Sordo takes early Portugal lead, disaster for Toyota

Top 15 classification after SS4 from WRC Rally de Portugal

Dani Sordo has darted to the front at Rally de Portugal for Hyundai while Toyota endured a nightmare start with both Ott Tanak and Jari-Matti Latvala dropping out.

The Spanish driver stormed to the top with victory on SS4, Ponte de Lima 1, taking over from Citroen’s Kris Meeke who dropped to 4.6s behind the Hyundai challenger.

Sordo’s Hyundai teammate Hayden Paddon bolted into the lead after SS2 before fading to third place but is just two-tenths of a second behind Meeke.

Tanak, who initially led after taking victory on SS1 on Thursday night, is already out of contention after suffering a mechanical issue which forced him to stop on the second stage. Toyota’s pain was doubled when Latvala suffered a broken suspension on the next stage to see two of its three premier class runners out of the victory hunt.

World Rally Championship leader Sebastien Ogier has kept himself in contention in fourth place for M-Sport Ford 2.1s ahead of title rival Thierry Neuville in the Hyundai with teammate Andreas Mikkelsen also impressing in sixth place.

Craig Breen sits in seventh spot for Citroen ahead of M-Sport Ford pair Elfyn Evans and Teemu Suninen as Mads Ostberg rounded out the top 10 in front of sole Toyota contender Esapekka Lappi.