SS1: Exciting start to Targa Florio

Jan Kopecký is likely to be credited with the fastest time on the opening stage of Targa Florio-Rally Internazionale Di Sicilia, round five of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge.

That’s despite Rashid Al-Ketbi clocking a time that was 3.3s faster than the Czech ace in a similar a ŠKODA Fabia Super 2000.

An event official suggested the Skydive Dubai Rally Team’s Al-Ketbi inadvertently took an incorrect line through the test and the matter will be considered by the event stewards who could decide to adjust Al-Ketbi’s time around the compact 1.65-kilometre Citta’ Di Palermo stage at the capital’s old airport.

Defending IRC champion Andreas Mikkelsen was 0.6s down on Kopecký in his ŠKODA UK entry. He said: “It was very slippery in one corner so I was a bit out of line and maybe we lost one second there. But there are still 10 more stages to go so it’s no problem.”

Six-time Targa Florio winner Paolo Andreucci was next up in his Peugeot Italia 207 Super 2000. “The stage was dirty and I had to use the clutch a lot on the tight corners, which is not so good,” said the Italian legend.

Craig Breen was next on his one-off outing for the HRT Motorsport Peugeot team, with Matteo Gamba in a similar 207 S2000, and Giandomenico Basso (M-Sport Ford Fiesta RRC) close behind. “It was fun but the surface was very dirty, not so easy,” said Basso.

Umberto Scandola spun and stalled his ŠKODA Italia-backed Fabia and was 4.2s adrift of Kopecký as a result.

Crews now head east to the permanent service park in Termini Imerese for a 45-minute halt. Friday’s action gets underway with the 13.60-kilometre Targa stage at 08:35hrs local time. The stage contains sections of the famous Targa Florio road racing circuit.