News and Quotes SS 6 (Klatovy 3)

The World Rally Championship contenders hit Klatovy for the last time this year during the Central European Rally, and it was another stage win for Thierry Neuville in his Hyundai! He stretched his lead over Toyota’s Sébastien Ogier to 3.3 seconds before the remote service. The teams are gearing up to tackle the tricky roads in Czechia this afternoon, still fine-tuning their cars for the challenging conditions.

#11 Thierry Neuville (BEL) / Martijn Wydaeghe (BEL), Hyundai i20 N Rally1 Hybrid:

„I tried to play it safe in the tricky spots. It’s tough to find the perfect setup—it’s so bumpy! You need it soft because it’s slippery, but also tough enough for the high speeds and the bumps. I’ve tried the same setup three times, and it hasn’t been too bad, I think.“

#8 Ott Tänak (EST) / Martin Järveoja (EST), Hyundai i20 N Rally1 Hybrid:

„Not many surprises left now. Still dreaming of a good setup, that’s it.“

#17 Sébastien Ogier (FRA) / Vincent Landais (FRA), Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 Hybrid:

„It feels a bit like circuit racing now. Still some dirty corners, though. I enjoyed this one! Not sure about the time, but it was a solid stage for us. There’s a long way to go, so I’m happy so far.“

#33 Elfyn Evans (GBR) / Scott Martin (GBR), Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 Hybrid:

„I guess the others are just a bit faster. It was a slow run through. The dirt in those last few corners didn’t help at all.“

#16 Adrien Fourmaux (FRA) / Alexandre Coria (FRA), Ford Puma Rally1 Hybrid:

„Honestly, it’s really frustrating. I’m giving it my all, but the car is tough to handle. It’s unstable on braking, and it moves a lot over the bumps. We’ve tried a lot of setups on the road, but it’s really, really hard. The time isn’t improving. We struggle the most on the bumpy parts, and even in tricky conditions, we can’t find grip. I feel like I’m doing my best, but it’s just not happening.“

#18 Takamoto Katsuta (JPN) / Aaron Johnson (IRL), Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 Hybrid:

„I really enjoyed this stage. I didn’t take many risks, felt confident pushing. Everything was okay, but the next two stages? Those might be disasters, so we need to be careful!“

#5 Sami Pajari (FIN) / Enni Mälkönen (FIN), Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 Hybrid:

„It was quite nice, actually! I’m trying to enjoy this stage. It’s so clean and fun. It could be much worse, so we’re taking it step by step to get faster. The main thing is to stay clean. I actually like this stage, so doing it three times wasn’t bad at all!“

#13 Grégoire Munster (LUX) / Louis Louka (BEL), Ford Puma Rally1 Hybrid:

„Conditions didn’t affect us much. This morning was dry, and we struggled then too. We’ve found a bit of improvement, so we need to keep heading in that direction. It’s about adjusting the rear to make the front turn better.“

#19 Jourdan Serderidis (GRE) / Frédéric Miclotte (BEL), Ford Puma Rally1 (non-Hybrid):

„That stage was top-notch! Super clean compared to the last one. I think it’s the last one we’ll enjoy today. Maybe the next one will be good too!“

#20 Oliver Solberg (SWE) / Elliott Edmondson (GBR), Škoda Fabia RS Rally2

„It felt pretty good, actually. I made some setup changes to learn new things. It takes a bit of time to get back into it after being away, but when the grip is good, I can adapt quickly. It keeps getting better. I’m trying to go softer in some areas and stiffer in others to find the right balance. We’ll see how it goes!“

#21 Yohan Rossel (FRA) / Florian Barral (FRA), Citroën C3 Rally2:

„I definitely need to reset for now. The setup is a bit complicated, and my driving isn’t helping either. I just don’t understand the car right now. But I’m here, and we need to work on both me and the car. The driver’s the main problem!“