Sardinia Rally 2019
10h
Ott Tänak (Toyota) scored his second consecutive scratch at the Sardinia Rally by completing the 28,21km Monti di Ala in 16'58''3. Dani Sordo (Hyundai) defended well, finishing 2”1 behind. Teemu Suninen (M-Sport) followed already more than 8 seconds behind. Andreas Mikkelsen (Hyundai) finished more than 18 seconds ahead of Elfyn Evans (M-Sport), Kris Meeke (Toyota) and Jari-Matti Latvala (Toyota). Thierry Neuville (Hyundai) and Esapekka Lappi (Citroën) finished more than half a minute behind.
Sébastien Ogier (Citroën) started back to play a sweeping game similar to that of Hyundai in Portugal, but the Frenchman damaged his right-rear suspension. The Frenchman did not lose much after restarting in Rally 2.
Dani Sordo retains the lead for 2”6 ahead of Ott Tänak. Teemu Suninen follows more than 17 seconds behind. Andreas Mikkelsen regained 4th place for less than a second ahead of Elfyn Evans. Kris Meeke remains 6th ahead of Thierry Neuville and Esapekka Lappi.
10h
Ogier started again in the special.
10h
Great performance from Sordo who failed 2″2 behind Tänak despite a small error at the end of the special. The Hyundai driver keeps the lead for a 2″ lead!
09h
Suninen is closest to Tänak with 8″2 behind. The M-Sport driver is now 15s behind the Estonian in the general classification.
09h
Sordo resisted well, being less than 2 seconds behind the Toyota alien. Suninen is struggling a little more.
09h
Tänak improves Mikkelsen’s time by 18”7! The Toyota driver remains untouchable this morning and he should take the lead of the rally. The Hyundai driver is relegated to 40s of the Toyota in the general classification!
09h
Tänak is still hitting hard with… 16s ahead of Mikkelsen in the last split!
09h
Mikkelsen is ahead of Evans by 1″1 and takes 4th position for a 9 tenths lead.
09h
Evans improves Meeke's time by 4 tenths. The Welshman has around ten seconds ahead of the Toyota driver.
09h
Ogier broke his left rear suspension! It's a nightmare weekend for the Frenchman.
09h
Ogier started again in the special but his pace was slow and he finally pulled over to the side.
09h
Meeke improves Latvala's time by 7s and takes the provisional scratch. The Northern Irishman is still aiming for 5th place from Mikkelsen.
09h
Ogier is stopped in the special after the 7th km.
09h
Neuville finished 4″9 behind Latvala after losing time towards the end of the SS. “What a hassle,” comments the Belgian to his co-pilot. The Hyundai driver is in 7th position.
09h
Ogier has just started the special just behind Tänak. The Citroën driver will thus sweep the road for Suninen, an opponent of the Estonian.
09h
Meeke regains more than 5 seconds from Neuvill in the 3rd split. Mikkelsen leads Evans by half a second at the first intermediate.
09h
Tänak started the special while Ogier is still waiting…
09h
Lappi is 1″5 behind Neuville and Latvala in the 3rd split.
09h
Neuville is tied with Latvala in the 3rd split. Ogier is no longer there to sweep. Citroën will not take long to take revenge.
09h
Hänninen drops 41s on Latvala at the end of the special.
Read also
