Jari-Matti Latvala and Janni Hussi immediately on the pace – “I was very relieved to get out”

The opening round of the European Championship, Rally Costa Brava, got underway on Thursday evening with the first special stage run in the dark. Conditions were extremely challenging, as rain reduced visibility and made the asphalt stage slippery.

Latvala and his co-driver Janni Hussi managed to get through the challenge unscathed. The Finns set the fastest time in their Toyota Celica, and their benchmark stood until the end of the stage.

Roman Mühlberger, who started significantly later, came close with his newer Mitsubishi Lancer, but ultimately fell 0.6 seconds short of Latvala’s time. Mühlberger is not competing for European Championship points.

Among the contenders, the closest rival to Latvala was Seb Perez, driving a Lancia Stratos, who trailed the Finn by a notable 33.4 seconds.

Latvala admitted that the first stage of Rally Costa Brava was a serious challenge – perhaps even too much.

“The stage was terrible, I can tell you. It was like Monte Carlo back in the old days. You had rain conditions, you had a fog and you couldn’t see,” Latvala recalled with a smile.

“I was very relieved to get out from the stage. Okay, that’s the conditions – you can’t choose the conditions. You just need to drive according to conditions. So we are happy to be here,” Latvala added.

The rally, held around Girona in Spain, continues on Friday with six special stages. Latvala was once again the fastest driver on the morning’s opening stage.

On the second stage, Latvala beat second-placed Romain Dumas by 6.3 seconds, while Perez finished 7.5 seconds behind the Finn.

In the overall standings, Latvala now holds a 40.9-second lead over Perez.

Rally Costa Brava standings after SS2/13 (European Historic Rally Championship drivers):