Sebastien Ogier Takes Lead at Rally Sardinia as Adrien Fourmaux’s Win Slips Away

Sebastien Ogier sits at the top of Rally Sardinia after a hectic Saturday morning that saw Adrien Fourmaux’s hopes dashed by trouble on the gravel roads. Starting the day with just a 2.1-second lead over Fourmaux, Ogier quickly extended his advantage by winning the opening stage.

But things began to unravel on stage eight, where Fourmaux’s Hyundai i20 N Rally1 struck a rock not in his pace notes. The result was a front-right puncture barely five kilometers in, an incident that put an immediate halt to his challenge for his first World Rally Championship victory.

Fourmaux tried to continue at speed before stopping at the 16-kilometer mark for a quick wheel change, which cost him two minutes.

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With Fourmaux back in action but still ahead on the road, thick hanging dust made visibility almost impossible for Ogier, who was running directly behind.

This dust slowed Ogier down and allowed Ott Tanak, also with Hyundai, to win the stage and leap from third place to the rally lead, benefitting from better conditions and a clear road ahead. Rally officials took the unusual step of awarding Ogier a nominal time for the stage to compensate for his delays in Fourmaux’s dust.

The adjustment placed Ogier back into the lead just as the morning loop approached its end. Ogier did not waste the opportunity, winning stage nine to complete the loop and opening up a 15.0-second gap to Tanak.

Meanwhile, Tanak faced his own tire problems, suffering a tear in his right rear but finishing the stage without needing to stop. Toyota’s Kalle Rovanpera made steady progress and moved onto the podium in third position.

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Rovanpera benefited from overnight setup changes and began the day in fifth, but a solid Saturday morning moved him up. He is now 37.5 seconds behind Ogier.

Sami Pajari continued an impressive run to hold fourth overall, even after making light contact with trees in stage nine. Elfyn Evans climbed into fifth, having lost time opening the road on Friday.

Fellow Toyota driver Takamoto Katsuta was holding seventh, still feeling the effects of a slow-speed roll from the previous day. Fourmaux’s morning went from bad to worse after the puncture; distracted by dust inside his car, he went off the road and into trees during stage nine.

He managed to recover and finish the stage but lost nearly another minute in the process, dropping to ninth overall and sitting 4 minutes and 36.6 seconds behind Ogier by midday. The disappointment was clear for the French driver after showing early pace.

Thierry Neuville, Hyundai’s lead driver, along with the M-Sport Ford pair of Josh McErlean and Gregoire Munster, all rejoined after retiring Friday. Munster in particular was slowed by brake trouble during Saturday’s loop.

Teams will tackle the same three stages on Saturday afternoon as the fight for crucial points and podium spots continues. As the rally reaches its halfway mark, Sebastien Ogier has reaffirmed his status as the team leader for Toyota Gazoo Racing.

With a comfortable lead and momentum on his side, Ogier looks to keep his rivals from mounting another attack as action resumes in the second half of the penultimate day on Sardinia.

The situation with tire issues is reminiscent of challenges faced in other motorsports, where managing tire integrity is crucial in competitive environments, much like the tire difficulties encountered in high-profile races.

Despite the obstacles, the drivers’ skill and team strategies continue to shape the rally’s dynamic, highlighting the importance of clear conditions and clean runs, similar to challenges seen when managing track visibility during key Grand Prix events such as the Spanish GP flexi wing adjustments.

Daniel Miller

Daniel Miller reports on Formula 1 Grand Prix weekends with race-day analysis, team-radio highlights, and point-standings updates. He explains power-unit upgrades, aerodynamic developments, and driver rivalries in straightforward, SEO-friendly language for a global F1 audience.