WRC- OGIER TAKES CONTROL ON CORSICA

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The 10th round of the FIA World Rally Championship got underway last night in Ajaccio, on the west coast of the Mediterranean island, but today’s route – despite only taking in two identical loops of two stages – kicked off with the mammoth 50 kilometre run from Acqua Doria to Albitreccia. Ogier was immediately on the pace and pulled out a four-second advantage and continued to dominate in the second stage, extending his lead by another 8.7 seconds. But for a spin in the opening stage, Meeke would likely have been fastest but the Northern Irish driver was right back on the pace and delighted to be challenging at the front.

Both Neuville and Dani Sordo have struggled with the balance of their i20s but remain evenly matched in third and fourth respectively, Neuville having moved up the leaderboard in the second stage. Their team-mate Hayden Paddon is fifth, a further 10 seconds adrift but the Kiwi driver is in the thick of a battle with Andreas Mikkelsen who is a mere eight-tenths of a second behind. Jari-Matti Latvala, winner of the event last year, is uncharacteristically seventh, the Finn now questioning the car’s set-up despite a positive test, as well as acknowledging his driving should be better.

Craig Breen, on his preferred surface, is eighth and running well despite not competing on the last asphalt round in Germany. Mads Østberg, in ninth, was lucky to escape damage after running wide and hitting rocks in stage two and his team-mate Eric Camilli is five-tenths of a second behind in 10th.

In the FIA WRC 2 Championship, series leader Elfyn Evans tops the standings, the Welshman fastest in the opening stage and ahead of Jan Kopecky and Kevin Abbring, the Dutch driver debuting the Hyundai i20 R5. The Junior WRC Championship is being led by Frenchmen Yohan Rossel, Laurent Pellier and Terry Folb respectively.
 

SEASON 2016SportRallies1SportWorld Rally ChampionshipRalliesWRCSEASON 2016Tour de Corse01Friday, September 30, 2016 - 2:32pmFriday, September 30, 2016 - 2:32pm

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