Ogier leads, but Tanak sets up WRC Rally Sardinia Sunday shootout

Sebastien Ogier retains his lead of WRC Rally Sardinia after a searingly hot Saturday leg. But to secure victory on the Italian Island, the Toyota ace (above) will have to fend off Hyundai’s Ott Tanak in Sunday’s final-leg shootout.

A year ago, eight-time WRC champ Ogier saw a near-certain Sardinia victory ripped away by a final-stage puncture that handed Tanak the win by just 0.2s – the joint-closest finish in FIA World Rally Championship history. This time, he’ll take an 11.1s advantage over the Hyundai driver into Sunday’s four-stage finale, which totals 48.3 competitive miles.

What began for Ogier on Saturday morning as a 2.1s buffer over Hyundai’s Adrien Fourmaux turned into a 11.1s lead over Tanak by day’s end after another punishing loop of rocky, sandy stages tested the resilience of the leading Rally1 crews – and saw Fourmaux roll out his i20 N Rally1 in the penultimate stage.

Ogier was consistently on the pace across Saturday’s six stages, winning three in his Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 and maintaining a strong rhythm despite a moment of frustration on the morning’s second test, when dust from a recovering Fourmaux – who had just stopped to change a wheel – cost him time.

Ogier was handed a corrected time for that test and ended the leg relatively satisfied, albeit aware that a looming Tanak makes it far from a done deal.

"It's been a long day,” said Ogier. “The afternoon was rough. But I’m happy so far – I think I’ve managed the rally well up to this point. But it’s not over yet."

Behind him, Tanak mounted a fightback of his own. The Estonian dropped time with a slow puncture on the morning’s final test, but maintained his push with fastest times on both passes of the 15.12-mile Lerno–Su Filigosu stage.

Ott Tanak sits second for Hyundai, but with just 11.1s separating him from leader Sebastien Ogier, a tense final day could be on the cards. Jaanus Ree/Red Bull Content Pool

Behind the top two, Toyota’s Kalle Rovanpera quietly worked his way into third overall. The two-time WRC champ had started the day fifth, but climbed the order as others faltered, capitalizing on issues for Fourmaux and his Toyota Gazoo Racing teammate Sami Pajari. Rovanpera, who sits 55.5s back from the lead, will need a mistake from Ogier or Tanak to climb any higher.

Pajari had enjoyed another assured showing before running wide on the final morning stage and clouting the rear of his Yaris. The damage was cosmetic, but the Finn also lost time with a wheel change later in the day, slipping to fifth behind championship leader Elfyn Evans. The Welshman had made gains after a muted Friday in his Toyota, but also lost a chunk of time on the day’s penultimate stage when he too stopped to change a wheel.

WRC points leader Elfyn Evans put a frustrating first leg behind him to move up to fourth overall in his Toyota GR Yaris Rally1. TGR photo

In WRC2, the second tier of international rallying, Nikolay Gryazin’s Skoda Fabia RS held sixth place overall and led Oliver Solberg’s Toyota Yaris Rally2 by 19.9s at the end of the second leg. But with neither driver including Sardinia as one of their seven championship-counting events, Emil Lindholm continues to head the points-scoring drivers in his Skoda, building a 1m11s lead over fellow Finn and Skoda driver Lauri Joona.

Despite growing the gap over Joona, Lindholm did suffer a scare on the day’s penultimate stage, when he and co-driver Reeta Hamalainen had to switch intercom cables mid stage.

“It started cutting out and then she disappeared completely,” Lindholm explained. “She has a strong voice but with all the gravel under the car… We swapped intercom mid-stage, but still there was some distortion.”

Championship leader Yohan Rossel had been second among the points-chasers, but retired in the morning following an impact with a tree which broke a steering arm.

Intercom issues couldn’t stop Skoda Fabia RS driver Emil Lindholm from building a minute-plus WRC2 class lead. Jaanus Ree/Red Bull Content Pool

WRC Rally Italy Sardinia, positions after Saturday/Leg Two, SS112
1 Sebastien Ogier/Vincent Landais (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1) 2h32m38.9s
2 Ott Tanak/Martin Jarveoja (Hyundai i20 N Rally1) +11.1s
3 Kalle Rovanpera/Jonne Halttunen (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1) +55.5s
4 Elfyn Evans/Scott Martin (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1) +4m33.3s
5 Sami Pajari/Marko Salminen (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1) +4m56.3s
6 Nikolay Gryazin/Konstantin Aleksandrov (Skoda Fabia RS – WRC2 non-points) +5m59.6s
7 Takamoto Katsuta/Aaron Johnston (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1) +6m11.4s
8 Oliver Solberg/Elliott Edmondson (Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 – WRC2 non-points) +6m19.5s
9 Emil Lindholm/Reeta Hamalainen (Skoda Fabia RS – WRC2 leader) +6m36.6s
10 Lauri Joona/Samu Vaaleri (Skoda Fabia RS – WRC2) +7m48.1s

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