Fans galore in Latvia as Rovanperä takes early lead

The grandstands at Biķernieki Track were packed to the rafters as the country’s only permanent motor racing circuit hosted the precursor to three full days of flat-out action on Latvia’s FIA World Rally Championship debut. Unlike the rally’s other 19 special stages, the 11.13km opener was predominantly asphalt-based and provided a unique challenge with all cars competing in full gravel trim.

Rovanperä, who won the previous round in his Toyota GR Yaris Rally1, opened a slender leader over Hyundai i20 N Rally1 rival Thierry Neuville as eight-time world champion completed the leading trio in another Toyota – setting identical pace with Ogier.

“It was impossible to really say in these conditions which tyre to choose,” remarked Rovanperä, who eventually settled on a full soft compound package.

Home hero Mārtiņš Sesks grabbed fourth place in his M-Sport Ford Puma Rally1, dropping just five-tenths of a second to Neuville and Ogier. Sesks, who grew up in Liepāja where the rally’s service park is based, is competing with full hybrid power for the first time this week after debuting a Puma in Poland.

“That was amazing,” Sesks beamed. “I was too wide in some places for sure, but I think everybody loved that!”

Elfyn Evans completed 3.9sec in another Toyota, 1.7sec clear of his sixth-placed team-mate Takamoto Katsuta as Ott Tänak took seventh. Tänak dropped a handful of seconds when he overcooked a hairpin and nudged some stage furniture.

Adrien Fourmaux placed eighth in his Puma while Esapekka Lappi and Grégoire Munster completed the early top 10.

The action resumes from 10:00 local time on Friday as the rally weaves its way from Rīga to Liepāja, taking in seven lightning-fast stages along the route.