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Evgeny Novikov (5th) said:   “There was quite a lot of fog this morning and in some corners it was a bit damp, but generally it was OK. I was not pushing 100 per cent, but we’ve got a really good rhythm at the moment so we’ll just continue like that this afternoon.  Of course I’m always looking to be higher [in the overall standings] than fifth, but I think that we have done a good job this morning.” Thierry Neuville (7th) said: “We had a lot of fun this morning – really enjoying the driving and the pacenotes are working really well.

"We’re still taking quite a cautious approach and could definitely go faster, but we’ll see what the conditions are like this afternoon. If they are good, and we are feeling confident, then we will push a bit more. OK, there are some places which are quite rough and we will definitely slow down there, but in other places it is certainly possible to increase the speed.”  Mads Østberg (9th) said: “This morning has been good. The feeling after [midday] service yesterday was really good. We made some changes to the car and it worked really well. We left the car the same for today and it’s working perfectly so I’m happy.  “The surface is a bit different today. There’s a lot more sand so if the conditions had been like they were yesterday then there would have been a lot more mud and it might have been easier running first on the road. OK, the road position isn’t bad – for sure it’s not an advantage, but I wouldn’t say that it was a huge disadvantage either. “On driving alone, realistically, I think we can only climb to eighth place. We’re in ninth at the moment, so hopefully we can gain another position this afternoon.”