6th round out of 16 in the 2005 FIA World Rally Championship, 3rd round out of eight in the 2005 FIA Production Car World Rally Championship

FIA WORLD RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP
Cyprus Rally
Media FIA Pre-event Press Conference
12.05.2005

Present:
Guy Frequelin - Citroen
Isao Torii – Mitsubishi
Toni Gardemeister - Ford
Armin Schwarz - Skoda
Chris Atkinson - Subaru
Markko Martin - Peugeot

Q: Citroen comes with Sebastien Loeb leading the championship by one point, but with Citroen second in the Manufacturers’ Championship behind Peugeot. How worried are you about that?
GF: I am always worried before a rally. It is a difficult rally. It is hot, rough and twisty. For sure, anything can happen. It is difficult to have any expectation. I am worried.

Q: Does this Manufacturers’ situation put pressure on Francois Duval, who has not managed to finish rallies this year?
GF: Francois knows it is important for him to score points. It is no problem for the future.

Q: What did you tell Francois before this rally?
GF: That was a private discussion.

Q: This is a key stage for Mitsubishi in the season, especially after Harri Rovanpera’s error in Sardinia. Have you told the drivers to push at all costs?
IT: Yes. We have divided the year into two halves. The first half is where the driver must get confident and the second is where we must challenge for the podium. For the first half we said fast for four rallies and stay in the rallies. Then from second half we need to increase the pace. In Sardinia Harri and Gigi did a good job. I would like to continue this strategy, but these next three rallies are very tough. It is too risky to push. Here Harri and Gilles will be more careful.

Q: Would Mitsubishi prefer a car in the top three or would the team prefer a car to take a points’ finish?
IT: It is up to the situation. Of course we want to be in the top three. We need to watch day-by-day and give them some instructions.

Q: There are rumors that Citroen will not be stopping competition at the end of the season? Are these just rumors?

GF: It is sure that the end of the 2005 Citroen stops the WRC and it is sure that in 2006 Citroen will not be in the WRC. But we look for another discipline and it is very difficult to find another one like WRC. I hear that Mitsubishi and Skoda ask about the costs and the coverage. And if the regulations will change in the future then maybe Citroen will come back to the WRC, but not in 2006.

Q: Even without a factory team would Citroen support a private team?
GF: It is too early to say this. We have some cars and we could rent or sell some cars for 2006 and have technical support.

Q: How is the development of the new Lancer proceeding. What about the work with the front and active differentials.
IT: The first plan is to do this, but recent plans are to concentrate on active centre and mechanical front and rear. I say stop and concentrate on what we have now.

Q: So you prefer to fine tune what you have already?
IT: Yes.

Q: Guy. These rough and hot rallies suit your car well. Does Sebastian’s performance in Sardinia give you confidence for this rally?
GF: Yes. We are confident. But the problem is this rally is so different. It is twisty, rougher and the temperature is higher. It is very difficult and not easy to know. We have a strong car but I am more confident with the team than with the car.

Q: Do you think that Harri’s performance on gravel can be repeated?
IT: Yes I am sure. Last year Harri did a good job on these three Mediterranean rallies for the Peugeot team. I am confident. Panizzi is also clever.

Q: Gilles has not competed in a rally since Monte Carlo, do you think that will have affected him?
IT: He did Mexico. Every month he joins our test team. He is our primary test driver, so this is no problem.

QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR:

David Williams DW Agency (GB)
What would the ideal number of rallies be in the WRC in the future?

IT: I would like to say 12 or 14. For Mitsubishi 16 is too much.

GF: We say the same.

Toni Gardemeister (Ford)
Armin Schwarz (Skoda)

Q: Toni. This is your sixth rally with Ford in the WRC. How do you think the season has gone for you so far?
TG: Quite well. It was not perfect for me, but in Mexico I was a bit tired and sick. But feelings inside are good.

Q: You were leading the WRC after Sweden. Can you get it back?
TG: We will try to for sure.

