The brutal Sardinian gravel rally has steadily claimed victims across the field. Among the top-class drivers, only three have managed to avoid major issues over the course of the two competitive days.
Unsurprisingly, those three also top the leaderboard. Toyota’s Sébastien Ogier leads the rally by 11.1 seconds ahead of Hyundai’s Ott Tänak, with Rovanperä trailing in third, just under a minute off the lead.
Many drivers ran into problems again on Saturday afternoon when the stages were repeated. Tyre wear in particular became a major factor as loose rocks littered the roads.
Rovanperä managed to steer clear of trouble, securing a strong position heading into Sunday’s finale.
“We were able to take advantage of our road position, and the car felt as good as it can in these conditions without testing. There’s not much more you can do. But overall, it was a good day,” Rovanperä summed up.
With teammate Elfyn Evans over three and a half minutes behind in fourth, Rovanperä has no pressure from behind. Still, settling for third is not an option.
That’s because there are up to ten championship points still up for grabs – five for the top overall results on Sunday and five more from the Power Stage.
Rovanperä called the situation “unpleasant.”
“If the stages are clear, it’s not so bad. It’s good to have real competition on Sunday too, but tomorrow, especially the new long stage, will be tricky. It’ll likely be soft and in rough condition on the second pass,” he explained.
Sunday’s route includes two different stages, both of which will be run twice. Both are essentially new to the WRC drivers.
Rovanperä gave a brutal assessment of the Porto San Paolo stage, which will also serve as the Power Stage.
“I think it’s an absolutely terrible stage. It looks like it was just bulldozed into the bush,” he said bluntly.
“Most of it isn’t even a real road. It’s just weaving and looping around – really slow and soft, so there will be surprises. It’s not going to be an enjoyable day.”
Despite that, Rovanperä has no plans to hold back. The Toyota star, currently second in the standings, needs every point he can get in the championship battle.
“Everything counts. Tomorrow we’ll try to collect as many points as we can.”
