With six stages of the WRC Rally Australia already completed on Day One, the WRC leader board has seen many big names drop off it.
In SS4, Sebastien Loeb/Daniel Elena (Citroën Total World Rally Team) crashed out of the rally in the morning rain. The high-speed gravel stages have been transformed into a slippery and treacherous route. A stage later it was the turn of the seven-time World Rally Champion’s teammate to take the lead only to see the young Frenchman Sebastien Ogier and co-driver Julien Ingrassia meet the same fate. It is unclear as to whether both the works Citroën DS3 WRC machines will restart on Day Two under SupeRally regulations, but Loeb is running in the rally some 20min adrift of the leaders.
The WRC category has been turned on its head, with the two factory Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team crews of Mikko Hirvonen and Jari-Matti Latvala running first and second overall with a cushion over Citroën privateers Petter Solberg/Chris Patterson (Petter Solberg World Rally Team). Solberg is now the only remaining Citroën DS3 WRC in contention.
Henning Solberg/Ilka Minor (M-Sport Stobart Ford World Rally Team) are fourth overall in their Ford Fiesta RS WRC, over a minute behind his brother Petter.
Matthew Wilson is fifth overall in his M-Sport Stobart Ford World Rally Team Fiesta RS WRC and is followed by the last of the WRC crews to not have suffered ill fate, Khalid Al Qassimi/Michael Orr (Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team).
Peter van Merksteijn jr (Van Merksteijn Motorsport, Citroën DS3 WRC) has retired from the Day One after suffering two punctures in one stage with only one spare on board.
The WRC now heads to Service C at Coffs Harbour before tackling the 3.77km super special stage at Coffs Harbour twice. The rain is beginning to fall harder now, and the gravel roads for tomorrow will be tricky and treacherous, it has been reported.
Full results available on www.wrc.com.