Day 2: Ogier-Ingrassia (VW) leads after one day with 6 different stage winners

23/10/2015

After the spectacular stage held yesterday through the streets of Barcelona, which was followed by more than 20,000 spectators, the 51 RallyRACC saw a really amazing second day, with unusual changes in the lead and some of the drivers least expected to be on top taking advantage of their starting position to achieve great results.

Sébastien Ogier-Julien Ingrassia (Volkswagen Polo R WRC), were really effective and followed their usual extraordinary race strategy to finish the second day as leaders, climbing to the top spot after Terra Alta', a long and difficult mixed surface stage where the current World Championship set the difference.

The four stages held this morning had four different winners: Hayden Paddon (Hyundai) and Mads Ostberg (Citroën) set the same fastest time at Móra d'Ebre-Ascó', Robert Kubica (Ford) did it in Caseres', Ott Tänak (Ford) in Bot' and Jari-Matti Latvala (VW) at Terra Alta' mixed surface stage, which added to Sébastien Ogier's victory (VW) yesterday in Barcelona, offered a magnificent total of 6 different winners in the 5 stages held. After the first loop, Ogier took back the lead he had lost after the 3^rd stage, when Robert Kubica took the top spot after setting the fastest time in Caseres'.

After being neutralized with a break to change tyres in Ascó, although with no service, the participants faced a second pass through the stages. Estonia's Tänak was the first to take a second stage victory after winning in Mora d'Ebre-Ascó', although Robert Kubica also took a second one after the stage in which Latvala took the lead ahead of Tänak and Ogier, which offered a very uncertain first day.

During the second pass through Caseres', Norway's Mads Ostberg (Citroën) added to the day's excitement with a scratch that put even more value to the lead, and kept the pressure on Latvala, who was less than 3 seconds ahead of  Tänak and Ogier. The short Bot' finished with another scratch for Tänak, who was really strong today on gravel and was able to cut 9 tenths from Latvala's advantage, as he was second on the stage.

There was the difficult and unpredictable Terra Alta' left. Ogier had a great performance and set a fastest time 4 seconds ahead of his team mate Latvala, which left Tänak in third place of the provisional race classification. The Spanish drivers Dani Sordo-Marc Martí (Hyundai) finished today in fourth position after a good performance in which they set a third fastest time in Bot' and where among the top six nearly the whole day.

In WRC2, the leader is the Swedish driver Pontus Tidemand, who set six fastest times of the eight possible, leading a four Skoda Fabia R5 string, with Czech Jan Kopecky, Finland's Esapekka Lappi and Qatar's Nasser Al-Attiyah behind. Bad luck for the rest of Spanish competitors. Both Nil Solans and José Antonio Suárez, both with Peugeot, had to retire due to a mechanical failure, while Pepe López was delayed due to a puncture and with a 10-second penalty.

Tomorrow will be the third day of the race and completely on tarmac, with 123 timed kilometres distributed in 8 different stages, the last one in the streets of Salou.

Montjuïc goes back to normal in less than 5 hours
After the successful stage held yesterday in Barcelona, who naturally demanded several special security measures, the RACC started an important operation to return the normal circulation to the area in less than 5 hours (about 2am of Friday) at the María Cristina and Rius i Taulet avenues. During Friday morning, the rest of the special features prepared at the pedestrian zone of Font Màgica and Plaça de les Cascades. The RACC used 2.400 linear metres of concrete barriers (New Jersey) in 2-metre pieces that were transported in 47 articulated truck, as well as 4,200 metres of fences. The operation also required the installation of two elevated passes to allow the public to move from one side of the track to the other.

Overall classification after the second day of the 51 RallyRACC
1-Sébastien Ogier-Julien Ingrassia (Volkswagen Polo R WRC), 1h.24'58"4
2-Jari-Matti Latvala-Miikka Anttila (Volkswagen Polo R WRC), a 4"0
3-Ott Tänak-Raigo Molder (Ford Fiesta RS WRC), a 11"3
4-Dani Sordo-Marc Martí (Hyundai i20 WRC), a 26"9
5-Mads Otsberg-Jonas Andersson (Citroën DS3 WRC), a 29"7
6-Andreas Mikkelsen-Ola Floene (Volkswagen Polo R WRC), a 37"4
7-Hayden Paddon-John Kennard (Hyundai i20 WRC), a 38"3
8-Kris Meeke-Paul Nagle (Citroën DS3 WRC), a 59"4
9-Thierry Neuville-Nicolas Gilsoul (Hyundai i20 WRC), a 1'03"8
10-Elfyn Evans-Daniel Barritt (Ford Fiesta RS WRC), a 1'09"2