Defending Rally Australia champion Andreas Mikkelsen holds a 16-second lead after the first morning of racing in Coffs Harbour.

The Hyundai driver was neck and neck with Citroen’s Kris Meeke until a mistake from the latter forced him to reverse and give up valuable time to the Norwegian in the final leg of the World Rally Championship.

Mikkelsen and Meeke started ninth and sixth respectively on the dusty northern NSW forestry roads, benefiting as the drivers in front of them cleared the path.

Sebastien Ogier, whose fifth world title is assured regardless of the final outcome on Sunday, sits eighth after sweeping the road for his rivals as the morning’s first driver.

Drivers will return to the garage before repeating the same circuit later on Friday afternoon.