Rally of Portugal: Tänak ends first morning leading by 0.2 seconds

Estonian driver Ott Tänak (Hyundai i20) finished the first morning of the 58th edition of the Rally of Portugal, fifth round of the World Championship (WRC), in the lead today, having achieved this in the first of the four stages contested.

The former world champion (2019) closed the first section of this Friday with a time of 38.45.1 minutes, but only 0.2 seconds ahead of the second-placed Frenchman Adrien Fourmaux (Hyundai i20), with Frenchman Sébastien Ogier (Toyota Yaris), record holder for victories in the Portuguese race (six), in third, 7.4 seconds behind.

“I’m having a good feeling with the car. I attacked a lot on this stage and I’m happy with the tyre choice. But there’s still a long way to go,” said Fourmaux.

Briton Elfyn Evans (Toyota Yaris), who had won Thursday's super special in Figueira da Foz, lost the lead in the first stage, in Mortágua, after an attack by Tänak.

Evans has been hampered by being the first driver on track and having to clear for the drivers behind him.

The same problem is suffered by the Finnish Kalle Rovanperä (Toyota Yaris), who still held on to the second place he achieved in the morning in Mortágua and Lousã. However, the former two-time world champion (2022 and 2023) could not resist Fourmaux's attack in the third stage, in Góis, falling to fifth in Arganil, behind the Japanese Takamoto Katsuta (Toyota Yaris).

The world champion, Belgian Thierry Neuville (Hyundai i20), had worse luck, as he spun right at the start, in Mortágua, and finished the morning in seventh place, 25.8 seconds behind the leader.

Latvian Martins Sesks (Ford Puma) suffered a puncture in Mortágua and dropped down the rankings, having already lost 4.14.8 minutes.

Among the drivers competing in the Portuguese Rally Championship (CPR), the fastest has been Northern Irishman Kris Meeke (Toyota Yaris). “It was a decent morning. Not perfect, but decent,” said the national champion.

Spaniard Dani Sordo (Hyundai i20) remains in second position, despite having felt a fuel leak on the second special stage of the morning, in Lousã.

“There’s a lot of fuel smell inside the car. I even feel a little sick,” confessed the Spaniard.

The race continues this afternoon, with another run through the Mortágua, Lousã, Góis and Arganil sections, before the debut of the Águeda/Sever and Sever/Albergaria sections, at the end of the afternoon.