Today’s route was the longest of the event and took in two identical loops of three stages covering 177.70 competitive kilometres, the highlight being the demanding 44.26 kilometre Monte Lerno test which delivered dramas aplenty. Neuville started the day with 11.1 seconds in hand to Latvala and the Finn managed to slash the deficit during the first three stages, the pair split by 2.9 seconds by the mid-leg service after Neuville confessed to some degree of caution. This afternoon Neuville set a blistering pace in the first of the repeated stages, fastest time extending his advantage to 13.7 seconds, and he then cemented his lead with another stage win in the final test to overnight with 16.1 seconds in hand. Latvala enjoyed a better day following an overnight gearbox change but he too measured his pace over the rough repeated stages this afternoon, especially when rain fell in the second stage of the loop. Ogier ran without problems in the opening two stages this morning, but the Frenchman dropped time to Andreas Mikkelsen and Mads Østberg in Monte Lerno and while he managed to hold on to third, Østberg’s fastest time saw him overhaul Mikkelsen for fourth and come within three-tenths of a second of third-placed Ogier by the mid-day service. Østberg continued to push this afternoon, but was forced into retirement in the final stage when he hit a rock and damaged the suspension. Mikkelsen also retired in the second of the afternoon stages, the Norwegian off the road after hitting a stone.

Dani Sordo therefore moved into fourth; the Spaniard struggled with rear-end grip this morning and then had a frightening run through the final stage when the throttle stuck open. He has a comfortable advantage over Ott Tanak, who won one stage today, and Henning Solberg is provisionally sixth. Eric Camilli has had a great run in only his 12th gravel rally and set top three times in all three stages this morning.

Positions in the second half of the top 10 are however provisional; after Lorenzo Bertelli crashed in the first run through Monte Lerno, a number of contenders were slowed and will receive corrected times overnight. Prior to this, Esapekka Lappi was eighth overall and leading the WRC 2 Championship category ahead of Teemu Suninen in 10th overall, but Lappi subsequently retired this afternoon. Similarly, Fabio Andolfi was heading the FIA WRC 3 Championship in his Peugeot 208 R2 but was also forced out.

Rally Italia Sardegna – Unofficial Classification after Section 5