Q: Mexico we saw the launch of the 2005 specification Fabia. What do you think of the 2005 car’s performance so far?
AS: I think in Sardinia it worked very well. We have not had a chance to show what it is capable of in Mexico. The rally was at high altitude. In New Zealand the car was working fine, but the performance was not there, so the only chance was in Sardinia.

Q: What are the strengths and weaknesses of the car?
AS: The strong points are good aerodynamics and I am sure that we can do something with the engine. We are always working on stability and handling. I hope we can show here how good it is.

Q: Toni. These rough events are rallies where the Ford Focus does very well. Why is that?
TG: The suspension is good, the car is strong underneath, but the suspension has worked very well.

Q: Do you think you can fight for a podium finish here?
TG: I will try to. We will try and go fast here. We need points here for Ford.

Q: Do you think these three events – Greece, Cyprus and Turkey – are the best chance for Ford to take a win?
TG: I prefer tarmac or fast rallies and I am sure we have better possibilities later in the year.

Q: Tell us a bit about the conditions you have seen after the recce?
AS: Conditions are not much worse than the year before. The first stage – the first 15 kms- is very rough and the worst we have seen in the World Championship. Going into an event like that we should have a chance to settle in and there is no chance. You have to survive and that will be a big challenge for everyone.

Q: Has the event changes since 1996 when you won before it was a round of the WRC?
AS: It started in Nicosia in 1996. The competition was much less and the roads were more twisty and less rough back in 1996.

Q: What happens if it rains like it has done in the past?
AS: I remember in 2002 there was a big flooding. It quickly turned into Safari conditions and we all were on a very hard tyre compound. It is not easy in these conditions, but it is the same for everybody.

Q: In Sardinia your boss Jost Capito was happy with your performance and there is a good chance of you keeping your seat in 2006. How do you feel about that?
TG: If we can keep a good speed during the year, why not?

Q: You are the oldest driver in a factory seat. Do you see yourself carrying on for many years?
AS: I think until 2020….!

Chris Atkinson (Subaru)
Markko Martin (Peugeot)

Q: You have set some fastest times and been at the sharp end of the leader board. What next?
CA: I need to get a good overall result. Now we need some points and a good finish. But to be where we are at is nice at this stage.

Q: Are you going to try and continue to demonstrate the speed you have here or have you changed your objective here?
CA: We have been unlucky so far. We will try and keep the pace. It Italy is was a minor problem on the road, so I think we can run at this pace and learn where to take it a bit easier and where to push and judge the speed.

Q: Have you surprised yourself with your rate of progress?
CA: You never know where you are going to be when you come here. There are a lot of good drivers. It was nice to start setting good times early. It gives you a lot more confidence.

Q: Markko. What sort of progress have you seen with the 307. You said in New Zealand that it is working better with more left foot brake?
MM: Yes it worked well at the end of New Zealand, but we cannot use the same method here.

Q: What has been the biggest challenge in getting to grips with this car?
MM: It is a different car. It works in different ways. Trying to unleash a bit more speed. I cannot put my finger on one thing. If I could put my finger on one thing it would be easy.

Q: One thing we have seen is the car being strong and reliable. Is that going to help here in Cyprus?
MM: Sure the car has been very reliable this year. We had no technical problems and that has helped us finish rallies. This is one of the roughest events of the season and you need to have a reliable car here.

Q: This surface of slow, hot, warm abrasive gravel means you have to be precise. How will you cope with this new experience?
CA: We are used to heat in Australia where I come from. We have done rallies in 40-degree heat. Rough stages are totally new. I have done some rough rallies in the Asia-Pacific, but this will be a case of finding the rhythm that you can keep up. It is a fine line. I hope to build up through the weekend.

Q: From the driver’s point of view, are the stages here enjoyable to drive?
MM: It has never been my favourite rally in the championship. The stages are not getting any better. The roads are very rough. It is not going to be easy or enjoyable for the drivers and it will be hard on the cars. Hopefully we can benefit from reliability.

