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Rally reactions: Rallye Monte Carlo - Day 4 |
Sebastien Loeb [Citroen Total WRT]:
"More than the fact that this was our 37th WRC victory and our fifth Monte win, I think the most significant thing is the way we won this year. Our C4 performed faultlessly throughout and the set-up we chose for the start proved excellent, which shows how well we worked upstream. The C4 and the Pirelli tyres also functioned well together on these asphalt stages which were often damp. It's always nice to start the season with a win, but I have no intention of getting carried away because there are some very difficult rallies to come."
Mikko Hirvonen [BP Ford Abu Dhabi WRT]:
"Second is a great result for me and a perfect start to the season. I've never had a good rally here so to take a podium is fantastic and it almost feels as good as a win. I started the season how I wanted to with a good result. I didn't know what to expect from this rally but my plan for the year is to finish second if I can't win a rally. When I moved into second I eased off because I was under no pressure from behind. I was uncertain how the news tyres from Pirelli would work. They were good but it's up to me to be careful on the recce when making the pace notes."
Chris Atkinson [Subaru WRT]:
"To finish third is fantastic for me and the team. The pressure today was huge, we just had to drive flat out and do everything we could to stay ahead. Duval is such a fast guy, and I always knew today would be really tough going up against him. I lost a few seconds in SS18 with a half spin, and after that I was just going for it. The same thing happened last year when I was fighting for position going into the final stage, but this year is so much more important as I was fighting for a podium. I'm so happy for the team – all the guys have done such a great job and we deserved this. It's a fantastic start to the year and we'll celebrate tonight for sure!"
Francois Duval [Stobart VK M-Sport Ford WRT]:
"It's great for me to finish in fourth position here. It has been difficult with new tyres, a new car, new co-driver and new stages on the rally but we have done a good job here and collected important points. It took some time to adjust and get confidence with everything but as you can see we were able to set some fastest times today. Hopefully there will be more events to come for me this year."
Petter Solberg [Subaru WRT]:
"Today has been good for us and the team for sure. Fifth is good, and it's my highest finish on this rally. We have some good points which are important to us and we have a lot of fastest splits today, which is very good. This weekend was difficult with all the ice and the slippery surface, but it's a good rally. There are a lot of fans, especially in Monaco for the Superspecial, and it's a great atmosphere. I'm happy for Chris in third, and that as well is of course good for the team. We've made a good start to the season and we must keep pushing for more good results."
Gigi Galli [Stobart VK M-Sport Ford WRT]:
"What a great start to the season for me. Now that I have a full year secured I am able to take time to adjust to the car and the most important thing for me in this rally was to get to the finish and learn as much as I can. To finish with drivers points and score points for the Stobart team makes it even more special. The Focus is really a wonderful rally car, I love driving it, and we got to grips with it sooner than I thought. For me the most important thing is to get to the end of this event. Last year I had to prove myself in three events but now I have the whole year to learn about the car and can push harder later in the year."
Per-Gunnar Andersson [Suzuki WRT]:
"There's a lot to learn, but I've really enjoyed it and I couldn't have asked for more. To score points on my debut with a brand-new car is a truly fantastic result. My four-wheel drive experience before this event was limited to just a few rallies in a Group N car and some tests, so for me this rally has been all about learning to use the speed and traction of a World Rally Car. There's a lot more to come from both me and the car though. It was very important for me to get a good result here as it means I can head into the next round my home rally in Sweden with a very positive frame of mind."
Henning Solberg [Stobart VK M-Sport Ford WRT]:
"This rally was always going to be difficult for me as I'm not an expert on this surface. I think we have done a good job here though and I achieved my goal of finishing without any major problems; this was the most important thing for me to gain more experience. The start of the rally was difficult as we had to adjust to the new tyres and also the night time stages, but once we got more confidence then it felt good. The car has worked well during the four days and now we have gathered more information and experience for the rest of the asphalt rallies this year."
Matthew Wilson [Stobart VK M-Sport Ford WRT]:
"We haven't had a fantastic weekend here but we have finished the event with no problems and inside the top-ten; this is a good start to the year for me and I'm really looking forward to Sweden and Mexico now. It took some time to get a good feeling with the car and tyres and also I had a new co-driver. Scott [Martin] has done a great job here and I think we are going to have a good season together."
Daniel Sordo [Citroen Total WRT]:
