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News and quotes SS18 (Power stage)

The intense drama and excitement of the tri-nation Central European Rally reached its grand finale with a final pass through the 14.87 km Passauer Land stage, which offered bonus points as the World Rally Championship’s power stage. The field arrived without former leader, Toyota’s 8-time champion Sébastien Ogier, who crashed out in a fierce battle with Hyundai’s Ott Tänak for the event win on the previous stage. Ogier’s exit boosted both Tänak’s push to catch his teammate Thierry Neuville for the drivers’ title and Hyundai’s chances of beating Toyota for the manufacturers’ crown. Victory on the power stage went to Toyota’s Takamoto Katsuta, earning him full 'Super Sunday' bonus points. This helped the Japanese driver keep Toyota in the manufacturers' title fight as the championship approaches its home rally and season finale. The unique format of the 18-stage Central European Rally, crossing Czechia, Austria, and Germany, made for a thrilling event, with victory margins never stretching beyond a few seconds. This provided great entertainment for fans and a global audience alike.



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

“Yet another example of how crucial the gravel crew’s job is for us. This was the only stage of the weekend where they weren’t allowed to go through. We didn’t have information about how the road conditions would evolve, and in the first corner, under the trees, people had been cutting more than expected. The corner tightened at the end and became greasy and muddy. I couldn’t turn in and ended up understeering wide, hitting the trees. I’m angry at myself, and I feel really sorry for the team. I’ve been trying my best, and my main goal has been to help them win the manufacturers' title. We were doing well, but this is the third weekend in a row where things haven’t gone my way. Tough times.”


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

“My mindset was to stay calm and let the car do the work. I felt more like a spectator, just enjoying the process. Big thanks to the team and the gravel crew; they all did an excellent job this weekend. Their information gave me confidence, and I’m grateful they didn’t let me slow down at any moment.”


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

“It was an important weekend, especially since it’s been nine months since I last drove on tarmac. I felt quick right away, and it was a good weekend. I learned a lot yesterday in the wet conditions, especially about setup. It’s been fun, pushing hard and doing my best. Thanks to the team for great testing, it’s been a fantastic season. I probably won’t be in Japan—I’ll be laying on the sofa, waiting for the best. But anything’s possible, as we saw with what happened to Sami Pajari this weekend. Now the pressure is on him.”


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

“I’m really, really happy. First, I want to thank my wife, who’s at home with our two children—our youngest is just two weeks old. I can’t wait to be with them. This result is beyond our expectations, and we’re thrilled. It’s been a season of ups and downs, and this is a gift for everyone involved. A huge thanks to our team, sponsors, Radek, and especially the Czech fans, who gave us incredible support.”


#24 Kajetan Kajetanowicz (POL) / Maciej Szczepaniak (POL), Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 

“I feel much better in the car now. The plan was to get ready for Japan, and I think we’ve achieved that. I made a wrong choice in service today—we were fighting with Josh (McErlean), but he had hard tyres while we had soft ones. Not the best decision, but it’s all part of learning. Big thanks to the team; sometimes they advised me to do something, I disagreed, and I was wrong. They were right. Now it’s time to go home—40 days, one day, two nights.”


#29 Miko Marczyk (POL) / Szymon Gospodarczyk (POL), Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 

“I’m thrilled because it’s our first podium in WRC2. I didn’t think it was possible to fight for a podium position here, but I’m grateful. Saturday was key. In the past, I’ve been good on Fridays, but this time we stayed consistent. Today, we struggled a bit, but we made it onto the podium, and that’s a huge success to end the season.”


#16 Adrien Fourmaux (FRA) / Alexandre Coria (FRA), Ford Puma Rally1 Hybrid 

“The first two days were a nightmare with the technical issues, but today was a clean run, and I enjoyed it. The car finally worked as it should. It’s a shame, though—last year, we were celebrating on the roof after winning WRC2. Not this time, but we’ll see. Maybe it will come again.”


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

“It’s been a tough weekend, but there are positives when you compare it to Monte Carlo and Croatia, where we were way off the pace. From the start of Stage 1, I felt connected to the car. We had a good test, and I’m happy with how my driving has improved. The result isn’t something to brag about, but we’ll see if we can pick up points in the power stage.”


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

“I enjoyed the weekend more and more. It was tough at the start on asphalt, but we improved a lot and had fun. I was hoping for a top-20 finish, and I think we’re close to that, so it’s been a superb weekend for us.”


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

“I think staying smart was crucial in these conditions. Not much happened on the first day when it was wet, but today was different. Huge thanks to the gravel crew; they did an excellent job. The conditions kept changing, but we did what we had to.”


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

“First of all, huge thanks to the team. It’s been a tough time for me lately, but with Aaron, the team, Juho, and Jani, everyone helped me get through this. The gravel crew did an amazing job. I tried everything today, but things happen in this sport. This rally is always tough, but I’ll keep pushing hard and give my best, especially in Japan.”


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

“It’s been a challenging event. We were in rhythm on Friday, but after a small mistake, we had to manage the race carefully. We wanted to secure the title here, but not at all costs. After the mistake, we knew it wouldn’t happen this weekend. Japan is coming, though, and we have a comfortable lead. I’m looking forward to it. Thanks to the team for another reliable car. Sorry for the mistake, but even World Champions make them.”


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

“I’m feeling okay. It’s hard to be completely happy after a weekend like this. There were some good moments, but we were missing a little something in places, especially on this stage. We weren’t fast this morning and not fast again now, but the first stage of the loop was fine. It’s been an okay weekend, but not great.”


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

“Let’s see. It’s always tough to fight a friend, and what happened to Seb is difficult. After that, everything changed, especially in the manufacturers’ championship. I made sure to have a clean stage and bring the points home.

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