Marcus Gronholm [BP Ford WRT]:
"It was incredibly fast and there were no huge time gaps. I knew it would be difficult to lead today when I was first on the road and that proved the case. I was expecting a close battle with Mikko. He has driven well and I thought he might be in front tonight but I managed to hold him off. When it's as tight as this every stage is important and it's vital to have a good feeling from the recce.
"The first stage this morning was slippery and I made a few small changes to the shock absorbers after the test. My tyre choice was good throughout, especially this afternoon when a harder compound with full cuts made a difference. We've made a step forward with the new car and Loeb is having to push hard. The gap between us is almost double what it was after the first day last year."
[Speaking after SS7] "It's still very, very tight between Mikko and I but that is what I expected and I'm not surprised by his pace. I knew it would be difficult to lead today when I was first on the road and that has proved the case because an advantage of less than a second means nothing. The roads are drying now and there will be plenty of loose gravel on these next group of stages so starting first is not the really the place to be – but there's nothing I can do about that."
Mikko Hirvonen [BP Ford WRT]:
"I've enjoyed every minute of the day and it's an absolutely fantastic fight. Our split times have been virtually identical. It will be a great weekend if it continues like this for three days. My target has always been to win here and I wanted to lead tonight because Marcus knows tomorrow's stages well. The new Focus RS feels easier to drive and I had a good feeling with it. The biggest thing I noticed is the improved grip and handling over crests. I'm feeling increasingly confident with it and looking forward to continuing the battle in the morning."
[Speaking after SS7] "It's an absolutely fantastic fight and I'm really enjoying it. It will be a great weekend if it continues like this for three days. Marcus took time back from me towards the end of those stages and maybe that was because although we both had soft compound tyres, I had bigger cuts. I thought the stages would be softer and more rutted than they were."
[Speaking after SS4] "The stages were in good condition but they will be trickier on the second pass. I have to stay fully focused because they will be soft, rutted and full of holes. It's not easy following Marcus and Loeb because Marcus' driving line varies a lot from Loeb's, which is quite straight. There is no clear line for me to follow."
Sebastien Loeb [Citroen Total WRT]:
"We've been fighting all day long to stop our rivals pulling too far clear. We've succeeded in limiting the damage, but there is still a gap. Although I drove quickly, I didn't perhaps feel totally comfortable during the second attempt at this morning's stages because the surface was so cut up. I also made a small mistake on SS4 when I stalled at a hairpin."
"This event is far from over. My Citroën C4 has handled perfectly but we will continue to work on the set-up. We've got drivers just behind us and I can't afford to lift, so we will continue to push, which in turn will keep the pressure on those ahead of us. There's still so much that can happen. There are more than 180km of stages to come tomorrow and I learnt to my cost not so long ago that the situation at the top of the leaderboard can change very quickly."
[Speaking after SS7] "I can't find the seconds I am missing. I am driving very, very quickly and my car is perfect and I am not close enough to them. I am not missing much, only two or three seconds over 20kms but it is enough at the end to make the difference. I will try to keep the pressure so they can't relax."
