Hockenheim WRX: Ekstrom leads Day 1, Loeb languishing outside top 10

The German event is one of the busiest of Ekstrom’s career as he competes in both World RX and DTM, but the experienced Swede set the fastest time in Q1.

He beat double World RX event winner Davy Jeanney in the last race of the session, before being third quickest in Q2 which put him top in the Intermediate Classification standings.

Johan Kristoffersson was fourth fastest in Q1 and won the last race of the day, race four of Q2, to be second overall ahead of Peugeot-Hansen driver Timmy Hansen, who was twice second in the opening two sessions.

Kristoffersson had minor technical niggles with his Volkswagen Polo in Q1 but fought back with a brave move around the outside of the first corner in Q2 to lead the race throughout.

Peugeot Hansen Academy driver Jeanney followed up his strong Q1 form with fifth fastest in Q2, after a close race with Ekstrom, which Kristoffersson won.

Round one winner Petter Solberg struggled in the same encounter finishing tenth in Q2 after fifth fastest in Q1, put the Norwegian seventh overall, the same position he held after the opening day in Portugal.

Latvian Reinis Nitiss had his best run to date in the Munnich Motorsport Seat Ibiza, winning his Q2 race, ending fifth overall after day one.

Nine-time World Rally Champion Sebastien Loeb was one of the drivers that Nitiss beat in his Q2 race, Loeb getting forced out wide and across the grass in the first corner before passing Niclas Gronholm on lap two.

The Frenchman had lost time in his Q1 race after contact with compatriot Jean-Baptiste Dubourg and is 11th at the close of play on day one, just behind fellow Peugeot 208 driver Kevin Hansen.

World RX Team Austria team mates Janis Baumanis and Timur Timerzyanov twice met on track in their two races, Timerzyanov was pushed wide on the first loose section in Q2 and lost time, while Baumanis is eighth overall, ahead of Esktrom’s EKS teammate Toomas Heikkinen in ninth.

British driver Liam Doran completes the list of drivers inside the semi-finals at this stage of the event and is 12th overall.

While Hoonigan Racing Divison pair Andreas Bakkerud and Ken Block and both currently outside the qualifying positions with Q3 and Q4 set to take place Saturday afternoon.

Bakkerud suffered from broken steering on his Ford Focus in Q1 before setting sixth fastest time in Q2 as he sits 14th.

While Block was 15th and 13th in the opening two sessions. The American is 16th at the end of day one, the pair sandwiching Swedish privateer Robin Larsson.