[WRC] Vodafone Rally de Portugal 2024

[jonkka]

Doesn´t look like that...

Wait until later runners have come through, comparison to Evans is pointless.

Having said that, Neuville who usually starts rallies like grandmom is driving unusually well this time.

[EstWRC]

What a morning from Neuville.

Hats off. He is the best driver at the moment imo

[jonkka]

Does Ogier have intercom problem as co-driver is using gestures?

[djip]

The day has finally come : Fourmaux is mixing it up with the big boys, without any road advantage. Welcome to the party !

[Fast Eddie WRC]

A great start to a rally for Neuville at last... and opening the road !

Still a long way to go go for him and the Hyundai until Saturday night points though.

[EstWRC]

A great start to a rally for Neuville at last... and opening the road !

Still a long way to go go for him and the Hyundai until Saturday night points though.

A really great morning!

Just look at Evans for comparison who is starting behind him and is 17.5 seconds from the lead

But two previous years have shown us that it’s possible to win this rally from the front. Kalle from second last year and the year before he won starting first

[Fast Eddie WRC]

The day has finally come : Fourmaux is mixing it up with the big boys, without any road advantage. Welcome to the party !

'To be fair' he's only ahead of a badly struggling Evans and his team-mate.

[Sergiow]

A great start to a rally for Neuville at last... and opening the road !

Still a long way to go go for him and the Hyundai until Saturday night points though.

The first goal at the end of today will be the starting positions for tomorrow. Looks very bleak for Evans as things stand now.

[jonkka]

Gotta love the desperate attempt by wrc.com commentators to put positive spin on things:

"Munster completes the morning loop, bringing his M-Sport Ford Puma Rally1 to the stop control. A decent morning for the Luxembourger."

A decent morning? He's slowest Rally1 car by far, over minute behind closest one after just five stages (out of which one was SSS). That's a borderline disaster.

[Sergiow]

Gotta love the desperate attempt by wrc.com commentators to put positive spin on things:

"Munster completes the morning loop, bringing his M-Sport Ford Puma Rally1 to the stop control. A decent morning for the Luxembourger."

A decent morning? He's slowest Rally1 car by far, over minute behind closest one after just five stages (out of which one was SSS). That's a borderline disaster.

My guess is that all other Rally1 drivers have multiple Rally Portugal drives under their belt. That is not the case with Munster. Not easy task to learn the stages with a modern Rally1 car, so I am with the commentators to put a positive spin around it