Kopecky begins 12-event campaign with a point.

Jan Kopecky once again showed the potential of the Skoda Fabia WRC by finishing eighth on the Rallye Monte Carlo on Sunday and securing the final championship point.

Kopecky, who is currently due to contest all the events in the WRC, with the exception of the four non-European rounds, was on course for a top eight finish pretty much throughout. Indeed his form was underlined by the fact he set top ten stage times in every single test, including two fourth quickest times on SS11 and SS12, equal best with Sebastien Loeb in the Citroen C4 on the latter, the 19.67 kilometre-run through Labatie d'Andaure-Lalouvese.

Speaking at the finish, Kopecky noted that he was 'proud' of the result, even if the mild weather was to his advantage: "I was really geared up for the start of the Rallye Monte Carlo. This event is a legend in the WRC and every start here is very special," he noted. "Of course, I was wondering how well the drivers, teams and their cars were prepared for the new season, but because of the mild weather, this year's Rallye Monte Carlo was a classic asphalt event, which suited my driving style because I was brought up on asphalt surfaces.

"I'm proud of our eighth place, because we had to battle hard for our championship point, especially on Friday and Saturday. We achieved our excellent result thanks to the perfect work of all members of the Czech Rally Team Kopecky, and of course the support of our partners, which I genuinely appreciate. Skoda Auto has played the greatest role in securing my participation in selected events in 2007, and therefore my biggest thanks go to them."

Czech RT-Kopecky boss, Josef Kopecky meanwhile was also delighted, especially as they got the result on merit - and not due to any retirements: "I am as pleased as punch with the crew's performance and the final result," he added. "The Rallye Monte Carlo is a highly challenging, treacherous event. However, the Skoda Fabia WRC was fantastic and the crew put in a great performance.

"Eighth place is excellent - and we achieved it in a situation where none of the absolute elite crews suffered technical problems or major driver errors. Therefore we really had to fight hard for each position.

"I would like to wrap up by thanking the crew for their performance, the team members for the quality preparation of the car before and during the event, and of course all our partners. Without the support of our partners and in particular the major sponsorship of Skoda Auto a.s., Jan Kopecky and Filip Schovsnek would not have been able to take part in this event."