Sardinia shakedown is won by Hyundai driver Neuville
After three runs of ‘Olmedo’ stage, the Belgian posted the quickest time aboard his I20 N to raise expectations that his wait for an all-important first win of the 2022 season could be about to end.
“Having claimed a couple of wins in Sardinia – it is always an event I enjoy,” said Neuville. “The Hyundai cars have been strong there in the past, and hopefully this year we can repeat this form.”
His 2 minute 15.4 second benchmark was three-tenths faster than the GR Yaris Rally1 of Esapekka Lappi who is making his gravel debut with Toyota Gazoo Racing on the picturesque Mediterranean island.
Lappi had been the man to beat on the opening two passes before he was usurped. “The car feels good,” he said. “We were just keeping it in the line. There’s definitely a benefit in the road position.”
Third quickest of the priority runners was Lappi’s Toyota team-mate Elfyn Evans. Fresh from his runner-up finish on Rally de Portugal a fortnight ago, the Welshman appears to have carried that pace and new-found belief over to arguably one of the toughest counters on the WRC calendar.
The Welshman was half-a-second behind Neuville and 1.1 seconds up on the leading M-Sport Ford Puma of Pierre-Louis Loubet as the promising youngster continues to cut his teeth at the top level.
Championship leader Kalle Rovanpera was up next in fifth. Given his road sweeping duties on the opening day, few expect him to be in the fight come Sunday afternoon, but if his sensational victory in Portugal is anything to go by, then he cannot be discounted.
“It won’t be an easy weekend that’s for sure, but we are looking forward to it,” said Rovanpera, who leads the WRC title race by 46 points from Neuville.
M-Sport’s Craig Breen and Gus Greensmith could only manage the sixth and seventh best times, with the latter requiring a fourth blast through ‘Olmedo’ to elevate himself up the final rankings.
Takamoto Katsuta – who narrowly missed out on a top three finish in Portugal – M-Sport’s Adrien Fourmaux and Hyundai’s Dani Sordo were eighth, ninth and tenth respectively. 2019 champion Ott Tanak managed only a single go at shakedown, his I20 N seemingly slowed by fresh reliability gremlins.
With its ball-sized rocks, deeps ruts, and narrow roads that demand precision, Rally Italia Sardegna will pose a stern challenge for the new hybrid Rally1 cars. And to give crews a fighting chance in the searing heat, the FIA has "granted a waiver that allows the additional application of silvered films on the rear half of the front side windows in Rally1 cars".
In explaining the decision, organisers said: "This change is in consideration of extreme air temperatures recorded inside Rally1 cars and is implemented for safety reasons only."
The rally begins proper later this evening as crews make their way from the host town of Alghero across the island to Olbia for the traditional ceremonial start. This will be followed by a short, sharp 3.23km super special test that weaves its way through the suburbs of the coast city.
Friday is the longest leg of the entire weekend, with the ‘Terranova’ and ‘Monti di Alà’ special stages run twice in the morning before the same format is adopted for the ‘Osilo – Tergu’ and ‘Sedini – Castelsardo tests in the afternoon. Crews return to the overnight halt at 7.11pm UK time.
