Retired Lappi and Neuville, now the grand finale and the awards ceremony in Alghero. Race on TV on Sky and Rai Sport
ALGHERO. The Rally Italia Sardegna 2022 also archives the third day of competition and launches towards the grand finale. There are still four special stages, 39.30 km timed including those of the Power Stage scheduled this morning 5 June, to complete this fifth round of the FIA World Rally Championship, while a total of eight time trials were tackled in 131.82 km yesterday, which they strongly set the overall standings, especially as regards the challenge at the top.
In the lead Ott Tanak and Martin Jarveoja in the Hyundai i20 Rally1 with an overall time of 2: 43’25.6. Friday leader Esapekka Lappi retired after breaking off the right rear of his Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 in the impact against the rock in a tight test section. Same fate for the Belgian Neuville on the Hyundai i20 who overturned in the third special stage 2.5 km from the start. Tanak has a 46 “lead over Craig Breen (Ford Puma), in third place Dani Sordo (Hyundai i20) at 1’06.8.
Nice show of strength demonstrated by the Estonian, who immediately returned to the first position at the initial passage on the SS10 Tempio Pausania and froze him with the best time in six races. Behind him the Irish Breen climbed up to the second position, in a Ford Puma together with Paul Nagle, author of a mid-morning scratch on the repetition of the same test at Tempio, now 46 “from the top. A profitable day for Hyundai too. from a Constructors point of view, given that the Spaniard Dani Sordo with Candido Carrera on another Korean Rally1 also recovered several positions and moved to third place, with a gap of 1’06.8 from the first.
The last stage consists of 4 special stages and 39.30 timed km, all in the morning. Passages on the following timed sections are scheduled: SS 18 Cala Flumini 1 (km.12.55) at 8.10, SS 19 Sassari-Argentiera 1 (km.7.10) at 9.08, SS 20 Cala Flumini 2 (km. 12 , 55) at 11.00, SS 21 (power stage) Sassari-Argentiera 2 (km.7.10) at 12.18. The final award ceremony is scheduled at 3.00 pm at the port of Alghero. The Argentiera test will be broadcast live on Sky Sports (channel 206) in its two passages with commentary by Lucio Rizzica and Gabriele Cogni, while RAI Sport will broadcast the same tests slightly delayed at 10.25 and 13.10.