WRC Portugal: Dani Sordo picks final start spot despite rain chance

Citroen driver Dani Sordo has elected to run at the back of the pack through Friday's opening day of Rally of Portugal, despite the potential for rain on the Algarve

David Evans Apr 11, 2013, 12:22 PM

The Spaniard was fastest through the qualifying stage and wasted no time in selected the 13th and final spot for the World Rally Cars.

"The roads will be dry tomorrow," he said, "and they will be cleaning all of the time. We'll see, but I am happy with this start so far - it was an easy decision to make."

The rest of the drivers followed Sordo's lead, with Sebastien Ogier running as penultimate car and Jari-Matti Latvala third from the back.

"There is some small chance of the rain coming, but it's quite a small chance," said Latvala.

"And the stages are not so much like last year. When it rained last year the surface was quite like clay, which made quite the muddy surface, but here the gravel is not like that.

"This and the last round in Mexico is probably the easiest decision to make about running on the road, you want to be as far back as possible."

Thirteenth quickest in qualifying, Dutch driver Dennis Kuipers will run first on the road in his M-Sport Ford.