the belgian Thierry Neuville is the first leader of the Rally de Portugal, the fourth round of the World Championship, after the first and only scheduled section took place this Thursday, a 2.82-kilometre super special stage in Coimbra in which his teammate the Spanish Dani Sordo finished at 7.2 seconds.
Neuvillesecond in the World Cup, scored a winning time of 2:37.9 minutesand was six tenths ahead of the second, the Estonian Ott Tanakand in 1.4 seconds to third, the Irishman Craig Breen.
The outstanding leader of the championship, the Finn Kalle Rovanperäscored the sixth time at 2.7 of Neuville and just behind the eight-time world champion, the French Sebastian Ogier, fifth to 2.1. The nine-time champion, also French sebastien loeb (Ford Puma), finished eighth, 3.4 seconds behind the Belgian.
Loeb Y Ogier they return to the championship in one season with a limited program for both. They were only in Montecarlo, where they finished first and second.
The Rally of Portugal is the first test of the year dani deafwho was not in Monte Carlo, Sweden and Croatia due to an agreement with Hyundai Motorsport for 2022 that makes him share the team’s third official i20 N with the Swede Oliver Solberg. The Spaniard started 7.2 seconds behind Neuville.
The World Cup is led by Rovanperä after winning consecutively in Sweden and Croatia and being fourth in the inaugural test (Monte Carlo). He adds 76 points, 29 more than Neuville and already 46 margin on Craig Breen. This Friday the race continues with eight sections, the last at 20:03 CET (18:03 GMT).