“We struggled with the screen which kept fogging up in the last two stages, and it was always on my side so I couldn't see much. I was driving with my head tilted, trying to see round the side. I drove the last stage with my window down which helped, but there was mud coming in. The conditions out there today have just been unreal - torrential rain, full fog, just no visibility. You need absolute confidence in the car, and you can see a few people having problems today.”

[Speaking in the mid-day service] "This morning the stages were tough and the conditions made it very tricky. I think we got caught out in the second stage with fog, as at times visibility was so poor I couldn't see my braking points. We are lacking in a little confidence when the routes are so slippery like this, and can't push as hard as we'd like. Stage one wasn't so bad, but in the next two we had some big sideways moments, especially on stage three when we went into a dip in sixth gear and got 90 degrees sideways; it's so slippery."


Manfred Stohl [OMV Kronos Citroen WRT]:

“We face the same problems like during the whole year. I still had hoped for more here. But even if I gave 150 percent I would win one place, if at all. But this would also mean to provoke an accident. Therefore it is our goal to win points for a final time. The conditions are typically British - rain and a lot of mud. The difference is, normally I feel right at home when it's like this."

[Speaking about SS6] "It was incredibly foggy. We couldn't see our hands in front of our face. Additionally our low-beam light didn't work optimally. So visibility was almost zero which easily explains the time-gap."


Xavier Pons [Subaru WRT]:

“The screen was just completely misty for the last three stages, and I just didn't see anything, it's incredible. And also the last stage, it was very foggy so it was very difficult. For me, it's my first time in these conditions, but okay, I have arrived here at the end of the day. This is important. Tomorrow I think will be better if the screen is ok, as that is more important than the conditions so I am looking forward to it.”

[Speaking in the mid-day service] "Okay, the first stage was not bad, and the car felt well balanced, but on the second stage we had a lot of oversteer and I spun near the start. We had a lot of fog in SS2 and in places visibility was down to a few metres. From then on it was okay, but we continued to have more oversteer and I haven't felt comfortable in the car. In service now we'll try to make the handling more consistent, and hopefully we can improve things for the repeated stages."


Andreas Mikkelsen [Ramsport Ford Focus WRC]:

[Speaking after SS6] “That's the worst stages I've ever been through. Still, it was good. Yes, I'm enjoying it. I was a little scared at the beginning of the stage, but I got through. I just couldn't see beyond the end of the front bumper.”

[Speaking in the mid-day service] “We had a puncture on SS2 and again on SS3. The car is new to me and I am finding it difficult to drive.”


Jan Kopecky [Czech RT Skoda Fabia WRC]:

[Speaking after SS6] “I'm glad to get out and back to service tonight. The weather is ruining everything.”


Mads Ostberg [Adapta Subaru Impreza WRC]:

[Speaking after SS6] “It's madness out there. You cannot see one metre in front of you.”

[Speaking in the mid-day service] “It was very rough in that first stage of the rally and in SS2 the car started to misfire and has been running rough ever since we came out of SS3. We're looking into it now at Service and hope to have the problem fixed.”


Luis Perez Companc [Munchi's Ford WRT]:

[Speaking after SS6] “I actually stopped in the stage to get my bearings, the conditions were so bad.”


Federico Villagra [Munchi's Ford WRT]:

[Speaking after SS6] “I've had problems with fog and low cloud all day. You don't learn in these sorts of conditions, you just drive as best you can.”





Notable retirements:

Sebastian Lindholm [Suzuki WRT]: [retired from leg 1 after SS2 – mechanical]