"This was the first gravel rally of the season and for the Focus RS WRC to prove its speed on what is the dominant surface of the year bodes well. Five Focus cars finished in the top seven and for
BP Ford Abu Dhabi to maintain its lead in both championships after three rounds represents an excellent opening sector of the year."
Malcolm Wilson [Stobart VK M-Sport Ford WRT - team boss]:
"This has been an impressive performance by the Stobart team considering it was just Matthew scoring points after Gigi retired on Friday. Sixth is a great position especially in his first event as a nominated driver for the year. It was very encouraging that he was able to deliver some points as it was what he had to do here and this is good to know for the future of the team. A positive is the pace of Gigi on the opening day and with Henning’s performance here also the Stobart team will have another very strong line-up in Argentina. This has also been the first time the guys have driven on the new Pirelli tyre and I think they will take a lot from this event into the next round."
Andrew Tinkler [Stobart Group Ltd CEO]:
"This has been a terrific rally for Matthew and his performance has helped the Stobart team remain in a strong position in the championship. Scott has achieved his best ever WRC result and I am really pleased for him as his enthusiasm and professionalism is a fine representation of what the Stobart brand is all about. It is a shame about Gigi’s retirement but he showed great potential and exceptional speed on the first day and I think that both he and Matthew can continue this form to the next round in Argentina. It has been another great job by M-Sport and the Ford Focus has again proved to be the most reliable car in the tough conditions."
Nobuhiro Tajima [Suzuki - team boss]:
[Speaking at end of day 1] "I feel so very sorry for both of our drivers, especially Toni who was starting his 100th WRC rally here. This was an incredibly disappointing experience for all of us. As was the case in Monte Carlo and Sweden, we have been stopped by an engine problem and we suspect that it is for a similar reason, although we will only know for sure once we fully examine the cars. It's clear that we have an issue with the engines, but under the current engine linking regulations we are not permitted to change the engine during or in between the rallies to try and understand the problem. As a new team we want to and we need to improve: but sometimes this is not easy when the rules are not in your favour as a newcomer. It was always going to be tough for us here. Toni did not really have a chance today, but until his retirement P-G was again doing a fantastic job for us. The potential is still very much there and we all have confidence that we will bounce back from this disappointment."
Peter Tyson [Pirelli - motorsport marketing director]:
"I am very satisfied with the results of the Scorpion tyre’s debut in Mexico. They overcame an extremely tough test, running on stages that were littered with sharp stones, in high temperatures, and with a very rapid pace from all the Citroën,
Subaru and Ford drivers. The praise our tyres have received from both drivers and team managers is very satisfying for all of us, and it provides yet another demonstration of the qualities of our new Pirelli tyres."
![Sebastien Loeb (FRA). Citroen Total WRT C4 WRC. Corona Rally Mexico. February 29-March 2 2008. [PIC CREDIT: Citroen Sport / McKlein]](http://pix.crash.net/thumbs/411981.jpg)
