Rally reactions: Rallye Monte Carlo - Leg 3.

Marcus Gronholm [BP Ford]:

"This is the best feeling. I had a good lead and didn't need to get involved in a massive fight. It is my first win on asphalt, although it wasn't pure asphalt because there was so much ice and snow. It is fantastic to score so well on the first rally and I'm really looking forward to driving on the snow in Sweden on the next round.

"Today was again difficult. The first stage was really hard because there was a lot of ice and sometimes the car was skating. There were many tricky corners and so I drove with great care. My right knee hurts because the position of the throttle pedal was not quite right, but that was my only problem this weekend, so that's not too bad!"

Sebastien Loeb [Kronos Citroen]:

"Of course I'm very disappointed to have made the mistake on Friday that dropped us down to eighth overall - especially for the team. I can only blame myself. On the other hand, I can honestly say that from the inside of the car this rally turned into a thrilling chase - the sort of battle that I really like. It showed us that our Xsara can more than stand up to the opposition, and that my new team is working really well. It's a very good sign for the future."

Daniel Elena [Loeb's co-driver - Kronos Citroen]:

"We knew that Manfred Stohl, on 'dry' tyres, could come back at us [in the final two stages] and we had no information about Toni Gardemeister, as his car was not supplying split times. The only solution was to put the pedal to the metal! I am going to remember that downhill section on Turini for a very long time! Driving on dry roads with snow tyres, I was nearly seasick as the car was sliding so much!"

Toni Gardemeister [Astra Peugeot]:

"We had a good fight with Seb - but he was so quick we had no chance to beat him. When the conditions were good and I trusted the tyres, the car was very good, especially on the fast roads. When it was really slippery you could push the car. It wasn't so bad, I was very happy with the car."

Manfred Stohl [OMV Peugeot Norway]:

"We really tried our all on the last special stages to reach the podium. Unfortunately the spectators shoved too much snow onto the road on SS16. We lost too much time there due to the slicks. But fourth place is a sensational start into the WRC, nevertheless. We got a grip on the Peugeot sooner than we'd thought. Bozian Racing did an excellent job. Though there is always room for some minor adjustments during the next rallies. The last two special stages are definitely a story to tell to my grandchildren."

Stephane Sarrazin [Subaru]:

"I'm very pleased that we've finished in the points on the first round of the championship and with a new car. It's good for me and for the team. Mechanically we've had no problems at all, but we were caught out by the weather on Friday and that cost us a lot of time. But it's a part of the game, this time we lost but next time we might win. It's been a very difficult rally, the grip is variable and driving in snow on slick tyres isn't easy, but I showed I can fight with the top drivers in these conditions and that's good for my confidence. In performance terms the car is a big step forward already and before Corsica and Catalunya I will test a lot so I should be very familiar with it by then."

Chris Atkinson [Subaru]:

"We're ecstatic really. When you look at it, coming to our first Monte Carlo, to finish in the top six and to have such a good result all weekend is fantastic. Glenn and I drove exactly according to our pre-event plan, we learned a lot and we'll head to Sweden in a very positive frame of mind. Sweden was our first event with the team last year and we showed some good speed. The conditions suit me a bit better than the ones here and I'm looking forward to going back."

Mikko Hirvonen [BP Ford]:

"The first stage this morning was great fun because there was a lot of snow and ice - but then I really hated the dry sections! I pushed hard in that stage because I had good confidence in those conditions, and not quite so hard in the other two. Once I moved into seventh, then I knew I could hold that position. It was a hard weekend and a good one, but it could have been better for me. Without problems and mistakes, I think fifth could have been possible, but considering all that and the weather, this is a really good result and a great start to the season."

Daniel Sordo [Kronos Citroen]:

"My co-driver Marc Marti has been on this rally six times and this is the most complicated one he has seen. To be at the end of the rally with a second-fastest time in our pockets [SS10], one championship point, and an intact car is fantastic. Step by step I think I've learnt a lot since Friday and I can't wait to get to Sweden now to learn some more."

Xavier Pons [Kronos Citroen]:

"Reaching this objective was one of the reasons why I wanted to get to the finish at all costs, on a rally that has been incredibly difficult. For the first time today, I was pleased with my driving on ice with 'slick' tyres. I've been amazed by Seb's achievement, and I know that I will be able to learn a lot from him. Finally, I'd like to congratulate Dani Sordo, my friend and old rival in the Spanish Championship, on an excellent World Rally Car debut."

