The Friday stage with its eight special stages was eventful right away.

The drivers were met directly by wet roads and a surface with extremely varying grip.

Several drivers had problems already on the first leg.

Including Esapekka Lappi who barely had time to start the rally before it was over for the day after the Finn hit a rock and damaged the wheel suspension.

Gus Greensmith was up a slope and drove and Oliver Solberg spun on the stretch and was forced to turn but came to the finish with seventh time, 44 seconds behind Kalle Rovanperä.

- I'm not a bit surprised.

This was a difficult rally already last year with the extremely challenging character on the roads and the low grip level which also varies.

To then also have rain, the difficulty raises another level.

It has been extremely difficult conditions today, says SVT Sport expert Jonas Kruse.

Visit to the garden

The Frenchman Adrien Fourmaux was forced to break after he drove off the road on the third leg of the day.

Shortly after starting, he lost control of the car and drove right into a private garden.

The tire strategy will come into play during the rally and already during the first day, the tire wear was great in some places.

Punctures made up for it and lost time for several, the worst was for Pierre-Louis Loubet who had to break for the day after his third puncture.

Rovanperä at the top

21-year-old Kalle Rovanperä leads the driver's championship after winning the Swedish rally last February and was with his championship position first out on the road.

An advantage in the harsh weather.

Rovanperä was fastest on three of the morning's four distances and had a lead of 12.5 seconds ahead of Thierry Neuville at the lunch break.

Oliver Solberg drives the Croatian World Rally Championship for the first time and the 20-year-old is halfway through the day in sixth place, 13 seconds behind Gus Greensmith and the Swedish map reader Jonas Andersson.

Oliver is there for the first time and thus has completely new notes.

It's for him to just stay in the rally, he has made a few small mistakes.

I hope he slows down a bit on the pace because the most important thing is to get to the finish line today.

With good weather tomorrow, it opens up for a completely different ride.

The Friday stage is still in progress.

Oliver start

These are incredibly difficult conditions.

He is dying for the first time and thus completely new notes

  • It's about him just staying in the rally, he has made a few small mistakes.

    I hope he slows down a bit on the pace because the most important thing is to get to the finish line today.