IRC Monte-Carlo driver quotes after leg one

Mikko Hirvonen, first overall : "This rally is so much about tyres. The car is handling well and it’s great to be leading but on this rally a 40-second lead is nothing because it can all change in a minute. We went for a combination of snow tyres and intermediates on the second loop of stages and that seemed to work quite well. You also need to have the right information to make the choice work. We’ve not made too many adjustments to the car, just been trying to drive safely. But of course we have to do the same now for the rest of the rally."

Kris Meeke, second overall : "We’ve had three good stages out of four. If you offered me second place before the start of today I would have taken that. I’ve got half my mind on the championship but people like Ogier and Hirvonen have got nothing to lose whereas I have because they’re not doing the full championship. In the morning we lost 40s over 20ks when I lost my confidence after hitting some slippery Tarmac. Had it not been for that we would have been very close to the lead."

Juho Hanninen, third overall : "I made the same combination of tyre choices for the afternoon as I did for the morning. However it did not work quite as well because the conditions were worse the second time but not full snow. It’s always a compromise and I do not think I made a bad choice. I’m very happy to be where we are overnight and when you’re competing against someone like Mikko you have to remember he’s one of the best drivers in the world."