69. Neste Rally Finland 2019
1. 8. – 4. 8. 2019, Jyväskylä • gravel 307.58 km • total distance including road sections - 1373.67 km • Other years
Info
SS23
"I feel good! It's been a big weekend. I believe that the summer break came at the right time as I was really devastated after Sardinia. Now we got the perfect result, we had a great weekend and we need to continue the same. There are still 5 rallies to go - it's a big job to do."
"It is important - I have had a lot of pressure. It was not so relaxed to drive on this stage and I think the boys have been driving very well."
"I am very happy for the team - they deserve this so much. I have not been able to bring them results this year and now I have been able to do something good. Thank you to everyone!"
"This fourth place means a lot to me. It's been a tough rally in the past so it's really nice now to crack the code for this event and to have a great feeling in the car. The team have been working really hard this past 6-months especially. Now I feel like my old self again."
"I did everything I could. It was a difficult rally for us but I fought with every issue we had - including myself as I was not at my best yesterday."
"I tried but I don't know if it is enough. We made some improvements with the car so it is very encouraging. I was not on a good rhythm in the first stage and after that I pushed hard. With the road cleaning it was not enough."
"It's pretty amazing - I have to thank a lot of people. I was in an extremely dark place for a few months last year and people have come to the rescue - they know who they are. It's nice to be back at this level again."
"It's difficult to evaluate because I didn't have a 5-time world champion in my team. I was 2-minutes faster than Gus but this time it wasn't enough and we have some work to do for the next rallies."
"It looks quite good - we have really good pace on all rallies and we won a rally on tarmac here as well."
"We are at the end so we can take a lot of information about the car. We pushed very hard all weekend, even if you can't see on the times. It felt good inside the car and we need to continue to work hard to find some more tenths. There is a way to go but I am up for it."
"We had some problems and we were just able to manage this win. For the first time here in Finland to be on the top is really nice. Thank you to my team and all of the spectators from Russia who were cheering for us - it was really nice to see it."
"It feels quite good. Not many big mistakes or any problems so I am happy."
"To be here for the first time and to get a podium is more than I ever could expect. We started steady on Friday and slowly built up our speed. This is looking really good for the upcoming events in Sweden."
"I am disappointed with my mistake - to win here would be something special. It is what it is and it's completely my mistake. I apologise to my team who did a great job all weekend."
SS22
"I guess you can expect anything. Let's see what is possible in the Power Stage."
"That's good. Like I said in the morning, I don't want to do a stupid mistake and now I know the stage I can push. Even finishing third would be like a victory for me, so I am quite relaxed!"
"Let's say I know it's only 7-seconds to E.P, but it's very difficult to catch him unless he does a mistake."
"It's so good to beat Ogier on Finland where it's normally my weakest rally."
"Andreas is really quick. I am on the limit. Not a perfect start but in the second part of the stage there was nothing more I could do."
That's what we're here for. I'm still happy to be here fighting - it's more than what I expected."
"I had a good clean run and tried to not slide to keep my tyres in shape. Anything can still happen."
"At least I was enjoying myself behind the wheel - until I see the other times!"
SS21
"That's quite okay. We went in the wrong direction with the setup for the first stage this morning as it was too hard for the first pass. It's positive and we have to learn."
"I am happy and just driving through the stages I would say."
"It's okay. As everyone knows I didn't do this stage last year as I crashed out. It's always tough to discover new parts. I don't know if it will be enough for the second loop, but the last jump was very cool!"
"I tried to push more in here. It was more sideways so at least there was more attack!"
"We were faster in the first stage too until the issue. We proved again that we are faster."
"We knew it is a big jump! Not a good stage for me - we had a lot of small issues. Something was moving in the footwell."
"It was clear this morning that we didn't have the speed we wanted to pass Seb - now it's important that we finish the rally."
"It was an okay run. A little bit hesitant at some points with the changing grip levels. Not an easy stage."
"It was slippery. I was taking it a bit carefully after I saw Gus. Not what I wanted."
