With two stages to go in the 23rd Rally Italia Sardegna, Oliver Solberg and Elliott Edmondson, in a Toyota Gr Yaris Rally1, lead the overall standings with a time of 3:03:40.80. Second, at 58, are the Frenchmen Ogier-Landais, ahead of the Finns Pajari-Salminen (at 1:49) in a virtual all-Toyota podium. Fourth place, at 2:39.3, is for the Hyundai i20 N Rally1 of the Frenchmen Fourmaux-Coria, behind them are the British Evans-Martin (at 2:50.4), the Toyota crew that is leading the world drivers' standings and is running a more conservative race. With Pajari more on the sidelines, consistent yes but without flashes, the final round of the WRC World Championship is characterised by the attacks of the young son of art Oliver Solberg, who in his first full-time season in the WRC, is risking everything to grab the title. To do so, he'll need to win the RIS and score points in both Super Sunday (which awards extra points to the five crews with the best combined times) and the Power Stage, which will be, as usual, the second run on the Sassari-Argentiera (7.10 km), today's final stage starting at 2:15 PM. Those points, however, are also coveted by the other top-five opponents, as well as Thierry Neuville, the Belgian Hyundai driver who returned to the race today after yesterday's mistake on the Coiluna-Loelle 2, where he hit a tree while avoiding a rock, damaging his tire and right rear sidewall.
So far, Solberg has won five special stages and finished in the lead on both Thursday and Saturday. Ogier, second, had set the fastest times yesterday on Lerno 2 and Coiluna 2. Neuville, on Friday, had won both Filigosu and Monti di Alà 2 stages and finished in the lead on the first stage, yesterday on Lerno 1, and today on Sassari-Argentiera 1. Fourmaux, on the other hand, had set the fastest times on both Tula-Erula stages on Friday and yesterday on Solorchè 2.
Italians and Sardinians. With two events remaining, the Italians of Aci Team Italia Daprà-Guglielmetti (Skoda Fabia RS Rally2) are ninth overall and sixth in Rally2, a class in which Nuoro navigator Paolo Cottu also competes, with Giuseppe Pozzo co-driving the Skoda Fabia RS, currently sitting 32nd overall.
The leading Sardinian crew, in 33rd place overall, is veteran Francesco Marrone, the only ever-present in 23 editions of the RIS, co-driven by the trusty Francesco Fresu in a Skoda Fabia Evo Rally2. Giuseppe Bitti and Giuseppe Pirisinu, in a Renault Clio Rally3, are in 36th place, while Tali-Libera follow in 38th in a Ford Fiesta Mk II Rally2. Gianluca Mara and Veronica Cottu are in 43rd place overall, but first among the two-wheel drives in their Peugeot 208 Rally4. Ledda-Mele in an Opel Corsa Rally4 are in 46th place, ahead of Moreno Fosci of Arbus in the Renault Clio RS Line Rally5, co-driven by Angelo Tendas.
The awards ceremony will be held at 5 pm at the Molo Dogana in the port of Alghero.
