Rally Norway Leg 3

End of stage flashes from SS 16 Ringsaker 2

Overcast, -2.5 °C

1 Sébastien Loeb/Daniel Elena (Citroen C4)

“I am trying to do some new settings on the car and test them. There is no fog which is very good. Much nicer to drive, but for me there were still a lot of ruts in the snow and the car was jumping out of them “

25 Juho Hänninen/Mikko Markkula (Mitsubishi Lancer WR05)

“This stage is very different to drive from yesterday. Much nicer and it has been a good stage for me. I have had no problems with keeping to the right line.”

17 Andreas Mikkelsen/Ola Fløene (Ford Focus)

”Yes very different to yesterday here. Still a little bit of loose snow on the road, but apart from that conditions are perfect. And I can’t complain at all.”

26 Rune Dalsjø/Jens Olav Løvhøiden (Subaru Impreza S9)

”Unfortunately we went off in this stage and into a snow bank. I have lost thirty or forty seconds. It was a fast left and I braked too late had a spin and went into the snow.”

20 Jan Kopecky/Filip Schovanek (Skoda Fabia WRC)

”This is much nicer than yesterday for the conditions, but I still find it very hard to keep my car on the line. It is jumping about a lot.”

6 Daniel Carlsson/Denis Giraudet (Citroen Xsara WRC)

“I am trying to catch Pons for the eighth place point but he is sure not making it easy for me. My driving is much better this morning. I am more confident.”

19 Gigi Galli/Giovanni Bernacchini (Citroen Xsara WRC)

”Ok we did a good time but always we could have been quicker. I missed a junction and we go straight on.”

5 Manfred Stohl/Ilka Minor (Citroen Xsara WRC)

”Yes we are trying to fight with Gigi but we don’t have any long studs. It is OK for us through”

9 Jari-Matti Latvala/Miikka Antilla (Ford Focus RS WRC 06)

”Yes this is a good time I have done, but I am concentrating on my own driving and not thinking of trying to catch Petter.  If it happens, it happens. If not that’s ok too. I am going for the finish now. Conditions with my road position are much better for me than yesterday.”

10 Henning Solberg/Cato Menkerud (Ford Focus RS WRC 06)

“I am very happy with the road conditions today. I am flat out to beat Petter and I want some stage wins as well. I am very satisfied.”

7 Petter Solberg/Phil Mills (Subaru Impreza WRC 2006)

“We do not have the right tyres to beat Henning. We have to drive with the equipment we have and that’s just how it is.”

3 Marcus Grönholm/Timo Rautiainen (Ford Focus RS WRC 06)

“Yes with Sébastien getting no points I am happy to take 8 points. It is all OK for me. I am not trying to push Mikko anymore.”

4 Mikko Hirvonen/Jarmo Lethinen (Ford Focus RS WRC 06)

“Well I would be quite happy to keep on fighting, but if Marcus is not chasing now that is good. I really want to win this Rally because I have been leading all the way from the first stage.”

8 Chris Atkinson/Glenn MacNeall (Subaru Impreza WRC 2006)

“OK we are driving for the finish but the pace is OK this morning. We have only dropped five seconds to Petter in fifty kilometres and don’t forget he is fighting with Henning so it seems we are going better too.”