Belgian driver Thierry Neuville (Hyundai i20) today tries to hold the lead in the 57th edition of the Rally of Portugal, the fifth round of the World Championship (WRC), after winning the Figueira da Foz super special on Thursday.
Neuville will be the first driver to take to the road, starting at 08:05, starting with a 0.6 second advantage over Frenchman Sébastien Ogier (Toyota Yaris), with Estonian Ott Tänak (Hyundai i20) in third position, two seconds behind his teammate.
The morning section also includes a first pass through Lousã (12.28 km), Góis (14.30) and Arganil (18.72).
In the afternoon, the riders repeat the special stages covered in the morning, but with the difference that the day will end in Mortágua.
Neuville, Ogier and Tänak opted for two hard tires and four soft tires for this journey, with the world champion, Finnish Kalle Rovanperä (Toyota Yaris), fifth fastest in Figueira da Foz, opting for three hard tires and three soft tires.
This stage, with eight special stages, also scores for the Portuguese Rally Championship (CPR), with Northern Irishman Kris Meeke (Hyundai i20) in command, after having set the best time in Thursday’s super special, with 0.7 seconds ahead of Armindo Araújo (Skoda Fábia).
Thierry Neuville arrives at Rally de Portugal as the World Cup leader, with 86 points, six more than the British Elfyn Evans (Toyota Yaris), who on Thursday was only eighth.
