Date: Friday, March 17th
Day: 2 Flash N°: 8
Special stage: Las Minas 2 Distance: 13.79 km
Weather: Hot and sunny, 30°C
Road conditions: Dry and dusty
FLYING LAPPI PULLS CLEAR OF OGIER WITH ANOTHER FASTEST TIME
Las Minas 2 was the last gravel test of the day held in the heat of the afternoon. Thierry Neuville increased his hold on fourth place over Kalle Rovanperä to 15.7 seconds, despite complaining of a possible rear damper issue and an ill-handing car.
Esapekka Lappi was in scintillating form and the Finn carded yet another fastest time to complete the gravel stages with an overall advantage of 3.4 seconds.
Gus Greensmith’s WRC2 lead over Adrien Fourmaux grew to 10.8 seconds. Oliver Solberg drove to the stage finish on a puncture tyre and the wheel rim and Emil Lindholm stopped briefly in the stage.
Car 8. TÄNAK/JÄRVEOJA
Very slow pace through the stage. “We try to learn as much as we can.”
Car 69.ROVANPERÄ/HALTTUNEN
“I think we had to take some softs. I’m not sure two spares was right or not. The car is moving around
quite a lot.”
Car 11. NEUVILLE/WYDAEGHE
“Thre is something strange on the rear. I cannot control the car since the last stage. It seems like a
damper is damaged. I am attacking like hell but the times are not coming like they should.”
Car 33. EVANS/MARTIN
“I struggled to be honest. It feels like I didn’t have any grip at all.
Car 17. OGIER/LANDAIS
“It’s a rally that is biting quite hard when you push too hard. We keep our pace as we can, so far it’s
okay.”
Car 4. LAPPI/FERM
“I was saving the tyres on the last one. I am joking. I have been driving with the same rhythm to be
honest, trying to be clean and we did it well to be honest, We can enjoy.”
Car 6. SORDO/CARRERA
“We had a puncture on the last stage and the car was sliding. The rear of the car didn’t feel right.”
Car 20. GREENSMITH/ANDERSSON
Extended his WRC2 lead to 10.8 seconds.
Car 21. SOLBERG/EDMONDSON
A flat tyre for the Swede and he drove to the stage finish dropping 1min 49sec to Greensmith. He
finished the special on the rim.
Car 24. LINDHOLM/HÄMÄLÄINEN
Stopped briefly in the stage and dropped 10 seconds.
