Champion Meeke tops Sanremo shakedown

Kris Meeke’s bid to win Rallye Sanremo for a second year in a row got off to a strong start earlier today when he set the fastest time in pre-event shakedown.

The 31-year-old Peugeot UK driver covered the 3.36-kilometre all-asphalt test in a time of 2m06.8s, nine-tenths of a second faster than Škoda Motorsport driver Jan Kopecký managed on the sun-drenched stage.

Intercontinental Rally Challenge leader Juho Hänninen was third fastest in his Fabia S2000 with Umberto Scandola the highest-placed Italian driver in fourth overall at the wheel of an M-Sport Ford Fiesta S2000.

Giandomenico Basso was fifth quickest in his Abarth Grande Punto S2000 with Italian championship leader Paolo Andreucci completing the top six in his 207.

Top 10 shakedown times
1 Kris Meeke (Peugeot 207 S2000) 2m06.0s
2 Jan Kopecký (Škoda Fabia S2000) 2m06.9s
3 Juho Hänninen (Škoda Fabia S2000) 2m07.6s
4 Umberto Scandola (M-Sport Ford Fiesta S2000) 2m08.3s
5 Giandomenico Basso (Abarth Grande Punto S2000) 2m08.5s
6 Paolo Andreucci (Peugeot 207 S2000) 2m08.6s
7 Bryan Bouffier (Peugeot 207 S2000) 2m09.2s
8 Freddy Loix (Škoda Fabia S2000) 2m09.2s
9 Luca Rossetti (Abarth Grande Punto S2000) 2m09.3s
10 Guy Wilks (Škoda Fabia S2000) 2m10.7s