Wales Rally GB delivered its usual tricky and unpredictable conditions and saw the three Volkswagens hit by transmission problems

Sébastien Ogier leads at the end of the opening day of Wales Rally GB but the Frenchman has been lucky to manage a transmission problem that has unusually hit all three Polo R WRCs. Team-mates Andreas Mikkelsen and Jari-Matti Latvala both suffered with broken drive-shafts earlier in the day and while Ogier had voiced a potential similar problem, the #1 Polo was only hit in the final stage. Ogier was able to reach the finish line largely unaffected, unlike his team-mates who both haemorrhaged time throughout the day with a lack of a service halt and necessary repairs. Ott Tanak remains second but the Estonian has slipped back, having been as close as 7.7 seconds to Ogier. Thierry Neuville has managed to climb to third in the lead Hyundai.

Wales Rally GB got underway last night in the coastal town of Colwyn Bay but it was today when the crews headed south for the opening eight stages. This event is renowned for its wet and tricky conditions and, while the recce was drier this year due to the rally running a couple of weeks earlier, a fine drizzle and fog greeted the crews this morning and it’s been a difficult day with slippery gravel stages, limited visibility in places and, crucially, no mid-leg service.

Ogier set the pace in the opener, despite an intermittent problem with the windscreen wipers, and pulled out nearly eight seconds over Tanak in this single stage. He extended his advantage with another fastest time in the following stage but the Estonian fought back with wins in the next two to arrive at the mid-day tyre fitting zone in Newtown just 7.7 seconds adrift. Ogier’s concerns about the transmission started here and while he managed the situation without problem this afternoon and was fastest through three of the four repeated stages, he too suffered a broken drive-shaft in the final stage. Tanak lost time this afternoon with a rear suspension problem that was on-going and then a puncture in the final stage dropped him further back; he now sits 37.3 seconds adrift of Ogier but more than 30 seconds ahead of Neuville. The Belgian had a spin this morning but a good run this afternoon, coupled with problems for those around him, has seen him move up into the final provisional podium position.

Hyundai team-mate Hayden Paddon has been making changes to the set-up on the i20 WRC throughout the day but fared worse this afternoon, and he also had a puncture in the final stage. Both he and Kris Meeke are within six seconds of Neuville and will resume their fight for the podium on Saturday. Dani Sordo is sixth overnight, the Spaniard never enjoying unpredictable conditions, but he has a healthy advantage over Mads Østberg in the lead Fiesta RS WRC. After his drive-shaft problems, Jari-Matti Latvala is eighth and Stephane Lefebvre - returning after his accident in Rallye Deutschland - is ninth in the DS3 WRC. The only leading retirement of the day was Craig Breen, the Irish driver rolling in the first stage this afternoon.

Esapekka Lappi is 10th overall and, more importantly for his title hopes in the FIA WRC 2 Championship, is heading the category by nearly 50 seconds. The Finn has won all but two of the day’s stages, taking the lead from fellow Škoda driver Teemu Suninen after the second stage. It has however been a close battle with all the leading protagonists and Pontus Tidemand and Jan Kopecky hold third and fourth respectively.

The FIA Junior WRC/WRC 3 Championship contenders are also fighting hard in their two-wheel drive machinery. The Junior WRC Championship was provisionally sealed by Simone Tempestini in Corsica but the Italian is now looking to clinch the similar WRC 3 Championship title. He and Martin Koci have been trading stage wins, Koci taking the category lead by 34.2 seconds overnight.

Wales Rally GB – Unofficial Classification after Section 2