Tanak edges Mikkelsen in fierce fight at Rally Argentina

Click here for WRC classification after SS5 at Rally Argentina

Ott Tanak holds a slender lead after the opening leg at Rally Argentina as less than 10 seconds separates the top six contenders.

In the tightest fight seen in 2018 in the World Rally Championship, Tanak became the fourth different leader in Argentina after taking top spot off of Andreas Mikkelsen at the end of SS5 Fernet Branca. The Toyota Gazoo Racing driver will look to defend his slim lead in the afternoon of Friday’s action but has a number of WRC rivals in close contention.

Mikkelsen sits in second place just 0.8s back for Hyundai with Citroen’s Kris Meek in third place just over two seconds behind the Norwegian driver.

WRC championship leader Sebastien Ogier also remains in close contention in fourth place for M-Sport Ford have briefly led at the end of SS2, with Dani Sordo in fifth for Hyundai ahead of teammate Thierry Neuville who sits sixth but just 9.4s off of leader Tanak.

Esapekka Lappi remains in contact with the leaders for Toyota, just 15.4s off teammate Tanak, with Elfyn Evans and Teemu Suninen (both M-Sport Ford) completing the top ten.

Rally Argentina shakedown topper Jari-Matti Latvala was the big name casualty after suffering broken front suspension after hitting a rock on SS3.