Neuville leads Ogier as Rally Sweden gets underway
Top 15 classification after SS1 at Rally Sweden
Thierry Neuville has claimed victory on the opening stage at Rally Sweden to lead ahead of World Rally Championship title rival Sebastien Ogier.
After topping the shakedown times, last year’s winner at the snow event secured victory on the Karlstad 1 opener to lead by 0.8s from Ogier.
Top 15 classification after SS1 at Rally Sweden
Thierry Neuville has claimed victory on the opening stage at Rally Sweden to lead ahead of World Rally Championship title rival Sebastien Ogier.
After topping the shakedown times, last year’s winner at the snow event secured victory on the Karlstad 1 opener to lead by 0.8s from Ogier.
The Rallye Monte-Carlo winner has a slim three-tenths advantage on the second Hyundai of Andreas Mikkelsen, a podium finisher in Sweden 12 months ago, while Toyota’s Ott Tanak secured fourth place.
Tanak’s Toyota teammate Jari-Matti Latvala headed up a train of Finnish runners in fifth place with M-Sport Ford’s Teemu Suninen, Citroen’s Esapekka Lappi, Toyota’s Marcus Gronholm and Skoda’s Eerik Pietarinen following closely behind.
Both Kris Meeke in the Toyota and another Finn Jari Huttunen (Skoda) equalled Peitarinen’s time on the opening stage to see a three-way split for ninth place.
M-Sport Ford teammates Elfyn Evans and Pontus Tidemand share 12th place having set equal times on the opener with Mads Ostberg, running in the WRC 2 class for Citroen, taking 14th place just five seconds off overall leader Neuville.
