Ogier in the lead after day one

Munich. Sébastien Ogier (FRA) and co-driver Vicent Landais (FRA) were the match winners on the first day of the Central European Rally. In the twelfth round of the FIA World Rally Championship in Germany, Austria and Czechia, the current leaders in the Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 got off to the best start and reached the day's destination in Passau after two Special Stages with a narrow lead of 1.6 seconds over their Finnish brand colleagues Kalle Rovanperä / Jonne Halttunen. Hyundai's spearhead Adrien Forumaux and co-driver Alexandre Coria (both FRA) are also within striking distance, just 3.9 seconds behind. Friday will see the first full day of competition with six stages covering just under 100 kilometres of best times, with the route passing through all three host countries. Anyone who wants to be there live can purchase their ticket online at any time during the event using our online ticket shop.

Leader Ogier was the first to start the fluid first stage of the Central European Rally at midday, kicking off the chase for the fastest time. He took advantage of the perfect conditions on the still spotless track and set a time that no other driver was able to match on the increasingly slippery surface. It was only on the second run of the ‘Golf und Therme’ special stage near the spa and golf town of Bad Griesbach that Toyota brand colleague Rovanperä caught up and drove a time that was a razor-thin 0.1 seconds faster than the Frenchman. But it was not enough to take the lead. Ogier summed up the day's events in Passau: "So far, I'm happy, happy with the feeling, happy with the car. We're in the lead, so it must have been a go0d start, but as expected, the gaps are very small." And like many of his competitors, the competition really starts for him on Friday: "Then it will be much more difficult, with many more kilometres and tricky sections to tackle," said Ogier.

Rovanperä: ‘Tomorrow will be more difficult’

At the big get-together of teams and fans during the regrouping at noon in Bad Griesbach Therme, double world champion Kalle Rovanperä had apparently optimised the crucial details on his Yaris once again. Because in the second special stage after the atmospheric fan programme in the middle of the spa town, he stepped up his game once again and set the fastest time. ‘It was pretty good,’ he summed up with Finnish coolness. ‘But this is only the beginning. We have a good starting position and will try to build on that tomorrow. Currently, the gaps after the short stage are very small, and tomorrow will be more difficult.’

The action starts again on Friday!

Thursday's atmospheric start to the Central European Rally gave a taste of what is to come, with six stages scheduled for Friday, which will see routes in three different countries for the first time in WRC history. The day will start in the morning (from 08:30) with the ‘Granite and Forest’ stage near Hauzenberg in Lower Bavaria, followed by the ‘Bohemian Forest’ stage in the Austrian Mühlviertel region (first run from 09:20). The focus will be on Czechia at midday, when the 23.37 km Col de Jan stage will be tackled twice, which many drivers identify as the most difficult stage of the day. A special highlight: the regrouping in the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Český Krumlov, where the rally stars will take a break in the picturesque surroundings of the historic town centre before the second Col de Jan run. The afternoon will then take them back to Passau via the ‘Böhmerwald’ (from 17:20) and ‘Granit und Wald’ (18:15) stages. From 19:00, the fan programme will be underway there with historic and current rally cars, lots of fan offers and live music. Admission to the Dreiländerhalle and the service park is free.