"It was quite tricky under braking. A lot of high speed sections where it was tricky to judge the braking."
SS20
"I'm a bit surprised - I was very clean so nothing special. Everything feels good so obviously we are in a good rhythm."
"We're playing it safe, stage was in a great condition but as we're not in any battle we just need to get it to the finish!"
"I was a bit too tidy to be honest but better this way than the way it ended last year! It's quite easy to improve on this to be honest."
"The driving wasn't what I wanted it to be. I am trying to find a good flow but something was a little bit missing - I don't know what it is. In braking, let's say I wasn't quite smooth enough."
"Suddenly the car was in neutral - I don't know what happened. As long as it doesn't do that again then we are on the pace."
"I am trying. I feel much better than yesterday so I enjoy the driving. It's going to be close, I know I will need to push until the end."
"I need to push more than that definitely. You need to stick your neck out sometimes in this game and it's time to do it."
"I had an okay stage - I tried to save my tyres. Like always, it's cleaning. I am going to try to have a good run in the power stage and try to see if we can have a good run."
"Feeling good. I enjoy to drive this stage - it was a good stage for us. Let's see how fast the others are."
"Being in Finland it's nice to see some braking marks! Kris is a nice person to have in front. You can't beat driving a world rally car in Finland!"
"Quite okay - it's a bit more sandy here. Not so bad."
SS19
broken rear suspension
were off
"It has been a really enjoyable day today. The stages are really nice and I had a lot of fun which is good!"
"Esapekka has been driving really well - I can only take my hat off to him. I tried to think more about manufacturer points and maybe I slowed down a bit, but that's the bigger picture."
"Very good day. The afternoon was even more positive than what I was expecting. A really nice day."
"It's been a good day for us - a clean day. It started with quite a big push but this afternoon has been a clean run."
"We are in the fight for sure - I am looking forward to tomorrow. Really cool."
"I went low with the car at the start of the stage and I didn't think it would be so rough. I was nearly off of the road on a number of occasions. Not a good end to the day."
"I struggled a lot - I am completely dead and I am looking forward for my bed!"
"We fixed the problem but we are disappointed for today with the cleaning that we couldn't fight. We will have to stay behind and see what happens."
"It's been a little bit of a disappointing day. At the end I have been on my limits. It's good to end the day and we have been able to have some good fun."
"We've got everything that we need - I think it's better and I'm getting more comfortable with the car."
SS18
"It's incredible. The roads are in really good condition and the car is working well. I am just having fun behind the wheel!"
"E.P has found something really good. I realised in service that I need to bring the car home and I can see that it is affecting my performance."
"Very good run - I bet my tyres are finished but I don't care! I want to fight with Jari."
"The roads are good fun when everything is working and the car is good. We had a clean run so let's see. I think it's okay."
"Experience! I've been on my holidays these last 6 months. I'm still struggling with the narrow bits - hats off to Andreas."
"That's just what we needed - game on! We had a really good stage."
"It's okay - I enjoyed the drive. The car is a little too soft at the moment but let's see."
"That was fun. I have something bent on the rear so the car was not driving normal at the end of the stage - I have to investigate."
SS17
"I am amazed - E.P is going really well at the moment. I started to be a bit too cautious, but it is what it is. I need to think about the manufacturer points - that is a fact."
"That's very positive. It's really a flat out stage most of the time. Perfect!"
"Let's see what E.P is doing from behind. The stage was completely smooth so no risks and we had a normal rhythm."
"There isn't a millimetre left in there. I did one of the best stages of my life there to be fair, I did't leave a whole lot on the table. Nice, I enjoyed, but I want to go faster!"
"I was flat out - really flat out! Not much more I could give through there to be honest."
"It's a beautiful stage - this one is not rough so you can enjoy a lot. It's super close and we need to keep pushing."
"I couldn't see the road for a while! This stage is fantastic to drive and the car is working well so I really enjoyed that one."
