Mikkelsen leads in Germany after Day 1

At the end of day one, Volkswagen's Andreas Mikkelsen leads Rally German on the first full asphalt event of the World Rally Championship season, but after setting the pace on SS3, the re-run of the rally-opening Mittelmosel stage, he dropped time on SS4 to team-mate Sebastien Ogier and Hyundai's Thierry Neuville - ending the stage just 4.7 seconds ahead of third-placed Ogier.

Frenchman Ogier then won the afternoon's final stage, the Ollmuth superspecial, but was only 0.4s faster than his VW team-mate, who carries a 4.3s lead into the second day. Neuville dropped to fourth behind Ogier with Hyundai team-mate Dani Sordo in the hunt in the second i20 WRC just 6.8s behind Neuville, after a strong afternoon.

Ott Tanak ended the day the best part of a minute down on Mikkelsen, but content with the way his Ford Fiesta's DMACK tyres had performed throughout the leg. Citroen's sole representative Stephane Lefebvre is sixth and ended the day 25s clear of M-Sport's Mads Ostberg. Hayden Paddon sits eighth in the third Hyundai after picking up a puncture on the second stage of the day, Moselland, and then suffered a "massive moment" on SS3 through a downhill left-hander while in sixth gear, ripping the rear bumper from his i20.

Retirements included VW's Jari-Matti Latvala and M-Sport's Eric Camilli allowing WRC2 leader Armin Kremer to occupy ninth at the end of the day and heading title hopeful Esapekka Lappi by 28.4s.

Positions after SS5:

Pos .... Driver .... Team .... Car .... Gap
1. Mikkelsen/Synnevaag Volkswagen Motorsport II Polo 59m42.6s
2. Ogier/Ingrassia Volkswagen Motorsport Polo 4.3s
3. Neuville/Gilsoul Hyundai Motorsport Hyundai 5.9s
4. Sordo/Marti Hyundai Motorsport Hyundai 12.7s
5. Tanak/Molder DMACK World Rally Team Ford 55.4s
6. Lefebvre/Moreau Citroen 1m06.6s
7. Ostberg/Floene M-Sport World Rally Team Ford 1m32.4s
8. Paddon/Kennard Hyundai Motorsport N Hyundai 1m45.0s
9. Kremer/Winklhofer BRR Baumschlager Team Fabia 3m03.1s
10. Lappi/Ferm Skoda Motorsport WRC2 Skoda Fabia 3m31.5s

19th August, 2016