Hänninen and Mikkelsen fly in shakedown

Juho Hänninen and Andreas Mikkelsen have set the joint fastest time in shakedown for Sata Rallye Açores, round six of the 11-event Intercontinental Rally Challenge season.

The ŠKODA Fabia Super 2000 drivers covered the 2.9-kilometre test this morning in a time of 1m44.0s. Hänninen’s ŠKODA team-mate Jan Kopecký was third quickest with Guy Wilks the fastest Peugeot 207 driver in fourth overall.

“We’re pretty happy with everything so far – it’s important to have a good start,” said Mikkelsen, who spent shakedown fine-tuning the set-up of his ŠKODA UK Motorsport entry.

Last year’s winner Bruno Magalhães was fifth quickest in his Peugeot Sport Portugal 207, which has a new engine after the original failed on last month’s GEKO Ypres Rally. Patrik Sandell completed the top six in his ŠKODA Sweden Fabia with Julien Maurin seventh quickest in his M-Sport Ford Fiesta.

Toshi Arai was ninth in his R4-specification Subaru Impreza, one place ahead of Vitor Lopes in a conventional Group N Impreza. Lopes experienced a minor delay when he suffered a front-left puncture.

Multiple Azorean champion Ricardo Moura was 11th fastest in this Ralliart Mitsubishi Lancer but said he wasn’t chasing a rapid time: “I just wanted to check everything was okay with the car,” he said.

Paulo Maciel was the leading IRC 2WD Cup contender in 14th position. Defending class champion Harry Hunt was one place further back on his Azores debut.

Top 10 shakedown times

1 Juho Hänninen/Mikko Markkula (ŠKODA Fabia S2000) 1m44.0s
2 Andreas Mikkelsen/Ola Fløene (ŠKODA Fabia S2000) 1m44.0s
3 Jan Kopecký/Petr Starý (ŠKODA Fabia S2000) 1m45.2s
4 Guy Wilks/Phil Pugh (Peugeot 207 S2000) 1m46.0s
5 Bruno Magalhães/Paulo Grave (Peugeot 207 S2000) 1m47.1s
6 Patrik Sandell/Staffan Parmander (ŠKODA Fabia S2000) 1m48.8s
7 Julien Maurin/Olivier Ural (M-Sport Ford Fiesta S2000) 1m49.2s
8 Bryan Bouffier/Xavier Panseri (Peugeot 207 S2000) 1m49.3s
9 Toshi Arai/Dale Moscatt (Subaru Impreza STI R4) 1m52.4s
10 Vitor Lopes/Hugo Magalhães (Subaru Impreza STI WRX) 1m52.6s