SS5 – Meeke grabs the rally lead, Ostberg suffers

The first of the afternoon’s stages proved to be tough work for the drivers, with more dust, a more rutted surface and more exposed rocks. Tyre preservation was key for all the drivers, but that didn’t stop them from continuing to push hard.

That determination to push worked well for Hyundai Motorsport’s Hayden Padden, who was the fastest over the stage with a time of 15.35.6s. Second fastest was teammate Dani Sordo who followed up 4.2s behind.

However, it was Citroen Total Abu Dhabi WRT’s Kris Meeke who got the best result. He completed the stage third fastest. But thanks to his push and the slower pace of the other drivers, he is now leading the rally overall. Though only by a slim 0.2s.

The rough nature of the stage proved to be disastrous for M-Sport’s Mads Ostberg. A slow puncture quickly deteriorated, forcing him to drive on and then destroy the wheel. After stopping in the stage to change the broken wheel he made it to the end, but not without damaging his position in the rally. He is now 16th overall in the event.