Hyundai’s Ott Tanak leads Rally Sardinia while his World Rally Championship leading team-mate Thierry Neuville suffered the first major setback in his title pursuit.
Tanak became embroiled in an intense fight with overnight leader Sebastien Ogier across the morning’s rough gravel stages with the lead changing hands twice, before Tanak ended the loop with a 3.5s lead. However, a stage eight exit for Neuville from third position was the biggest talking point of the loop. Neuville’s retirement handed third to Toyota’s Takamoto Katsuta with Hyundai’s Dani Sordo fourth and a frustrated Toyota’s Elfyn Evans fifth .
Evans dropped 28.0s to Ogier and was clearly frustrated, reporting a “terrible feeling” behind the wheel. Sordo also was also unable to explain his 25.7s time loss as he continued to trail Katsuta in fifth overall. Both Sordo and Evans were slower than Fourmaux, who opened the road. The second pass through Tempio Pausania was even more challenging. The road was heavily rutted, exposing large rocks and bedrock that carried a high puncture risk.
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