Qatar GP || December 1 || 20h00 (Local time)

Magalhães leads in the Azores

News after SS1

By Franck Drui

15 July 2010 - 19:23

Bruno Magalhães has made a sensational start to Sata Rallye Açores by going fastest on the opening 14.9-kilometre Lagoa/Marques stage.

The Peugeot Sport Portugal driver, the winner here in 2008, was three tenths of a second faster than M-Sport Ford Fiesta pilot Andreas Mikkelsen.

Intercontinental Rally Challenge leader Juho Hänninen was third fastest with Škoda Motorsport team-mate Jan Kopecký fourth, after complaining of a build up of dust in his Fabia S2000.

Kris Meeke, the winner in the Azores last season, is facing a tough task by running first on the road and therefore having to clean the stage of the loose surface gravel in his Peugeot UK 207. He was fifth quickest.

Local hero Ricardo Moura was delayed by a puncture six kilometres from the finish of the stage.

Overall positions after SS1

Pos.	Team	Car	Time
01	Magalhaes Bruno / Magalhaes Carlos	Peugeot 207 S2000	10m14.4s
02	Mikkelsen Andreas / Floene Ola	Ford Fiesta S2000	+0.3s
03	Hänninen Juho / Markkula Mikko	Škoda Fabia S2000	+2.5s
04	Kopecký Jan / Starý Petr	Škoda Fabia S2000	+3.9s
05	Meeke Kris / Nagle Paul	Peugeot 207 S2000	+5.0s
06	Sousa Bernardo / Silva Nuno	Ford Fiesta S2000	+9.1s
07	Peres Pedro / Ferreira Tiago	Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX	+21.5s
08	Pascoal Vítor / Castro Mário	Peugeot 207 S2000	+32.4s
09	Moura Ricardo / Eiró Sancho	Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX	+33.3s
10	Silva Sérgio / Leal Paulo	Subaru Impreza STI	+40.8s
11	Vale Pedro / Medeiros Rui	Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VII	+42.7s
12	Meireles Pedro / Henriques Jorge	Subaru Impreza STI	+45.4s
13	Torres Rui / Martins Marco	Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX	+48.3s
14	Maciel Paulo / Gouveia Filipe	Citroën Saxo VTS	+1m00.6s
15	Castro Juan Pablo / Olivenza Juan	Subaru Impreza STI	+1m09.9s