Meeke hot on heels of Ogierposted in WRC13 | 11 | 2015

    COLIN McRAE PROTEGE, Irishman Kris Meeke, starts tomorrow's second leg of the Wales Rally GB hot on the heels of leader, and current world rally champ, Sebastien Ogier.

    Meeke, whose early career was guided by McRae — the Lanark-born 1995 world champ — hounded the Volkswagen of Ogier throughout today's opening six stages.

    And after slithering through the final 19-miler at Myherin Meeke, piloting his Citroen, emerged just 13.5secs behind Frenchman Ogier.

    "I've got to be happy with the opening leg," Meeke, eager to at least finish on the podium to cap the 20th anniversary celebrations of his mentor McRae's world championship win in '95, said.

    "Conditions were tricky in the afternoon, but we've done the job we set out to do this morning, and we can start to try and apply more pressure to Sebastien on Saturday."

    Related: Colin McRae celebrations at Wales Rally GB

    But the 36-year-old from Dungannon in Northern Ireland,  17.9s ahead of the VW of third-placed Andreas Mikkelsen — the Norwegian is a former winner of RallyScotland — acknowledged Saturday's nine stages in the Welsh forests form the biggest test of the three-day rally.

    "Tomorrow is going to be crucial," Meeke, who dedicated his win in Argentina earlier this year to McRae, who tragically died in a helicopter crash in 2007, continued.

    "We've nine stages and 88 miles of high-speed, competitive action in conditions which will be severely testing and demanding.

    "I've always said the VW would probably be uncatchable, given its won the world championship in the last three year, but I'm ready to take the fight to Sebastien.

    "Sure I'd love to win, that goes without saying, but as I said, first I have a job to do and that's to finish the rally and score important points for Citroen in the Manufacturers' Championship.

    "But there's no denying, I'd love to be on the podium on Sunday as a tribute to Colin."

    Related: McRae and Meeke win at Knockhill

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    Jim McGill

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