Day one review: Neuville in front in Yalta

The battle for victory on the Prime Yalta Rally is tightly poised following the opening two stages in Ukraine’s Crimea region today (Thursday). Thierry Neuville, driving a Team Peugeot Belgium-Luxembourg 207 Super 2000, leads overall with Guy Wilks, in a Peugeot UK 207, just 0.1s behind heading into Friday’s six stages.

Day one of the all-asphalt Intercontinental Rally Challenge qualifier consisted of two short stages close to the rally base in Yalta. Held in warm and dry conditions, the tests were considered a ‘taster’ of the action expected tomorrow when the rally begins in earnest with demanding stages characterised by their bumpy nature and inconsistent surface.

Early leader Neuville began the event on a high following his victory on the previous IRC round in Corsica. Considered a favourite for a second win in Ukraine by many of his rivals, Neuville underlined his billing by winning the rally’s first stage, a 2.12-kilometre sprint.

Although he was beaten on the next stage by Wilks, whose 207 S2000 is run by the same Kronos Racing operation from Namur in Belgium, Neuville was second quickest to maintain a slender advantage at the completion of Thursday’s opening exchanges.

Behind the pacesetting Peugeots, Patrik Sandell heads the Skoda challenge in his Skoda Sweden-backed Fabia in third place. The Swede has vowed to make up for his lacklustre showing in Corsica and impressed with the second quickest run through the first stage.

Andreas Mikkelsen is fourth overnight in his Skoda UK Motorsport entered Fabia with Toni Gardemeister completing the top five in his TGS Worldwide-entered Skoda. Mikkelsen said his pace was compromised slightly by his decision to carry two spare tyres to counter the possibility of rain. Gardemeister was one of the few drivers who managed to test in Ukraine before the rally and was buoyed by his upturn in form following changes to his car’s rear differential and damper settings.

Bryan Bouffier is sixth after two stages in his Peugeot France 207 with Jan Kopecky seventh in the lead Skoda Motorsport-entered Fabia. Kopecky reckoned he could have been higher up the order had he not opted to run a softer set-up in the mistaken belief it might rain.

Giandomenico Basso heads the three-strong PROTON Motorsports assault in his Satria Neo S2000 with Estonian teenager Karl Kruuda ninth on his first competitive drive in his Fabia on asphalt. Basso’s PROTON team-mate PG Andersson completes the top 10.

It was a frustrating start for defending IRC champion Juho Hanninen, who is making his return to the IRC after missing the previous round in France. Despite setting top three times on both stages today, the Finn was handed a 10-second time penalty for being adjudged to have jumped the start of stage two.

“It seems we went too soon and got a penalty, which I don’t think will be removed,” said the Finn. “I don’t remember anything special happening, maybe there was a problem somewhere. But I don’t think 10 seconds will decide this rally because there is still such a long way to go.”

Oleksiy Tamrazov is the leading Ukrainian driver in 14th overall aboard his M-Sport Ford Fiesta S2000. His countryman Valeriy Gorban tops the IRC Production Cup classification in 15th position at the wheel of his Ralliart Mitsubishi Lancer, while Oleksandr Saliuk Sr is 18th in his PROTON, which is being co-driven by Evgeny Chervonenko, the president of Ukraine’s automobile federation and co-chairman of the Yalta Rally organising committee.

Belgian newcomer Cedric Cherain heads the IRC 2WD Cup driving a Megane RS. Frenchman Jean-Michel Raoux is second.