Q & A: Solberg on his strong start

Q. Talk us through today?

Petter Solberg: It's been good, you know. A very good day. Everything has worked well for me. I think we have a good chance to fight for victory, but it's been tough for me with not feeling so well.

Q. How do you feel now?

PS: I feel better, but it's been a tough rally mentally and physically. I must say the long stage was fucking difficult. After I got out of there I just lay down. I lost focus, proper focus on the stages.

Q. How do you get that focus back in the stage?

PS: You know, it's just that I can't get the pace notes into my head. It's that simple, I can't get it in. I can't react to what Chris [Patterson] is telling me. The second time through the stages I'm very happy with the speed - we could have gone much faster.

Q. So you're pretty much driving blind?

PS: Not driving blind, but I'm just a little bit careful and that's the part of the game.

Q. Are you surprised at Loeb?

PS: I honestly don't know what he is doing. I don't know if this is part of the plan for Citroen, but it's very strange. In Finland he was not properly on the pace and, okay I had a problem, but we were the same pace as him. Now my car is working well - I don't know.

Q. Are you over the worst of your illness?

PS: One more nights sleep to sweat out the last bit and it should be good. I hope...

Q. Ken [Rees, team manager] was concerned you might not make the start yesterday.

PS: I must say I was very bad yesterday. When I was driving at shakedown, Icoulnd't remember everything, not the pace notes from the corners, nothing.

Q. Did it cross your mind not to start the rally?

PS: Not really. Not really. It's hard, but if you want something so much, you can do it. I want this a lot.

Q. A win on Sunday would take the pain away?

PS: If that could happen - but I thought the same in Finland - then it would be massive, especially to do it in Japan. If I win in Japan, maybe they start to sell a lot more Citroens in Japan.

Q. What about the road position tomorrow: you'll be first in tomorrow?

PS: It doesn't matter. On the second time through the stages today, it's worse to be further back because it's so rough. I'm happy to be first on the road tomorrow, maybe I will lsoe a little bit on the first loop, but it should be okay.

Q. What's the plan for tomorrow?

PS: There's no plan. I've stopped planning. I can't control them, so there's no point planning.