"We are missing quite a lot - this stage was proper rallying. I was pushing on the limit all the time."
"It was quite a bit easier. We got told we were starting about 20-seconds before we went, so I didn't have much time to prepare and it's quite rutted from the national cars. Driving for fun I think!"
SS16
Wheel off
"I like the car. On the next stage we will push harder - I was a little careful because it is rough at the start."
"The first part was really rough so it was quite slow for me as I was taking it carefully."
"Great stage time for Esapekka. I took it steadily - we were a little afraid of the rocks. I just took it too easy."
"It was a clean stage. I avoided all the rocks so I think we could have pushed harder if we wanted!"
"It was very very rough so we were really careful not to damage the wheels. We had a clean run, no worries."
"On the narrow stuff I just can't seem to get it together. The next stage will suit us a lot better - we'll keep pushing!"
"I was very rough - I was afraid to get a puncture. At one point I had to cancel my line because of a huge rock in the middle. You can attack hard but that comes with risk."
"You can not expect me to be in good form today but I am fighting. I was fighting a bit too much with the car here - it was rough in places."
"I continue driving - we take a lot of pleasure but we are not fighting for the positions that we would like. It's quite rough so anything can happen."
"It was a good drive. We made some changes to the setup and it has made the car easier to drive. It is really rutted and we had to fight with the car to keep it on the line."
SS15
"We have to concentrate on Lappi at the moment because he is the biggest threat to us for the manufacturers' championship."
"We chose the wrong setup so we struggled. I'm looking forward to trying something new in service."
"I don't know about the times. This one, I have never driven as slippery stages in Finland. It's fine - we don't have to push, but it would be nice to know where we can find more grip from."
"Quite okay - a few corners I was not brave enough but otherwise it was a clean stage."
"Maybe not as flat out as before. Now we have a little breathing space for sure."
"I made a couple of changes to the car and we're definitely a lot more comfortable. I never imagined that I'd be able to be this competitive so soon."
"It's been good. I stalled under braking and I was lucky to get the car going again. It will be an interesting afternoon."
"I will try to sleep a bit at midday service now. We are having a good fight with Craig and Andreas."
"The pace is there but with the road position I can not do more. Every car will go a little bit faster. The car feels good but there is no more we can do."
"Now I am overdriving - I lost some seconds. I am trying my best and I can not go faster."
"It's good experience. Fairly disastrous - nothing has really worked. We will go back to the old settings now and go with how they were yesterday."
SS14
"So so. I changed something in the setup - it was wrong and we had too much oversteer."
"A right-hand corner - my notes were too fast and I went wide and there was a big stone the size of a head in the ditch."
left rear puncture
"Flat out! It's clearly down to the performance. It's a good car but we just don't have enough downforce to beat Toyota on these roads."
lost left rear wheel
"Very sorry for the team [Kris stopped] but all of the Toyotas are pushing very hard at the moment."
"I feel very good. The feeling with the car is amazing - I'm really enjoying my driving. I tried to step it up on this one because I lost a little bit in the last one."
"I don't think it's a fantastic time but I am trying my best."
"I can't do more - since yesterday I am pushing very hard. There is still a lot of cleaning but I had a really good stage."
"The feeling is better - but still we are missing quite a lot. I was happy with my driving and the last two stages I have been absolutely on the limit."
"It was good - I'm really struggling to find some grip because of the loose. I got to have a really big moment in there so at least I got to enjoy myself a bit!"
SS13
power steering issue
"That is a proper stage. Not a bad run - we tried to push very hard. On the jumps we landed on the radiator a few times so it is hard to manage."
"This morning has been nice - the setup is correct so it is much more enjoyable to drive. I try not to take any big risks and just enjoy the driving."
"I knew that this stage is the one that Kris likes most and he did a really good time. We had a good run - it's an incredible fight at the moment."
"I knew this one I was looking forward to. The car is phenomenal I have to say."
