Abu Dhabi: Citroen Total Abu Dhabi World Rally Team’s Kris Meeke and co-driver Paul Nagle ended day one of Rally Australia in second position in their DS3 WRC on Friday, just two seconds behind the overall leader Jari-Matti Latvala.
Ninth at the start of the final stage of the day, their teammates Stephane Lefebvre and Stephane Prevot had to retire for the day in the final few kilometres after hitting a rock.
Meeke said: “I’m pleased with my day. We took advantage of our starting position this morning to make a good start to the rally.
“We lost first place on the final stage of the day, but I couldn’t do much more to defend the position, given the dust clouds that reduced our visibility.”
The Citroen Total Abu Dhabi World Rally Team started Rally Australia with a somewhat altered line-up. After an accident during recce for the event, Mads Ostberg and Jonas Andersson were already on their way back to Europe, so Lefebvre and Prevot were tasked with driving their No. 4 DS3 WRC.
Originally in Australia only to take part in recce, the pair seized the opportunity to support Meeke and Nagle.
During a series of three brand-new tests, Meeke established himself in the top three. He then won the longest stage of the morning (SS4, Newry Long), meaning that he headed for midday service as the overall leader.
In the afternoon, the conditions changed. With the racing lines partially swept clear of dust, Meeke had to defend his position as the earlier starters began to make up ground.
Overall leader ahead of the day’s final stage, he ended the leg in second overall, just two seconds behind Latvala in his Volkswagen Motorsport after having been held up by the hanging dust on his run.
Three weeks after making his competitive debut in the DS3 WRC at Rallye Deutschland, Lefebvre discovered an entirely different setting in the morning as he tackled gravel stages for the first time.
With his experience of the surface limited to 25 kilometres during shakedown, the young Frenchman gradually found his bearings, first of all with soft tyres and then on the hard compound.
Ninth overall at the start of the day’s final test, he hit a rock and was forced to retire just a few kilometres short of the end of the stage. The No. 4 DS3 WRC will rejoin the rally on Saturday and will be first on the road.
