Driver Comments and Overall top 20 after SS4
Weather conditions: Quite cloudy and some snow is falling at the start, windy, +1
Road conditions: Suface still very good, more gravel then first time
3 MARCUS GRÖNHOLM I made a small mistake in stage nr 3 and lost confidence. There was a lot of gravel on stage 4 and it had an effect on the tyres.
1 SÉBASTIEN LOEBMarcus was very fast in there; I gave it all I had. In the new part of the stage (first 9 kms) I hit something at the side of the road. In the recce there was a lot of snow on the edge of the road and you could not see what was inside the snow.
7 MANFRED STOHLIt was very difficult in that stage, I have a problem with the front dampers and the front of the car is bouncing.
4 MIKKO HIRVONEN Very difficult conditions in the stage. It was not easy to find the grip and we were using the snow banks a lot. Comment: Big smile. When asked how much he can use the snow banks this year, he answer with another big smile; “we are using them a lot”.
6 CHRIS ATKINSON Comment: He struggled through the stage with no power steering, losing over 2.20 to fastest car.
21 DANIEL SORDOI am feeling more comfortable with the car.
2 XAVIER PONSI am improving with every stage.
11 ANDREAS AIGNERIt was really difficult to find the best lines in there. There were some ruts so I tried to find the safest line in the middle of the road.
9 MATTHEW WILSONThe times are not as good the second time through these stages. The road conditions are not as good as this morning and it is very difficult to drive in the ruts. The car is sliding a lot more.
8 HENNING SOLBERGI think I made the wrong tyre choice for those two stages (3, 4) and the car is understeering.
14 GIGI GALLI Comment: Came to the end of the stage with a lot of damage to the rear bumper.
5 PETTER SOLBERGCo–driver Philip Mills: This is just not our day. Petter: The car was jumping out of gear and going into neutral.
10 KOSTI KATAJAMÄKIThere was so much gravel in stage number three that it took away a lot of the studs which made it very difficult for us in stage four.
12 MATTIAS EKSTRÖMComment: The complete rear bumper is missing and when asked if they went off the road, he answered, “no, we lost the bumper in that stage”.
15 JANNE TUOHINOI had no grip from the front wheels in that stage. It was the same problem we had last year. Comment: looking at the tyres, most of the studs on the inside edge of the tyres had come out.
16 THOMAS RÅDSTRÖMI have no grip on the front axel. I think all the studs are gone.
18 KRISTIAN SOHLBERGI have no grip, we have lost too many studs.
20 THOMAS SCHIE The car is sliding all over the place. The tyres are losing the studs after the first 6-7 kms.
22 LUIS PEREZ COMPANCMy objective is to finish all the stages but it is hard work. This is my first time here in Sweden and the first time on snow and ice.
48 GUY WILKSHe shook his head and said, “I just do not know why our times are not quicker. I feel I am driving ok and the set up of the car seems ok but I am really frustrated that we are not going quicker. We will just have to grit our teeth and keep doing the best we can”.
35 P-G ANDERSSONWe have no grip but no other problems.
43 JAAN MÖLDERThe gear change has come lose again. It is not as bad as this morning because I can still get all the gears but we have to make a permanent repair at service at the end of the day.
41 PATRIK SANDELLThese last two stages have been very tricky; the tyres are losing their grip after 6-7 kms so after that you have to be very careful.59 Peter ZACHRISSONI caught up with car 44 in the stage and passed but lost some time.
64 PATRIK FLODINNow it is good, I was very happy w my time in stage three. We are pushing to the maximum but I have no grip from the front wheels.
65 JUKKA KETOMÄKIComment: Was quicker than car 64 in that stage
73 JUHO HÄNNINENWe had to push in stage four, I had no choice because the boys in car 64 and 65 were getting away. We are very satisfied with our time in stage 4.
67 OSCAR SVEDLUND They tyres are fading very quickly in these conditions making it very diff to drive.
70 DICK WICKSELLThis is a new car for me, it feels too slow. I am normally driving a WRC-car. These production cars do not have good breaks.
74 HASSE GUSTAVSSONI had a puncture in stage three and lost over a minute but I am enjoying this car, it gives me a lot of confidence. Before the rally we fitted new suspension and the car is handling very well.
75 EIVIND STEFFENSENCame to the end of stage with punctured front right tyre. I have driven for about 7 kms on three wheels.
76 JOAKIM ROMANI drove carefully through the stage. When we did this stage this morning I broke a rear drive shaft so I did not want the same problems again.
Top 20 Overall after SS4
Pos No. Driver/Bil Stage Time Diff
1 3 M. GRÖNHOLM (FIN)Ford Focus RS WRC 06 49:53.2 00:00.0
2 1 S. LOEB (F)Citroen Xsara 50:04.8 00:11.6
3 4 M. HIRVONEN (FIN)Ford Focus RS WRC 06 50:16.4 00:23.2
4 14 G. GALLI (I)Mitsubishi Lancer WR05 50:21.9 00:28.7
5 63 D. CARLSSON (S)Mitsubishi Lancer WR05 50:29.9 00:36.7
6 12 M. EKSTRÖM (S)Skoda Fabia WRC 50:36.2 00:43.0
7 15 J. TUOHINO (FIN)Citroen Xsara 50:49.0 00:55.8
8 18 K. SOHLBERG (FIN)Subaru Impreza WRC 50:49.9 00:56.7
9 7 M. STOHL (A)Peugeot 307 WRC 50:50.5 00:57.3
10 8 H. SOLBERG (N)Peugeot 307 WRC 50:53.3 1:1
11 16 T. RÃ…DSTRÖM (SWE)Subaru S10 WRC 50:56.8 01:03.6
12 10 K. KATAJAMÄKI (FIN)Ford Focus RS WRC 04 51:37.3 01:44.1
13 21 D. SORDO (E)Citroen Xsara 52:00.4 02:07.2
14 2 X. PONS (E)Citroen Xsara 52:07.3 02:14.1
15 19 J. JOGE (S)Peugeot 206 WRC 52:39.9 02:46.7
16 17 J. KOPECKÃ (CZ)Skoda Fabia WRC 5 52:43.8 02:50.6
17 20 T. SCHIE (N)Ford Focus WRC 52:44.1 02:50.9
18 9 M. WILSON (GB)Ford Focus RS WRC 04 52:47.6 02:54.4
19 5 P. SOLBERG (N)Subaru Impreza WRC 2006 52:56.9 03:03.7
20 22 L. PEREZ COMPANC (RA)Ford Focus RS WRC 04 53:13.0 03:19.8
