Black day for Hyundai: the leader hits a boulder in Monte Lerno, the Spaniard rebounds on Aggius-Viddalba
OLBIA. The second stage of the Rally Italia Sardegna was a day full of emotions. A black day for Hyundai, a real “black Saturday” for the Korean team led by Andrea Adamo, who lost Ott Tanak in the morning in the first lap on the tests of the 2nd stage and then Dani Sordo in the afternoon.
But let’s go in order. The first special Loelle test is won by Tanak so that on his Hyundai consolidates its leadership, while Ogier party with a conservative tactics and a reasoned choice of tires for the first lap still lurking. Then in the second special of Monte Lerno comes the best time for the Frenchman on the Toyota Yaris WRC, right in front of Tanak, with his teammate Elfyn Evans always glued to the best. Some more difficulties instead for Dani Sordo, slowed down after a jump in the ford at Coiluna that made his Hyundai shut down, a problem that cost him about 10 ”. Interlocutory phase a bit for everyone in the third special, with the second passage on the “Coiluna-Loelle”, where Evans sets the best time by just 2 tenths ahead of Ogier. Just a tenth behind is followed by Tanak, third on the special, thus keeping the Frenchman still 40 ”behind with Sordo third at 46” 9.
Then on the special number 12 in the second passage to Monte Lerno the patatrac happens. Tanak, which was firmly in the lead hits a stone in full trajectory, breaks the left rear suspension remaining still under test. It is the right opportunity for Ogier who takes the lead in front of Sordo with a margin of 17 ”5 and his teammate Evans, at 32” 1. Fourth is Thierry Neuville, on the other Hyundai who is finally finding the right pace and feeling on these roads. Then in the afternoon there is a real show of the new leader Ogier, who wins three special stages in a row leaving his teammate Evans only the final time in Castelsardo. However, Dani Sordo is making the omelette, exiting the trajectory and crashing with his i20 in the new Aggius-Viddalba special, overturning and tearing the right rear wheel. Game over for him, while Toyota closes the second day with two cars in the lead, with Neuville who is third to save the honor of the Korean team. «I think this has been a perfect weekend for us so far – Ogier said at the end of the stage – now we just have to finish our work».
This is the ranking after the second stage: 1. Ogier in 2.50’33 “1, 2. Evans at 38” 9, 3. Neuville at 1’01 “6, 4. Katsuta at 4’01” 2, 5. Huttunen at 8’09 “6, 6. Ostberg at 8’12” 3.