Latest Rally Quotes // 2009
Drivers' Quotes -
Day One...
S1
1 - Sebastian Loeb/Daniel Elena – Citroen C4
Very difficult stage, impossible to drive, not taking any chances.
5 – Urmo Aava/Kuldar Sikk – Focus WRC 08
Using winter tyres, delighted to be lying second after first stage.
18 – Gareth McHale/Brian Murphy – Ford Focus
Tyres seem too soft, very slippery.
S2
3 - Mikko Hirvonen/Jarmo Lehtinen – Focus WRC 08
Seb running at an incredible speed, I had no feeling now.
7 - Chris Atkinson/Stephane Prevot – Citroen C4
Broken windscreen, it was my fault, I didn’t fix the bonnet properly.
6 – Henning Solberg/Cato Menkerud – Focus WRC 08
It is very bad, I had not much experience of roads like this.
5 – Urmo Aava/Kuldar Sikk – Focus WRC 08
We made a good tyre choice, it is fantastic, it is like a dream come true.
22 – Austin McHale/Dermot O’Gorman – Ford Focus
We have been using the wrong tyres, sometimes we do not have much grip. Had a rear left wheel puncture about 15 km into the stage, I hit nothing.
S4
7 - Chris Atkinson/Stephane Prevot – Citroen C4
Getting the rhythm back again.
3 - Mikko Hirvonen/Jarmo Lehtinen – Focus WRC 08
We are being just a little bit careful.
S6
3 - Mikko Hirvonen/Jarmo Lehtinen – Focus WRC 08
Stalled the car at a junction.
9 – Khalid Al Qassimi/Michael Orr – Focus WRC 08
Had to tie the doors of the car to the roll cage, things getting worse.
22 – Austin McHale/Dermot O’Gorman – Ford Focus
Front left puncture about three miles from finish of the stage.
Day Two
S9
1 - Sebastian Loeb/Daniel Elena – Citroen C4
Everything is OK, aquaplaning in places, some black ice around, but no risk.
3 - Mikko Hirvonen/Jarmo Lehtinen – Focus WRC 08
A lot of water about, we also have water on the inside of the windscreen.
5 – Urmo Aava/Kuldar Sikk – Focus WRC 08
Windscreen misted up, saw nothing going into some corners.
11 – Sebastian Ogier/Julien Ingrassia – Citroen C4
Damaged the front of the car, lost the light pod, door flapping about.
18 – Gareth McHale/Brian Murphy – Ford Focus
Had to switch to manual gear change about five miles from the finish of stage.
S11
1 - Sebastian Loeb/Daniel Elena – Citroen C4
I have to stay concentrated, there is a lot of standing water on the road, I am driving my own pace.
5 – Urmo Aava/Kuldar Sikk – Focus WRC 08
I am cleaning the window using a sock with a stick inside it.
11 – Sebastian Ogier/Julien Ingrassia – Citroen C4
Co-driver has lost his voice, very difficult to hear the notes.
38 – Martin Prokop/Jan Tomanek – Citroen C2
We went into the trees at high speed, car not running straight.
S12
1 - Sebastian Loeb/Daniel Elena – Citroen C4
Very tricky second time though, a lot of standing water, dropped a wheel
into the grass and then found some vibration.
2 - Dani Sordo/Marc Marti – Citroen C
Stalled the engine at the hairpin and dropped 10 seconds.
3 - Mikko Hirvonen/Jarmo Lehtinen – Focus WRC 08
Drove very steadily, did not want to lose rhythm, still managed to set fastest stage time.
S14
16 – Matthew Wilson/Scott Martin – Focus WRC 08
Problem with the wipers all through the stage, had to hold the switch on.
Stage 15 - Geevagh
Urmo Aava: "Road is very slippery, it is strange because it is starting to dry out, don't feel any grip, it is real scary."
Matthew Wilson: "Very slippery in places, on top it was frozen."
Stage 17 - Lough Gill
Sebastien Loeb: "It's good not to have to push on the limit - the most important thing is getting the points. I know rallies in the future like Norway will be difficult."
Mikko Hirvonen: "I was a little bit cautious in places. But if it was a big fight I could have been faster. If I can finish third and get six points it won't be a bad start to my season."
Henning Solberg: Fifth place is still a good result - I'm happy. I have a new saying which translates as 'I can't beat that Citroen even if I stand on my head,' the original Norwegian version is ruder!"
Matthew Wilson: "The conditions today are great - the sun is out and there are loads of spectators. I've always said we should come here in the summer!"
Service Flashes...
Service 2
6 – Henning Solberg/Cato Menkerud – Focus WRC 08
Hit a stone on stage five, had a puncture, did not stop to fix it.
9 – Khalid Al Qassimi/Michael Orr – Focus WRC 08
Hit a tree on stage four, beached the car, spectators helped to get it back on the road, dropped about one minute.
16 – Matthew Wilson/Scott Martin – Focus WRC 08
Hit the same rock as Henning, got puncture but did not stop.
20 – Aaron McHale/Killian Duffy – Ford Focus
Puncture of stage 6, drove 5 km on flat tyre.
Service 3
2 - Dani Sordo/Marc Marti – Citroen C4
Stage 11 was the worst stage so far in the rally for lying water.
3 - Mikko Hirvonen/Jarmo Lehtinen – Focus WRC 08
The conditions on stage 11 were really on the limit of being acceptable. Prior to losing power steering on the stage we were competitive with Dani.
5 – Urmo Aava/Kuldar Sikk – Focus WRC 08
Only problem this morning was with the windscreen misting up. We also incurred a 10 minute penalty for not completing SS6 yesterday.
7 - Chris Atkinson/Stephane Prevot – Citroen C4
Delayed on stage 9 by Rautenbach’s accident and then by Ogier getting back on the road.