Oliver Solberg leads Rally Chile after the first day
Swedish Toyota driver Oliver Solberg took the lead at Rally Chile after the first day of competition. His teammate, World Championship leader Elfyn Evans, is second, 10.1 seconds behind.
Rain changed conditions on the stages
Evans started first on the gravel roads, but the usual disadvantage of that starting position disappeared because of the rain. During the morning loop, the roads turned muddy. According to TimesLIVE, Solberg won the first special stage as well as the sixth, the final one on Friday's schedule.
Evans was fastest on the second special stage, while Hyundai driver Thierry Neuville was fastest on the third. Welshman Evans said he was pleased with the rain after a series of dry rallies and described the start as acceptable, stressing that there was still a lot of competition ahead.
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Positions of the pursuers
Adrien Fourmaux in a Hyundai finished the day third, 18 seconds behind Solberg. Defending champion Sébastien Ogier of Toyota, who won the fifth special stage, is fourth and trails Fourmaux by 1.7 seconds. Finland's Sami Pajari, winner of the fourth special stage, is fifth, while Neuville is sixth.
In the overall standings, Evans leads Pajari by 20 points. Japan's Takamoto Katsuta, who was fastest in Thursday's shakedown, went off an embankment on the first special stage and came to a stop: there was no help available to get back onto the road.
