Dutch driver Kevin Abbring and his co-driver Pieter Tsjoen set the fastest time on the qualifying stage for the Kenotek by CID LINES Ypres Rally, round five of the 2015 FIA European Rally Championship.
The Hyundai Motorsport test driver won the stage, which was held on a dry 4.79 kilometre stage near the village of Nieuwkerke, in his Citroen DS3 R5 finishing 0.821 seconds ahead of WRC veteran Freddy Loix who was competing in the new Skoda Fabia R5. Stephane Lefebvre went third fastest 1.3 seconds off the fastest time in his Peugeot 208 T16 while championship leader Craig Breen was a further two tenths of a second behind in fourth.
Marijan Griebel was the fastest ERC Junior driver in his ADAC Opel Rallye Junior team Adam R2, 0.255 seconds ahead of Joachim Wagemans in a Peugeot 208 R2.
Kevin Abbring will be the first to choose his road position tomorrow.
Ypres Rally Qualifying Stage – provisional top 10 times
- Kevin Abbring (NLD)/Pieter Tsjoen (BEL) Citroën DS3 R5 2m45.263s
- Freddy Loix (BEL)/Johan Gitsels (BEL) ŠKODA Fabia R5 +0.821
- Stéphane Lefebvre (FRA)/Stéphane Prevot (BEL) Peugeot 208 T16 +1.371s
- Craig Breen (IRL)/Scott Martin (GBR) Peugeot 208 T16 +1.576s
- Bryan Bouffier (FRA)/Thibault de la Haye (FRA) Citroën DS3 R5 +1.650s
- Martin McCormack (GBR)/James O’Reilly (IRL) ŠKODA Fabia S2000 +2.279s
- Vincent Verschueren (BEL)/Veronique Hostens (BEL) Citroën DS3 R5 +2.943s
- Bernd Casier (BEL)/Pieter Vyncke (BEL) Ford Fiesta R5 +4.199s
- Sam Moffett (IRL)/Karl Atkinson (IRL) Ford Fiesta RRC +4.288s
- Romain Dumas (CHE)/Denis Giraudet (FRA) Porsche 911 GT3 +4.534s
