After SS10: Mikkelsen fastest, Gassner Jr crashes


Andreas Mikkelsen has shot back into the lead of Rally Islas Canarias El Corte Inglés by winning Saturday’s first test, the 13.28-kilometre Maspalomas stage.

The reigning Intercontinental Rally Challenge champion was 3.1s quicker than overnight leader Jan Kopecký, also in a ŠKODA Fabia Super 2000, to move 1.9s ahead in the overall classification.

“It was a good push, on the limit sometimes, it’s a good fight,” said Mikkelsen.

Kopecký said: “I have to say it was quite quick. In the recce I said it would be a fast stage but it was actually more quick than I thought.”

While Luis Monzón completed the stage without issue with the third fastest time in his Peugeot 207 S2000, Hermann Gassner Jr was less fortunate, crashing his Red Bull Team Fabia and inflicting substantial damage to the left-rear corner.

Fellow German Sepp Wiegand, who was running behind Gassner Jr on the road, said: “I think he went off, there was left-rear damage and he’s out. I’m really sorry because it was a nice fight and we are fighting together. He’s okay, he stands out of the car.”

Maspalomas is an all-new stage for 2012 and is described as been fast and flowing with a big drop in one section.

Source: IRC Series