Colin Clark on Mikkelsen:
'Perhaps the more likely route back for Mikkelsen is the possibility that in today’s ultra competitive WRC, where the cars seem so evenly matched, he could replace an underperforming driver.
If this is the case then there is one driver who Mikkelsen will have firmly in his sights - the eminently likeable but obviously underperforming Juho Hanninen. It’s astonishing to think that the opening stage on Saturday was Juho’s first complete stage driven competitively in a World Rally Car on tarmac. Juho might come good, but that could be too late for him, and perhaps more importantly, too late for Jari-Matti Latvala.
If JML is to seriously challenge Ogier for this year’s crown then he needs a reliable wing man. Theres also the question of development. Toyota will rapidly fall behind the opposition if they continue to rely on the competitive feedback from one car. It’s a pretty compelling case for Mikkelsen to Toyota. But for that to happen Mr Makinen will perhaps have to admit he was wrong about Juho. And that seems unlikely...'