Q: Is the roughest you have ever seen this event?
MM: Stage one is very rough. It is worse every year. If no work has been done on the stage next year it will be hell for the Group N cars.

Q: Subaru showed speed here last year, but a few mechanical issues slowed the team. Have these been sorted now?
CA: Yes. Petter was very fast and set some good times. The car and he can go well again. The car can run at a top pace and the team is very confident.

Q: What about driving in these temperatures.
CA: The biggest thing is the air flow in the car and because you are going so slow you need some extra fans in the car. The stages create extra physical demands on your arms, so it not like sitting there just driving. You have to work hard and make sure you keep fluids up and stay hydrated.

Q: Markko. You are third in the series so far. What are your chances of challenging for the overall title this year?
MM: If I can help my team Peugeot to win the Manufacturers’ title I will be very happy. This year I need to score as many points as I can for the team. At the moment I am happy. The title for me is not realistic.

Event Timetable

Thursday 12 May: Ceremonial Start

Start Limassol Promenade 20.30

Friday 13 May: Leg 1 Limassol - Limassol

Start Limassol 08.30
SS1 Lagoudera - Spilia 38.32km 09.38
SS2 Kourdali - Asinou 15.00km 10.46
SS3 Asinou - Agios Theodoros 7.57km 11.24
Serv A Limassol (30 mins) 12.59
SS4 Lagoudera - Spilia 38.32km 14.37
SS5 Kourdali - Asinou 15.00km 15.45
SS6 Asinou - Agios Theodoros 7.57km 16.23
Serv B Limassol (flexi 45 mins) 17.38
Finish Limassol 18.23

Total 121.78km

Saturday 14 May: Leg 2 Limassol - Limassol

Serv C Limassol (10 mins) 07.45
SS7 Platres - Saittas 11.12km 08.48
SS8 Foini - Koilinia 30.33km 09.31
SS9 Galatareia - Pentalia 13.33km 10.29
Serv D Limassol (30 mins) 12.29
SS10 Platres - Saittas 11.12km 13.52
SS11 Foini - Koilinia 30.33km 14.35
SS12 Galatareia - Pentalia 13.33km 15.33
Serv E Limassol (flexi 45 mins) 17.13
Finish Limassol 17.58

Total 109.56km

Sunday 15 May: Leg 3 Limassol - Limassol

Serv F Limassol (10 mins) 06.00
SS13 Vavatsinia - Mandra Kambiou 25.24km 07.18
SS14 Machairas - Agioi Vavatsinias 12.94km 08.16
SS15 Kellaki - Foinikaria 9.49km 09.04
Serv G Limassol (30 mins) 10.14
SS16 Vavatsinia - Mandra Kambiou 25.24km 11.52
SS17 Machairas - Agioi Vavatsinias 12.94km 12.50
SS18 Kellaki - Foinikaria 9.49km 13.38
Serv H Limassol (20 mins) 14.31
Finish Limassol Promenade 15.17

Total 95.34km
Rally Total 326.68km

Leading positions after the first day of the rally:

1 LOEB/ELENA CITROEN TOTAL 2:01:10.8
2 STOHL/MINOR Citroën Xsara WRC +02:04.2
3 SOLBERG/MENKERUD BP FORD WORLD RALLY TEAM +03:01.8
4 MARTIN/PARK MARLBORO PEUGEOT TOTAL +03:16.8
5 WARMBOLD/ORR BP FORD WORLD RALLY TEAM +03:44.3
6 DUVAL/PREVOT CITROEN TOTAL +04:47.7
7 ROVANPERA/PIETILAINEN MITSUBISHI MOTORS MOTOR SPORTS +05:04.7
8 GARDEMEISTER/HONKANEN BP FORD WORLD RALLY TEAM +05:26.7
9 TUOHINO/MARKKULA SKODA MOTORSPORT +05:47.6
10 KRESTA/MOZNY BP FORD WORLD RALLY TEAM +05:56.8
11 CARLSSON/ANDERSSON Peugeot 206 WRC +10:23.1

Driver's comments after Leg 1

Sébastien Loeb / Daniel Elena: "We always knew Cyprus was going to be tough. But not this tough! The stages are just as we left them last year. Today's long test [SS1 and 4, Lagoudera/Spilia, more than 38 km] was the worst of all. Incredible! Even driving at a snail's pace it was an absolute bone-shaker. There's no gravel left. We're driving directly over rocks."

