Dani Sordo takes the lead at the Monza Rally

Rain, rain and more rain. The second stage of Rally of Monza took place entirely under downpours of water on Friday around the famous Autodromo Nazionale di Monza, the circuit of Formula 1. “Slippery” and “hydroplaning” are the main words used by pilots during hot reactions.

Thierry Neuville (Hyundai) fut la principale victime de la journée. D’abord sorti lors de la deuxième spéciale ce matin, le Belge a remis le couvert en ES4 où il a endommagé une suspension dans un choc avant d’abandonner en ayant noyé son moteur. Les rêves de titre s’en vont pour lui.

Sébastien Ogier (Toyota) et Elfyn Evans (Hyundai) sont en revanche toujours dans la course. Les deux pilotes séparés de 14 points au championnat se sont suivis toute la journée. Sébastien Ogier, en tête après la première spéciale jeudi, a remporté un autre scratch en ES5 mais ne compte que cinq secondes d’avance sur son rival au classement général.

In front of them, the two presenters of the day were named Esapekka Lappi (Ford) and Dani Sordo (Hyundai). The Finn initially took the lead thanks to a daring choice of tires. He used the snow tires alone during the morning. But this choice proved less profitable during the afternoon stages. Dani Sordo took advantage of this and his best time during SS6, the last of the day, allowed him to take the lead on the gong for a second.

Sébastien Ogier follows at 12 seconds and Elfyn Evans at 17 seconds just ahead Ott Tanak. The day was mainly a test of survival, where you couldn't make a mistake. In addition to Neuville, Gus Greensmith and Teemu Suninen, two Ford drivers, also had to retire due to an accident and engine failure respectively.

Saturday will be much more selective. Seven special stages are on the program, sometimes over 20 kilometers, on the snow-covered roads of the peaks of the Monza region. A rally-style course where the differences could be significant.

Meet at 7:52 a.m. to start hostilities by following the rally in live text on our site.