Sunday - Kris Meeke wins 2016 Vodafone Rally de Portugal

With the stages of the 2016 Vodafone Rally de Portugal completed, it was Abu Dhabi Total World Rally Team’s Kris Meeke who claimed the win after a weekend of impressive pace amidst an array of dramas and difficult stages.

Rain on Saturday night had upped the jeopardy, resulting in drivers being faced with muddy, low-grip stages on the final day of the event.

Meeke pushed hard from the moment the rally began, building up a lead of over one minute by the end of the second day. His recent absence from the Championship didn’t seem to be an issue, as he was able to use his road position to his advantage, consistently clearing stages quickly and without drama while other drivers were hindered by punctures and damage from the unforgiving roads.

His pace lessened over the final two days in the name of preserving the car and ensuring he made to the finish (he crashed out of this event last year) but the gap would still prove too big to close for his rivals. He completed the rally in 3:59:01.0. The win is the second of Meeke’s career and also his first in Portugal.

Volkswagen Motorsport II’s Andreas Mikkelsen took a surprise second position after struggling through the event’s initial stages. A push on days two and three saw his pace increase dramatically and with no team orders in place, he was able to take second position from fellow Volkswagen driver, Sebastien Ogier, in the process. Mikkelsen completed the event 29.7s behind Meeke.

Current Champion, Volkswagen Motorsport’s Sebastien Ogier had a tough weekend due to poorly considered tyre choices and a number of punctures. However, despite being first on the road for most of the rally, he was able to use his experience to its fullest and come away from the event in third position overall with a time 34.5s off that of the winner.