As the final round in the 2011 Fiesta SportTrophy (FST) UK, last month's International Rally Yorkshire saw Welshman Osian Pryce crowned the 2011 FST UK Champion. Find out the youngster's thoughts on his victorious season, his transition from the Gp N Ford Fiesta ST to the Ford Fiesta R2, and his future plans for the 2012 season and beyond.

Q: Congratulations on being crowned the 2011 Fiesta SportTrophy (FST) UK Champion - it must have sunken in by now, how does it feel?

A: Well, it has and it hasn’t! It was a pretty abrupt end to the season, and straight after Trackrod [International Rally Yorkshire] I headed straight to Swansea to start my first year of University - so it was all a bit rushed! When I see all the team again I am sure it will sink in.

Q: You didn’t plan for this at the start of the year, so at what point did you realise it would be possible to take home the Championship and how did this alter your approach?

A: We were leading the Championship after Ulster [Toddsleap International Rally NI]. That was when we realised, hang on, we have a good chance of winning this, we can’t let this go.

As for my approach, it did and didn’t change. The drop scores weren’t in our favour so before we knew Isle of Man would be cancelled, we knew we had to win. Then the day before we left for Yorkshire, we heard the news and I knew that all I had to do was finish. You would think that this would relieve some pressure, but if anything, it just created more – I HAD to finish. As it went, Nick [Cristofaro] and Jussi [Kumpumäki] didn’t finish so we won anyway, but it was far from stress free!

Q: What was your winning formula? What attributes contributed to your series win?

A: Consistency definitely paid off.  Had we contested a full championship with 8 rounds and drop scores, I’m not sure it would have worked. But that’s the way it goes and it just proves that you need to put 100% into finishing every event as high as you possibly can.

Q: You had a number of rivals for the title, how did the competition shift throughout the season?

A: At the start of the season it was a case of seeing where we were in relation to the more experienced guys – measuring our speed against the likes of Craig Breen and Gareth Roberts.  Then, as Craig [Breen] turned his attention towards the [FIA WRC] Academy and IRC, Jussi [Kumpumäki] and Nick [Cristofaro] came to the fore. There were always plenty of people to capitalise should we run into problems.

Q: You were behind the wheel of the Gp N Ford Fiesta ST at the start of the season, but come your Championship victory you were piloting a Ford Fiesta R2. Do these cars require a different driving style?

A: Yes, totally different. It was hard to get my head around the change in the beginning. Had I started the season in the R2 it would have made life so much easier! In the [Ford Fiesta] ST you have to be really gentle and neat and tip-toe around the stages. But in the [Ford Fiesta] R2, that would never work. I was too gentle when I first got behind the wheel of the R2 – it can take a lot more punishment than the ST. The transition between the two cars was actually the toughest part of my season.

Q: It is a shame that the 2011 International Isle of Man Rally has been cancelled, do you plan on contesting much more in 2011?

A: There’s still a lot to confirm.  I’ll be in meetings all next week so hopefully we can reach some decisions. We’re hoping to be involved in Wales Rally GB - International or National - but we aren’t guaranteed an entry, it’s all down to the discretion of the organisers. So for the time being, I’m getting stuck into my Motorsport Engineering degree.

Q: What are the 2011 FST UK Champion’s plans for the 2012 season?

A: As I said, nothing is confirmed as of yet, but the initial plan is to do the same again. We’ll continue in the [Ford Fiesta] R2 next season and concentrate on improving our pace, then maybe a bigger jump in 2 years or so.

Q: Where do you see your career heading over the next two or three years?

A: Should we have the opportunity, it would be great to get involved in the WRC Academy, especially after having had a couple of years experience in the Fiesta [R2].

Q: As the 2011 FST UK Champion, you have won a test in the Ford Fiesta RS WRC with one-to-one tuition from Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team driver, Jari-Matti Latvala. Are you looking forward to the experience? And what do you think you will take from it?

A: Yes, but again, it hasn’t really sunk in yet! I’ve never driven a 4WD car before but I am sure the experience will make me more competitive when I return to 2WD. It will be great to get some expert advice from Jari-Matti [Latvala] on the basic techniques and driving style which I can then adapt to suit my own driving.

Q: Any advice for those thinking of contesting FST UK in 2012?

A: My advice would be that if you are in a [Ford Fiesta] ST, try not to compare yourself to the guys in the R2. You need to put everything into perspective. Also, if you’ve done the Challenge before, that is a big help as it familiarises you with the series and stages.

To keep up to date with all that’s happening in the FST and FSC UK championships visit the official website (www.fiestasporttrophy.co.uk) and Facebook page (www.facebook.com/FSTUK).