Guanajuato: Citroen Total Abu Dhabi has grabbed the second place on the first day of Rally Mexico, the third round of this season’s FIA World Rally Championship (WRC).
Expectations were high in the Citroen Total Abu Dhabi World Rally Team camp ahead of Saturday’s leg as the team returned to gravel stages for the first time this season.
As Thursday evening’s brief introduction was contested on tarmac, it wasn’t until the morning loop in the Sierra de Guanajuato that the crews were finally able to get their first taste of competitive action on the most commonly used surface in the WRC. Mads Ostberg showed early on that he was on the pace of the leaders, grabbing first place in the overall standings after the 44 kilometre-long El Chocolate stage (SS3).
The Norwegian remained in the lead until the end of SS6 before dropping to second after losing time in the afternoon.
Saturday’s leg featured seven stages. After SS18, the competitors will drive their cars into parc ferme at 7.48pm (Sunday 5.48am UAE time).
Ostberg said: “To be honest, I’m really pleased with the start I’ve made to this rally. The first loop went particularly well. We tried to adapt the set-up for the changing road conditions in the afternoon. It didn’t really work, but you have to bear in mind that this is our first gravel rally with the Citroen Total Abu Dhabi World Rally Team. We still need more experience. But overall, it’s been a very encouraging start which augurs well for the rest of the rally.”
Yves Matton (Citroen Racing Team Principal) said: “Mads made an excellent start to the day. He feels comfortable in the Citroen DS3 WRC and these are the sorts of conditions in which he is very competitive. He lost some time in the second loop through a lack of experience with the car. But the miles covered will add to his experience as he learns more and more. As regards Kris [Meeke], he should be able to rejoin tomorrow under Rally 2 rules. It’s important that he makes the most of each stage to keep learning about this rally.”
Standings after day 1:
1. Sébastien Ogier / Julien Ingrassia (Volkswagen Polo R WRC) 1:46:25.3
2. Mads Østberg / Jonas Andersson (Citroën DS3 WRC) +26.1
3. Jari-Matti Latvala / Miikka Anttila (Volkswagen Polo R WRC) +42.5
4. Elfyn Evans / Daniel Barritt (Ford Fiesta RS WRC) +2:28.7
5. Thierry Neuville / Nicolas Gilsoul (Hyundai i20 WRC) +2:30.2
6. Martin Prokop / Jan Tomanek (Ford Fiesta RS WRC) +3:31.1
7. Benito Guerra / Borja Rozada (Ford Fiesta RS WRC) +5:06.0
8. Chris Atkinson / Stéphane Prévot (Hyundai i20 WRC) +6:32.8
9. Yuriy Protasov / Pavlo Cherepin (Ford Fiesta R5) +7:39.1
10. Lorenzo Bertelli / Mitia Dotta (Ford Fiesta RRC) +12:00.7
