With 12 special stages completed in Rally Sierra Morena, the WRC regular holds a commanding lead of 42.9 seconds over France’s Yoann Bonato in the asphalt event.
Gryazin has been in control of the Spanish rally from the very beginning. On Sunday, he has been able to drive without taking major risks, yet he has still delivered competitive stage times.
On the penultimate stage of the rally, he finished second, just 1.2 seconds down on Bonato’s stage-winning effort.
“I’m happy that the smooth driving is working quite well. We are saving the tyres for the Power Stage,” said Gryazin.
He was referring to the final stage of the rally, where additional points are awarded to the fastest drivers. Gryazin is planning a full push on the Power Stage, as he will be contesting several ERC rounds this season and could potentially challenge for the overall championship.
The top positions in the rally appear to be settled, with Spain’s Jose Suarez comfortably in third after pulling clear of Andrea Mabellini. Poland’s Mikołaj Marczyk and Norwegian driver Mads Østberg will head into the final test from fifth and sixth place respectively.
Rally Sierra Morena concludes with the Power Stage, which is scheduled to begin at 17:05 CET.
Standings in Rally Sierra Morena ERC after SS12/13:
| POS | Driver | Car | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Nikolay Gryazin | Skoda | 1:55:02.6 |
| 2. | Yoann Bonato | Citroen | +42.9 |
| 3. | Jose Suarez | Skoda | +1:19.7 |
| 4. | Andrea Mabellini | Skoda | +1:38.0 |
| 5. | Mikolaj Marczyk | Skoda | +1:59.1 |
| 6. | Mads Østberg | Citroen | +2:12.2 |
| 7. | Pepe Lopez | Hyundai | +2:22.5 |
| 8. | Mille Johansson | Skoda | +2:28.8 |
| 9. | Stephane Lefebvre | Hyundai | +3:36.5 |
| 10. | Simon Wagner | Hyundai | +3:44.0 |
