SS16 has started. The final times of this SS15 will be given live from the final special of the day.

O/A after SS15 @Rally_d_Italia 1 @SebOgier 2 @thierryneuville +4.3 3 @JariMattiWRC +48.7 4 @EsapekkaLappi +50.3 5 @HaydenPaddon +1'40.4 6 @MadsOstberg @OfficialWRC @Rally_d_Italia #jumpinginthedust pic.twitter.com/vAIKY0zwdZ

— Rally ItaliaSardegna (@Rally_d_Italia) June 9, 2018

Before the last special of the day in Italy, Thierry Neuville (Hyundai) took the scratch in SS15 Monti di Ala' and reduced the overall gap to 4" over Sébastien Ogier (M-Sport Ford), still the overall leader. .

The other big fight still pits Jari-Matti Latvala and Esapekka Lappi (Toyota) for third place on the podium. Latvala maintains the advantage by 1″6 before SS16 at Monte Lerno. Hayden Paddon (Hyundai) remains fifth ahead of Mads Ostberg (Citroën) who is 2″6 behind the New Zealander.

4th provisional time for Ott Tänak (Toyota) 4″6 behind Neuville in this sector.

In the general classification, Sébastien Ogier still dominates the Rally Italy, with a 4″ lead before the last special of the day.

Sébastien Ogier (M-Sport Ford) does not improve Neuville's time. 16'29″8 for the Frenchman who lost 2″5 on Neuville. “We have to attack on the last one. I didn't save the tires. »

Provisional best time for Thierry Neuville (Hyundai) in 16'27″3. “I'm struggling a little with the rear of the car,” emphasizes the championship leader. Anything can also happen to him (Ogier). »

“Lappi had a very good time on this stage,” explains Latvala. It was hard on this stage, I had to take my foot off in certain places because it's very hard and I had some big shocks. I didn't think Esapekka would grow this much. »

The unfavorable partials in Latvala (Toyota) are confirmed at the finish: the Finn signs the second provisional time behind his teammate Lappi, and concedes 2″9. The gap falls to 1″6 overall before the final SS of the day.

“No mistakes. Everything is fine. I'm six years younger than Latvala so I should be faster! » jokes Lappi.

Esapekka Lappi (Toyota) completed the special in 16'30″9, 17″7 ahead of Ostberg. The Finn is also faster than Latvala at intermediates.

“The balance with the spare tire is quite difficult,” admits Ostberg. I tend to lose the rear a lot, I try to be very clean but it seems slow. »

16'48″6 for Mads Ostberg at the end of this penultimate SS of the day. The Citroën driver is 2″6 behind Paddon overall for fifth place.

Hayden Paddon (Hyundai) finished in 16'51″5, two tenths behind Breen. But the New Zealander especially sees the threat of Mads Ostberg (Citroën) growing, the Norwegian being ahead in the intermediates, while the overall gap was 5″5 before this SS15.

New best first partial to be credited to Thierry Neuville (Hyundai). The Belgian is now running without a spare wheel, after his puncture in SS14.

Craig Breen (Citroën) significantly lowers Evans' benchmark in 16'51″3, 20″3 better than the Welshman.

Elfyn Evans arrives at the stop point with her Ford Fiesta in 17'11″6. “Sections were cleaner, but others were still very slippery. There aren't as many stones on the road. »

Lappi (Toyota) is the fastest in the first partial, ahead of Ostberg (Citroën) by 2″

Paddon (Hyundai) is the fastest of the first three drivers on the road in the first part: 8″ ahead of Evans and a tenth over Breen.

Departure of Evans (M-Sport Ford) in the SS, who makes a small error in the first meters.