P1racenews AI automatic summary:
The first full day of WRC Vodafone Rally de Portugal delivered action in spades as five different stage winners made for a very close fight for the lead. Kalle Rovanperä overcame a challenging Friday to lead a frenzied see-saw battle for the top spot. Takamoto Katsuta and Aaron Johnston got the ball rolling taking the […]
Kalle Rovanperä fought through a tough Friday to lead the intense battle for the top spot. Takamoto Katsuta and Aaron Johnston set the pace in the first gravel stage. Thierry Neuville held onto the lead by a slim margin of 0.8 seconds despite running first on the road. Hyundai’s Dani Sordo, back in action after Japan last year, won two stages. Rovanperä made a strong comeback to take the lead in the battle, facing challenges with understeer. Sébastien Ogier made a late surge to move up to second place overall. Saturday will bring the longest leg of the rally with 145km of competitive stages.
