Ogier to run first as start order changes

The top 15 starters will tackle the first six stages of Rally d’Italia-Sardegna tomorrow in competition number order and not in reverse order as had previously been planned by the event organisers.

The change of procedure was confirmed by Luigi Macaluso, the chairman of the organising committee, earlier this week and will mean that Sébastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia, who carry the number one on their Peugeot Sport Italia 207 Super 2000, will start first on the road followed by the next 14 competitors in gaps of two minutes. The remaining competitors will negotiate the stages in one-minute gaps.

On Sunday, the top 10 crews will start in reverse order in gaps of two minutes with all other runners starting in rally order separated by gaps of 60 seconds.

The top 15 starters on day one of round five of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge are as follows:

1 Sébastien Ogier (FRA)/Julien Ingrassia (FRA) Peugeot 207 S2000
2 Juho Hänninen (FIN)/Mikko Markkula (FIN) Škoda Fabia S2000
3 Kris Meeke (GBR)/Paul Nagle (IRL) Peugeot 207 S2000
4 Yazeed Al Rajhi (SAU)/Matthieu Baumel (FRA) Peugeot 207 S2000
5 P-G Andersson (SWE)/Anders Fredriksson (SWE) Mitsubishi Lancer EX
6 Jan Kopecký (CZE)/Petr Stary (CZE) Škoda Fabia S2000
7 Guy Wilks (GBR)/Phil Pugh (GBR) Škoda Fabia S2000
8 Bruno Magalhães (POR)/Carlos Magalhães (POR) Peugeot 207 S2000
9 Franz Wittmann (AUT)/Klaus Wicha (GER) Peugeot 207 S2000
10 Thierry Neuville (BEL)/Nicolas Klinger (FRA) Peugeot 207 S2000
11 Paolo Andreucci (ITA)/Anna Andreussi (ITA) Peugeot 207 S2000
12 Andreas Mikkelsen (NOR)/Ola Fløene (NOR) Ford Fiesta S2000
14 Teemu Arminen (FIN)/Tuomo Nikkola (FIN) Subaru Impreza WRX
15 Burcu Çetinkaya (TUR)/Çiçek Güney (TUR) Peugeot 207 S2000
16 Mauro Trentin (ITA)/Flavio Zanella (ITA) Peugeot 207 S2000