55. RallyRACC Catalunya - Costa Daurada 2019
24. 10. – 27. 10. 2019, Salou • Real Automóvil Club Cataluña • asphalt - gravel 325.56 km • total distance including road sections - 1288.85 km • Other years
Info
SS17
"Feels good! It's difficult to say the pressure I felt this weekend - it was next level. To manage all this and get through it has been the target of my life. When you are on the verge of this you can no imagine it. Thank you to the team - you have done a great job. I never wanted to take risks but my mother said yesterday evening that if I want something I can make it happen. I just had to make it happen."
"We did what we could this weekend and had a good time this weekend. Now we will see what Tanak can do but I think he will be faster."
"I tried to do as much for us to be in the best position as possible. We lost some time in there but we tried to enjoy with the car and everything was good."
"We had a bad drive today. This one was okay, no mistakes. There has been some good and some more difficult moments in the rally but we are here at the end."
"It's been a mixed rally but I started quite slow and the pressure was quite high after the accident in Wales. Even though I drove quite easy here in the power stage, my time was a bit better so maybe I should calm down a little bit!"
"I found a lot of confidence in the car early on - we just made a minor tweak that we didn't think would work in Spain but it did. I had confidence early on so I continued to push."
"I just went wide. In the first loop I lost some time at the first section and I tried to take the time back but I couldn't do it and I made a mistake."
"It was not the weekend we were hoping for. We had the target to fight but unfortunately the game was over for us early in the weekend."
"Ott didn't need any help this year but it makes sense to stay out of the mix when he needs as many points as possible."
"That's very good for the first time with the car. I was able to fight with Mads all weekend and together we pushed quite a lot. I am very happy to thank Citroen Racing for letting me drive this car."
"It's very nice to be at the end. it was not a trouble-free rally for sure but we have pushed to the maximum on every metre. I am very pleased to be at the end."
"It was our main target to finish. I would like to say a big thank you to my team, car engineer and to Jan because he did a great job."
SS16
"I had a good stage but Dani is flying. I want to prepare the car a little bit as well for the Power Stage. I am in a good mood now so let's see how it goes."
"I took a little bit of time off him so it's good but it's not finished. Thanks to the team because the car is working very well - it's really nice to drive."
"I am feeling good. The car balance is nice - as before, I am doing everything I can so let's see. It's quite a special final stage so let's focus."
"It was a bit better, we tried to change the diff settings. It was not a great stage but I can not do anymore."
"It was better this time than on the first time but we are still losing a little bit too much time. I need to improve in the future on this stage."
"The rhythm was good in here so all okay."
"It's been a really good morning. I think we are finding the ways to be faster."
"We had to make some change because it was not working at all on the first pass through the power stage. We have corrected some things but it has created some other problems."
"The progress is going well. I don't know why we had quite a lot of understeer on this stage - this morning it was okay."
"Not at all messy - there's not many cuts in here. The feeling in this car on tarmac has always been good."
SS15
puncture
"It's very tricky and I have to get to the finish - this is the target. We can not take any risks."
"We are trying to keep a good pace but obviously I have to take a bit of care because I have a big lead in my category. I have to think about Pro and the silver in my championship."
"It was quite dirty so I didn't take any risks. I was struggling with the brakes as well so I didn't take any risks. If the brakes are working well later then I will push hard."
"It's quite good. I lost a little bit of time where there was dirt in some places and it's very fast. It's not a big gap but we are still here."
"It's a very tricky stage. When it gets fast we are on all new notes so there is not so much confidence to carry the speed."
"The feeling was not so good - I am struggling with the car today. It is getting a little bit more dirty than the previous one."
"I am quite happy. There was a few places that I could be slightly faster. Respect to Teemu Suninen because he has had the confidence in the faster sections!"
"The feeling was okay. It's difficult with new notes and I was a little bit too careful in places but generally it was okay."
"That was great to be faster. I started to get fed up of being three-seconds slower than Seb so finally I have done something about it!"
"Actually not so good. We have a lot of problems with the car on this kind of stage with a lot of wheelspin on the rear. We have to see if we can do anything for this afternoon."
"This stage is very tricky so I was too careful. I will try something more but I want to try and finish."
"I got another puncture alarm in there - it wasn't a puncture but I had to back for the last few kilometres."
SS14
"We pushed from the very start, but SS14 is very twisty, so the tires overheated by the middle of the distance, and we had to slow down."
"Nice start to the morning! Feeling a bit restricted in my driving, but trying to enjoy the fight"
"I tried to be very efficient but at some point I had so many corrections that I got really confused and had to find the concentration. The car is working well but I have a lot of diff opening through the stages so I was changing diff maps."
