Day 1
Toyota’s Sebastien Ogier led Rally Italia Sardegna from Hyundai’s Ott Tanak after an eventful start to the World Rally Championship’s new shorter sprint rally concept.
The eight-time world champion claimed two of Friday afternoon’s four gravel stages that made up a much shorter leg than usual courtesy of the WRC’s trial of a new event format.
Starting fifth on the road, Ogier made the most of his road position and managed to hold off charge from Hyundai’s Tanak to take a 4.5s lead into Saturday.
Hyundai’s Dani Sordo enjoyed a strong finish to the day to jump up to third [+33.2s] as Toyota’s Takamoto Katsuta slotted into fourth [+34.5s]. Championship leader Thierry Neuville faced the worst of the road conditions and managed to limit his time loss to 36.6s to sit fifth, while nearest title rival Elfyn Evans ended the loop a further 20.7s behind in sixth.
M-Sport Ford’s Gregorie Munster completed the Rally1 field in seventh after team-mate Adrien Fourmaux retired with an issue.
Third in the standings, Fourmaux developed a slow left-rear puncture five kilometres into the stage. The M-Sport driver was able to reach the stage end but by then the tyre had delaminated, ripping the bodywork from the rear of his Puma.
Day 2
Tanak headed into Day 2’s afternoon stages with a 3.5s lead over part-time driver Ogier, but ended the day trailing the eight-time world champion by 17.1s.
The Estonian revealed he’d received a team order to back off with the manufacturer’s championship in mind, after team-mate Thierry Neuville retired from third on stage eight.
Neuville’s i20 N carried too much speed into a tight right-hander, which resulted in his car becoming beached at the side of the road. Neuville, co-driver Martijn Wydaeghe, and his car emerged from the incident unscathed.
Ogier’s lead secured 18 provisional championship points, with Tanak set to gain 15 points if they both complete Sunday’s four stages.
Hyundai’s Dani Sordo completed the day’s eight stages in third [+2m12.8s, 13 points] ahead of Toyota’s Elfyn Evans [+2m43.3s]. He still claimed a valuable 10 points, after struggling to match his rivals throughout the day.
The pair benefitted from a mechanical issue that put Toyota’s Takamoto Katsuta out of the rally.
Sardinia’s attritional stages helped elevate WRC2 class leader Sami Pajari to fifth overall, earning eight points, with M-Sport Ford Rally1 driver Gregoire Munster earning six points for sixth at the overnight halt.
Day 3
Ott Tänak took a shock victory at Rally Italia Sardegna on Sunday afternoon after long-time leader Sébastien Ogier faced heartbreak in the Wolf Power Stage.
Ogier looked set to secure a record fifth Rally Italia Sardegna win after heading Tänak by 6.2sec before the finale, but the Frenchman suffered a puncture in the closing kilometres ended the rally 0.2sec behind. It marks the joint-closest finish in FIA World Rally Championship history.
Tanak put Ogier under pressure through Sunday’s four stages overhauling a 17.1s to snatch a stunning win by 0.2s in the final stage, after Ogier suffered a final stage puncture.
Hyundai’s part-time driver Dani Sordo survived 16 attritional stages to complete the podium [+2m25.6], his first rostrum since last September’s Acropolis Rally.
Title contender Evans finished fourth [+2m37.8s] after struggling all rally to take 10 points, and picked up eight points on Sunday for finishing third in the Sunday standings and third on the Power Stage.
M-Sport’s Gregoire Munster recorded a career-best fifth overall finish despite a late throttle issue. In WRC2, Sami Pajari scored a second win for the new Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 car and finished sixth overall. WRC2 Championship leader Yohan Rossel recovered from a puncture to finish seventh overall and second in class.
After impressing to sit third on Saturday after opening the road on Friday, championship leader Neuville recovered brilliantly to score the maximum 12 Sunday points following his costly Saturday exit. The Belgian topped the Sunday standings to take seven points and won the Power Stage to grab another five points.
