News and Quotes SS14 (Schärdinger Innviertel 2)

The second full day of the 2024 Central European Rally wrapped up with a thrilling finish on the 17.35km Schärdinger stage. This marked the end of the Austrian leg in this year’s tri-nation World Rally Championship round. Toyota’s Sébastien Ogier took the stage win, increasing his overall lead to 5.2 seconds over Hyundai’s Ott Tänak, with just four stages left. Elfyn Evans holds third for Toyota, staying ahead of former rally leader Thierry Neuville. In WRC2, Nikolay Gryazin continued his dominant run, staying ahead of local favorite Filip Mareš. Meanwhile, Oliver Solberg, not registered for points, kept up the pressure. The crews now head back to Bavaria for the overnight service break before Sunday's two loops of two stages. Bonus points are up for grabs, and the 2024 title battles—drivers, manufacturers, and teams—are on a razor’s edge.

#9 Andreas Mikkelsen (NOR) / Torstein Eriksen (NOR), Hyundai i20 N Rally1 Hybrid

“It’s a beautiful stage, really consistent grip. Nothing surprising—just pure enjoyment. We don’t have much to gain today, so it’s all about getting the car dialed in for tomorrow. And I think we’re doing that well, improving with every stage. I feel good in the car now, ready to push tomorrow.”

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

“I’m enjoying it more and more. Let’s see if I love it even more tomorrow.”

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

“It’s fun, but some really fast sections lead into heavy braking zones. With soft tires, when you hit the brakes, they can lock up. I had a couple of close calls but stayed on the limit.”

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

“Pretty nice. This stage treated me well in the first pass, and I could enjoy it more this time. It’s not easy, but the car’s coming together—power, everything. It’s starting to feel really, really good. We’re moving forward.”

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

“Way easier than this morning. Just a clean run. My gravel crew did a great job today and yesterday. Tomorrow, I’ll focus and try my best to score some points for the team.”

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

“Yeah, it was okay. Didn’t have an amazing feeling. When it’s dry and everything’s shifting around, it doesn’t suit me as well, but it was fine.”

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

“The last two stages were drier than we expected. The first one was dirty enough, but this one was pretty clean. Slower, though.”

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

“A good stage. Towards the end, there were some slippery spots where I could’ve pushed a bit more, but I’m happy with the day overall.”

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

“Obviously disappointed, but the rally’s not over. Tomorrow’s exciting. We paid the price for a mistake in the recce. The pace note was too slow, even though it still felt almost too fast. A bit frustrating, but it is what it is.”

#22 Nikolay Gryazin (BUL) / Konstantin Aleksandrov (ANA), Citroën C3 Rally2

“Good grip, nice stage. I took it slow, no need to take risks. We got the result, and I enjoyed it.”

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

“Good fun. A really nice stage. It’s been a fun afternoon, so all’s good.”

#30 Filip Mareš (CZE) / Ravovan Bucha (CZE), Toyota GR Yaris Rally2

“Difficult day. The mileage was solid—one of the best in my career—but I enjoyed it. Shame about my mistake on the first stage of the second loop, but since then, I’ve felt even better in the car. We’re holding a good position, and that’s what matters. Just one more day to go.”