Sordo tops Argentina shakedown

Dani Sordo was fastest through this morning’s Rally Argentina shakedown in a Hyundai i20 WRC.

The Spaniard, called into the squad to replace Juho Hänninen on the day entries for the rally closed, was quickest by 0.4sec from Mikko Hirvonen’s Ford Fiesta RS.

While several drivers settled for the minimum two passes through the 4.59km gravel stage from Villa Garcia to Cabalango, both Sordo and Hirvonen completed four runs in overcast conditions and posted their fastest times in the last pass.

Jari-Matti Latvala was third in a Volkswagen Polo R, 0.3sec behind Hirvonen, with Thierry Neuville a further 0.3sec back in fourth in the other i20.

Sébastien Ogier and Andreas Mikkelsen completed the top six, with just 1.3sec covering the leading sextet over the test close to the rally base in Villa Carlos Paz.

The leading times were:

1 Dani Sordo 2min 31.3sec
2 Mikko Hirvonen + 0.4sec
3 Jari-Matti Latvala + 0.7sec
4 Thierry Neuville + 1.0sec
5 Sébastien Ogier + 1.2sec
6 Andreas Mikkelsen + 1.3sec
7 Mads Østberg + 1.8sec
8 Robert Kubica + 2.6sec
9 Kris Meeke + 3.6sec
10 Martin Prokop + 3.9sec
11 Elfyn Evans + 6.8sec