Sebastien Loeb is the leader of the 57th Azores Rallye, which integrates the Tour European Rally Series and the Azores Rally Championship, taking place this weekend in São Miguel Island. The Frenchman, who drives a Skoda Fabia RS Rally2 and is navigated by his partner, Laurene Godey, has an advantage of 15.1 seconds over the competition after having been the best in four of the five special stages of the first leg.
In second position, Andreas Mikkelsen, driving a similar car, set the best time in the passage through Grupo Marques but suffered a puncture in the opening special stage. Also from Norway, Ole Christian Veiby is third, 36.1 seconds behind the leader, driving a Skoda Fabia Rally2 Evo. Fourth placed, Ricardo Moura is the best national driver and the leader among the Azorean championship competitors.
The Czech Erik Cais, the Spaniard Nil Solans and the Azoreans Luis Miguel Rego, Rúben Rodrigues, Pedro Câmara and Bruno Amaral are also in the top ten. The rally organized by Grupo Desportivo Comercial goes back on the road tomorrow for the second leg, which is composed of a double passage through Tronqueira, Graminhais and Ribeira Grande, interspersed by a new evolution through Grupo Marques.
