The OMV Kronos Citroën World Rally Team fights for a WRC point at the last run of the FIA World Rally Championship. However, the first day of the Wales Rally GB was anything but optimal for Stohl/Minor. A place on the podium seems out of reach, just like during the whole season. Therefore the OMV pair at least fights to successfully prolong their Wales-series, for they have always scored points during the last four rallies here.

Manfred Stohl could hardly believe it. When looking at the results after day one the 35-year-old OMV driver just shook his head. Last year he had finished second and at the end of the rally had only been 1'35 behind winner Grönholm. This year it's already 5'38 after the first day which means eighth overall place.

Stohl: "In fact, it is only logical. We face the same problems like during the whole year. I still had hoped for more here. But even if I gave 150 percent I would win one place, if at all. But this would also mean to provoke an accident. Therefore it is our goal to win points for a final time. The conditions are typically British. Rain and a lot of mud. The difference is, normally I feel right at home when it's like this."

Manfred Stohl's big gap on the lead also stems from light and visibility problems on the sixth special stage.

"It was incredibly foggy. We couldn't see our hands in front of our face. Additionally our low-beam light didn't work optimally. So visibility was almost zero which easily explains the time-gap," relates the OMV driver.

The second leg of the Wales Rally GB leads over seven special stages and 104.48 SS-kilometres. Two loops with three special stages each (51.96 km each) will be completed. The highlight will be the evening super special stage in the Millenium Stadium of Cardiff. The restart will take place at 08:00 (local time). The first car will reach the parc fermé at 20:10 (local time).