P1racenews AI automatic summary:
The 2025 FIA World Rally Championship got underway with three night stages high up in the French Alps. Under the gaze of tens of thousands of spectators who lit up the night sky with fireworks and flares, Thierry Neuville and Martijn Wydaeghe ended the trio of stages on top of the standings by two seconds […]
Sebastian Ogier and Vincent Landais led after two stages, tackling challenging conditions ranging from dry and wet tarmac to hidden patches of black ice. However, a costly spin into a pole in the final stage caused Ogier to drop to third overall, losing 12 seconds. Thierry Neuville expressed the difficulty of the race, highlighting the challenges of navigating tricky roads and emphasizing the satisfaction of completing the first day. Elfyn Evans and Scott Martin followed closely in their GR Yaris, just two seconds behind the leaders. Ott Tänak and Martin Järveoja finished in fourth place, while Adrien Fourmaux/Alex Coria claimed fifth. Kalle Rovanpera secured sixth position, with Grégoire Munster/Louis Louka in seventh. Takamoto Katsuta and Aaron Johnston battled flu to finish eighth, Sami Pajari took ninth place, and Nikolay Gryazin/Konstantin Aleksandrov claimed the top Rally2 spot. Josh McErlean and Eoin Treacy debuted in 12th place, adopting a careful approach to the start of their Rally1 journey.
