kopecky

Jan Kopecky: It has not been easy for me today but winning the title is a dream come true for me. I would like to thank Skoda Motorsport and our fantastic team for the amazing work they have done this season.

Jan Kopecky: My Skoda has been perfect and everything has been good with the car. We have been enjoying it and this is important but there could be rain overnight and this will make it difficult tomorrow [Sunday].

Andreas Mikkelsen: It's super, super close, a proper fight...

Skoda UK driver becomes youngest IRC champion.

Jan Kopecky: "Andreas certainly deserved to win here, because he was fastest of all of us. On the other hand, we had good luck, one of the things you need in rallying. We are in the lead of the IRC Championship now, which is very positive before the final stages of this series."

Jan Kopecky: It was a nice fight with Freddy until the last metre of the last stage and we enjoyed it a lot. Many people were much more nervous than me, I was quite relaxed and felt no pressure. I have to say it is my best win and we come back in the championship now but there is still a long way to go.

Paolo Andreucci secures his first IRC victory in Sanremo, while Juho Hanninen closes on the IRC drivers' title with second place.

Jan Kopecky makes it four different IRC winners in as many events as he heads home a Skoda 1-2-3 on Rally Islas Canarias.

The factory supported Skoda Matador team of Jan Kopecky and Filip Schovanek have a new climax to the 2003 season. At the beginning of November they are to take part in the Rally of Great Britain, the final event of this year's FIA World Rally Championship.