SS4: Bouffier claims Scotland stage best
Out front, Mikkelsen has overtaken Peugeot UK’s Guy Wilks for the overall lead
Bryan Bouffier has claimed his first stage win on RACMSA Rally of Scotland, the penultimate round of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge.
Bouffier, in a Peugeot France 207 Super 2000, was 0.1s faster than ŠKODA UK Motorsport’s Andreas Mikkelsen on the 13.16-kilometre Drummond Hill stage. Bouffier’s performance puts him ahead of PROTON Motorsports’ PG Andersson into fourth overall.
Out front, Mikkelsen has overtaken Peugeot UK’s Guy Wilks for the overall lead. Wilks reported losing time running wide on a right-bend and dropping into a ditch close to the stage start. As a result the Peugeot UK driver is 3.4s behind Mikkelsen after four stages.
Defending IRC champion Juho Hänninen continues to drop time in his works Fabia. The Finn, the winner in Scotland last year, said he didn’t expect the stage conditions to be so muddy.
Patrik Sandell was seventh quickest in his ŠKODA Sweden Fabia, despite picking up a front-left puncture. IRC Production Cup driver Marco Cavigioli reported losing time with brake problems on his Ralliart Mitsubishi Lancer.
Stage five, Errochty 1, gets underway at 12:10hrs local time.