Rally Norway 2007 – Leg 2

End of stage flashes from stage 14 Hamar

Overcast, 0 °C

17 Andreas Mikkelsen/Ola Fløene (Ford Focus)

There were a lot of people along the stage, which was nice to see, but the stage wasn’t so good.  It’s not really my kind of stage.

25 Juho Hänninen/Mikko Markkula (Mitsubishi Lancer WR05)

At the last junction I stalled the engine, but it was better because I didn’t lose 45 seconds trying to re-start it this time – like I did yesterday.

6 Daniel Carlsson/Denis Giraudet (Citroen Xsara WRC)

It was quite a twisty stage.  I’m glad to get through.  Now I can go to the Service Park, have a look at the car and try and find some confidence for tomorrow.

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

It wasn’t good.  I stalled at the last corner.  I tried to take the corner in second gear and the engine stopped. It was a stupid mistake, I should know better than that.

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

At least we weren’t slowest.  It was quite tricky, especially at the end. 

5 Manfred Stohl/Ilka Minor (Citroen Xsara WRC)

It was not so easy.  It was twisty in places, it was a couple of kilometers, there’s not much to say.

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

It’s good for the people.  I was very happy to see so many fans waving our flag, but after going off on the two stages before, it was good to get through.

19 Gigi Galli/Giovanni Bernacchini (Citroen Xsara WRC)

Nothing to say about this stage.  But today has been my most difficult day in all the time I’ve been driving.  I never see conditions like this.  I went off the road because I couldn’t see one metre in front of the car.

21 Toni Gardemeister/Jakke Honkanen (Mitsubishi Lancer WR05)

It felt quite okay.  We had no problems.  I pushed like to hell to try and get a faster time.

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

There were no problems in there.  It was nice with the people.  It would have been nice to put a show on but we are fighting.  We were flat out, but I tell you, the conditions in SS11 were incredible.

1 Sébastien Loeb/Daniel Elena (Citroen C4)

There is nothing in this stage.  But for me the day is already finished.  I went off the road twice and today is the end for me.

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

Nothing at all.  I want to be safe in this stage because it’s better to be number two than in the ditch.

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

It’s been a very difficult afternoon because the screen was misting up for me after the blower broke.  Sometimes I couldn’t see anything.

22 Xavier Pons/Xavier Amigo (Mitsubishi Lancer WR05)

No problems.  It was very narrow.  For the spectator it’s okay but for me I don’t like it.

20 Jan Kopecky/Filip Schovanek (Skoda Fabia WRC)

The stage was for spectators and I don’t know why but I never seem to be good in these stages.  I’m happier with the car today.  We went back to the springs we were using in Sweden and everything works better.

27 Tord Linnerud/Ragnar Engen (Peugeot 206 WRC)

Okay, no problems.

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

It was nice to come through after we had spent two minutes in a snow bank earlier.  I’m glad we’re going to the Service Park now.

61 Anders Kjær/Trond Svendsen (Peugeot 307 WRC)

It is still an incredible car to drive.  Even in a stage like that you can really enjoy driving. 

45 P-G Andersson/Jonas Andersson (Suzuki Swift S1600)

It’s very tricky in this kind of car.  All of the time you are spinning the wheels.  The crucial thing is to try and keep the speed you build up.  We seem to have managed okay.

31 Patrik Sandell/Emil Axelsson (Renault Clio R3)

I had one main goal today and that was to be fastest in this stage.  Now we’ll see if I am.  You know drivers think you can only lose time in these stages, but you can definitely gain seconds.  There, look, I AM fastest!

32 Urmo Aava/Kuldar Sikk (Suzuki Swift S1600)

For me it’s come as a big surprise to be quicker than P-G.  It didn’t feel so nice in there for me.  But okay that we finished.

37 Aaron Burkart/Timo Gottschalk (Citroen C2 GT)

It’s for the spectators.  Not for me.  It was a tricky stage though.  But not so bad as earlier when we spent four minutes in a ditch.

36 Jan Mölder/Katrin Becker (Suzuki Swift S1600)

I was glad the stage was quite short.  We have a cracked windscreen which means the de-mister doesn’t work so when we are in the long stages, it’s difficult.

47 Alessandro Bettega/Simone Scattolin (Ford Fiesta Super 1600)

I struggle a little bit with this car.  We can’t get grip in the slow corners, so this wasn’t my favourite stage.

46 Shaun Gallagher/Clive Jenkins (Citroen C2 R2)

The stage was okay.  It was nice for us to have studs in the tyre today.  But now we are making big changes with suspension.  And the car isn’t quite as nice.