Gilles Panizzi [Red Bull Skoda]:

"The modifications we made to the Skoda Fabia WRC yesterday evening really had a positive effect. This morning, we were able to set some very competitive times. Unfortunately we damaged the suspension and a brake disc in a small incident and lost a lot of time. After changing the rear axle, everything was back to normal in the afternoon. All in all we've got to be satisfied. We were able to prove the potential of the Skoda Fabia WRC not only in the beginning of the rally with a second place in the interim results, but today as well."

Andreas Aigner [Red Bull Skoda]:

"It was really fantastic. To drive the Skoda Fabia WRC through the narrow mountain stages around Monte Carlo was just breathtaking. We met our goal of finishing our first rally and we were able to gain a lot of experience on the way. To end up getting points for Red Bull Skoda in the manufacturers' championship is even more terrific."

Pieter Tsjoen [Stobart VK Ford]:

"Now I'm up to speed with this car, I can start to appreciate just how good it is. I'm really looking forward to the start of the Belgian Championship now, I think we'll be really competitive. I was really careful today, like I have been for all of the rally really. I wasn't going to risk everything and push like crazy when we could go off the road. I'm very happy with our finishing position."

Matthew Wilson [Stobart VK Ford]:

"This is just what I'd been hoping for: a finish on the Monte Carlo Rally. It's a fantastic feeling to know that I completed every stage on the event. Okay, we had a problem at the end of leg one, but we overcame that and got here to the finish. Fantastic. The problem with the spin earlier today ended up being a bit painful. We'd bent the exhaust and had to try and fix it some how, so it didn't cost us too much power. I stuck the jack into the exhaust which did help to straighten it, but then I held the hot end of the jack and burned my hand. This afternoon, I think our choice of a studded tyre was a bit conservative, but then again that was the one everybody was using. The last part of the last stage, the downhill section from Turini, was a nightmare - the tyres had gone all mushy. Then again, look at the time Sebastien [Loeb] did on that stage on those tyres...

"It's been such a long week for me. I was so nervous about this whole thing before the start. Once we got into it, it was okay. Once we got onto the ice and started to get through the stages, my confidence was coming. Now I feel much better. I'm actually quite glad the conditions were like they were. Obviously it would have been easier to come here and do a dry Monte, but we wouldn't have learned nearly as much. Now I just can't wait for Sweden!"

Notable retirements:

Sebastien Loeb [Kronos Citroen]: [retired from leg 1 in SS6 - crash]

"I just got caught out. It was even more important to be aware of the amount of grip on each corner during the afternoon than it was in the morning, when the studs gave us a certain amount of safety. On that particular corner, taken in fourth gear, I thought that the black asphalt in the braking area was simply damp. In fact, it was extremely greasy. Having arrived at it too fast, the car started to understeer and so to try and get it back I pulled the handbrake. We went into a spin and the car slid backwards down a steep slope. But we did not hit anything, which makes me hope that there is no real damage to it. We will have to wait to find out if it is possible for us to re start the rally tomorrow. And if that is the case, we will see what we can hope for over the distance that remains."

Petter Solberg [Subaru]: [retired after SS6 - engine]

"I still can't really believe it. We were cruising home after the stage and it just happened. We stopped and tried to fix it but there was nothing we could do. The oil had leaked out and we had no chance. Up to then the rally had been getting better and better for us. We didn't start well - in fact I don't think our tyre choice could have been any worse - but the afternoon was good, and our pace on the final stage was very encouraging. It's incredible really; it seems I have no luck here in Monte Carlo. It must change soon."

Henning Solberg [OMV Peugeot Norway]: [retired from leg 2 after SS12 - engine]

"The tyre choice this morning was the wrong decision. But I have to rely on the recommendations given since it's my first start in Monte Carlo - and I don't have any experience.

"We don't know what really happened [with the engine after SS12]. But it is better to give up now and then compete again tomorrow thanks to the SupeRally [rather than having carried on and risk damaging the car further]. Since this problem occurred on the last special stage of the day and we've already lost a lot of time we don't mind the five-minute-penalty. At least we'll try to really put our foot down on the last leg."

