News and quotes Shakedown

That was the starting signal for the third edition of the Central European Rally: during the shakedown on Thursday morning, the teams and drivers were able to check their equipment once again. Thierry Neuville emphasised that he was competing in the Hyundai i20N Rally1 to close the gap to the top of the standings. The Belgian clocked the fastest time on the 4.57 km track with 2:15.5 minutes. He thus distanced himself from the two current leaders in the standings from Toyota, Sébastien Ogier (2:16.6 minutes) and Elfyn Evans (2:16.7 minutes). The WRC2 best time went to Spaniard Alejandro Chachón in a Toyota, who achieved his 2:23.8 minutes on the third lap.

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

"Our morning went well, we are ready for the rally. We also validated a pace note for the shakedown, which will also be part of the first special stage this afternoon. So far, we feel good and have had a good preparation, so we are ready to go. As always, it will be a very difficult event, especially as the weather is expected to be changeable. That always makes the conditions here very difficult. I know it's a tricky rally that can really take it out of you. I remember last year well, so my plan this time is to get it right."

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

"The morning went quite well for us. It's a slightly different feeling to be back on asphalt now. It still felt unfamiliar on the first run this morning, after spending the last seven rallies on gravel. I think the next few days will be very mixed. Some stages look very dirty and are very twisty, while others are quite clean and not so twisty. And, of course, the weather could also throw up a few surprises."

#69 Kalle Rovanperä (FIN) / Jonne Halttunen (FIN), Toyota GR Yaris Rally1

"Things went pretty well for us. It was nice to get back up to speed at the shakedown. The feeling with the car was great, so everything's good so far. It's going to be a difficult rally with very different stages in different areas. That means a lot of things keep changing – it's a big challenge."

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

"Everything is fine with us. We had a clean shakedown, the car is working well. There were no problems. We are ready for a bit of rallying in the forest."

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

"We've been waiting a long time for this rally. After so many gravel rallies, it's finally time to drive on asphalt again. For me, this is definitely a highlight. Even though we're a bit further away from St. Vith in Passau, it's always a highlight for me and for many Belgian fans who come here. That's why I hope we do well this weekend and hopefully end up on the podium again. Unfortunately, it didn't start so well. We skidded straight ahead during the first braking manoeuvre on the first shakedown run, but after that things went relatively well. We were able to further develop the car and make small improvements that will hopefully give us enough power at to be consistently at the front this weekend. I think there are some great stages. In general, I think the Power Stage is a great stage, and it's also the longest of the rally. It has a bit of everything you find on the stages in Austria and Germany. That's why I consider it one of the highlights. However, the most difficult stages will probably be those in Czechia. Especially Col de Jan, which will be the dirtiest and where grip is lowest."

#16 Adrien Fourmaux (FRA) / Alexandre Coria (FRA), Hyundai i20 N Rally1

"The morning was okay, we completed three runs in the shakedown. That was good because the shakedown takes place in the middle of the first stage, so it's quite representative. It was nice to see the pace we can set there. I expect it to be a tough battle from start to finish if the weather stays dry. If there is fog or drizzle, that will really change the situation."

#20 Oliver Solberg (SWE) / Elliott Edmondson (GBR), Toyota GR Yaris

"The shakedown was great, we had some good runs. The route is partly identical to tonight's, so it's nice that it went well. We haven't been on asphalt for a long time, and we're happy to be back on solid ground. The next few days will be a lot of fun and very fast."

#27 Filip Mareš (CZE) / Radovan Bucha (CZE), Toyota GR Yaris

"To be honest, the morning was pretty quiet. We only did one run in the shakedown to see if everything was ready for the rally. We feel really good now, so we're just waiting for the start and looking forward to the rally beginning. I expect a lot of fun in the car and lots of fans along the stages who will be actively supporting us as one of the home teams. I would be very happy to see Czech flags at the stages. Hopefully we can show our pace and try to keep up with the top drivers in WRC2."

#28 Fabio Schwarz (GER) / Pascal Raabe (GER), Toyota GR Yaris

"It's going to be an exciting rally. It has always proven to be very varied here, with the different special stages and varying conditions. If the weather stays stable, I think it will be a little easier. But at the moment, it can always rain a little in Czechia, so it will be exciting. Shaketown was okay today. We had a few problems with the

load pressure. But the time was still okay. Let's see how we start today. We want to find a good flow. It's been a while since we drove on asphalt. Hopefully we'll have a mistake-free weekend."