"It's not a lot but it's better than nothing! Am I at the limit? No, 50 percent! I tried to push but Ott will want to take second place - I'll just keep doing my best."
"Feeling good - that was a very clean and good run so it's all I can do at the moment. We need to finish the rally."
"No problems. I had a lot of slides - maybe the tyres are too cold... I don't know."
"It's okay. I took it a bit easy in this one and I had a little bit of understeer at the beginning."
"It felt good to be honest, especially towards the end there."
"It was an okay stage but again the same three-seconds to Ogier!"
"I am not sure the power stage points are helping anything now but for sure we will give our best and try everything we can."
"Very nice stage and the car feels good. I made a few mistakes myself but everything is fine."
"All good - quite a tricky stage."
SS13
lost wheel
"I didn't go very well, I don't know why because I felt like I was pushing. I stalled in the last stage and lost third place but we will try to understand why and look to do a bit better tomorrow."
"It was quite frustrating this morning - I was not comfortable with the car and I was fighting it really hard. We managed to change some parts in service and quite quickly the car was better."
accident
"We tried to avoid taking any risks for punctures and just had a smooth clean run, continuing to push as Tanak was pushing behind. We are happy with our lead heading into tomorrow. I have done my job so far and my teammates are really trying to resist but obviously Tanak was fast this afternoon - I think he had an aerodynamic advantage on those types of stages. We are going to try and finish the job we started yesterday morning and let's see whether Tanak can claim second or if he stays in third."
"I need to stay in second and it's difficult because Ott is pushing hard and he knows how to drive very well on tarmac. Tomorrow is a big day ahead and it's not so long so I will continue to fight."
lost wheel
"It's very slippery with the sand and on one of the left-handers I ran wide on the entry and I don't know what I hit! It's just some cosmetic damage. The first stage was a bit slow but then we were improving the speed. The afternoon started well but then we were losing our performance a little bit towards the end of the day."
"The feeling was much more relaxed and definitely it was not a great situation this morning to wake up and start pushing. I can't do that as I didn't have full confidence so I had to go step by step and the rhythm was coming. The stages are quite challenging tomorrow - the first one is the slowest of the rally and quite twisty and the Power Stage is mostly new and quite fast. Let's see what tomorrow brings."
"We've been trying all day. Unfortunately we have been unable to find the pace on all stages. I was pushing hard and although it's only a little bit, if you want to be competitive then those two or three seconds at the end of every stage make a difference."
"It was okay but again 3 seconds from Seb! Hopefully someday we can be in front of him. It's really close but of course we are fighting for all of the seconds we can.
SS12
"The car is working well now. We are trying to catch the guys in front but they are pushing well."
"I guess we will see tomorrow but today was nice, I have to say. We gained thirty seconds so I don't think it's too bad."
"I don't know yet. The afternoon was okay - we were struggling a lot to find the feeling and we had some issues with the wrong suspension. We are trying our best and I am doing all I can."
"I couldn't do much better. I was pushing hard in the stage but maybe there was not enough grip - I don't know. It felt like I was pushing hard but the time is not good."
"There's not much you can do when he is pushing because I think the aerodynamics in this sort of stage make a difference, so it will be hard for Dani to fight with him. We are not taking any big risks and I am happy."
"I can't do any better. It was the same time as this morning so I don't think it's bad. For me it's impossible - maybe Ott is smoking but for me it was good!"
"Very tremendous. This morning I wasn't feeling too relaxed but now I have been able to learn a bit and get into a rhythm. We would like to keep the pressure but to take it back will be difficult."
"We had some understeer unfortunately on this stage. I couldn't get the car turning well and I am not very happy with my time."
"The start wasn't so perfect but it actually wasn't so bad. I am trying to push but it doesn't seem to be coming."
"I had a really good feeling with the car. I can be happy with this drive!"
"So far I am the quickest! It's a mixture, the first part is a bit dirty and narrow and then it gets quicker towards the end."
SS11
"We're trying some changes. It's a little improvement from last loop"
SS10
puncture
"Kalle had a big push in this stage. I tried to go as clean as possible and this is the maximum that we were able to do."
"We made some changes to the differentials in service and now it's quite a different setup. Hopefully this will be better for the last stage of the loop."
"It started much better - I have a better feeling. We made quite a radical change in service and it feels much better."
"I pushed really hard! I don't understand. I thought I had driven a great stage so I'm surprised."
"I had a good stage. I'm trying to avoid the big cuts and just having a good run. We haven't really improved our time from this morning which shows how much slippier it is."
"That was okay, I was a little bit slow at the end."
"No more really was needed - it was a clean run and that was much better. We had quite a nice rhythm actually."
"Much much better - I had a clean run. I thought I didn't drive the middle section very well and it is not a stage I feel so confident on, but it's okay."
