The Estonian Hyundai crew , formed by Ott Tänak and Martin Jarveoja , won the 21st Rally Italia Sardegna, sixth round of the WRC World Championship organized by the Automobile Club of Italy with the support of the Sardinia Region . For Tänak it is the third success on the island after those of 2017 and 2022. A feat, given that the success came thanks to an advantage of just two tenths over the times world champion, Sébastien Ogier, with whom he dueled until from the first tests on Friday and which, until this morning, had a lead of 17"1, which was crumbled by Tänak, test after test, until the work was completed in the final power stage. Third place overall, at 2'25”8 for Dani Sordo, who gives Hyundai other important points.
Grand finale. Today the program included double passes on the Sassari-Cala Flumini and Argentiera, the second lap valid as a power stage. Ogier, who arrived at the last 39 km with a lead of 17"1 on Tänak and over two minutes on Sordo, had tried to manage, but after the first lap Tänak had reopened the accounts, bringing himself to just 6"6 from the Frenchman, a gap that had dropped to 6”2 after Cala Flumini 2, however won by Ogier. The power stage was won by Thierry Neuville, world championship leader who thus limited the damage after yesterday's retirement.
The previous days. Ogier and Landais, on the Toyota Yaris Gr Rally1 Hybrid, had finished in the lead both on Friday, after double passes on the Osilo-Tergu and Sedini Castelsardo, and on the intense and treacherous day 2, in which the crews took part in eight special stages to a 149km time trial holder. Yesterday morning, after having repeated the tests in Tempio and Tula twice, at the top of the general classification were the Estonians Tänak-Jarveola, on a Hyundai i20 N Rally1 Hybrid, the only ones able to duel with the transalpines of the company Japanese. In the afternoon, however, after the tire change in Pattada, Ogier regained first position by signing the two passes on the Monte Lerno-Monti di Alà and the first on the Coiluna-Loelle, while Tänak, still second, had some problems with the feeling with the car and tried not to take too many risks. In the last special on Saturday, glory for Evans' Toyota, which thus closed Day2 in fourth position, 30" behind Hyundai's Sordo, third A, more than two minutes from the first two. Bitter day for the world championship leader, Neuville, who ended up off the road on Tula 2 after a lapse in concentration and was unable to restart before this morning, and Katsuta, who retired in the following test due to mechanical failure. The two returned to the race today eager to make up for it with the points up for grabs in the power stage.
