Rally reactions: Rallye Catalunya - Leg 3.

Markko Martin [Ford]:

"I drove according to the split times of the other drivers, which the team sent to us electronically during the stages. I just matched their pace and drove carefully. As a result I probably drove badly, because it's more difficult to drive relatively slowly than it is when you drive at normal pace.

"We have spent the last two days at the top of the leaderboard with nothing to gain but an awful lot to lose. When Sebastien Loeb retired yesterday morning, it took away our only remaining rival. But today has been tough. It was easy to hang onto first place, but difficult to keep the right pace and not make any mistakes on roads that were pretty slippery.

"The team has again been fantastic. Michelin's tyres worked perfectly and together we made some really good tyre choices, which is such a crucial factor in mixed conditions. Last year the Focus RS was the fastest car on asphalt and we had nothing to show for it. Now we have proved twice in two weeks that it's still the best car and I'm delighted for everyone in the team. October has been rather a good month!"

Marcus Gronholm [Peugeot]:

(On his tyre choice for the final day) "It was certainly the safe choice. Maybe a cut slick would have been better, but it has been difficult to choose the right tyres throughout the event because of the changing weather. The car has felt good throughout the rally, although we still have a lot of work to do. But we are definitely heading in the right direction now, which is very encouraging. I'm also very pleased that we had no mechanical problems at all during the three days of the event," he said. "It's very positive sign for the future that gives me a lot of confidence."

Carlos Sainz [Citroen]:

"I don't know how I manage to do it. I can never just maintain position in the third leg! On Sunday, I am always still fighting hard with someone or other. I really tried everything to get passed Marcus. He was able to put up strong resistance, bravo! Seb was unlucky here. He was really 'very fast', and I think he could have won.

"For us, this was a rally full of emotion, the last time through these special stages, in front of my public. The result doesn't really matter, in the end. The crowds flocked to support us. They gave me a wonderful gift, and I would like to thank them..."

Petter Solberg [Subaru]:

"It's been a difficult weekend. We got back in one piece, with some points and gathered some useful data, that's the main thing, but of course I know that we have the potential to do so much better. Now though it's time to re-focus on the next event. We won Australia before, we've dominated the last few gravel rallies and I'm hungry for another rally win."

Daniel Sola [Mitsubishi]:

"Despite this last-minute scare [a late fire], this is still a special moment for me. I really enjoyed the support from my home spectators and didn't want to let them down, but I had to mix this feeling with doing my job, finishing the rally, being fast and consistent during this important competitive test for the team."

Gianluigi Galli [Mitsubishi]:

"I'm very, very happy. Our goal was to finish, but we have also done so in a good position. It's not so much of a surprise as the car and my confidence has improved a lot. We have helped the team, not fought with Dani and made any mistakes, so for this I am happy."

Mikko Hirvonen [Subaru]:

"Like Petter I have found this event quite frustrating at times, but I went as fast as I could go in the conditions and for sure I've learned a lot about the car and tyres on these particular roads. My target throughout the whole weekend was to get as close to Petter's pace as possible and things certainly improved as I got more experience."

Toni Gardemeister [Skoda]:

"The roads this morning were always damp and often very wet but it seems we found the right set-up for the conditions. It enabled me to pass a couple of drivers but this afternoon it was impossible to keep Mikko behind me as I have been getting a fever since yesterday. However my times seemed to have improved as well so maybe I should get sick more often!"

Armin Schwarz [Skoda]:

"The high point of this season was proving that the work we did while we were away had been in the right direction and that the Fabia is now much more competitive. We were able to secure a full programme for 2005 and I am feeling very positive about that. My personal high point was winning a stage on my home rally."

Notable retirements:

None

Team Principals:

Malcolm Wilson [Ford Rallye Sport - team director]:

"For the second time this month, Markko has driven a fantastic rally. His pace has been controlled right from the start and his performance over the last two days was a model example in how to dictate a rally from the front. He set five fastest times and Fran?ois Duval set three on the first leg before retiring, emphasising again that the Ford Focus is the car to beat on asphalt."

Corrado Provera [Peugeot Sport - team principal]:

"This long-overdue podium place is a confirmation that the 307 WRC is starting to consistently fight at the front. We also had perfect reliability during the rally, which shows that all our hard work is starting to pay off. Well done to Marcus, and we now aim to build on this result for the final round of the championship in Australia and of course our preparations for next year."

Guy Frequelin [Citroen Sport - team principal]:

"Sebastien's rally, unfortunately cut short, proved that the time differences in Corsica were purely down to the decision to favour the title fight. Our Xsara, when Seb is pushing, has undoubtedly the potential to be at the front. I will also remember the superb performance from Carlos Sainz during this rally, fighting tooth and nail until the finish line, and rewarded by a well-deserved podium."

David Lapworth [Subaru World Rally Team - team principal]:

"With the Championship decided on the previous round, our focus has naturally switched to next year. The plan coming here was to gain as much data as possible for our 2005 development programme. The drivers have done a very professional job and helped us to gather a lot of information. Australia however will be a different story. There's no doubt we want to end the season on a high."

Mario Fornaris [Mitsubishi Motorsport - technical director]:

"We have all worked very hard over the last two years and this rally was a good payback. The new suspension worked well and this event was proof of the development progress we have made. Our young drivers have performed well; fast, consistent and with no mistakes. I also have to say thank you to Gilles who has worked so hard during recent months and it is him who provided the platform for us. After a very good start to the event, when he was third overall, he was not able to capitalise on what he has achieved during the test and development work. Without him though, it would not have been possible to show our performance. Finally, Ralliart Italy has also helped us to prepare and run Gigi's car, enabling us to gather even more data."

Isao Torii [Mitsubishi Motorsport - President]:

"I have to say thank you to the whole team; the mechanics, engineers, drivers, everyone," he said. "Rally Catalunya was a test event for us, but the big effort that has been made over the past weeks has resulted in a great team success. All three cars finished the rally, the reliability of the Lancer WRC04 is proved and we are closer to our rivals than before. We have showed the potential of the team and car, so we will continue this way to prepare for the 2005 season."

Martin Muehlmeier [Skoda Motorsport - team boss]:

"Although we only entered a limited number of events this season we have still worked incredibly hard but I am pleased that we achieved our objective to improve the performance of the Fabia. We have seen a better overall performance that has moved us much closer to the leading teams and we have shown on several occasions just what it is possible to achieve if we can get better consistency with our results. There is now a lot of work to do before January and the Monte Carlo Rally when we will begin our full WRC programme once again."