[Speaking after SS4] "I'm pleased with my times although my tyres were too soft as I thought the roads would be wetter. The grip was superb for the first part of stage four but they started to overheat and I lost grip and precision."
[Speaking after SS2] "The stages were wet in places and damp in others. It was also foggy in the first stage so it was difficult to see the corners and pick the best lines - very tricky. We made a few changes to the pace notes in the second stage which will help for the second pass."
Notable retirements:
Luis Perez Companc [Munchi's Ford WRT]: [retired from leg 1 in SS2 - went off the road]
No comment.
Manfred Stohl [OMV Kronos Citroen WRT]: [retired from event in SS3 - went off the road]
“We started to slip towards the embankment in a left turn - and unfortunately the embankment was five metres steep. Currently luck really isn't my lady. I am especially sorry because the Kronos team really did a great job for this event.”
Jan Kopecky [Czech RT Skoda Fabia WRC]: [retired from leg 1 in SS3 - went off the road]
"As a result of the climactic conditions, today's leg was very demanding. Understandably, the selection of tyres was very difficult and it was impossible to select such tyres, which would ensure good traction throughout the entire special stages. In the two initial special stages I was happy with the times we ran, although our Škoda Fabia WRC was not exactly tight in long turns. This is why we changed the car's setup in the service zone, but those were not fundamental changes. On the third stage, I unfortunately hit a rock in one of the turns and our car lost contact with the road surface. The ensuing situation was impossible to correct and as a result we went off the track. Our Škoda Fabia WRC ended up on the roof under the road level, but according to initial inspection it should not be badly damaged. Me and Filip [Schovánek - my co-driver] both escaped unharmed."
Team principals:
Guy Frequelin [Citroen Total WRT - team principal]:
