Sweden’s Mattias Ekstrom set the fastest time in Q2 at the Estering to be top qualifier in the Intermediate Classification on day one in Germany, the penultimate round of the FIA World Rallycross Championship presented by Monster Energy.

Q1 winner Janis Baumanis continued his strong form with fourth fastest time in Q2 and is second overall, with Peugeot Hansen Academy driver Davy Jeanney making it into the top three at the end of the first day of action for the first time in 2016.

“Last year after day one I had two DNFs here, so it feels better to have a Saturday with a third and a first definitely.,” sad Ekstrom. “We had a good day, the car was feeling really good off the start and around the track my guys have found some things which look to work and I’m just giving it as much gas as I can. It’s enjoyable when you can push as hard as you can.”

Hoonigan Racing Division driver Andreas Bakkerud is fourth at the Intermediate Classification after the first day with fourth and sixth quickest times in the qualifying sessions, with EKS driver Topi Heikkinen fifth overall despite 11thfastest in Q2 when he got held up in traffic. Johan Kristoffersson is sixth and top Volkswagen RX Sweden driver, ahead of Petter Solberg and Sebastien Loeb. 

FIA European Rallycross Champion Kevin Hansen is 11th overall in his first World RX event since securing the Euro RX title in Barcelona last month, while France’s Cyril Raymond is 18th on his World RX Supercar prize drive for Olsbergs MSE after winning the RX Lites Cup support championship this season 

In the EuroRX TouringCar category, title contenders Fredrik Magnussen, Ben-Philip Gundersen and Magda Andersson are first, second and fourth at the end of day one. In Super1600 Lithuanian Kasparas Navickas is top with title-rivals Ulrik Linnemann and Krisztian Szabo second and third. 

Full results can be found at http://www.fiaworldrallycross.com/result/ger/2016