Henning Solberg [OMV Peugeot Norway]: [retired from leg 3 in SS18]

"It's a pity. We desperately wanted to contribute to the manufacturer's ranking. It was an extremely difficult rally for us since it was not only the first start in Monte Carlo but also the first WRC-run on tarmac. But the Peugeot 307 WRC is excellent and I'm sure that our performance will improve in Sweden."

Team principals:

Malcolm Wilson [BP Ford - team director]:

"It's an incredible feeling. It is out of character for Marcus to drive the way he has done to preserve the lead. It has been difficult for him because he had to be so careful. This result is for the team that has designed and developed the Focus RS and I hope this win is the first of many. The whole package was great and the passion and confidence from Marcus in the team is amazing."

"Matthew and I had talked a lot about this rally and he did exactly what I told him to. He's driven a very sensible rally. I kept telling him it didn't matter about the result, it just mattered about the finish - he got there and I'm delighted for him. It's been a great event for us, we've won the Monte Carlo Rally with one team and my 18-year-old boy has finished 15th on his first ever trip to the Monte. Brilliant!"

Jost Capito [Ford TeamRS director]:

"This result is more than we dared hoped for. We knew the new Focus RS WRC would be good but we couldn't forecast that we would conquer one of the toughest rallies in the championship on our first full competitive event with a new car and driver line-up."

Marc van Dalen [Kronos - team principal]:

"What a baptism of fire! We've experienced the worst road conditions in years, some difficult tyre choices from the start, and the race to re-prepare Seb's car on Friday night - which had to be perfect in order for him to carry out the recovery drive he had planned. Then it all went down to the wire on the last stage. Seb has been astonishing, Xevi has brought us three points, and Dani has made a remarkable start. The whole team has been as motivated and enthusiastic as our drivers and co-drivers. The collaboration between our own people and those helping us from Citroen Sport has been instant and perfect. I hope that our work here at Kronos has been worthy of the faith Guy Frequelin placed in us and the expectations of our partners. And I also hope that we keep going down this road."

David Lapworth [Subaru - team principal]:

"I'm very pleased for Stephane and pleased with his result. Particularly impressive has been his pace in the slippery conditions. With his racing background it's almost expected that he goes well on asphalt stages but on this rally the conditions have been extremely difficult and some of his most impressive times have been on slick tyres in snow. I'm sure this experience will give him confidence going into Corsica and Spain.

"Chris has had a fantastic weekend too. To finish in the top six on his first Monte Carlo is a major achievement and he's done it at a very respectable pace. The hardest thing for a driver with Chris's talent is to drive with sufficient caution to not be caught out by the treacherous conditions. He's driven a very mature rally. He starts every other rally this year with prior experience and if he can combine this level of control with the speed that he showed last year it won't be long before he's fighting for rally wins."

Armin Schwarz [Red Bull Skoda - team representative]:

"The Red Bull Skoda team can be very happy with the outcome of the rally. I would like to thank the whole team, we worked together beautifully, the team work was optimal. Andreas Aigner did a really great job. We are looking forward to our next event, the Rally of Sweden, in two weeks time."

Raimund Baumschlager [Red Bull Skoda - team representative]:

"This premiere event really went very well for us. A huge compliment to Andreas Aigner, he met each of our demands, and he met them well. I was on his ice crew and helped him with his tyre choice, where we always took a safety first approach. Both drivers displayed the potential of the Skoda Fabia WRC. Gilles Panizzi was very, very quick at the start of the rally, but also today. An incident such as the one this morning can always happen."

Aime Chatard [BFGoodrich - rallies programme manager]:

"I would put this event in the 'very difficult' category. The conditions were delicate from start to finish. Despite Gronholm's handsome cushion, the leaderboard could have been turned on its head because of the tough tyre choice drivers had to make for the final loop. Manfred Stohl's time shows that the g-Force Profiler 0 was the right choice."

Mario Isola [Pirelli - rally manager]:

"We are satisfied with the performance of our Pirelli P Zero's last evolution in a such difficult rally. The extremely different and variability of the climate conditions put our tyres in a very tough situation. Nevertheless, the feedback from the drivers is really positive on all kind of road surfaces and also with the typical, massive weather conditions of Monte Carlo Rally. The new P Zero WX, especially developed for Monte Carlo's icy and frozen asphalt, offered Sarrazin and Atkinson the right support to get good results in several difficult special stages and both drivers were satisfied by the new soft asphalt compound RX9 and the new soft intermediate RE9, that improved the Imprezas' performance in braking and gave better grip overall."