Neuville to start first on final day

Thierry Neuville will open the road on the final day of Rally Guanajuato Mexico. Driving his Citroen Junior World Rally Team DS3 WRC, Neuville is set to leave the overnight regroup in Leon at 08:30hrs local time for the final four stages.

Although Neuville will be slowed by having to clean a line through the loose surface gravel for the drivers running behind, the Belgian admits the practice is teaching him vital skills on his maiden season in the World Rally Car class.

“We learn a lot but it’s a little bit frustrating when you are driving and the times are so bad cleaning the road,” said the 23-year-old Neuville.

Australia’s Chris Atkinson returns under Rally 2 regulations on day two and will run second on the road in his Monster World Rally Team Fiesta RS WRC.

Evgeny Novikov, in an M-Sport Fiesta, is also restarting under Rally 2 rules following his crash on Saturday’s final stage. He goes third with American Ken Block fourth.

Volkswagen Motorsport’s Sebastien Ogier will start fifth in his Super 2000-specification Skoda Fabia with Armindo Araujo sixth in his WRC Team MINI Portugal John Cooper Works.

Qatar World Rally Team’s Nasser Al-Attiyah starts seventh with Ott Tanak eighth and Mads Ostberg ninth. Petter Solberg goes 10th on the road for the factory Ford World Rally Team with Jari-Matti Latvala 11th and Mikko Hirvonen 12th.

Sebastien Loeb, who is leading round three of the FIA World Rally Championship powered by Nokia, will be the 13th driver to leave the start in Leon followed by Paulo Nobre, another driver restarting under Rally 2 rules following his exit on Saturday’s second stage.

Mexican heroes Ricardo Trivino and Benito Guerra, the Production Car World Rally Championship leader, start 15th and 16th respectively.

Sunday’s action begins with the final run through the Leon Autodromo Super Special at 09:30hrs local time.