End of Leg Report
Day One

For competitors taking part in Wales Rally GB for the first time this year, it was less a baptism of fire and more of a baptism of water, as torrential downpours hit the stages on the first day. Compounding competitors’ problems, a morning of fog had reduced visibility to a matter of metres, putting the drivers’ faith squarely in the laps of the co-drivers and their pacenotes.

The day was to get no better as the weather went from bad to worse, with fog returning in the late afternoon to make competitive driving difficult. Regulation light pods fitted to the cars made it harder to see because of the glare caused by the light reflecting off the fog - an irony not lost on the drivers.

At the head of the field, Finland’s Mikko Hirvonen threw down the gauntlet from the very first stage at Port Talbot and scorched ahead of team-mate Marcus Gronholm and Citroen’s Sebastien Loeb. Hirvonen’s mission was to get in the middle of the World Championship title fight and make life difficult for Loeb, who is battling with Gronholm’s for the title.

“Even though I don’t have to win this rally to win the title, I still need to drive fast to maintain the level of concentration I need to stay in touch with Marcus,” Loeb revealed. “This is only the first day – there is a lot slipping and sliding ahead,” he added.

Meanwhile, Gronholm was not in any mood to let the pressure get to him on this, his final World Championship event. He, like all the drivers on this first day, was focusing on maintaining his pace and keeping the car on the road. “The second run through these stages has created some big ruts and potholes, especially at the starts,” he said. “I am not driving at maximum just yet, maybe 80 per cent – there is more to come.”

Ford team principal Malcolm Wilson was understandably satisfied with ending the day with his cars in first and second position, but was mindful of Gronholm’s eagerness to add the drivers’ world championship to the team’s manufacturers’ crown. To win the crown, Gronholm must win the rally with Loeb in sixth position or lower.

“It has been a perfect day for Mikko and Marcus  – they couldn’t have done any more. Sebastien really has to throw it away if Marcus is to win the driver’s title. For us, it is a case of waiting and seeing what he does. Unless something happens, there is nothing we can do.”

Elsewhere down the field, Guy Wilks was blazing a trail of his own in the Group N class, setting times that were on the pace with some WRC drivers as he focused on winning the class and thereby scooping the British Rally Championship title. However, he is just 3.2s ahead of team-mate Gwyndaf Evans, while title rival Mark Higgins looms in third place.

With just the first day gone and six stages completed, the stage is set for a classic battle in the Welsh forests, with no fewer than three championship titles set to be decided by Sunday’s finish.

*Following an incident in stage one, Port Talbot, two spectators were taken to Morriston Hospital, Swansea with minor injuries. One has now been released, while the other is being kept in hospital overnight for observation.

Top Ten after SS6

1st 4: Mikko Hirvonen/Jarmo Lehtinen
2nd 3: Marcus Gronholm/Timo Rautiainen
3rd 1: Sebastien Loeb/Daniel Elena
4th 7: Petter Solberg/Philip Mills
5th 2: Dani Sordo/Marc Marti
6th 16: Matthew Wilson/Michael Orr
7th 8: Chris Atkinson/Stephane Prevot
8th 5: Manfred Stohl/Ilka Minor
9th 17: Xavier Pons/Xavier Amigo
10th 21: Andreas Mikkelson/Ola Floene