Francois Duval / Stephane Prevot: I incurred a 70-second time penalty and then dropped close to 2 minutes in the stage itself. After that, a rear suspension joint came loose during the second loop of stages and I had to ease off. But given all that's happened today, there's still everything to play for!"

Manfred Stohl / Ilka Minor: "I had a minor problem with the gearshift paddle but the car's set-up was perfect and I made a good choice of tyres for this afternoon's loop. I couldn't really ask for better than 2nd place!" Guy Fréquelin was obviously very pleased with the Austrian crew's run: "It underlines the performance, quality of preparation and reliability of our customer cars, a good pointer for anyone who's thinking of hiring or buying one…"

Petter Solberg / Phil Mills: "It's very disappointing. Today has been so difficult I can't really believe it. The conditions were terrible; it was an effort just to complete the stages, as they were so rough. We had worked hard to prepare for this rally, but we weren't expecting any of the problems that we have encountered today. It's a very unusual rally and a very unusual situation. We'll wait and see how the car is, but of course I hope to start again tomorrow. That's the plan and I really believe that after what we've seen today it's possible for me to finish on the podium. I've often said anything is possible and tonight I believe that more than ever."

Chris Atkinson/Glen Macneall: "We started this rally at a comfortable pace because we knew the roads would be rough and cut up quickly. Perhaps through the first stage we were almost too safe, but we quickly gathered the pace and my confidence increased. But before we could make any real impact the clutch started to slip and that was the end of our day. It's certainly a shame to finish another Leg like this, as personally I wanted to get the car all the way to the finish. But, looking at my development programme, the opportunity to get more experience is the far bigger priority and I have to be grateful that the rules allow me to do that."

Toni Gardemeister/Jakke Honkanen: "The overheating caused the anti-lag system to stop working. The engine went into 'safe' mode to control the temperature and took away throttle response. It wasn't a big problem. On the first test I had a difficulty with the brakes, which is quite funny now. The brake fluid bottle came loose and fell on the floor, jamming under the brake pedal. I couldn't press the pedal all the way down and I couldn't move the bottle either!"

Roman Kresta/Jan Mozny: "It's been an incredible afternoon, very, very difficult. The time loss means we have a bad start position tomorrow but I'm still in the rally and that's the important thing. After the punctures this afternoon, my only aim was to get the car back to service. It was tough but we did it and now the team can replace the suspension so that the car is perfect again tomorrow."

Marcus Gronhölm / Timo Rautiainen: "There was nothing I could do. The engine gradually lost power and the water temperature rose steadily for about six or seven kilometres before it died altogether. Before I saw from our screen that we were fastest on the split times, without pushing especially hard. The car and tyres work well in conditions which are quite awful: the first part of the stage reminded me of the Safari in Kenya! I'm obviously very disappointed - I would have liked to have scored some precious points here."

Markko Martin/Michael Park: "Actually today has not been such a surprise to me. As soon as I saw the conditions of the stages in the recce I knew it would be like this. I lost time on the first stage but I thought that if I stayed out of trouble I would get it back. During the afternoon I had no problems at all so I was able to get back up to fourth. I can't say that I have really enjoyed today, as everything here is a bit of a lottery. But if I continue to steer clear of problems then everything is possible. It's that sort of rally."

Harri Rovanpera/Risto Pietiläinen: "It was a rear diff problem this afternoon, which gave the same feeling like a slipping clutch. The engine was also intermittently cutting out in the last two stages this afternoon, just when we were in third and fourth gears, so I had to complete both of these stages with just first and second. The conditions really are as bad as I have ever seen them here, but maybe it will be a little bit easier tomorrow."

