P-G Andersson (2nd in JRC after SS6)
"This has been a really tough day just as I expected, and from the beginning I was determined not to take any risks. As I'm leading the championship there is no need. Tomorrow the stages are more open and wider, so I think I might be able to go a little bit harder. It's very close between myself and Urmo and I'm sure he wants to win as much as I do. We have to be sensible though: I don't think either of us will take unnecessary risks."

Urmo Aava (1st in JRC after SS6)
"I'm obviously happy to be leading but the hard part starts now, as we have to try and stay there. The stages today were really rocky and I was taking a lot of care to avoid punctures: luckily we had no problems. P-G is right behind me and that means there is a certain amount of pressure. After that, we have a big gap to the others. We'll keep the same rhythm tomorrow and hope that luck stays on our side for once!"

Nobuhiro 'Monster' Tajima, team principal
"I am very pleased that neither driver pushed too hard today despite their very big fight: this was probably the toughest leg of an extremely difficult rally, where it was vital to get to the finish with no major problems or punctures. Nonetheless, the event is still a very long way from being over. Our drivers need to continue with the right compromise between speed and safety, which will enable our Swift to carry on showing its excellent strength and reliability in these tricky conditions."