Date: Friday, March 17th
Day: 2 Flash N°: 7
Special stage: Ortega 2 Distance:15.71 km
Weather:Hot and sunny, 28-29°C
Road conditions: Dry and dusty
OGIER TRIMS LAPPI’S LEAD TO JUST 0.3 SECONDS!
There was no respite in the intensity of the schedule and the re-run of Ortega was held in much higher temperatures than the morning’s pass. A cautious Ott Tänak was still losing further time carrying out cleaning duties and Thierry Neuville strengthened his hold on fifth place by beating Kalle Rovanperä again.
Elfyn Evans maintained third overall, as Sébastien Ogier began to eat into Esapekka Lappi’s lead. The Frenchman was quickest on the stage for a second time, knocking 6.9 seconds off his morning’s run, and he trimmed Lappi’s lead to just 0.3 seconds.
Dani Sordo clouted the rear-left of his car, damaged a tyre and a wheel and dropped one minute driving the stage with the Hyundai i20’s cockpit choked in dust. He slipped to sixth overall – his issues lifting Neuville and Rovanperä into fourth and fifth.
Greensmith increased his WRC2 lead to 5.8 seconds on a stage where Solberg was quickest and moved to within 0.7 seconds of second-placed Fourmaux.
Car 8. TÄNAK/JÄRVEOJA
Safely through the stage without taking any risks.
Car 69. ROVANPERÄ/HALTTUNEN
The Finn was 25.9 seconds faster than Tänak.
Car 17. OGIER/LANDAIS
Fastest for the second time and moved to within 0.3 seconds of Lappi.
Car 6. SORDO/CARRERA
Horrendous dust issues inside the Hyundai for the Spaniard. The Spaniard appeared to have hit the
rear of the Hyundai and damaged a wheel and tyre.
Car 26. PROKOP/ERNST
Stopped briefly in SS6.
