Four MINIs dominated the leaderboard after the opening 280.35km of competition in Rally Kazakhstan, round five of the FIA World Cup for Cross-Country Rallies, between Aktau City and the Caspian Sea resort of Kenderly on Monday.
Qatar’s Nasser Saleh Al-Attiyah was fastest through the first 90km section by 12 seconds, but a second successive engine-related problem opened the way for Saudi Arabia’s Yazeed Al-Rajhi to take a 2min 04sec overnight lead in his X-raid MINI John Cooper Works Rally.
It was a very fast first stage and everything was okay. The first part was fast and smooth and it became more technical on the second part to the beach and then fast to the finish. I started the stage from eighth place and overtook several cars including Nasser and (Boris) Gadasin.
Yazeed Al-Rajhi
France’s Luc Alphand was second in the new MINI Buggy, and FIA World Cup leader Jakub Przygonski was third, a further 2min 38sec back, in his MINI John Cooper Works Rally.
From the first stage we were opening all the day and it was a nice day. We enjoy it. Sometimes there was some tricky navigation but we were trying to push.
Jakub Przygonski
We just have to pass Harry Hunt on the first stage. It was the first stage in Kazakhstan after the break and everyone was a little nervous. The navigation was not so easy and it is quite dangerous to overtake in the dust. I hope that Nasser can come back tonight and continue the race. We want to fight with them.
Luc Alphand
Russia’s Vladimir Vasilyev, who missed the 2017 event through injury, was a solid fourth in his MINI Cooper Countryman, with Czech Martin Prokop fifth in a Ford F-150 Evo.
Everything was okay and we were happy to finish this stage. It is a new race for us. We have to take security. We need to be careful. We treat today like a Prologue.
Konstantin Zhiltsov, co-driver to Vladimir Vasilyev
England’s Harry Hunt dropped to 16th in his Peugeot 3008 DKR after a puncture and tyre pressure problems.
Not a great stage for us, but it’s the first one of a long rally. We had a few issues on the first part and we were running well on the second part before the puncture.
Harry Hunt
T2, T3 and National Rally
Kazakhstan’s Kirill Chernenkov drew first blood in what promises to be a fascinating T2 fight for series-production vehicles over the next five days, leading Konstantin Ivanov by 3min 44sec. Qatar’s Adel Abdulla was third in a rented Toyota Land Cruiser, with OFF-ROAD Kazakhstan’s Marat Abykayev a distant fourth. Series leader Ahmed Al-Shegawi did not start.
Spain’s José Pena Campo built a 14min 10sec T3 lead over compatriot Santiago Navarro, with Kazakh Dmitry Pitulov third; Russia’s Ravil Maginov did not start.
Andrey Karginov led Team Kamaz Masters colleague Sergey Kupriyanov in the National Rally.
On Tuesday crews tackle the first selective section looping out of the Kenderly bivouac. The longest timed section of the event, 414.12km, crosses the deserts east of the town of Senek.