MH:
It's going to be almost impossible to take it. Even if I win, he only needs six points. It's going to be difficult but you never know. As long as mathematically it's possible we will go for it.
Q:
A puncture spoiled the party for you in New Zealand, and the same thing happened here. How did you feel when you finally reached the end of the opening stage this morning?
Jarmo Lehtinen:
I think from the onboard you can see, I said: “No it's not happening again...”
Q:
I see you have a plaster on your finger there…”
JL:
It shows how much adrenalin works. There's one clip on the bumper you need to take out when we had the puncture. Normally you need the pliers, but this time I did it with my bare hands and the thumb came up straight away.
Q:
François, another great weekend for you. We don't see you at every round of the WRC, you must be pleased with your performance here?
Francois Duval:
It's really a good rally for me. No mistakes. No punctures. It's a good rally, but it's not possible to catch Sébastien. I am happy with my result.
Q:
You were confident before you began this event, how much were you pushing this weekend?
FD:
I was pushing so much the first time. All the time I had the splits in the car, all the time they said four or five to Sébastien, so I think I prefer no risk. I prefer to stay on the road and finish third, it's good.
Q:
Third position overall here; is your result going to help in your efforts to find sponsorship for next year?
FD:
It's not sure. It's difficult for me to drive the full Championship. I stay inside the top four or five in Japan and it's good for me. The rally is new for everybody, but I don't drive much on gravel - it's difficult for me. I only drove in New Zealand (this year), but I'll try my best.
