Kubica dominates shakedown in Corsica

Not varnished Tour of Corsica for his return to the World Championship. The first laps of the wheels on the Isle of Beauty this Thursday for the traditional shakedown have been made in humid conditions, which however did not seem to disturb Robert Kubica.

The old pilot F1 dominated the shakedown at the wheel of his Ford Fiesta RS, signing a better time of 2’19 on his third attempt. The Pole is ahead of the DS3 of Kris Meeke, who concedes eight tenths over the 3,88 km on the program, and the Volkswagen Polo R of Jari-Matti Latvala.

Sébastien Ogier (Volkswagen Polo R) se classe 4e à 1″6, et précède la première Hyundai i20 de l’Espagnol Dani Sordo. Mads Ostberg (DS3), Kevin Abbring (Hyundai), Thierry Neuville (Hyundai), Andreas Mikkelsen (Volkswagen) and Elfyn Evans (Ford) complete the top 10.

In the French clan, in addition to Sébastien Ogier, Stéphane Lefebvre (DS3) took 12th place while Stéphane Sarrazin (Ford) and Bryan Bouffier (Ford), leaders of the 2014 edition, finished in 15th and 16th provisional places. The first special stage will begin tomorrow morning at 9:23 a.m., and the entire Corsican event can be followed live on AUTOhebdo.fr.

Corsica shakedown ranking:

1. Robert Kubica (Ford Fiesta RS) – 2’19″0
2. Kris Meeke (DS3)? 2’19″8
3. Jari-Matti Latvala (Volkswagen Polo R)? 2’20″3
4. Sébastien Ogier (Volkswagen Polo R)? 2’20″6
5. Dani Sordo (Hyundai i20)? 2’21″1
6. Mads Ostberg (DS3)? 2’21″4
7. Kevin Abbring (Hyundai i20)? 2’21″4
8. Thierry Neuville (Hyundai i20)? 2’21″9
9. Andreas Mikkelsen (Volkswagen Polo R)? 2’21″9
10. Elfyn Evans (Ford Fiesta)? 2’22″5
?
12. Stéphane Lefebvre (DS3)? 2’23″7
?
15. Stéphane Sarrazin (Ford Fiesta)? 2’25″5
16. Bryan Bouffier (Ford Fiesta) – 2’25″9

Find our complete presentation of the Tour de Corse 2015, with notes from Yves Loubet, and the interview with Bernard Darniche, in issue 2031 of AUTOhebdo, available in digital version and on newsstands.