The Toyota driver, returning to the World Rally Championship after sitting out last month’s visit to Portugal, won two of three gruelling gravel stages to head to midday service with a 16.3s lead.
M-Sport’s Pierre-Louis Loubet drove around an engine issue to sit third (+22.0s), with Toyota’s Elfyn Evans, fourth (+25.9s) and team-mate Takamoto Katsuta, fifth (+30.1s). Hyundai’s Thierry Neuville, Ott Tanak (M-Sport-Ford) and world champion Kalle Rovanpera rounded out the top eight.