Hyundai Motorsport crew Dani Sordo and Carlos del Barrio lead Rally Italia Sardegna

Hyundai Motorsport continues to hold the advantage at Rally Italia Sardegna, round six of the 2020 FIA World Rally Championship (WRC), but the battle for the podium positions has intensified after the penultimate day of action.

Overnight leaders Dani Sordo and Carlos del Barrio strengthened their position at the top of the provisional classification with an increased 27.4-second gap to their nearest challengers. Their team-mates Thierry Neuville and Nicolas Gilsoul are embroiled in a close battle for second place, with just 1.5-seconds separating the Belgians from Sébastien Ogier after twelve stages.

After a frustrating Friday, the third Hyundai Shell Mobis World Rally Team crew, Ott Tänak and Martin Järveoja, gained places during Saturday’s six stages, moving into the top-six overall.

An early start to Saturday’s itinerary required crews to tackle the 22.08km Monte Lerno shortly after sunrise, followed immediately by the 15km Coiluna – Loelle run. The two-stage loop was repeated after a short refuel and regroup, before a lunchtime technical zone and 40-minute service. In a schedule similar to Friday, the final loop, held in the late afternoon, covered Sedini-Castelsardo (14.72km) and Tergu-Osilo (12.81km). A total distance of 101.69km was completed on the penultimate day.

Both Sordo and Neuville added stage wins to the team’s tally, the Spaniard setting the fastest time in SS8 Coiluna-Loelle and the Belgian in SS10, the repeat of that stage. Tyre strategy was a big talking point in the cooler autumnal conditions with varied decisions between crews.

Neuville and Gilsoul, carrying an extra spare on the first morning loop, initially dropped a position but played the long game to move into second place by lunchtime. However, a closely fought scrap during the afternoon ended with the crew back in third having lost crucial seconds while pushing hard on the final stage. Sordo and Del Barrio, too, had to manage their tyres on the Tergu-Osilo run, sacrificing some speed in favour of a trouble-free finish to the day.  

As three-time winners of Rally Italia Sardegna, Hyundai Motorsport is well aware of the dramas that often play out on the final day, so the team will remain cautious and concentrated with four stages remaining on Sunday.

Crew Notes: Dani Sordo / Carlos del Barrio (#6 Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC)

• Crew leads the rally by 27.4-seconds as they aim to defend their victory from 2019
• Took their fifth stage win of the weekend in SS8 (Coiluna-Loelle)

Sordo said: “We end today in the same way we finished on Friday, feeling very positive and pleased with our performance. We have had to be careful to manage our tyres today, making the right selection for each loop and pushing when we could, while also conserving when needed. At the end of the final stage of the day, our tyres were finished so we had to take it a bit more cautiously. In rally, we know from experience that there is no such thing as a comfortable advantage. We have to maintain this pace and rhythm on Sunday morning if we want to get the job done.”

Crew Notes: Thierry Neuville/Nicolas Gilsoul (#11 Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC)

• Belgians involved in a tantalising fight for second place with a 1.5s deficit
• Stage win in SS10 (Coiluna-Loelle 2), their first of the event

Neuville said: “I was happy with our morning, even if I feel that carrying an extra spare was not the best option. Our target was to get P2 and to try and increase our gap. We ended the loop with a stage win and were ready to resume the fight in the afternoon. There were different tyre strategies at play and the times were really close. I tried very hard but Ogier seemed to have a bit more speed. Unfortunately, we lost 1.5-2-seconds on the bridge in the final stage, when I was late on the brakes. When you’re pushing to the max, these things can happen. We go again tomorrow.”

Crew Notes: Ott Tänak/Martin Järveoja (#8 Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC)

• Having lost time on Friday due to a suspension problem, Estonians fought back on Saturday
• Crew moved up into sixth place overall despite early road position

Tänak said: “Today was a clean day with no drama. More or less everything was working well and we did what we could. I guess we achieved all that was planned, so there was nothing more we could have done ourselves. The feeling with the car was all good. Tomorrow, we can expect more of the same typically Sardinian stages – narrow and twisty. Our first priority is to get to the Power Stage and then try to push. Every point is critical at the moment.”

Team Principal Andrea Adamo: “Of course being first and third at the end of this penultimate day is not bad; it could have been first and second, but it is what it is. Dani, honestly, all I can say is ‘chapeau’; he’s continued to do very well, he’s focused and is totally convinced of his choices. Ott has done more than his job today, putting himself at the disposal of the team to test and experiment so we can understand some things. We still have four stages to run tomorrow, so we will have to see what happens. We will keep pushing.”

Sunday at a glance

• The final day of Rally Italia Sardegna will see crews negotiate two different yet familiar stages – Cala Flumini (14.06km) and Sassari-Argentiera (6.89km), with both tests run twice
• The second run through Sassari-Argentiera will play host to the Power Stage with extra drivers’ championship points up for grabs for the five fastest finishers
• A total of 41.90km will be run to bring the rally total to almost 240km over the three days of autumnal Sardinian action.

Classification after Day Two

Press release Hyundai Motorsport