Jari Matti Latvala was fastest in qualifications for the rally and he will choose his starting position for the first SS on Friday.
Starting this season, the FIA has introduced a system of qualifications for stages of the World Rally Championship which takes place on gravel, and the rally is first on the list.
Also, for the first time in WRC, drivers have been timed to thousandths of a second, as the evidence short differences are very small.
Run a route length of 3.99 km qualifying session was won by Jari Matti Latvala after Ford team driver was clocked in 1:53.156. Fight for second place was the most balanced and Mikko Hirvonen (Citroen) has managed to advance with only 0005 seconds on Ott Tanaka, replacing the M-Sport’s Matthew Wilson, who injured his leg.
Ford has won the following two positions by Russian Evgeny Novikov (M-Sport) and factory team driver, Petter Solberg.
Went the first route qualifications, Sebastien Loeb has confirmed that it is not as fast on snow and finished only sixth place qualifications in front of Mads Ostberg and Eyvind Brynildsen.
Having been fastest in qualifying, Latvala will choose the first position that will leave the route of special stages on Friday, a decision will be made in weather forecasting functions.
1. Jari-Matti Latvala Ford 1m53.516s 2. Mikko Hirvonen Citroen 1m54.084s 3. Ott Tanak Ford 1m54.089s 4. Evgeny Novikov Ford 1m54.131s 5. Petter Solberg Ford 1m54.384s 6. Sebastien Loeb Citroen 1m54.727s 7. Mads Ostberg Ford 1m54.877s 8. Eyvind Brynildsen Ford 1m55.729s 9. Patrik Sandell Mini 1m56.317s 10. Martin Prokop Ford 1m56.723s
