Hyundai Motorsport :
“I think we can be pretty happy,” said Andreas. “We played it a bit safe because of the conditions. It was difficult to know how much to attack. There is still a long way to go.”
Dani added: “The main priority was to make it through to the end without too much trouble. Even if the stages were complicated to drive, we achieved our initial target and can now look forward to the first complete day of rallying on Friday.”
Our Team Principal Michel concluded: “Monte’s night runs always present challenges, and Thursday’s two stages were no exception. Friday will be equally tough and unforgiving. Anything can happen.”
Toyota Gazoo :
Tommi Mäkinen (Team Principal)
“As predicted, the Sisteron stage was a dramatic one for all of the drivers. To do that kind of stage as the first stage in the dark was really one of the most difficult ways to begin the season. I’m glad that I wasn’t behind the wheel! Our drivers made it back to service in a good position, and tomorrow is likely to be very different.”
Jari-Matti Latvala (Driver car 7)
“It was a bit of a nervous feeling at the start of the first stage, wondering how it would be with the icy conditions. At first it went really well, but I later spun twice and stalled the car. After that I was driving quite frustrated. We lost quite a bit of time but we got through it. It was a relief to hear that I wasn’t the only one to have some drama. On the second stage I was a bit too cautious in some places but the time was OK and I’m now looking forward to tomorrow.”
Ott Tänak (Driver car 8)
“That was quite a proper start to Rallye Monte-Carlo: it was already very tricky. In the first stage the first kilometres were quite dry but after this it was like a proper sheet ice. In one icy place I got caught out: the front left tyre just hooked in the snow bank and it was just sliding and pulling in so I had to stop and reverse to continue. I was a bit lucky there. Our tyre choice was maybe a little bit too brave. For the second stage we made some suspension changes and the tyres were working better, so it was a lot more enjoyable. Tomorrow there will be maybe a bit more rain, so we need to have a look at the information and get the set-up right.”
Esapekka Lappi (Driver car 9)
“I’m quite surprised to see the results to be honest. The first stage was difficult but it seemed to go quite well. On the second one I knew I would lose time because I didn’t do it last year, whereas the other guys know the stage already. I was also a bit too careful with the cuts: there was a lot of dirt already and I was just missing the confidence a little in these dirty places. I’m pretty pleased with the start of the rally and plan to continue the same way tomorrow.”
Citoën Racing :
Pierre Budar, Citroën Racing Team Principal
“Obviously, this wasn’t the start we were hoping for, especially as we had made the right call on tyre choice. There was a difficult section on the first stage, which proved more costly for us than many of the others. Inevitably, our crews were then on the back foot on the next stage. I nonetheless note the positive feedback from the drivers about the handling of the C3 WRC, and I have high hopes that we’ll back able to show that over the course of remaining three long legs.”
Kris Meeke
“On the snow, I understeered slightly, so I pulled the handbrake and ended up spinning in the middle of the road. Most of the time, you’d just turn round with the handbrake and set off again. This time, I decided to stay calm and just reverse to get the car facing the right way but, unfortunately, we slipped into a ditch. It was a stupid and very frustrating mistake. The feeling wasn’t great on the next stage either. But there’s still a long way to go in the rally.”
Craig Breen
“On the first stage, we got stuck on a verge for almost thirty seconds, and we needed help from the spectators to get going again. Without that minor error, we’d have grabbed the stage win. And then on the road section to the next stage, we lost time getting corrections from our safety crew and arrived late at time control, which meant we picked up a ten-second penalty, and we didn’t have the correct pressure in the tyres because we didn’t have time to adjust them before the start. It’s not been a dream start, but I’m really pleased with our pace when everything was going well.”
M-Sport Ford :
Sébastien Ogier (1st) said:
“We knew it would be tough to cross the icy section with slick tyres and we actually had a spin there. I think almost everyone had a moment in there, but luckily we didn’t lose too much time. The rest of the stage was also very tricky with the grip changing all the time and it was challenging to know where you could and couldn’t push.
“I was happy with the car and in these conditions and you need to be comfortable or you don’t have any chance to be fast. There are still some small things here and there that we can do to improve, but I’m happy and it’s a good start.”
Bryan Bouffier (8th) said:
“It’s been a really tricky start to the rally but the car is amazing and a lot of fun to drive. I had a lot of flat-out sections in my pacenotes which are not flat-out in this car but we’re getting there. I tried to drive a bit better in the second stage and there is still a very long way to go in this rally.
“You have to be clean here and it’s so easy to run wide with this much power. But we’ll keep at it, keep learning, keep enjoying and see where we are at the end.”
Elfyn Evans (10th WRC / 16th overall) said:
“We had an impact on the front-right in a cut. It was one that I had recced but in the dark it’s almost impossible to see. I don’t know if I cut a bit more or a bit less then I had done on the recce, but there was an impact and the tyre went down about 10 kilometres into the stage.
“We had no choice but to stop and change it and in the dark it’s very difficult to get the job done quickly. We were back in the car just as Dani [Sardo] went passed so a lot of time lost there. And fitting a brand-new, cold, slick tyre just as the icy section was starting wasn’t ideal either.
“It’s not been the best of starts, but there is a long way to go and we’ve got to keep at it.”
Source WRC Teams