Friday, March 7, 2014

Ogier Leads Rally Mexico After First Stage

The World Rally Championship makes it's only stop in North America this weekend at Rally Mexico and defending champion and defending Rally Mexico winner Sébastien Ogier is on top.

The Frenchman won the first stage Thursday night by 0.3 seconds over Estonian Ott Tänak who is driving for Drive Dmack Ford Fiesta in the WRC2 classification at this round after driving for MSport Ford at Rally Sweden. Ogier's Volkswagen teammate Andreas Mikkelsen finished third on the stage 0.4 seconds back. Citroën driver Kris Meeke was fourth, 0.6 seconds off Ogier with points leader and Volkswagen driver Jari-Matti Latvala in fifth, 0.8 seconds back of his teammate.

Hyundai had a good first stage with Thierry Neuville in sixth, 1.1 seconds back. The Korean manufacture is still looking for their first points of the 2014 season. Third place in the championship Mads Østberg is seventh, 1.3 seconds back with former Citroën driver Mikko Hirvonen a tenth of a second make of the Norwegian driver in eight. Hirvonen's MSport Ford teammate Robert Kubica is ninth, three-tenths of a second back and WRC2 competitor Italian Lorenzo Bertelli is tenth, 2.3 seconds back in a Ford.

Mexican driver and 2012 Production World Rally Champion Benito Guerra is thirteenth driving for MSport Ford, 3.1 seconds back. His MSport teammate Elfyn Evans is four-tenths of a second back in fourteenth. The second Hyundai for this round is being driven by Australian Chris Atkinson and is in last-place, 24.7 seconds back after his car stopped suddenly early in the stage.

Day two of Rally Mexico will feature ten stages with the first beginning at 9:32 a.m. ET.