SS6: Kopecký closes in

"We changed the setup and the car is perfect now"

Another stage win for ŠKODA Motorsport´s Jan Kopecký brought him closer to the sister car driven by overall leader Andreas Mikkelsen with just one stage left of today´s opening leg.

Kopecký completed the second run through the difficult 28km Orfü stage in 14m10.5s, 11.8 seconds quicker than his first run this morning. "I was pushing hard," he said. "We changed the setup and the car is perfect now."

Mikkelsen bettered his time from this morning by three seconds despite sliding wide as he piled on the pressure, but finished 2.9s off Kopecký’s time. "I made a couple of little mistakes in the long stage," he said, "nothing much, I just ran wide in places and lost some speed. The pace is high now – wow! I’m happy though!”

Team Peugeot Belgium-Luxembourg’s Thierry Neuville remains in contention in third overall, losing just 0.2s to Mikkelsen in the stage. "We had some troubles with intercom," he said. "In some places I didn’t hear Nicolas very well."

Freddy Loix was fourth quickest, but was once again not quite able to step up his game to the same extent as Kopecký after running him so close this morning. "I don’t know why I’m losing so much time," he said. "I will have to push harder."

Toni Gardemeister, who has been reporting brake problems for most of the day, was fifth but 16.2s off Kopecký’s benchmark. "That was better," he said, "but mostly I’m so angry that it looks quick, but it isn’t."