Gilles Panizzi/Hervé Panizzi: "This morning was difficult with the engine and transmission problems, but at least we are still here. This afternoon our first puncture in stage four was just after the start so it has been impossible to push this afternoon. We also need to do some work with the suspension; we have to understand more what is happening."

Janne Tuohino/Mikko Markkula: "Today has possibly been the most difficult day's rallying I have ever done! The important thing was that I escaped most of the problems that everyone else had so it's not been a bad day after all. Tomorrow's stages are better but my plan is still to try and stay out of trouble."

Armin Schwarz/Klaus Wicha: "The car was working the same as in Sardinia and I had a good feeling with the way it was handling on these roads. Unfortunately the alternator belt came off on the road section after SS3 and without it the battery could not last very long. We tried to reach service but had to stop with about 20kms to go. We can continue tomorrow and, having seen the way things happen on this rally, who knows what the final result might be?"

Leading positions after the second day of the rally:

LOEB/ELENA CITROEN TOTAL 3:35:33.9
2 STOHL/MINOR Citroën Xsara WRC +03:14.0
3 SOLBERG/MENKERUD BP FORD WORLD RALLY TEAM +04:15.4
4 MARTIN/PARK MARLBORO PEUGEOT TOTAL +04:34.9
5 GARDEMEISTER/HONKANEN BP FORD WORLD RALLY TEAM +07:11.8
6 KRESTA/MOZNY BP FORD WORLD RALLY TEAM +08:27.3
7 ROVANPERA/PIETILAINEN MITSUBISHI MOTORS MOTOR SPORTS +11:11.6
8 TUOHINO/MARKKULA SKODA MOTORSPORT +13:15.3
9 CARLSSON/ANDERSSON 206 WRC +14:06.2
10 WARMBOLD/ORR BP FORD WORLD RALLY TEAM +15:06.9
11 ATKINSON/McNEAL SUBARU WORLD RALLY TEAM +25:34.2
12 PANIZZI/PANIZZI MITSUBISHI MOTORS MOTOR SPORTS +29:23.1
13 SCHWARZ/WICHA SKODA MOTORSPORT +30:39.0

Driver's comments after Leg 2

Sébastien Loeb / Daniel Elena: "I am pleased, of course. We didn't have any problems with the car and I didn't make any mistakes. Those two points were essential today and will be again tomorrow. I can't remember having previously led a WRC rally by such a big margin and it's a weird feeling. I tell myself that I am my own biggest rival. I must stay concentrated to avoid the sort of troubles that have decimated the field, especially since today's stages were in a better condition than yesterday's. Tomorrow's are rougher. When it's like that, when you haven't got a fight on your hands, you suffer at the same time as your car and it's difficult to derive any real pleasure."

Francois Duval / Stephane Prevot: "The braking zone for the right-hand turn was bumpy. Bumpier than first time through. I braked a little too late, missed the apex and under-steered off the road down a two-metre bank. The front of the car hit a tree and the impact damaged the fuel injection system. A small fire broke out but that was swiftly put out by the onboard extinguishers. I didn't succeed in opening the bonnet but I estimated that the damage wasn't too bad and tried to re-start. However, fire broke out again and the flames spread to the dry undergrowth around the car. There was nothing we could do."

Manfred Stohl / Ilka Minor: "My Citroën is going very, very well. Kronos Racing are good listeners and very reactive when I ask for something. Their work is impeccable. Personally, I am taking it easy everywhere whenever the conditions dictate. There's only one day to go and although that's by no means a foregone conclusion, I find myself dreaming that I can finish on the podium. For a 'privateer', that really is something!"

Chris Atkinson/Glen Macneall: "We've seen some pretty rough conditions out there again today, especially on the second pass through the stages, but we've managed to keep out of trouble and have had a productive day. I'm in the fortunate position of being able to experiment with different driving styles and car settings to get the best performance in these conditions. I'm looking forward to doing more of the same on tomorrow's final."

