Wow. How fast is Finland! I just got back from a day-long test in the C4 WRC. It’s just fantastic. We did a fast stage this morning and then a tighter and twistier one in the afternoon. Between the two stages, we covered about 150 kilometers – in wet and dry conditions. All-in-all, it was pretty much the perfect test.

When you haven’t been down these roads for 12 months, you definitely forget just how quick they really are. We did some work on the set-up of the C4, specifically on the differential and the suspension, just to make sure we’ve got the handling absolutely spot-on for the start on Thursday night.

I’m feeling pretty good for this event. Dan [Barritt, co-driver] and I have had the chance to look at the in-car videos from last year – this is the first event we’ve been able to do this. That means we have been able to go through and make a couple of changes to the notes already, a bit like a pre-recce recce, but in a perfectly legal way!

Talking of the recce, that starts tomorrow. Last year, we were up and leaving the hotel at about five in the morning. This year it’s much more civilised – we’re not going until 0730. I’m very happy about that!