SS2 – Meeke smashes Ogier’s pace

The first full stage of the 2016 FIA World Rally Championship Vodafone Rally de Portugal was full of surprises, both good and bad, for the top-flight WRC drivers.

Volkswagen Motorsport’s Sebastien Ogier set the pace, completing the 27.44km stage in 19:23.4s. It proved to be a pace that was tough to match, though Hyundai Motorsport’s Dani Sordo put up a good fight until dropping time in the final sector in a bid to preserve the tyres.

Fellow Hyundai driver, Hayden Paddon, put in a good run, finishing just 2.7s behind Ogier. However, other drivers seemed to struggle with the stage. Jari-Matti Latvala finished 8.1s behind Ogier, though he said there was no major problem. Mads Ostberg completed the stage 22s slower than Ogier, though he claimed to be pushing and was surprised to see his time.

While others seemed to struggle, it was Abu Dhabi Total World Rally Team’s Kris Meeke who was the man on the pace. He completed every sector at a quicker pace than that of Ogier, and took the stage win with an impressive 5.6s lead.