Toni Gardemeister/Jakke Honkanen: "I must have hit something but I don't know what. The mousse came out of the tyre and I had to continue to the finish like that. I've been happy with the car. I tried to drive smoothly and straight to avoid the stones but this is not what rallying is about for me. I'm not pushing too hard because if I try to drive flat out on these rocky roads then there is a chance that something will break. It's the same for everyone. I will try to continue at the same speed tomorrow."

Roman Kresta/Jan Mozny: "The roads were less rough today and the afternoon pass through the stages was easier than the first run this morning. There was quite a lot of loose gravel on the surface this morning but I prefer that to what we had yesterday. On the last stage we had a couple of close escapes with big rocks that were lying right in the middle of the track."

Markko Martin/Michael Park: "It's not been a bad day, and I've had no real problems. I've just concentrated on keeping the car on the road and avoiding all the dramas that seem to have affected everybody else. I am currently second of the manufacturer entries, and with no chance of taking the lead there is no point in pushing. This rally has been a real trial, and I'm just looking forward to getting to the finish tomorrow."

Harri Rovanpera/Risto Pietiläinen: "We hit a rock that then came into the wheel housing and lodged into the damper, which obviously then got blocked. The suspension arm broke and although we tried to continue it was better to stop, not cause any more damage and be able to re-start tomorrow."

Gilles Panizzi/Hervé Panizzi: "The car is still not to my liking and I am having to fight with it too much. The second loop of stages this afternoon was maybe 50 per cent better than yesterday; some of which was as rough as Kenya! But, we are still here, starting tomorrow and that is a good thing."

Janne Tuohino/Mikko Markkula: "We started well and today's roads were a bit smoother than yesterday's although that still means they are very rough. About 5kms into the second stage we lost power and at the end we found that the turbo pipe had been shaken off. It only took a few minutes to fix it and although we lost a lot of time it only cost us one place and we've since made that up this afternoon."

Armin Schwarz/Klaus Wicha: "Today was all about trying to drive with caution, almost at cruise speed, to stay out of trouble. Unfortunately we ran over a big rock about 6kms into SS11 which kicked the car into the air from the impact with the sump guard. It was just before a corner and so we went off the road and couldn't get back on. The car isn't damaged and we should be back out again tomorrow."

Final positions after the third day of the rally:

1 LOEB/ELENA CITROEN TOTAL 5:02:29.4
2 STOHL/MINOR Citroën Xsara WRC +04:09.5
3 MARTIN/PARK MARLBORO PEUGEOT TOTAL +04:41.9
4 SOLBERG/MENKERUD BP FORD WORLD RALLY TEAM +05:15.7
5 GARDEMEISTER/HONKANEN BP FORD WORLD RALLY TEAM +07:37.3
6 KRESTA/MOZNY BP FORD WORLD RALLY TEAM +10:17.4
7 ROVANPERA/PIETILAINEN MITSUBISHI MOTORS MOTOR SPORTS +12:18.7
8 CARLSSON/ANDERSSON 206 WRC +16:03.2
9 TUOHINO/MARKKULA SKODA MOTORSPORT +16:46.3
10 ATKINSON/McNEAL SUBARU WORLD RALLY TEAM +27:01.5

Driver's comments after Leg 3

Sébastien Loeb / Daniel Elena: "This is the moment we've been waiting for, for the past two days. Ever since the real battle ended in fact. It's a bit of a strange win and I feel a certain relief that it's over. The car was perfect and didn't give us any problems, and we didn't make any mistakes. This win may not have been all that exciting but, like all the others, it's worth ten valuable points!"

Manfred Stohl / Ilka Minor: "I'm not one to show my feelings, but I'm thrilled to bits inside! I am pleased that I succeeded in holding off Henning Solberg and then Markko Märtin. I also want to underline the excellent work put in by the Kronos team. This is a great result for all those who believed in me at the beginning of my career and who enabled me to make a living out of my passion."

