The first day of Tallinna Ralli was held on two special stages. Crews had to drive 7 kilometers by forest roads in the capital suburbs twice, then visiting a special stage well short of a service stop designated for spectators and located in the city park area.

Dust became the main Friday’s problem to all and sundry.
The crew of Valeriy Gorban and Sergei Larens became atop of the race from its very first special stage.

Emil Lindholm’s crew from Finland followed hard on their heels, but failed to overrun the Ukrainian-Estonian duet when passing the special stage for the second time. Eurolamp WRT repeated its success and even more shook off the rivals, whereas the Latvian Janis Berkis took the Lindholm’s place.

The Finnish crew appeared to be the best on the city’s special stage. Georg Gross, a local favorite, on his Fiesta WRC admitted that he is trying to find the right pace, but just afraid to drive faster than his capacity allows. He became the best among the route hosts, having secured his fourth place. Egon Kaur, the winner of the second championship race, damaged suspension and got into an unpleasant accident at the first stage. As a result, the Eurolamp WRT crew moved to the fore. Janis Berkis and Emil Lindholm were five seconds behind.

The second day will be decisive. Distance of almost 85 kilometers will show who is the best in Tallinna Ralli.