It must be pretty daunting to be the Brit best placed to follow in the tracks of Richard Burns and Colin McRae.

When I first started out last year, people expected a lot straight away. We'd lost Colin (McRae) and Richard (Burns) from the sport, and people were looking for someone else British to emulate them. When you're driving one of the best WRC cars out there, expectation is really high, but it doesn't happen overnight.

A lot of rally drivers do their learning in the junior formulas away from the spotlight, but we're doing all ours in front of everybody. Rallying isn't like circuit racing when after 10 or 15 laps you know where you're going; it takes a lot of experience to do really well. But the last few results of last year showed we're well on the way. Colin was the youngest British champion and he was 27, so I've got a few years yet!

Can you remember your first drive of a rally car? How did it feel?

My first time in a regular road car I was seven, driving in the fields, but in terms of a up-to-date rally car I was 12 or 13, when I had a bit of a razz round an airfield in a Focus world rally car. It was fairly awesome, my dad sat next to me and I remember being propped up by a load of jackets because I couldn't reach the pedals! I didn't drive a rally car again until the day after I passed my test. I entered my first rally two or three days later.

What are your goals for this season? Point-hunting or just learning?

The aim is to try to consistently get points. In the second half of the year, we'd like to get into the top five and maybe even sneak a podium. We might need a bit of luck, but a podium will give us lots of confidence.

Is your dad extra-tough on you, are you just another driver to him in work hours?

During the rally he is more of a boss-type figure, after the rally more like a father. We've been doing it now for the last two or three years so we're getting the hang of it. Sometime it's not easy and there's a bit of tension - usually when I've made a mistake. He wants me to get to the end of the rally so if I make a mistake and crash the car he's not best pleased. The quietness is usually the worse. Quick bursts of anger I can deal with.

Which of your successes has given you the biggest thrill so far?

I think the GB rally at the end of last year. It was one of the biggest highlights of my career, coming sixth on my home event. Hopefully this year we can do even better.

Which rallies in 2008 are you most looking forward to?

New Zealand is one of my favourites, you don't get such a massive entry for start. Japan and GB are also good. I prefer gravel more than tarmac, but gravel rallies can be completely different. Finland is smooth and fast whereas Greece is really rough. A tarmac rally such as Corsica is so technical, you need to do it five or six times before you learn it properly. This one, Monte Carlo, is probably one of the most difficult of the year – it can suddenly switch from tarmac to ice and snow.

How does a bloke fresh from competing in the Monte Carlo rally celebrate his 21st birthday?

It's a good question! It's the day after I get home. That will be a bit of a party, but it's sort of got left behind after all the preparation. I haven't really thought about it. A good present from Monte Carlo would be a points finish, I'd be pretty happy with that. Right, gotta go, that's my plane boarding...