Wales Rally GB: Reigning champion Ogier leads after day one

Sebastien Ogier in action during the shakedown ahead of the Wales Rally GB

Reigning champion Sebastien Ogier leads after the speed test stage on the opening day of Wales Rally GB.

The penultimate round of the World Rally Championship (WRC) started at Tir Prince in Conwy.

Elfyn Evans is aiming to become the first Welsh driver to win the event and is joint fifth fastest overall.

Ogier has led the event after day one for the past four years, and if the Frenchman wins he will be crowned WRC champion for a fifth time.

Evans, 28, and co-driver Daniel Barritt are currently sixth in the overall championship standings.

Ogier set a 1 minute, 09.7 seconds - a second quicker than Toyota driver Jari-Matti Latvala who was second fastest.

M-Sport 's Ott Tanak and Hyundai Motorsport's Thierry Neuville are third and fourth with both drivers still in contention for the WRC title.

Northern Ireland man Kris Meeke, who won the previous round in Spain, lies 15th after the opening stage, 2.5 seconds off the pace.

Evans, who drives in the DMACK/M-Sport Ford Fiesta was not the only Welshman who had a strong start.

In the WRC2 class, co-driver Craig Parry is 19th, and sits alongside English driver Gus Greensmith in the R5 Ford Fiesta. Aberdovey-based Tom Cave is 26th fastest in the WRC2 category.

Stage two gets underway on 27 October at Myherin.