SS7: Wilks takes first Ypres stage victory

"I took a different tyre to Freddy in the hope it would pay off later in the loop"

Guy Wilks has claimed his first GEKO Ypres Rally stage victory aboard his Peugeot UK 207 Super 2000. The Briton edged event leader Freddy Loix by 0.4s over Saturday’s opening run, the 14.76-kilometre Proven-Vleteren test.

Wilks opted for a soft slick tyre with heavy cuts in the hope it would improve his performance when, as expected, the roads dry out later in the day.

“I took a different tyre to Freddy in the hope it would pay off later in the loop,” said Wilks. “It was very tricky and slippery towards the end and you’re not sure how much mud there is on the exit of corners. You have to take care.”

Loix, who selected intermediate tyres for the damp but drying conditions, said: “It’s a difficult day for everybody,” he said. “If it’s not raining and only wet on the road then I’m in a good position for sure.”

Pieter Tsjoen, who remains third overall, has never driven his Peugeot 207 in wet conditions before. “It’s difficult for me to know which rhythm I should be in,” said the Belgian rally champion.

Giandomencio Basso is reported to have gone off the road in his PROTON Satria Neo S2000. Thierry Neuville, who has restarted under SupeRally regulations, was also delayed completing the stage.

Overall positions after SS7