Image: 

Curitiba, Brazil — Peugeot UK driver Kris Meeke has claimed the lead after the opening day of the Curitiba Rally in Brazil, making a perfect start by winning all seven of the gravel special stages that were run as leg one. Meeke did not put a foot wrong from the very beginning, and he returns to parc ferme tonight at the Curitiba circuit - which also hosts the opening round of the FIA World Touring Car Championship this weekend - with a 48.6-second cushion over his nearest rival.

While the contest for the lead was clear cut, the battle for second place was much closer. On the final stage of the day, factory Abarth Grande Punto driver Giandomenico Basso got past the Peugeot Belgium 207 S2000 of Nicolas Vouilloz, concluding a battle that had lasted throughout the afternoon. Both drivers enjoyed a clean run throughout the day with no major problems, but in the end it was Basso who overhauled the reigning IRC champion, who had started the rally by taking the FIA WTCC title-holder Yvan Muller for a ride during the shakedown on Thursday morning.

Both Basso and Vouilloz were happy with their performances when it came to the competitive action today, and they are looking forward to resuming their epic battle over the six gravel stages that will make up the final day of the rally tomorrow. They will start tomorrow's leg separated by just 0.3 seconds.

In fourth place at the end of day one was Argentinean driver Alejandro Cancio, driving a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution for the Tango Rally Team. Cancio was extremely strong, setting times that were never out of the top six and concluding the day with a third-fastest time on the final stage of the day.

Peugeot Belgium's Freddy Loix, who finished second on January's opening round of the IRC in Monte Carlo, was first on the road today and so had the unenviable task of sweeping it clean for all the following competitors. He consquently lost a lot of time sliding on loose gravel and has ended up in a provisional fifth place overall, 18 seconds behind Cancio.

The Paraguayan Victor Galeano is sixth overnight, ahead of the top Brazilian driver who is Oswaldo Scheer, in a similar Mitsubishi. Another Brazilian, Paulo Nobre, rounds out the points-scoring places with eighth, also in a Mitsubishi.

The flat-out Brazilian gravel roads, with a hard and compacted surface, claimed a couple of high-profile victims today. Factory Abarth driver Anton Alen had an impact with a rock on a first gear corner towards the end of SS3, which punctured his rear-left tyre and also broke a suspension joint. The Finn - who had been running in a strong second place - was forced to make emergency repairs by the roadside, and then lost time driving slowly through the following stage. Once back at service, the Abarth mechanics restored the car to full health and Alen was able to continue at his previous pace, setting second-fastest time on the final stage of the day.

Argentinean driver Marcos Ligato, Cancio's team mate in the Tango Rally Team and a well-established frontrunner in the Production Car World Rally Championship, was running in an excellent fifth place until SS4, when he picked up a puncture that he did not stop to change. Unfortunately the flailing rubber damaged his Mitsubishi's radiator, and although he got to the end of the stage with not much time lost, the damage inflicted proved to be terminal.

The IRC 2WD Cup is led by local driver Rafael Tulio in a Peugeot 206 S1600. His compatriot Luis Tedesco is second, just over a minute behind in a Fiat Palio S1600. Another Brazilian, Peugeot's Marcos Tokarski, is third in this hotly-contested category.

IRC RESULTS AFTER SS7, RALLY INTERNACIONAL DE CURITIBA (BRAZIL)

01 Meeke/Nagle - Peugeot 207 S2000: 50m47.0s
02 Basso/Dotta - Abarth Grande Punto S2000: +48.6s
03 Vouilloz/Klinger - Peugeot 207 S2000: +48.9s
04 Cancio/Garcia - Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9: +1m03.6s
05 Loix/Smeets - Peugeot 207 S2000: +1m22.5s
06 Galeano/Fabiani - Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9: +2m31.6s
07 Scheer/Rocha - Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9: +5m36.6s
08 Nobre/Paula - Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9: +7m03.6s
09 Tulio/Valandro - Peugeot 206 S1600: +8m22.2s
10 Alen/Alanne - Abarth Grande Punto S2000: +9m32.9s

Two-wheel drive leader: Rafael Tulio (Peugeot 206 S1600)

Click here to see TV TIMES and day one DRIVER QUOTES from the top three OA

THE ROUTE TOMORROW

Saturday's final day of action in Brazil sees the crews complete a total of six stages, making up 119.51 competitive kilometres. The day starts at 07:20, followed by a loop of three stages that includes the longest and most challenging stage of the rally, the 28.05-kilometre Bocaiuva test. The cars then return for a 20-minute service at the Curitiba circuit at 10:20.

This service halt is followed by three more stages. The cars will return to the Curitiba circuit for the finish at 14:05, which will be followed by the FIA WTCC qualifying session.

End

Source: IRC Media
Image Copyrights: IRC Series
Photo: Kris Meeke was on dominant form to win all the stages on the opening day of the Curitiba Rally in his Peugeot UK 207 S2000

Back to Main Page - World Rally Sport