Mikkelsen aims to keep Hänninen close

Andreas Mikkelsen reckons he must be within 10 seconds of Juho Hänninen at the completion of day two of Sata Rallye Açores to enable him to maintain his bid for victory on the Intercontinental Rally Challenge event.

Mikkelsen, from Norway, is 10.1s behind his Finnish rival heading into day two’s final loop of three stages, which gets underway with the all-new Remédios-Água de Pau test shortly.

“If the gap is 10 seconds then I have a chance,” said ŠKODA UK Motorsport driver Mikkelsen. “There are some long stages tomorrow then if I am really brave everything is possible.”

Hänninen said: “It would be better if the gap is 20 seconds tonight. Tomorrow is not so easy with a lot of narrow sections and a high risk of punctures. It’s a big fight with Andreas now.”