Friday wrap: Ford in front after dramatic day in Oz

Mikko Hirvonen has completed a drama-filled opening day of Rally Australia with a lead of seven seconds over factory Ford team-mate Jari-Matti Latvala.

Hirvonen, the winner in Australia on the WRC’s last two visits to the country, was 15.1s adrift of Citroen’s Sebastien Loeb in third overall after Friday’s first test but moved into second behind Sebastien Ogier when Loeb rolled into retirement on the first run through the Brooklana stage.

And second became first when Ogier did the unthinkable and crashed into a tree on the repeat of the Shipmans stage, which was held in increasingly treacherous conditions following persistent rain.

“The conditions have been like hell, unbelievably slippery,” said Hirvonen, who is chasing his first victory in the WRC since his triumph on Rally Sweden in February. “I went off the road [on stage six] but it was into a field so there was nothing to hit.”

Latvala’s challenge got off to a troubled start on Friday morning when he spun five kilometres into the Shipmans test and lost 20s. He reported a small steering problem thereafter, which was rectified at the midday service halt in Coffs Harbour. By going fastest on three of the day’s six gravel tests, the Finn remains in the hunt for victory.

“It’s been so difficult to pick your pace through the corners because you have no idea what grip you have,” said Latvala. “It’s been a very difficult day, incredible.”

Petter Solberg was fastest on stage four but slipped behind Latvala with a high-speed spin on stage five. A trip into a field on stage six caused further delay for the 2003 world champion, who was otherwise satisfied with the upturn of pace in his privateer Citroen. He said: “The conditions were unbelievable, I should have gone softer with the car but I didn’t have any information that the condition of the stages was so bad.”

Henning Solberg is the leading M-Sport Stobart Ford Fiesta driver in fourth overall after Evgeny Novikov crashed into a rock 1.5 kilometres from the start of stage seven. Solberg was another driver to momentarily leave the road on stage six. Matthew Wilson also survived a few scares to complete day one in fifth overall.

Team Abu Dhabi’s Khalid Al Qassimi is sixth in his Fiesta, one place ahead of Production Car World Rally Championship leader Hayden Paddon. Category rivals Michal Kosciuszko, Oleksandr Saliuk and Benito Guerra complete the top 10 with Brendan Reeves the leading Australian driver in 11th overall.

But the main talking point in Australia today has been the double retirement of works Citroen drivers Loeb and Ogier, the first time since the second day of the Acropolis Rally in Greece in June 2009 that both of the French manufacturer’s factory drivers have failed to complete a day of a world championship rally.

Loeb said he was to blame for the multiple roll that put him out of the action on a right-hand bend approximately halfway through the 12.78-kilometre Brooklana test this morning. “I was not taking risks and I had done a very clean stage before that,” said Loeb. “I was looking at something when I saw the corner too late.”

Ogier could have moved equal on points with Loeb had he kept out front. Instead his challenge unravelled when he spun into a tree shortly after the 23-kilometre mark of Shipmans II. Although he was able to continue, he stopped shortly afterwards when his DS3 WRC’s water temperature began to rise. Citroen has yet to confirm whether its star drivers will restart on day two under SupeRally regulations.

Peter van Merksteijn Jr was in contention for a points’ finish when a double puncture forced him out of the running in his Citroen. A smashed radiator triggered Daniel Oliveira’s exit in his Brazil World Rally Team MINI John Cooper Works WRC.