"It's the same pace as yesterday but Mr Tanak is having a good road position now. I was absolutely on the limit and we have no chance! I will try to fight with the other Toyotas."
"Very good clean rhythm now - no drama. No risks."
"I enjoyed that. I think it's the narrow stuff that catches me - I don't have the confidence there just yet."
"I am more used to getting a good feeling. I feel more comfortable in the narrow sections but here we are not on the pace. It's quite slippery, so it's hard to know how fast you can take the corners."
"Breen gave me a nice shot before the start but I am struggling because I didn't sleep and I emptied myself all night if you must know the details! I will try to fight."
"I tried but the difference is very small to Suninen. I expected it to be more because I tried to push."
"It was a nice stage - my favourite one. I was enjoying the driving and I was pushing. Still, we are missing something."
"I've done this stage before so it was much better. I suppose it can't be much worse than the first stage - and if it is... well."
SS12
lost wheel
changing wheel
off road
"I tried to push at the maximum and I am close to the limit. I am doing my best."
"The beginning is really narrow and quite tricky. We took the hard tyre so it was quite slippery on the loose sections."
"The beginning is quite demanding on this stage and I also had a moment on a right hand corner over a crest. After that I had to be a bit more careful. The most important thing is to go safely through."
"When it's a new stage like that, it's always a challenge. We knew Ott was going to come fast today. I'm happy with my run - it will be a long and interesting day for sure."
"It doesn't matter. It was a good stage. I made a big cut and I had some mud on the windscreen which distracted me a bit."
"It's cleaning. A new stage and the beginning was more tricky than I thought in the recce. I'm sure we can do better but it's a good start to the day."
"I had an alarm for zero tyre pressure on the dash. It really threw me off - I was braking and hesitating on all of the fast stuff wondering if I had a puncture or not."
"I didn't do a very good job in the stage to be honest. We are fastest so far so that is a sign that more things can happen."
"Pretty slippery. I was quite sick the whole night and I am struggling to wake up now, so I have to force myself."
"I had a good run. I expected to have a bit more but I can only try - we will see how they do behind."
"Horrible feeling. We are just not having pace. I am pushing like hell and we can not do anything."
"I think my notes are a little bit optimistic so at lunch I will definitely make some changes. All okay apart from that."
SS11
"It's been a good day. It is amazing to go for tomorrow because the fight is so tight. I am a little disappointed with my time here."
"You don't get any better than this - on these roads in these cars it's beautiful. I think everybody is giving their maximum."
"Very cool. Good to be back on the pace - especially in this rally. I have enjoyed a lot today and the car has been perfect. Rallying is nice again!"
"It's been a good day but the afternoon was very frustrating. It's been tough. We will see tomorrow."
"I'm happy. It's so nice to be back again. It's late - normally we would be back in the restaurant at this time!"
"Everything was okay today. The car was very nice to drive so it was easy to have the confidence."
"It has not been easy today - I was cautious in some places. It's good, we are at the finish of the day."
"It was not an easy day. I tried to push on every stage. Tomorrow will be quite similar so I will try to do my best and we will improve."
"It was a nice day. We had one puncture and lost about a minute but still I am quite happy."
"It has been an interesting day - we had a really good fight with the other guys in the morning and finding some setup changes in service was good. Tomorrow we will see how it works."
"It was a good day for us. We are learning a lot in the car so we are looking forward to tomorrow. It is a big challenge for us but we have to work hard."
"It's completely different to 365 days ago! It's nice to drive these roads when you can anticipate what the car will do. It's been a promising day so I am looking forward to tomorrow."
"I am really satisfied. I think I did everything I could so I am happy with that. We are still quite early on the road tomorrow but it is close, so we need to keep trying."
"A difficult day for us - we struggled with the settings this morning. With the risks that I am taking we should be better."
"We haven't been able to set any good times but hopefully tomorrow we can find the pace."
"It's been getting better as the day has gone on. Tomorrow we will be a little bit further up the order than I would like to be, but it's still good fun."
