Škoda UK’s Norwegian tops Yalta shakedown

Andreas Mikkelsen has gone fastest in shakedown for the Prime Yalta Rally, round four of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge.

Driving a Škoda UK Motorsport Fabia Super 2000, the 21-year-old Norwegian set a fastest time of 1m32.1s over the 2.5-kilometre practice course.

He completed a total of four timed runs and was three-tenths of a second faster than defending IRC champion Juho Hänninen, whose Fabia S2000 is being supported by Ukraine’s Škoda importer this week.

Peugeot UK’s Guy Wilks was fastest of the 207 S2000 runners in third, five-tenths of a second quicker than Kronos Raicng team-mate Thierry Neuville in his Team Peugeot Belgium-Luxembourg entry. Peugeot France’s Bryan Bouffier completed the top five.

Giandomenico Basso was the quickest of the three PROTONS with the Italian recording the ninth best run through the stage.

Top 10 shakedown times

1 Andreas Mikkelsen (NOR)/Ola Fløene (NOR) Škoda Fabia S2000 1m32.1s
2 Juho Hänninen (FIN)/Mikko Markkula (FIN) Škoda Fabia S2000 1m32.4s
3 Guy Wilks (GBR)/Phil Pugh (GBR) Peugeot 207 S2000 1m32.6s
4 Thierry Neuville (BEL)/Nicolas Gilsoul (BEL) Peugeot 207 S2000 1m32.9s
5 Bryan Bouffier (FRA)/Xavier Panseri (FRA) Peugeot 207 S2000 1m33.0s
6 Toni Gardemeister (FIN)/Tapio Suominen (FIN) Škoda Fabia S2000 1m33.5s
7 Jan Kopecký (CZE)/Petr Starý (CZE) Škoda Fabia S2000 1m33.8s
= Patrik Sandell (SWE)/Staffan Parmander (SWE) Škoda Fabia S2000 1m33.8s
9 Giandomenico Basso (ITA)/Mitia Dotta (ITA) PROTON Satria Neo S2000 1m34.2s
10 Karl Kruuda (EST)/Martin Jeovoja (EST) Škoda Fabia S2000 +1m35.3s