"The feeling is a bit better. We didn't have the perfect run but we will try."
"It was a little better. Still, three seconds to Seb so it was good."
"We have to use this as a test so we are changing the car and it is interesting to get some data. The feeling in the car is not bad so let's see how we compare to the others."
SS9
"It's difficult. Trying to get a good feeling, it’s not easy. We are doing changes to the setting"
"It's okay - this stage is nice."
"For sure it has been a nice morning loop and we have made some good times. On this one it was understeering for me and I was struggling with the car."
"It was okay - maybe not the right rhythm."
"We try. It was a disaster in the stage - I had no brakes at all and they were completely gone from the middle of the stage."
"It was okay. Tanak is pushing, it was nice to take a little bit of time from Jari but Tanak is not far behind."
"I don't know. For the moment I believe the car is performing well so we just need to find a good rhythm."
"It was okay but I think I was hesitating a little bit and playing too much with the gears, so that's where I lost some time. In the back of your head when one car is out you know you can not afford a mistake. We just need to keep a rhythm and focus on our job."
"I changed the car setup before here and it didn't work."
"It felt pretty okay. I started to find a better rhythm now and I am happy in the car. Three seconds off the six-time champion so it's not too bad!"
"That's a nice tarmac stage. We tried to enjoy and the conditions were good. The only thing we can do is drive fast and try to have fun in the car."
SS8
"We struggle with understeer. It's difficult to get a good feeling with this. I'm driving to the best of my abilities. I'll try to do some changes"
accident
SS7
accident
"It's a big switch to tarmac. It was quite slippery. I had an issue with the washer spraying all the time"
gearbox issue
"Actually quite okay - it's difficult with the hard tyres because there is still some gravel on the stages and it is quite slippery."
"Everything was okay. It was quite bad in some places so not a perfect stage."
"I had a good feeling. It was slightly understeering but otherwise I had a good feeling with the car and I enjoyed the stage."
"I don't know. Maybe at the end I lost a little bit of time but the time was bad."
"I got a puncture warning light with 4km to go - I didn't feel much but it definitely disturbed me so we lost some rhythm towards the end."
"I am feeling good. Tarmac is a bit different but the rhythm is getting better. We had no problems and it was a clean run."
"Not a good drive. I am just hesitating and I didn't have confidence - I am afraid of the car and I am not getting the best out of it. The brake pedal is too soft so we will do some bleeding and see what happens."
"A little bit mixed: some sections felt quite good and other areas I wasn't carrying the speed that I would have liked."
"I didn't use car well so I was having understeer and oversteer."
"Not such high grip - some places are a bit dirty and slippery. We are just trying to enjoy our day."
SS6
stopped
"I hope it will be better on tarmac because today was really bad. To be honest I was pushing more in the afternoon but the tyres are worse than the first loop!"
"It has been a very hot day. I am looking forward to tomorrow for some very nice tarmac stages. I still have a lot of places that I can be quicker - maybe next time."
"That's incredible. I pushed really on the limit. The grip was very good and I tried from the start until the last metre. It's incredible to have three cars out in front - we didn't believe in that when we started the rally. There are still two days on tarmac left to run and we never know what can happen."
"Nothing. It was just difficult to drive, that's it. I don't know what I will do now because I don't think I did anything wrong!"
"We have improved step by step during the day. I screwed up on the tarmac earlier and overheated my tyres which is where we lost the time."
The engine of his Fiesta doesn't sound very healthy at all... "I don't know..."
"To have any chance at this rally you need to be within ten seconds at the end of day one. We're nearer 20, but let's see how we get on on the tarmac."
"It has been a good day and the car was working well. That one was very tricky because I had very bad visibility with the sun being very low. I had to concentrate and I think we lost maybe one second at the last hairpin."
"After this morning it was very difficult to find motivation. There is no point to push now - we just have to finish the rally now."
"I don't know...I have done everything that I could with no mistakes and clean driving. I was quite on the limit in places so I don't know if I can do more. I have to do my best."
SS5
"It was okay - I had no issues and we are just trying to enjoy it."
"I don't know. I tried my best but the speed is just not there."
"I tried to improve my driving and carry more speed through the corners. I enjoyed driving this car on this stage, now it is a good feeling!"
"The car was good. It's only the beginning of the rally so we have a long way to go."
I didn't do very well in this stage - I was braking a little bit bad. The car was nice but my driving was not so good here."
"It was not too bad. One long stage to go and we will see what we can do."
"We made a change in service and I spoke with Tommi as well."
stopped, mechanical issue
"Not happy - it's not quite happening at the minute. I'm struggling a bit with understeer. Let's see if we can get it sorted for the long one."
