Solberg takes early lead in Chile with Evans second - TimesLIVE

Toyota’s Oliver Solberg led after a wet first day of Rally Chile on Friday with world championship-leading teammate Elfyn Evans 10.1 seconds behind.

Evans was first on the gravel roads, but the disadvantage that would usually pose disappeared with the rain turning conditions to mud in the morning loop.

Sweden’s Solberg won the opening stage as well as the day’s final sixth stage, with Welshman Evans taking the second and Hyundai’s Thierry Neuville the third.

“I was pleased to see the rain after so many dry rallies. It is an OK start. There is a lot to go in this rally,” said Evans, who leads Finnish teammate Sami Pajari — winner of the past three rounds — by 20 points in the standings.

Hyundai’s Adrien Fourmaux was in third place, 18.0 seconds off the lead, with Toyota’s reigning champion Sebastien Ogier, winner of the fifth stage, 1.7 behind and Pajari, winner of stage four, in fifth place. Neuville was sixth.

Toyota’s Takamoto Katsuta, who has crashed in his past two rallies but was fastest in Thursday’s shakedown, went off down an embankment on the opening stage and stopped with no help available to get him back on the road.