SS10
"We have learned a lot (about this car). Lots of things still need work. Tomorrow's stages will be interesting, specially with this car."
"It was an interesting day, in the morning we had to push a lot. We have been improving the setup. This stage was quite slippy and difficult for me, not easy to find the speed."
"This is our practice day! Tomorrow we will change something."
"I thought I drove a very good stage. We need to try and find the speed that we had this morning."
"It was about as big a learning curve as the jumps are here in Finland. I don't think I can do much more without taking too many risks. We're getting there step by step."
"It's tight, very very tight. I ran slightly wide in a couple of places and I thought it wasn't going to be the best time. Tried to take a good line but still went wide, time is still good. Gonna be an imporant day tomorrow."
"The conditions are really good. I was just too slow in the beginning but it has been a good day overall. It should be a fair fight for the frontrunners tomorrow."
"We had a good stage. A really promising day. I have to say a huge thank you to Hyundai Motorsport who have worked really hard to improve the car."
"I've been fastest through so far most of the afternoon! Jari and Esapekka are coming hot behind. It's a long rally - Ott has done an incredible job first on the road today."
"Frustrating not to be on the pace. I felt I did my best, some tenths I can find but not three or four seconds. We will try something tomorrow and find the pace somehow."
"We are trying. It's not easy to keep up the speed for the moment. The rally is still long."
"I think I can be happy with my day. I had a really clean run and I gave everything I had. We have to keep pushing."
"I tried really hard. I think overall we have had a good day and we did everything we could. Let's see what tomorrow brings. No team orders with Meeke."
SS9
Nearly off the road before finish
SS8
"I won't be happy until I'm banging in the fastest times all of the time. It's going to be tight enough!"
"It's really rough and I am finding it quite tricky to know exactly how hard I can push in places."
"We had a good run but I know where we were losing a bit of time. I was fighting with the car too much in the ruts at the beginning."
"Everything is going quite well so far. I almost stalled on the upshift on the last junction."
"It was a clean stage and the car was working really well. Every stage the confidence is getting better."
"I'm enjoying it. I was a bit apprehensive this morning but I feel a lot more comfortable this afternoon. There was a massive rock in the middle of the road at the start of the stage!"
"Not even close. It's demanding for the Finn to not be fast in Finland. I've been trying."
"I should be faster than them but I am not. I don't know why - we are missing something. We are trying everything."
"It's getting quite rough - it was more enjoyable to drive this morning. For sure, Ott has done well in this stage."
"It is hard to say if it is worse. It's very difficult to get out from the rut - not enjoyable."
SS7
stopped
"The feeling is not so bad - we are pushing to the maximum. Let's try another one!"
"On the second loop it is much better. We made big changes to the suspension and it is driving as it should be. I made a few little mistakes but otherwise it is good."
"I can't see! There's something wrong with the bonnet and I couldn't see anything on the really fast stuff."
"It was enjoyable but it was really rough and I was struggling with the car bottoming out."
"I knew that Ott has a more difficult job now. We had a good run I must say. Esapekka is driving very good as well!"
"It was a clean stage. I think the setup was perfect for this one. We made some small changes for the roughness and it seemed to work."
"We tried to push very hard - pretty much on the limit there. The car is really nice to drive."
"That was enjoyable. In the best car on the best roads. If I had to turn left an go home I'd be happy. We've still got a job to do, but the pleasure of driving on these roads is unbelievable."
"That's crazy how fast they are going. I made a mistake where I lost maybe half a second but that's it."
"The feeling was better - maybe bottoming out a little but too much but I had a clean run. It's not the time that I was hoping for but the feeling was good."
"We had an issue with the extinguisher going off like it did in Chile."
"It's worse. There are some really bad lines and it is difficult to get out from the line."
SS6
"We are doing very well. In this stage we pushed like hell and made no mistakes."
"I tried to push but in some places I wasn't in the line. It's getting better and better."
"I tried to push but in some places I wasn't in the line. It's getting better and better."
