AutoWeek's Fast Five with Markko Martin.(Competition)(Interview)

AutoWeek's Fast Five with Markko Martin As lead driver for the Ford RS World Rally team, the 28-year-old Estonian's astonishing pace has never been in doubt. We caught up with him before the start of the Corona Rally Mexico, an event he went on to win.

Aw: As Estonia was still under Communism when you were growing up, how did you become interested in rallying?

Martin: Believe it or not, rallying was very popular in Estonia in the '80s, especially with Ladas. My father was doing some rallies and that's how I became involved. But as [Communism] fell in '91, when I was still at school, I never actually drove under Communism myself.

AW: This season the FIA has acted to restrict the use of the "gravel note'' cars-cars that "pre-run'' to check stage conditions before competitors. The sanctioning body claims this will reduce costs. Do you agree?

Martin: I think it's a big, big step backward in terms of safety. I just cannot believe the FIA is not listening to drivers and is saying, "We understand, but we don't care.'' The saving is nothing-all we need is two people and a car to drive the rally and one room in a hotel for three or four nights. If that's the cost of safety I think that's a really small price to pay when you're talking about people's lives.

AW: Next year, drivers who fall out of a rally on one day will be able to return to try to score points on other days. Is that going to make people drive their cars harder?

Martin: No, because nobody will want to risk having a big crash on Friday and losing ...