Subscribe

Sign up for free

  • Get quick access to your favorite articles

  • Manage alerts on breaking news and favorite drivers

  • Make your voice heard with article commenting.

Autosport Plus

Discover premium content
Subscribe

ERC Ypres: Kevin Abbring upstages Freddy Loix on day one

Peugeot's Kevin Abbring upstaged the locals to take control of day one of the European Rally Championship's Ypres Rally

The Dutchman was quickest on six of Friday's stages, and quickly established an edge over eight-time Ypres winner and former factory World Rally Championship driver Freddy Loix's Skoda.

A quick trip off the road for Loix on the second run through Dikkebus meant he ended the evening 24.8 seconds behind Abbring.

Loix insisted he was much happier having to push hard to chase someone than when he had easily dominated his home rally at times in the past.

Abbring's team-mate Craig Breen feared for his ERC title hopes if he did not win Ypres, but his rally got off to an awful start.

A puncture on the opening stage caused brake damage, leaving him one and a half minutes off the lead in 13th place after the first loop.

Even after that was fixed at service, Breen struggled to get up to speed, feeling both his set-up and driving style were inadequate. Although now back up to seventh, he is two minutes adrift of Abbring already.

Championship leader Esapekka Lappi runs third on his Ypres debut, ahead of local driver Cedric Cherain, who was second following SS1.

Luca Rossetti had briefly picked up second when Loix made his Dikkebus error, but on the following Wijtschate stage the Italian clouted a big rock, picked up a puncture and then went into a ditch, costing him four minutes and all hope of a win.

The second and final day of the rally comprises another 13 stages, finishing around 10pm local time on Saturday.

Leading positions after SS7:

Pos  Driver          Team/Car            Time/Gap
 1.  Kevin Abbring   Sainteloc Peugeot   56m30.7s
 2.  Freddy Loix     Munster Skoda         +24.8s
 3.  Esapekka Lappi  Skoda                 +39.1s
 4.  Cedric Cherain  Ardennes Ford         +53.8s
 5.  Sepp Wiegand    Skoda               +1m32.0s
 6.  Hermen Kobus    Kobus Ford          +1m33.2s
 7.  Craig Breen     Sainteloc Peugeot   +1m58.9s
 8.  Davy Vanneste   Duindistel Peugeot  +2m40.8s
 9.  Neil Simpson    Simpsons Skoda      +2m45.4s
10.  Xevi Pons       ACSM Ford           +2m48.1s

Be part of the Autosport community

Join the conversation
Previous article Craig Breen says Ypres Rally win vital to revive 2014 ERC title bid
Next article ERC Ypres Rally: Freddy Loix inherits ninth home win

Top Comments

There are no comments at the moment. Would you like to write one?

Sign up for free

  • Get quick access to your favorite articles

  • Manage alerts on breaking news and favorite drivers

  • Make your voice heard with article commenting.

Autosport Plus

Discover premium content
Subscribe