WRC – Rally Japan Day 1 : Sebastien Ogier Leads After Friday Superspecial Stage
Rally Japan went underway at the Sapporo Dome Super Special, with Sebastien Ogier fastest at the 1.57 km circuit. The Citroen driver went 0.5 faster than his closest challenger Dani Sordo in SS1, and concluded SS2 with another fastest time, this time 0.8 seconds ahead of Kimi Raikkonen.
Finland’s Jari-Matti Latvala narrowly leads his BP Ford Abu Dhabi Team mate, Mikko Hirvonen at the opening Superspecial stage of the 2010 Rally Japan.
Ogier will carry a 2 seconds lead for tomorrow’s gravel stages over Ford’s Mikko Hirvonen. Dani Sordo dropped to 3rd after SS2, ahead of another Ford driver Jari-Matti Latvala.
Raikkonen had damaged his car during the early morning shakedown after he crashed into a concrete barrier and teared off his right front wheel. Fortunately, Citroen mechanics managed to repair his car on time before the Super Special stages. Raikkonen ended the day in 5th, 2.3 seconds behind the leader, with Sebastien Loeb in 6th place, only 0.1 seconds further back.
Henning Solberg finished in 8th for Stobart Motorsport, ahead of Citroen’s privateer Petter Solberg in 9th and teammate Matthew Wilson in 10th.
Petter Solberg, Rally Japan 2010.
Rally Japan will continue on the gravel stages, surrounded by the forest towards the towns of Tomakomai, Chitose and Eniwa in the south of the island of Hokkaido tomorrow.
Photo : Citroen WRC, worldrallypics.com, Tony Welam (pettersolberg.com)
