 Gronholm is in control after the first day in the Welsh forests |
Ford's two-time world champion Marcus Gronholm holds a 25-second lead over Subaru's Petter Solberg after day one of the Wales Rally GB. Finn Gronholm finished the six stages in one hour 14 minutes and 51.9 seconds to lead Solberg and Manfred Stohl.
Gronholm's team-mate Mikko Hirvonen did not complete the day after damaging his car chassis on the opening stage.
A broken arm means champion Sebastien Loeb is missing from this, the last event of the world rallying season.
Solberg has won the Wales rally for the last four years, but has not won anywhere since his victory here 14 months ago.
But the result was overshadowed by the death of Peugeot's co-driver Michael Park.
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"I drove a little bit too much on the safe side today," said Solberg.
"I was not attacking too much."
The rally consists of 17 stages and 355km of competitive driving over a 1,206 km-long route, starting in the forests of South Wales and finishing in Cardiff.
Wales Rally GB positions after day one:
1 M Gronholm (Fin) Ford 1:14:51.900
2 P Solberg (Nor) Subaru +00:25.800
3 M Stohl (Aut) Peugeot 00:48.100
4 J-M Latvala (Fin) Ford 01:54.400
5 D Sordo (Spn) Citroen 02:11.000
6 X Pons (Spn) Citroen 02:11.900
7 C Atkinson (Aus) Subaru 02:46.200
8 M Higgins (GB) Ford 02:52.700
9 F Duval (Bel) Skoda 02:53.100
10 H Rovanpera (Fin) Skoda 03:40.200
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