[Speaking in the mid-day service] "We had a slow puncture on the front-right tyre near the end of the first stage today. Otherwise, it's been good – it's nice to have the new engine after the problems we had in Spain. It certainly feels quick again."
Manfred Stohl [OMV Kronos Citroen WRT]:
"I'm simply thinking too much. Of course, there is always that security-issue in the back of my mind. Since the Kronos Team has shown immense commitment to make this start possible I don't want to do too much damage since they'd get into problems concerning the rally in Japan otherwise. I'm just glad that today is over. I've never felt comfortable. Tomorrow is a brand new day."
[Speaking in the mid-day service] "There is something wrong, but it's not with the car, it's with my head. I cannot drive fast when my head is like this. The mechanics did a very nice job to get the car ready for me in time, so I absolutely don't want to crash it and disappoint them."
Matthew Wilson [Stobart M-Sport Ford WRT]:
“This morning we struggled on the narrow sections of road but the car felt really good on the fast wide roads and my times were very good there. Today's roads were half bumpy and half smooth so we had to compromise on setup but tomorrow is nearly all bumpy and narrow so I think we will make some changes to the suspension tonight. I thought I drove better on the narrow roads on the second pass this afternoon but unfortunately the times did not reflect this. The tyres worked well as all our choices today were correct.”
[Speaking in the mid-day service] "It has been an average morning for me really. We had a small half spin at a hairpin on the first stage and lost some time. The car has felt fantastic on the wide roads and my driving here is good also, these are the sections where I'm faster and making up time. But on the narrow sections the feeling it just not perfect yet and I know we are dropping the time here. The tyres have been good this morning and for this afternoon I will be trying to get things improved on the narrow roads."
Notable retirements:
Mikko Hirvonen [BP Ford WRT]: [retired from leg 1 in SS3 - went off the road]
"My pace notes were too fast for a left corner and I entered the bend too quickly. The car slid wide towards a concrete block and I hit it just where the suspension is attached to the bodyshell. I was lucky that the car slid rather than went straight on because there was a big drop off the edge. I knew we weren't going to get round and the concrete blocks aren't that soft around here.
