Wrc.com stage summary
Stage data: SS7, Monte Grighini Sud 2 (19.66 kilometres)
Stage description:
By Ford Abu Dhabi Team co-driver Miikka Anttila: “After a flat section of about four kilometres the road climbs before you have a very challenging downhill section. The natural line of the road is not what you see because of the blind crests. After we have this stage [on the first pass] we have a remote service where we can’t do much to the cars. But we don’t think about this really because as we have seen on the tests we have got to the level where the car is pretty strong. Of course there are places where it might break but it’s not likely that we will have some technical problems.”
How the action unfolded:
Mikko Hirvonen’s hopes of winning Rally d’Italia Sardegna have suffered a setback after he picked up a right-rear puncture approximately 13 kilometres into 19.66-kilometre test and lost more than 50 seconds to leader Sebastien Loeb.
“It was my own mistake,” said Hirvonen. “I went a bit wide, hit a bank and had a puncture.”
With one stage of day one remaining Loeb now leads his Citroen team-mate Sebastien Ogier by 33 seconds. “I drive a good stage again but I prefer to be first on the road tomorrow with a big hap to the others behind me,” said the seven-time champion.
Petter Solberg was second fastest through the stage and is now 1.8s behind Ogier. Mads Ostberg lost ground with a spin but moves into fifth after Evgeny Novikov rolled his Fiesta.
Key moment:
Right-rear puncture slows Hirvonen.
Credit: World Rally Championship (www.wrc.com)
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