SS2: Hänninen snatches first position

Juho Hänninen has snatched the lead of Sata Rallye Açores by going second fastest on stage two of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge qualifier in the mid-Atlantic.

The Finn was 2.1s quicker than ŠKODA Motorsport team-mate Jan Kopecký to move 0.5s ahead of Andreas Mikkelsen, whose ŠKODA UK Fabia lost its powersteering four kilometres from the end of the 7.5-kilometre run.

“With no powersteering I have no chance, it’s so scary,” said Mikkelsen.

Hänninen said: “The stage was even more slippery than the first, there was a lot of loose and it was very difficult.”

Bruno Magalhães was fastest on the stage in his Peugeot Sport Portugal 207 to cement third overall. “We pushed a lot,” said the 31-year-old.

The stage results were significant in more ways than one with the overall positions after the test being used to determine the starting order for day two, albeit with the leading five drivers running in reverse order on Friday’s stages.

It means Patrik Sandell, fifth overall following the stage, will start first on the road on day two followed by Kopecký and Magalhães.

By dropping time to gain a more advantageous road position on Friday, Peugeot UK’s Guy Wilks slipped out of the top five. He is currently seventh, one place behind Azorean driver Ricardo Moura in a Ralliart Mitsubishi Lancer.

Bryan Bouffier, who is running first on the road today, is in eighth overall following stage two. He said: “I tried to drive well, I’m doing my best but it’s really not easy. I am not so disappointed. I tried to drive well but it’s not enough.”

Crews will now tackle the Group Marques superspecial stage before returning to Ponta Delgada for the overnight halt.

Overall positions after SS2