"We have to work a bit on the car and try to gain some time. The feeling is good and it should be okay for the afternoon."
"In service we will make quite a big change with the car and we will see if it is any better. The driving was quite okay."
"We're getting closer and closer! What could be wrong; Friday morning in the forests of Finland in probably the finest car I've ever driven!"
"It's been getting better and better. The top bunch are so quick but at least we are doing okay in comparison to our teammates. I think I have some ideas on what could make this afternoon a bit better."
"The times are good. I am pleased with the car. In two stages our performance dropped - one was with my driving and one was with the puncture. We are in the touch zone!"
"Very slippery in some corners so I had some big slides."
"I have always been very slow in this stage so I tried to push here. It has been an encouraging morning - we are in the fight so we will continue."
"Struggled a bit in here with the rear of the car - I think the tyres on the rear are worse than the front. I'm happy with my pace this morning because 80% of the stages were new to me."
"Maybe I need to go to driving school or something!"
"We are constantly working with the setup. I have some ideas to work on for this afternoon. Obviously I tested in the rain and I think that is why we are missing some speed this morning."
"I am really happy with the morning - I did everything I could. The times that Ott is doing are unbelievable and there is no way we can match that. So far, so good,"
"It's the maximum I could do. I did everything - it was challenging but I am happy we are here."
SS5
"Not so bad but I lost a little bit of time in the fast section at the end of the stage."
"We had some moments but we tried to push."
"We did really big changes to the car on the road section and went more to the settings we had last year. There is a slightly better feeling now and we will see what we can do in service."
"I'm just having so much fun. I told Andrea that if there's a smile on my face then there will be times on the board so there you have it."
"We made some changes to try and help with the oversteer but we spun on a right-hander, so we need to go back to the setup that we had before."
spin
"We have a rear-left puncture. I was a little bit sideways over a stone and it damaged the tyre immediately. I tried to push as hard as I could so the time loss was not so bad."
Slow puncture on the rear-left
"Best of the rest - that's good already! I felt I was not committed enough at the beginning. The rhythm is still good."
"I made a mistake and lost a second. We are on the pace - it's good to see. It will be interesting this afternoon."
"Luckily it was a slow puncture but it was tricky towards the end."
Slow puncture on the rear-left
SS4
off road
"Everything is okay - I need to keep smiling. I will try to do my best."
"It's not too bad. I don't think I'm using all of the grip in some places so I have to learn."
"It's going in the right direction. Let's see - we have to do more stages to understand the car."
"I have to say - I am a bit lost as to why we are so slippery with the car all the time. I have to play with the car a lot to set the right angle, otherwise it is oversteering a lot. It's not easy."
"I went hard in there and, boy, did I enjoy it! This what I wake up in the morning for and I am so happy!"
"I felt really comfortable in the car there. The best person to judge myself against is Teemu so it's looking a lot better now."
"I had a good feeling with the stage. I really enjoyed it and the car was jumping very well."
"This Estonian guy is crazy - he is very impressive. It's very nice - the car is behaving well and it's so easy. Very good so far."
"It's been a good loop so far. I made one mistake in here which cost me a second but other than that it was okay. We are starting to see great results on roads that we have struggled with before, so that's really promising."
"It's good. I didn't find the way perfectly at the beginning. It's really important for me to get through this first loop cleanly so that I can push this afternoon."
"We lost the front splitter and that is effecting our limit. I am going flat out."
"To be honest, I tried very hard. If I do more then I will go off so I have to keep the rhythm."
"It was a good run. We are trying everything we can - it was a bit slippery in there so it should get quicker. I am happy with the car and I have a good feeling. I don't think there is anything that we can do to the car to make it nicer to drive."
"They are all very loose and there is nothing we can do about that. I have done well so far so let's see. It's not easy - we are really on the limit."
SS3
off road
"Kalle is going fast. There is no pressure - we are trying to set the car accordingly and we will see in the afternoon. Everything is new so there is a lot of things to learn."
