Ogier masters muddy Welsh stages
Meeke heads Citroën push in manufacturers' championship battle
Delight for Camilli as Breen suffers
Eric Camilli was the surprise leader of WRC 2 after Friday’s forest mudfest at Wales Rally GB.
Craig Breen led initially but a puncture sent the Irishman tumbling to seventh and Camilli moved to the front. He won two stages this afternoon to defend his advantage from Finland’s Teemu Suninen and returned to the rally’s Deeside base 9.4sec clear in a Ford Fiesta R5.
“I’m really, really, really excited. It's my first time here and it’s an adventure. The rhythm is good and maybe the podium on Sunday!” he said.
Breen won two of the first three stages and was 8.8sec clear in a Peugeot 208 T16 R5 when he was delayed. “There was a rock in the middle of the road and I found it. Like every other bloody rock this season. So, so, so frustrating,” he said.
Suninen could have overhauled Camilli in the final stage but his Skoda Fabia S2000 was delayed for 5km behind the struggling Quentin Giordano.
Yurii Protasov can seal second in the championship and, after a slow start, the Ukrainian was third in a Fiesta RRC. He spun in the opening stage but climbed the order and was 54.8sec behind Suninen.
Eyvind Brynildsen overcame brake problems to hold fourth in a Fabia R5, with Valeriy Gorban and Abdulaziz Al-Kuwari completing the top six. Gorban survived a spin in his Mini John Cooper Works S2000.
Joan Carchat headed the Production Cup category within WRC 2 despite a right rear puncture in his Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X. Gianluca Linari retired his Subaru Impreza in the opening stage.
