Daniel Sordo [Citroen Total WRT]:
"We had been hoping that our position on the road would be favourable and it was. On this sort of terrain, you just can't afford to put a wheel off the line swept clean by the other cars. I consequently tried to keep it as clean as possible so as not to find myself in the looser gravel where it was impossible to control the car. That plan worked well for the first three stages but I didn't feel perfectly at ease on the morning's final test. There were lots of crests and blind corners and I dropped a little time. As expected, the fight was extremely close this afternoon when the conditions were the same for everyone. I am pleased with my start to the rally but we now have to try and defend our lead tomorrow, and that probably won't be easy."
Sebastien Loeb [Citroen Total WRT]:
"During recce, we quickly saw that these stages were like nothing we had ever come across before. It wasn't easy to take good notes because everything looks alike and the roads are fast and tricky. I was also aware that I would have the handicap of sweeping aside the loose gravel for the others this morning. I had trouble settling into a good rhythm which affected my driving and I had a couple of scares. We made a few small changes to the set-up of my car for the second loop and that felt much better. On top of that, we didn't have to clear the top-coating of gravel second time round, so it was easer to use the full potential of our C4. The gaps at the moment don't really signify much because I am sure it will be another tough day tomorrow."
Jari-Matti Latvala [BP Ford Abu Dhabi WRT]:
"It's an interesting battle and I didn't expect it to be this close. My speed is good and I have a great start position tomorrow so I'll see how things go in the morning, before deciding whether to push in the afternoon or steady my pace. My confidence improved this afternoon but I'm still working my tyres too hard. I tried to brake softly and be more precise in my driving but I have more to do."