"I tried to push but I just don't have the grip to do it. The rear is sliding too much and I lost a lot of time on the exit of every corner."
"I should be a lot better than that so we need to do a little bit more work."
"As long as we can keep taking some time back as the day goes on then we will be happy. Fairly cautious - this weekend is all about getting the experience."
stopped
"I did a few small mistakes - I tried to go with a sixth gear slide and the engine died completely. It wasn't a clean stage for me."
"I had a good stage to be honest - I can't do much better. The boys in the Toyotas have done a good job. Everything is feeling fine!"
"I tried to push in the fast stuff. There is still room for improvement. The feeling the car is very good - I have to say much better than previous years. It's much more enjoyable to drive than it was before."
"Really enjoying it. Here, I was a bit scrappy. A couple of junctions I came into too fast. We just need to tidy up the slow stuff and I think we can improve."
"I tried - I had too many slides in high speed places but I did my best."
"I tried but I don't understand what is going on. On many corners I have don't cut but there are no rocks there."
"A bit more slippery than the previous stage. I struggled a little bit more, but a good stage."
"It's difficult - I am trying hard but it's not so easy. The rhythm is no problem."
SS2
off road
"The feeling was good. Let's see in the next stage."
"We had a big moment at the beginning of the stage - I misheard a pacenote and I thought it was flat but it was a tight corner."
"Not a good feeling to be honest - I struggled. The car is crashing out all of the time and I thought I had a puncture in some places."
accident
"It was great but there is so much more that I need to get out of the car in the high speed sections. Let's keep going."
"A good run - the car is feeling really good, Mikka was perfect on the notes and everything was working well. We will focus on the driving all the time."
"It's cleaning, so the other times are good as well. I felt I could push more, so it's a good beginning."
"The start is quite narrow, so we are good there. Out on the open stage the Toyotas are stronger. I am happy with my driving and the car feels good, so let's push on!"
"It was okay. I am sorry for the team - we have a lot more downforce and I couldn't use it. We just need to use the downforce and we can make up for it later."
"I enjoyed it - I don't care about the time to be honest. I haven't done this stage before. That just felt nice - I am happy!"
"I'm surprised. The car is a little bit soft but I thought I was using all of the road - I don't know!"
"The car feels okay. It was an okay first stage for me. We expected Ott to be fast and we are not that far back. We have to keep pushing."
"It's tough. The car feels really good and I had a very clean stage. I will do everything I can. Let's see what is possible, but for sure, today will be difficult."
SS1
"It will be a tough day tomorrow and we need to manage it. Let's see what is possible, but for sure, we will try tomorrow."
"We will give everything that we have. It will be an intense battle here. We know that Ott will want to win so we have no choice but to push."
"We have worked hard since the beginning of the year, especially for this event. I hope this will benefit us at some point. I am well prepared and I want to bring back a good result from Finland for the team."
"We will drive flat out and try to go even faster."
"This is a fantastic rally. To be part of Toyota Gazoo Racing on their home event is special. I'm going to enjoy it for sure."
"It will be a nice weekend. I made a couple of mistakes here but it is a long weekend."
"I hope that if we enjoy the driving then we can be in the fight."
"There is so much support here - I have a good feeling for the rally. To get the fight feeling from the start tomorrow is very important and we will see what we can bring at the end of the rally."
"It's great. It was a surprise being here but it's good. I've got a job to do this weekend but I am going to enjoy it."
"It's amazing to be back again and get back on these roads. This is what I live for - me and Paul are ready to give it everything."
"The atmosphere here is incredible. Of course the stages are the best in the world so it's really a big boost on the excitement here!"
"This is a very fast rally and I hope that we will have a good fight."
"Now we have to prove the car's potential. Let's see tomorrow - I believe in the car and I will do my best for the rally."
"This is my first stage in this car. I think it will be a little bit of a practice all weekend!"
"If we have a weekend without any issues or mistakes then it will be good."