Update after SS2: Sebastien Ogier leads Rally Australia
Citroen Junior Team driver Sebastien Ogier will start Friday's first full day of competition on Repco Rally Australia with a 3.5sec lead after going fastest through both passes of Thursday's Super Special stage.
The brand new Rally Australia kicked off on Thursday night with the spectacular 2.55km Super Special Stage built right in the heart of downtown Murwillumbah.
With headlights blazing, drivers completed two loops of the street circuit as SS1, then repeated it soon afterwards as SS2.
Encouraged by the dry and clear weather, thousands of spectators filled the stands around the track to watch local drivers and WRC stars hammer their cars around the high-speed circuit edged with Armco and concrete barriers.
Drivers tackled the stage three at a time, (two for the WRC crews) in a pursuit formation at 15-second intervals. The combination of hard compound gravel tyres and the cool asphalt road ensured traction was limited and the action spectacular.
Citroen Junior Team driver Sebastien Ogier was the early winner, completing the first pass (SS1) in a fastest time of 1min 49.0sec, and the second (SS2) in another fastest time of 1min 46.1sec. The double win elevated the Frenchman into the overnight lead of the event, 3.5sec ahead of the man in second, Henning Solberg of the Stobart VK M-Sport team.
"That was slippery but good fun," said Ogier. "It’s a good start and I feel confident about this event. It’s a new rally for everyone and I'm hoping to get a good result here."
None of the leading crews experienced any major problems on the stage, but on SS2 Matthew Wilson (Ford) lost a couple of seconds when his car's launch control system didn't work properly. On the same stage Conrad Rautenbach (Citroen) was slowed when his headlights failed.
Armindo Araujo (Mitsubishi) holds the overnight lead of the P-WRC category, 2.9sec ahead of Bernardo Sousa (Abarth S2000), while local hero Neal Bates is third in his Toyota Corolla S2000.
After tonight's curtain raiser, the rally restarts at 0545hrs on Friday and switches to gravel roads for three full days of competition in the countryside around Murwillumbah and Kyogle.
World Rally Championship - News - Update after SS2: Sebastien Ogier leads Rally Australia
The brand new Rally Australia kicked off on Thursday night with the spectacular 2.55km Super Special Stage built right in the heart of downtown Murwillumbah.
With headlights blazing, drivers completed two loops of the street circuit as SS1, then repeated it soon afterwards as SS2.
Encouraged by the dry and clear weather, thousands of spectators filled the stands around the track to watch local drivers and WRC stars hammer their cars around the high-speed circuit edged with Armco and concrete barriers.
Drivers tackled the stage three at a time, (two for the WRC crews) in a pursuit formation at 15-second intervals. The combination of hard compound gravel tyres and the cool asphalt road ensured traction was limited and the action spectacular.
Citroen Junior Team driver Sebastien Ogier was the early winner, completing the first pass (SS1) in a fastest time of 1min 49.0sec, and the second (SS2) in another fastest time of 1min 46.1sec. The double win elevated the Frenchman into the overnight lead of the event, 3.5sec ahead of the man in second, Henning Solberg of the Stobart VK M-Sport team.
"That was slippery but good fun," said Ogier. "It’s a good start and I feel confident about this event. It’s a new rally for everyone and I'm hoping to get a good result here."
None of the leading crews experienced any major problems on the stage, but on SS2 Matthew Wilson (Ford) lost a couple of seconds when his car's launch control system didn't work properly. On the same stage Conrad Rautenbach (Citroen) was slowed when his headlights failed.
Armindo Araujo (Mitsubishi) holds the overnight lead of the P-WRC category, 2.9sec ahead of Bernardo Sousa (Abarth S2000), while local hero Neal Bates is third in his Toyota Corolla S2000.
After tonight's curtain raiser, the rally restarts at 0545hrs on Friday and switches to gravel roads for three full days of competition in the countryside around Murwillumbah and Kyogle.
World Rally Championship - News - Update after SS2: Sebastien Ogier leads Rally Australia
