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Kristoffersson fastest on World Rallycross Portugal day one

PSRX Volkswagen Sweden driver Johan Kristoffersson was fastest in every session on day one of the second round of the 2017 World Rallycross Championship in Portugal to lead overnight.

In the new, Volkswagen Motorsport-developed Polo GTi, Kristoffersson led practice and Q1 for the second event in a row, but then also claimed Q2 at Montalegre to complete his first sweep of a Saturday.

Second in every session to Kristoffersson was his team-mate Petter Solberg, as PSRX dominated proceedings.

Starting side-by-side in the last race of Q2, the pair split their joker lap strategies, Kristoffersson leading from the front while Solberg was followed by Mattias Ekstrom and Janis Baumanis into the extra-route.

Nine-time World Rally champion Sebastien Loeb fought back from a disappointing season opener at Barcelona to set the third-fastest time and hound Kristoffersson throughout their Q2 race until the final lap, ending up third overall.

Ekstrom had been the first driver to break the lap record in practice, ultimately ending up fourth behind the Volkswagens and Peugeot-Hansen's Timmy Hansen, who suffered a boost problem in Q1 and finished the day 11th.

Championship leader Ekstrom then won his race in Q1 despite touching an armco barrier and damaging his Audi S1.

He made a bid to pass Solberg in the joker lap of Q2 - the pair going side-by-side into the next corner - but Solberg held on and Ekstrom finished Saturday in fifth, between Kevins Eriksson and Hansen.

Andreas Bakkerud took out his Q1 race, which would have put him fourth in the order at the time, but for not taking his joker lap when his team radio failed.

The Norwegian received a 30-second penalty, then led his Q2 race before puncturing his Ford's front-right tyre after hitting a kerb, and will start Sunday 20th.

Watch Sunday's World RX action from Portugal live on Sunday in the UK from 14:00 on Motorsport.tv, channel 447 on Sky and 545 on Virgin Media.

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