The World Rally Championship continues this weekend with the World Rally Championship in Sardinia.

Sardinia WC Rally

EK 6/16

1. Sébastien Ogier, Toyota

2. Adrien Fourmaux, Hyundai +2.1

3. Ott Tänak, Hyundai +7.3

4. Sami Pajari, Toyota +16.8

5. Kalle Rovanperä, Toyota +22.8

6. Elfyn Evans, Toyota +1.09.8

7. Takamoto Katsuta, Toyota +2.27,9

EK6

Friday’s final stage was the 18-kilometer Conchedda 2.

The fifth special stage turned into a scrap rally, but SS6 did not cause any major casualties.

Sébastien Ogier drove the bottom on the sixth stage and thus jumped from third place to the top.

Sami Pajari heads into Saturday in fourth place overall and Kalle Rovanperä is in fifth place.

– It was slippery in many places. A good day, no mistakes or problems, Pajari commented at the end of the sixth EK.

Pajari and Rovanperä moved up to the top five after the previous special stage, when Thierry Neuville’s journey ended when his Hyundai crashed into a stone wall.

Takamoto Katsuta’s Toyota, on the other hand, went sideways in the fifth lap. The Finns had no problems in the kilometers after the maintenance break.

– We got the adjustments right. We did everything we could today. This was the maximum, Rovanperä analyzed in the goal.

EK5

Thierry Neuville crashed his Hyundai into a stone wall on the fifth stage. The rally’s lead changes again.

– Huh huh. It’s terrible luck that it doesn’t happen any more than that, Jari Ketomaa said in MTV’s commentary.

– It’s a wild EK. I don’t remember seeing such a scrap rally in one stretch, the commentator said.

Kalle Rovanperä managed to finish a little earlier. The Finn set the record time on the special stage.

– This afternoon we have gotten the settings right, and finally it feels like we know a little bit about what we are doing.

– “It can’t get any better from this starting point, but it’s starting to be okay now,” Rovanperä continued.

Takamoto Katsuta’s car also crashed badly off the route, but the journey was able to continue after some time, although the shattered windshield barely held on.

The Japanese driver Toyota was completely convinced when he arrived. It’s quite a miracle that Katsuta was able to drive his vehicle off the route.

– This is a really demanding section. The speeds are high here, and the road is narrow, Sami Pajari said at the finish.

Jourdan Serderidis’ car also spun on the Berchidda 2 stage.

EK4

The Arzachena special stage was run for the second time. Ott Tänak, who took risks, now set the fastest time.

The stage that opened the rally also served as a four-stage stage in Sardinia. Kalle Rovanperä had difficulties on this route in the morning, but the Finn thinks he did better this time.

The clock also told us so, because now the gap to the top has not increased significantly. Maybe this European Championship brought promises of something better.

– It was an okay stretch. The conditions were better than in the morning, Rovanperä confirmed at the finish.

Arzachena 2 and its 14 kilometers changed the situation a bit at the top: Adrien Fourmaux was in the surprise lead in his Hyundai, but now Thierry Neuville took the lead.

Hyundai is pushing for a three-way lead. Sami Pajari in his Toyota continues to be fifth overall.

– It didn’t go badly. A difficult section, but there’s still room for improvement. At times it feels like it’s really good, but then it slips, Pajari analyzes his ride.

EC 3

Sami Pajari’s special stage ended in tragedy when his car’s front tire burst. Fortunately, the tire burst happened just before the end of the stage. Pajari ended up 6.9 seconds behind the leader.

For Kalle Rovanperä, the third special stage was a bit more positive. The Finn drove 10.8 seconds faster than his teammate Elfyn Evans, and moved past the Briton in the overall standings.

– Elfyn needs to be squeezed. He needs to improve in the afternoon, Rovanperä commented on MTV’s broadcast.

However, the gap to the leader widened at Rovanperä, when Adrien Fourmaux set the record time 17.1 seconds faster than the Finn. After a brilliant lap, Fourmaux moved to the lead of the race by 2.9 seconds.

The third special stage was the last of the morning. The next one starts at around 4:30 p.m.

EC 2

For Ford, the second special stage was bleak as Joshua McErlean and Mārtinš Sesks were eliminated.

Sesks drove off violently at high speed, and the car ended up upside down in a field. According to TV images, Sesks and the co-driver were okay.

Ford’s Grégoire Munster suffered a flat tire, so all three Ford cars are out.

Sami Pajari’s driving is going brilliantly. Pajari maintained third place in the race even after the second special stage.

The track for the second special stage was brand new, and according to the drivers, it was very difficult.

Kalle Rovanperä’s dark day continued.

– There is currently no confidence in the car, Rovanperä said on MTV.

Sébastien Ogier, who won the first special stage, had a difficult second special stage. He was 11.1 seconds behind Ott Tänak, who set the fastest time. The Frenchman therefore moved up to fifth overall.

Hyundai’s Thierry Neuville took the lead in the overall race, and Ott Tänak moved into second place.

Finnish WRC2 driver Roope Korhonen was left stranded after losing control of his car.

EC 1

Toyota’s youngster Sami Pajari got off to an excellent start in the Sardinia World Rally Championship. The car ran so well that the Finn was third fastest on the special stage. The difference to Toyota’s Sébastien Ogier, who set the fastest time, was only a second.

– A really good feeling, Pajari commented on MTV’s broadcast.

The rally got off to a worrying start for fellow Finn Kalle Rovanperä. Rovanperä was 11.3 seconds behind Ogier, who set the fastest time. According to Rovanperä, the driving was stable.

– Very good, clean start. There wasn’t enough courage in driving. Quite careful, but otherwise okay, Rovanperä commented on MTV’s broadcast.

The second fastest time was set by Hyundai’s Thierry Neuville. The Belgian was 0.8 seconds behind Ogier.