Leave the winding mountain roads of the Imagna Valley, which had been the backdrop for the four morning specials, the Rally Monza he landed on the racetrack for the last three timed tests on Friday. The radical change of the playing field has redefined the hierarchies of the ranking, ed Elfyn Evans overtook Sebastien Ogier in the overall.
Already in the course of PS5 (“Cinturato” of 14.49 km) the Welshman almost completely canceled the 6 ″ 5 deficit accumulated so far, winning the special in front of Sordo, Neuville, Solberg and Katsuta, with Ogier sixth at 5 ″ 7. In the second step (PS6) Evans missed the encore by only four tenths in favor of Thierry Neuville, but Ogier still stopped 2 ″ 5 from the top, slipping for the first time in this Rally Monza behind his teammate.
The Toyota couple thus presented themselves divided by 1 ″ 3 at the start of the Grand Prix (PS7), the final special of 10.29 km today run at night (and which we will meet again on Sunday morning). The stage rewarded Dani Sordo, but the jersey remained on Evans’ shoulders, who finished 3 ″ 6 from the top behind Takamoto Katsuta as well, but preceded Ogier (and Neuville) by just one tenth.
If the fight for victory always remains a private matter between the two title rivals, now separated by 1 ″ 4, also the third place is in the center of a confrontation in the family between the Hyundai of Thierry Neuville and Dani Sordo, separated by net 3 ″. Behind them the young Oliver Solberg shines, fifty seconds off the summit. The son of art precedes Takamoto Katsuta, Gus Greensmith, Teemu Suninen, Kalle Rovanpera and Yohan Rossel (Wrc3).
The Rally continues Saturday with another mix of tests on the circuit and in the Bergamo mountains. You are the piesse scheduled, for a total of 108.24 kilometers timed. Departure at 7.38 for the first passage on the San Fermo (14.08 km), followed at 8.33 by the Selvino of 24.93 km. At 11.08 and 12.30 the repetition of the two specials, the last of the Rally to be held far from Monza. For the afternoon session, the crews will return to Brianza, with the Autodrome hosting two passes on the 14.39-kilometer PS Sottozero, before the Sunday triptych that will close the 2021 World Rally.
Rally Monza | Ranking after PS7 – Top 10
Pos. | Pilot | Car | Time / Gap |
1 | E. EVANS | Toyota | 1: 04: 05.2 |
2 | S. OGIER | Toyota | +1.4 |
3 | T. NEUVILLE | Hyundai | +21.6 |
4 | D. DEAF | Hyundai | +24.6 |
5 | O. SOLBERG | Hyundai | +50.6 |
6 | T. KATSUTA | Toyota | +1: 05.5 |
7 | G. GREENSMITH | Ford | +1: 14.1 |
8 | T. SUNINEN | Hyundai | +1: 28.6 |
9 | K. ROVANPERÄ | Toyota | +1: 57.3 |
10 | Y. ROSSEL | Citroen (Wrc3) | +4: 21.3 |
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