for the third event in a row.

"That would be a major achievement in the team's first visit to Africa."