Neuville and Evans, co-leaders after the first stage of the Croatia Rally

The Belgian Thierry Neuville (Hyundai i20) and the British Elfyn Evans (Toyota GR Yaris), the first two in the championship, lead the Croatian Rally, the fourth round of the World Championship, after competing in the eight special stages of the first stage, divided into four by the Belgian, two by the Welshman and the rest two by Ogier, third is classified 6″6 behind the co-leaders.

Neuvilleleader of the World Cup, and Evanssecond with six points, set exactly the same time in the first eight special stages (almost 120 hour kilometers) and 6.6″ ahead of the Frenchman Sebastian Ogier (Toyota GR Yaris) and in 34″5 in Estonian Ott Tänak (Hyundai i20) on a day where even nine showed up on asphalt roads near Zagreb.

The Belgian led the race after the first six special stages, Evans released him at the end of the seventh, and the two ended up tied at the end of the eighth.

Neuville He had a lead of 10.1 seconds over Evans at the end of the fifth stage, but his advantage was reduced to just one tenth when his Hyundai i20 N hit a rock causing damage to the right front tire in the sixth moment leading by winning the seventh.

Thierry Neuville He bounced back in the eighth special and both drivers ended the day on equal terms, with Ogier, eight-time world champion, completing the provisional podium just 6.6″ behind and having won the final two special stages of the day and overcome a hole.

“We are very disappointed (with the damaged tire) because it was something that could not have been avoided,” Neuville admitted to the championship’s official website. “I did my best, but it was not a good day for us,” he added.

The second stage will take place this Saturday and will be divided into four sections in the morning and four in the afternoon, with a total of 108.76 kilometers.