Bouffier to run first on the road in Yalta

Bryan Bouffier will start first on the road on the opening day of the Prime Yalta Rally, round four of the all-action Intercontinental Rally Challenge.

Driving a Peugeot France 207 Super 2000 alongside navigator Xavier Panseri, Bouffier is a one-time IRC event winner and a favourite for victory on the Ukraine-based event, which covers a total of 261.87 competitive kilometres.

He will be followed through the stages by Škoda Motorsport Fabia S2000 driver Juho Hänninen, the defending IRC champion, and Andreas Mikkelsen, who drives a Škoda UK Motorsport Fabia.

The top 10 drivers will be separated by two-minute intervals with the remaining 24 drivers starting in one-minute gaps. The opening stage, the 2.12-kilometre Yalta test, gets underway at 13:14hrs local time.

Top 10 starting positions for day one

1 Bryan Bouffier (FRA)/Xavier Panseri (FRA) Peugeot 207 S2000
2 Juho Hänninen (FIN)/Mikko Markkula (FIN) Škoda Fabia S2000
3 Andreas Mikkelsen (NOR)/Ola Fløene (NOR) Škoda Fabia S2000
4 Giandomenico Basso (ITA)/Mitia Dotta (ITA) PROTON Satria Neo S2000
5 PG Andersson (SWE)/Emil Axelsson (SWE) PROTON Satria Neo S2000
6 Marco Tempestini (ITA)/Dorin Pulpea (ROM) Peugeot 207 S2000
7 Jan Kopecký (CZE)/Petr Starý (CZE) Škoda Fabia S2000
8 Thierry Neuville (BEL)/Nicolas Gilsoul (BEL) Peugeot 207 S2000
9 Guy Wilks (GBR)/Phil Pugh (GBR) Peugeot 207 S2000
10 Toni Gardemeister (FIN)/Tapio Suominen (FIN) Škoda Fabia S2000