"There was more grip and the car feels a lot better. I'm a little more confident but Thierry and Dani seem to be on a really good speed."
"Very very tricky stage - there were a lot of ruts so I tried to be as efficient as I could. I am struggling a little bit still with the balance but it was slightly better so I am able to push more."
"It was a bit slippery. I am not motivated at all."
"I am pushing really hard - we're really on the limit so I can't do anything more."
SS4
"It was much better and with the hard tyre it is much more enjoyable. Hopefully this loop is a bit better than the last one."
"It is getting better so I will try to improve my driving - the stage time is okay."
"It was better now. We are all on the same tyre and the feeling with the car is okay."
"It was okay! I am ready for the fight - so comfortable with the car."
"This is WRC - welcome to this world. It's very very high level!"
"The car feels excellent! It was better but now I need some more!"
"That was much better. It is definitely encouraging!"
"I'm not completely happy to be honest - it could've been better. I got a little bit late on the brakes coming into a hairpin and we had a little half spin."
"That felt a lot better. There was a left and right through some water where the car got a bit sideways and I struggled to recover. It wasn't a spin but I lost a second or two."
"This morning we had more or less equal conditions and we were fast. We have to see how it will be this afternoon - I pushed quite hard but I am still struggling with the rear of the car a little. We will handle it."
"It's very difficult to keep the concentration as we have nothing to drive for."
"I will keep pushing. The grip is really low at the moment so the conditions are not easy, but we need to keep pushing."
SS3
puncture
"I got a puncture five kilometres before the end! I drove very slow to try and not take the tyre off the rim. It's quite good."
puncture
"It wasn't easy. I didn't really find a rhythm."
"It's been difficult for everyone I guess. After the tarmac, the tyres were overheated and I struggled for the last 20km. I was all over the place so I am just happy we are here without any mistakes to be honest."
"The car is not feeling good - it's not the same as I was feeling last year. I hope we can change something in service otherwise we are miles away."
"It was okay. Slippery in a lot of places but it will probably clean up later."
"I didn't feel good in the car - the setup wasn't too great and we have been struggling with a bit this morning. A few things to sort out for the afternoon."
"I tried to push very hard. It wasn't easy on the tarmac section with a soft tyre but at the end of it I am happy with my morning and my tyre choice. There is room for more!"
"I am feeling wonderful... There is not so much I can do!"
"I tried but it's difficult for sure. I guess we are competing with Neuville at the moment so we will do our best. It's only the third stage."
SS2
"Step by step. The grip was more consistent so it was easier to drive but the line where the grip is sometimes is very narrow, so it's difficult to keep the car on the line."
"I can't get the confidence in the car. I expected more grip - last year we had good grip but this year it is not the same level."
"I had a really short half spin at a junction. Otherwise it didn't feel too bad so it's a bit disappointing."
"We had a good rhythm. There were a few tricky muddy places and it was a lot more humid than I expected."
"We tried to push hard but I am not so confident with the rear of the car. Okay, the traction is good but we are sliding too much from the rear. I have to see what I can do for the next stage but Tanak is driving well."
"Power steering straight away. I have to look and see what we can do."
"It was extremely loose. I don't know so let's see what happens."
SS1
"There were some slippy places and I made a few mistakes but otherwise it was not a bad stage."
"I expected better conditions but it was quite slippery. There were a few surprises!"
"I think we have too hard of a tyre for this stage. I drove okay but it is very slippery with the hard compound - it should be better for the next stages."
"My car is working so well! I wasn't happy with everything, I lost a little bit of time in some of the places because the grip is so bad but we just need to keep going like this."
"The grip level is really high but the stage is damp so maybe it is not getting better."
"The feeling was quite horrible. The car is fine but it is so slippery - sometimes you have grip and sometimes there is nothing. We had a lot of small moments and small surprises so it was very difficult for me."
"I didn't feel that I had much grip but I can also tell you that my driving wasn't very good. I went wide on one corner and I was too hesitant but I hope it will get better."
"It was okay - I went a little bit wide in a couple of places just struggling with overall grip. It will be okay."
"I caught a bump and I wasn't expecting it to kick so much! I probably didn't exploit the grip enough but in the first stage you don't want to do anything silly."
"It was okay but I had a lot of mud on the windscreen so had bad visibility for a lot of the stage. The car is a little bit soft but we can not help that."
"It's not so often we are faster than Ott so I will take it! It's okay, the grip is not so bad. We had an ambitious tyre choice but Ott and Thierry have the same, so let's see what is happening!"
"It's loose in places and damp in places with a lot of changes. The feeling is quite good, I have a good balance. There is always a bit of cleaning being first on the road but that's just how it is, we have to do it."