Canaries ERC: Robert Kubica rules out victory
Robert Kubica has ruled himself out of the fight for victory in the Canaries Rally despite being fastest in Thursday's shakedown
The 28-year-old earmarked his friend and rival Jan Kopecky as favourite for the win, a result that would give the Skoda driver his third successive victory on the Spanish island.
Citroen DS3 RRC driver Kubica feels a podium might be possible, but he insists his priority is to get to the finish. The Pole has only completed 100 miles of testing in the DS3 RRC ahead of the event.
"[The priority is to] finish, first of all. Second is to have good fun and enjoy it," said Kubica. "Third is working well with the team and co-driver and last one: if we can do some stages in a good rhythm, it will be the perfect weekend for us.
"Definitely a result will be difficult to manage. Jan is a very fast driver and he has been very fast on Tarmac with his Skoda. He has been here two or three times and he has won twice, so, definitely, he will be out of reach.
"Maybe a podium will be good, but I am really not looking. The last thing I am looking at is the final results. I want to feel comfortable in the car."
While Kopecky's Super 2000 specification Skoda Fabia might not be quite as quick as Kubica's turbocharged Regional Rally Car, the Czech driver acknowledged his advantage in terms of familiarity.
"We have a good chance to win again because we know this rally," said Kopecky. "I think this gives me quite a big advantage compared to Robert and Craig Breen.
"But still we will have nice fights for the whole weekend."
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