Only four stages were contested in this start of the 2022 Catalonia Rally this Friday, October 21, and yet there were numerous changes of leaders in this penultimate round of the 2022 World Rally Championship (WRC).

The prospect of witnessing a single rider from the brand new champion Kalle Rovanperä (Toyota) was not insignificant at the end of SS1. The Finn took advantage of his first place in the starting order to take advantage of a clean road to take a handful of seconds off his pursuers.

However, the following two stages allowed the other drivers to recover their health. In fact, the ''cuts'' in the turns were less pronounced, reducing the irruption of gravel on the Spanish tarmac.

Starting at the heart of the peloton, eight-time world champion Sébastien Ogier (Toyota) led the charge by setting the fastest time in SS3, enough to allow the Frenchman to take the lead. Free to fight against Kalle Rovanperä, the Gapençais aims for victory, but must first take care of the return of the Hyundais.

Indeed, Thierry Neuville (Hyundai) became leader of the rally after SS4. “The tire strategy was not easy. The balance of the car was finally good, I had fun. » The Belgian is only half a second ahead of Sébastien Ogier.

Behind, Kalle Rovanperä hangs on, as does Ott Tänak (Hyundai). The latter carried out repairs on his Hyundai i20 Rally1 hybrid before returning to the service park. Positions are more established in the middle of the top 10, with Elfyn Evans (Toyota) and Dani Sordo (Toyota) set to battle for the top 5.

Disappointment reigns in the M-Sport Ford clan. Back in the WRC after his accident in Ypres (Belgium) in August, Adrien Fourmaux does not attack more than is reasonable and flirts with a minute's delay. His Irish teammate Craig Breen doesn't do much better; the person concerned admits to lacking confidence and misjudged his written notes during the reconnaissance, which were “too careful and too slow”.

Add to that a transparent Gus Greensmith and a Pierre-Louis Loubet who has a series of problems (puncture then engine damage in SS4) and you get a group shot from Ford at the bottom of the ranking. When returning to the assistance, we did not yet know if Pierre-Louis Loubet was able to continue his journey.

In WRC2, the Russian Nikolay Gryazin (Skoda) leads the debates ahead of the Finn Teemu Suninen (Hyundai). Yohan Rossel (Citroën) completes the podium ahead of the returning and experienced Stéphane Sarrazin (Volkswagen).
The Rally de Catalunya will resume later on Friday afternoon, from 15:09 p.m. with four stages to contest. The event will be followed in live text on AUTOhebdo.fr.

Pierre-Louis Loubet is arrested on the side of the road. The Frenchman uses a fire extinguisher in the engine compartment even though no fire is visible. Smoke escapes from the Ford Puma hybrid.

Ott Tänak works on his car. The Estonian even receives help from his teammate Thierry Neuville, who has just stopped at his level!