Chris Atkinson/Glen Macneall: "The event didn't get off to the best start for us, but in fact, once the competitive pressure lifted, we had a great opportunity to experiment with the car and learn more about the conditions. We ran at a consistent and safe pace and I think we've made some useful steps ahead of Greece and Turkey. We've still got some more work to do of course, especially in the slow corners, but I'm pleased with what we've achieved here this weekend."

Toni Gardemeister/Jakke Honkanen: "The times might not suggest it, but I drove quite slowly today. It's hard to find a good rhythm when the pace is not 100 per cent and you're driving at a speed so that you don't make a mistake. We weren't on full attack but couldn't drop our speed too much. But generally we've had a good pace and it's a pity we lost time with two punctures earlier in the event.

Roman Kresta/Jan Mozny: "This is the hardest rally I've ever driven, apart from the Safari Rally in Kenya which is unlike any other event. It's been tough for co-drivers and drivers. It was hot in the car and the stages were long and difficult. I'm pleased that I was well prepared and fit. I'm not sure how I would have coped if I wasn't fit. We scored good points and this is a great achievement for everyone in Ford."

Hennig Solberg/Cato Menkerud: "I tried so hard to regain the time. We took a gamble with our tyres this afternoon to try to catch Markko but it didn't work out. But I'm not disappointed with fourth, I'm really happy. My previous best result was fifth. Now I've finished fourth, so next it will be a podium! It's been such a hard weekend. I feel much fitter now after spending three days driving in this heat!"

Markko Martin/Michael Park: "I knew that if I wanted to be on the podium I had to push hard today. It was quite difficult, because I did not want to take any risks with the manufacturer points I already had in the bag for Peugeot. Luckily we were able to do it, after what has been a very difficult rally for us. We lost a lot of time on the first day, but I knew that if we stayed out of trouble we would be able to get a good result. The car has been perfect, and with every rally I feel a bit more comfortable with it."

Harri Rovanpera/Risto Pietiläinen: "We weren't cruising today, but the gaps in front and behind were big enough that there was no sense in pushing hard and risking the car. These were some of the worst roads I have seen in years, maybe only matched by the Acropolis many years ago. We have a test coming up next week where we can focus on issues from this event and hopefully make some more improvements to help us in Turkey and Greece. Overall I'm pleased; I think without problems we could have been fighting with Manfred (Stohl) and had a very good result."

Gilles Panizzi/Hervé Panizzi: ""It was a difficult weekend and it's nice to finish and get a point for Mitsubishi. It has been the worst event of the season, in terms of the roughness of the roads, and for various reasons it was simply a matter of getting through the stages."

Janne Tuohino/Mikko Markkula: "This morning we made some adjustments to the differential mapping so that I could drive safely and try to reach the finish in the points positions for both the drivers and manufacturers. I didn't try to push any harder than was necessary to keep Daniel Carlsson behind me but on SS17 the water temperature rose to 130 degrees and we had to switch to safe mode to finish the rally."

Armin Schwarz/Klaus Wicha: "This morning I was taking no risks and trying some different differential settings that will be a useful starting point in our test next week and for the next two events. What surprised me most today was the size of the rocks in the road, even for the first car."

Round seven of the 16-event FIA World Rally Championship starts in three weeks when teams return to the Mediterranean for the Rally of Turkey. Starting on Thursday 2 June with a Super Special, the event will start in earnest on Friday 3 June at 0730hrs.

Temperatures in Turkey are expected to be as hot as those in Cyprus, but as the average speeds of the rally are higher there will be more airflow through the cars. Turkey is another famed car-breaker and components have to be at their strongest to survive the three-day pounding from rocky roads and choking dust. Service will once again be based in the coastal resort of Kemer, while the event's 18 stages will run in the Anatolian mountains. The event will conclude on Sunday 5 June.