Thierry Neuville – Hyundai i20 N Rally1: “A small lead, but it is a lead, and this is the most important thing. The last time was in Greece a few months ago, so we are very happy to be in that position. Any position close to the lead would have been a good one today. I am happy to have found the pace and also the energy to fight for victory in a rally like this. Throughout the day I was progressing, getting more and more energy and motivation, and this was nice. The last stage was quite stable and had good grip, so I was able to trust it and go for it. We kept good tyres for the last stages as well, so we knew that on stages so abrasive and hard like here in Sardinia, having good tyres can make a difference. The important thing to do is bring home the car, and there is a strong reason for the team as well. Adrien and myself, we know what our target is. He is also chasing his first victory and this is his last opportunity in a Rally1 car. The rally is still long, but our target is very clear.”

Adrien Fourmaux – Hyundai i20 N Rally1: “It was a very positive day and we are in a good position. I lost some time on the second round this afternoon to manage the risk of punctures because there were many rocks, and then on the last stage I had the dust from Seb since the wind stopped. In some places I had to brake and slow down because I could not see. I decided that I needed to go through the stage with no issues. I chose three hard and three soft tyres because on the first pass I made a good choice with the soft ones and it was working well. Tomorrow I am not afraid of the stages. The new one, the tenth one, is going to be where we will see the biggest time differences.”

Elfyn Evans – Toyota GR Yaris Rally1: “We had a tough afternoon, obviously. We tried to do what we could within reason. It didn’t feel like we were going so badly, but the time was not good this afternoon. The beginning of the stage was really narrow and very twisty, so I don’t know if it didn’t suit me or if it was because I was cleaning a lot. Oliver is getting quite close to the lead and that puts a little more pressure on us to score a few more points, so we have to keep at it. Let’s see what happens.”

Sami Pajari – Toyota GR Yaris Rally1: “Unfortunately, we lost a few seconds on the last stage. It was quite a tricky day to decide on the right performance, basically for everyone on many stages. I would say it all comes from the road position. Tomorrow I will have more confidence, so we are still in the fight and nothing is lost, with two long days to go. The feeling comes from both the car and the road. Maybe I should just focus on tomorrow and go banzai.”

Oliver Solberg – Toyota GR Yaris Rally1: “I have to say it was a great day considering my road position. It was very unfortunate with the puncture this morning; we lost about six seconds. So then we played it safe as well, and in the last two I pushed harder, like normal. I feel that I was quite strong and hopefully tomorrow the characteristics of the roads are a bit different and we are all a bit closer together, so with only a few seconds between us, everything is possible. I have a shot now. I need to do everything I can. It is still a long rally, with tough stages, so I don’t need to go completely banzai, but I need to do my best. I enjoy myself when I don’t have to look at the screen and think about the tyres. When the road is not so rough, then I can go fast and do my thing.”

Sébastien Ogier – Toyota GR Yaris Rally1: “Not the best of days, obviously. We wanted to be higher in the rankings, but it didn’t go my way again. The biggest time loss came with the puncture. In the afternoon I was probably too afraid, too cautious, trying to avoid stones, so I wasn’t very fast. We will have to do better tomorrow. The first one, Monte Lerno, for me is the most beautiful stage of the rally, so let’s hope we can enjoy the driving at its best. The next ones are still sandy, so there can still be some surprises, but in the position we are in, we have nothing to lose. So we have to try to enjoy it and catch some positions. My teammates did what they had to do. It is a nightmare to be first on the road, so Elfyn did a decent job. You can’t lose less time than he did, honestly. Oliver had a puncture this morning, but after that he had a strong day.”