News and quotes at the day's finish

That was day one of the Central European Rally. When the teams reached the day's destination in Passau in the evening, they had not only completed the first 25 kilometres of special stages, but also enjoyed a warm welcome at the big get-together at Bad Griesbach Therme at midday. There, one or two drivers had obviously reconsidered their strategy for the second run on the Golf and Therme special stage, because Kalle Rovanperä then set a fastest time, which was not enough for the lead, however. Before the second day, however, the gaps are extremely close, so the drivers had a lot to talk about. They did so in front of a large audience, as the grand finale of the first day was the presentation of the starting field in the Dreiländerhalle, including interviews with the protagonists. A great start to the evening fan programme at the service park! Here are the statements of some of the rally stars before the overnight break.

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

"Today was okay. We're in the lead – so it's a good start. But as expected, the gaps are very small. Tomorrow will be more challenging. There are more kilometres and more difficult stages. But so far, I'm happy – with myself and the car."

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

“It was a pretty good day. The gaps are small, the stages are short and everyone knows them well – so it’s full-throttle action. But it went well for us. It’s only the beginning, but it’s a good start to the rally. We’ll try to maintain this level. Tomorrow will be much more difficult than today.”

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

"I think we can be quite satisfied. I was a bit cautious in the first special stage because of the tyres. But otherwise, I'm happy and have a good feeling in the car. Of course, we're not where we want to be yet, but the rally is still long. The most important thing is that the feeling is right."

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

“We've only completed two stages so far. I'm very happy with the time from the first stage – especially the second section. On the last stage, however, we were driving in the dark and lost time in a wooded area. But the rally is still long and there are plenty of opportunities to make up time. Tomorrow, I'll just try to do my best and adapt my pace as well as possible to my position and the conditions that await us. I'll do my best."

#5 Sami Pajari (FIN) / Marko Salminen (FIN), Toyota GR Yaris Rally1

"I had a pretty good day, I must say. I'm not quite as happy with the second stage. Somehow, it didn't go so well. But we are in fourth place after the first day. I think the competition is very tough. Tomorrow will be a long day. The conditions and tyre choice will be interesting. But that's what this rally is all about."

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

It's nice to be back on asphalt. That was fun. However, it's been quite a while, so it's not that easy. I think we're in second place and we won the second stage. So not too bad.

#24 Jan Černý (CZE) / Ondřej Krajča (CZE), Skoda Fabia RS

“That was my first day with this car on dry asphalt and I really enjoyed it. The car is very good and easy to drive. I had a few problems with the auxiliary headlights. I couldn't see very well and adjusted them during the connecting stage.”

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

"It was a solid day. We are very happy with our performance. That's positive. We lost some time, so we need to improve on that for tomorrow. But we already have a few ideas where we can find that time. The second stage was tough. There were so many anti-cuts and in some places I was driving blind. That was quite uncomfortable. Tomorrow, the conditions will be more difficult – especially on the 'Col de Jan' stage, as there are some difficult forest passages there."

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

"I could certainly have imagined a better start. I had several problems with the car. But the day is over and now we're looking ahead to tomorrow. We'll swap out everything we can and then see how it goes."