The competition starts on Friday afternoon, with the shakedown stage driven in the morning. This year’s edition of the Rally Sardinia will cover over 50 kilometers less than last year.
The new format means that there is little room for mistakes, and the starting position becomes crucial.
“It’s probably a disadvantage for the early runners and maybe an advantage for the later ones, especially road position here plays a huge role,” Hyundai’s Ott Tänak predicted.
“Because it’s shorter, there is no time to take back, Tänak reminded.
Toyota’s Sébastien Ogier agreed.
“There’s less room for having any issues. Let’s say to recover from an issue in a short rally, it’s nearly impossible. That’s the only thing (that is different to other rallies),” Ogier noted.
“I think the approach doesn’t change. You know, we are anyway starting flat out like always,” the Frenchman continued.
The Rally Sardinia demands a lot from the durability of the cars. Last year, only four Rally1 cars finished the competition without retiring.
“It’s always been like this in Sardinia. We know there are a lot of rocks. And the thing is, we’re never really 100% sure where they are going to be because there are a lot of loose rocks already during recce. And that’s the thing, when you start behind, you definitely have an advantage with the grip and a faster road, but also a higher risk of punctures and a higher risk of rocks on the road, Ogier said.
Ogier is looking to continue his winning streak in Sardinia. The Frenchman won both in Croatia and Portugal.
Tänak’s season has been relatively modest, although he was in contention for the win in the previous round in Portugal and ultimately finished second.
