Estonian Ott Tänak (Hyundai) leads the Rally of Sardinia, which he won in 2017 in a Ford, at the end of the first day, but with Dani Sordo (Hyundai) at 19 seconds and Sébastien Ogier (Toyota) at 36, nothing was played. Tänak, 2019 world champion but only 4th in the championship after four rounds, was better placed on the road and therefore had less sweeping to do. He signed the first five scratch times, skimming over the debates, then eased off a bit. "There was nothing to do against Ott today, but I dominated Elfyn (Evans) and Thierry (Neuville) so I'm very happy," said Ogier at the stop point of SS8, the last of the day. A superb special on the Sardinian hills, winding between the wind turbines, embellished with a portion ofVery fast asphalt in which the cadors of the WRC approached 200 km / h.
Sordo, who remains on two victories in a row in Sardinia (2019, 2020), took over from SS6 to SS8 in which he set the same time, to the tenth, as his teammate Neuville, also double winner in Sardinian soil (2016, 2018).
It was therefore a grand slam for the Korean brand, but Neuville was disappointed by his two punctures and a few seconds lost also in SS8, where he stalled, which did not prevent him from making the scratch time: “It wasn't our day, but that's how it is,” said the Belgian, 5th with a full minute behind Tänak, but very close to Evans 4th.
“We fought well and my goal was not to be more than a minute behind the leader tonight. I'm 3rd at 36 seconds so that's good. ”
Sebastien Ogier
Ogier, three-time winner in Sardinia (2013 to 2015) during his VW period, coped well with the handicap of sweeping more dust than his rivals by going first on the road, as championship leader. He is starting to get used to it, after seven world titles. “We fought well and my goal was not to be more than a minute behind the leader tonight. I'm 3rd at 36 seconds so that's good. Saturday, I will especially try to get Dani (Sordo) but I think that Ott (Tänak), at more than 30 seconds, it will be difficult ”. Tire choices were complicated all day and Ogier ended up with three hard tires and one soft tire on his Toyota. Gums in much better condition than those of Tänak, who observed them closely at the end of SS8, and especially Neuville, victim of two punctures.
“Seb (Ogier) was faster than I anticipated,” responded Jari-Matti Latvala, now Toyota team boss.
“But already at the shakedown (last test session) Thursday I saw how motivated he was.
He can really win this rally, ”added the Frenchman's ex-teammate at VW.
There will be eight more specials (130 km timed) on the menu on Saturday for a second day full of traps, not to mention the weather that could be less lenient and confuse the tracks a little more.
"In pure performance, it will be hard to find Tänak," predicted Kris Meeke, the ex-Citroën driver, consulting this weekend for the official WRC website.
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