News and quotes SS 12 (Keply 2)

The second run on the Keply stage saw slightly better conditions than in the morning. This led to fewer incidents on the one hand and significantly improved times on the other. The fastest on the Czech track was Hyundai driver Ott Tänak, who reported unusual noises coming from the gearbox. His time of 11:03.6 minutes was 0.8 seconds faster than that of overall leader Kalle Rovanperä, who seems to be coping well with his melting lead: the Finn leads by a comfortable 39.7 seconds ahead of the final stage of the day.

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

‘That was actually a pretty good run. Maybe I should take more risks. But it wasn't that bad.’

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

‘There's no reason to change anything. I'm trying to drive at my own pace. Everything is fine. Even in these conditions, it wasn't easy.’

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

‘Let's see how it turns out. We're trying everything, but I didn't feel so good. There's a strange noise coming from the gearbox area.’

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

‘I had a bit more fun and the grip is more consistent. I couldn't adjust much in the tyre fitting zone.’

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

‘I didn't take too many risks. It was okay.’

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

‘I had a bit more fun. This time the car was better than in the first run. We made a few changes that worked. The problem is that I've lost my motivation. I just want to get through it. When you're good at a lot of stages and then lose everything again, it's no fun.’

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

‘We had rain tyres on crosswise because we thought it would be muddy with wet patches. But there were hardly any.’

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

‘It was tricky to drive with the “full soft” tyres. I usually like these conditions. But I find it difficult to push when there's nothing at stake. I had a few spins this morning, so I'm not taking any more risks.’

#55 Joshua McErlean (IRL) / Eoin Treacy (IRL), Ford Puma Rally1

‘It was interesting. Some corners are dirtier, but the line is dry. The damaged aero doesn't matter much here, but it will be different in Germany.’

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

’It's very slippery. But I have a good lead and rhythm. In some places the grip is good, in others there is none.‘

#23 Alejandro Cachón (ESP) / Borja Rozada (ESP), Toyota GR Yaris

’I tried to drive cleanly and not make any mistakes. It went much better than this morning. In the middle to end of the stage, I lacked the comparison to the morning and that's why I lost some time there.‘