Lappi fights back to lead Ogier by 0.1s
Eight-time world champion Ogier took a 16.3s lead over Lappi heading into the afternoon’s three stages after winning two of the three morning tests, held in largely dry conditions. However, Lappi starred in the wet to grab the rally lead on the final stage of the day, despite picking up a left rear puncture. Lappi’s […]
Sordo explains peculiar WRC Rally Sardinia roll
The Hyundai driver was struggling for grip before going off the road less than two kilometres from the end of the extended 49.9km stage, introduced for the 20th anniversary of the Italian World Rally Championship event. Sitting sixth overall, Sordo was fighting for grip from his hard tyres when he slid off the road at […]
Ogier stuns to lead Lappi after gruelling Friday morning
The Toyota driver, returning to the World Rally Championship after sitting out last month’s visit to Portugal, won two of three gruelling gravel stages to head to midday service with a 16.3s lead. M-Sport’s Pierre-Louis Loubet drove around an engine issue to sit third (+22.0s), with Toyota’s Elfyn Evans, fourth (+25.9s) and team-mate Takamoto Katsuta, […]
Lappi pips Tanak to lead after super special opener
The Finn successfully navigated the 3.23km test, held across a mix of tarmac and gravel surfaces in host city Olbia, to clock a time 0.2s faster than M-Sport’s Ott Tanak. «This is fun. You have enough space, it’s wide enough, you can play with the car,” said Lappi, who is planning to run a measured […]
WRC drivers set for Safari Rally-like conditions in Sardinia
Sardinia is renowned for producing rough gravel stages but a revised route for this weekend’s 20th-anniversary event is set to deliver perhaps the toughest conditions of the season. Four-time Sardinia winner Sebastien Ogier, returning to the championship this weekend after sitting out Portugal, is expecting a gruelling rally after likening the stages to those seen […]
Suspension upgrade gives Tanak renewed hope in WRC Sardinia
The 2019 world champion has been struggling to unlock the set-up sweet spot in his Puma this season which has hampered the Estonian’s pace outright pace. In Portugal last month, Tanak identified that the car’s suspension was an area earmarked for improvement. Since the event, M-Sport’s suspension supplier Reiger has provided upgraded components which were […]
Drivers welcome opportunity to share ideas to improve the WRC
The championship has been pushing for a meeting with the series’ drivers to discuss the future direction of the category following Thierry Neuville’s comments in Portugal last month, when he declared the WRC needs to «change» to improve engagement with manufacturers, media and fans. A meeting was initially tabled to take place at this weekend’s […]
Inside the FIA’s bold mission to unearth the WRC stars of tomorrow
“We often say that the best drivers are perhaps not the ones driving, but those that have never had the opportunity,” says 2001 world rally champion co-driver and FIA deputy president Robert Reid, as he watches on as FIA Rally Star finalists strap themselves into a Ford Fiesta Rally3 car, for a first taste in […]
WRC Rally Sardinia: Everything you need to know
Sardinia is renowned for its brutal rough gravel stages that test the WRC drivers and cars to the limit, and this year marks the event’s 20 year anniversary. Toyota’s Kalle Rovanpera heads to the Italian island leading the championship by 17 points after scoring a much needed victory in Portugal last month, ending a drought since lifting […]