Esapekka Lappi has set the pace on Rally Italy Sardinia’s shakedown stage, outpacing Hyundai team-mate Thierry Neuville by an impressive 0.6 seconds.
Lappi, who led in Sardinia last year for Toyota before a small mistake forced him out, has scored podiums on both of his previous two World Rally Championship starts, and was leading Rally México earlier this year too.
This strong form on gravel has led to the Finn believing he should be targeting a podium result as a minimum on all of the remaining gravel events this year.
“I think on gravel it needs to be podium now every time,” Lappi told DirtFish.
“I think we have found a good speed with the car in every loose surface, let’s say like this, so this needs to be the minimum target in every race.”
Although his fastest time on shakedown doesn’t count for anything, it was certainly a good start.
Neuville, who will start one spot ahead of Lappi in the running order (fifth) for the opening day, stopped the clocks at 1m46.5s, six tenths up on the fastest Toyota of Sébastien Ogier.
Ogier, who missed last month’s trip to Portugal, is starting yet another event this season with an opportunity to break clear of Sébastien Loeb as the rally’s all-time winner. He managed it in Monte Carlo and México, so it could be third time lucky in Sardinia.
“Hopefully the trend carries on, because I would be happy with that of course!” Said Ogier.
“Yeah, obviously you just informed me about it, it’s not the main motivation to be here of course. Motivation is to have fun, try to win for myself and for the team.”
Ogier shared the third best time on shakedown with M-Sport Ford’s Pierre-Louis Loubet, who is tipped for a strong result this weekend given his pace in Portugal and in Sardinia 12 months ago.
But the Frenchman is keeping himself grounded after shooting for a maiden WRC podium three weeks ago but faltering with a small misjudgement.
“I’m just hoping to do a clean run with good pace and yeah, build this confidence that I need so much,” Loubet explained.
“Unfortunately with what happened in Portugal it wasn’t the best way to keep it, but it’s part of rally. We need to continue to try.”
Hyundai’s Dani Sordo was fifth quickest on the 1.99-mile Olbia – Cabu Abbas warm-up, 1.5s off his team-mate Lappi’s benchmark but 0.2s clear of world championship leader Kalle Rovanperä.
The Finn beat team-mate Takamoto Katsuta by just a single tenth, with M-Sport’s Ott Tänak another two tenths back in his Puma.
Elfyn Evans completed the Rally1 runners on shakedown, nine tenths shy of Tänak and 2.9s off the ultimate pace.
Adrien Fourmaux continued his impressive run of form of-late by setting the quickest WRC2 time, 0.2s clear of Andreas Mikkelsen.
Oliver Solberg was third fastest, another 0.5s behind.
