Jani not yet counting his chickens

Neel Jani knows better than to assume title is his

Neel Jani says A1 Team Switzerland cannot assume it has already won the 2007/08 A1GP World Cup of Motorsport – because of Super Giant Slalom skiing.

Jani and Switzerland head into next week’s Brands Hatch championship decider knowing that a finish of seventh or higher in either of the event’s two races will make it mathematically impossible for chief-rival New Zealand to overtake it and snatch the crown.

However, despite New Zealand’s Jonny Reid also needing to win both races to have a shot at the title, Jani insists the championship is not settled, using countryman and Super G skier Didier Cuche as the reason why the team is not counting its chickens yet.

‘There was a Swiss guy in this year’s Super G World Cup and everyone thought he was going to win the crystal globe,’ Jani explains.

‘The only way that he could not win the title was that he scored zero points and the guy who was then second [Hannes Reichelt] won the event. And what happened? Cuche scored zero points and the other guy wins the race by just 100th of a second. Cuche lost the title.

‘It was incredible. He just needed one point or to finish in 15th place or better to win. And he was 15th until the very last skier, his team-mate, went and finished ahead of him and pushed him down the order to 16th. Everyone thought it was impossible for Cuche to lose the title – but it happened. It’s not impossible for us to lose this title.’

Jani insists that the best strategy for the championship finale at Brands Hatch next weekend is to take a sensible, measured approach, without any errors.

‘We will see what happens at Brands,’ Jani added. ‘We just need to keep our heads down and not make any mistakes. That is why I use this story about the skiing – we’ve got to not make mistakes.’