World Rally Championship points leader Thierry Neuville got lucky on Rally Portugal. Damper-than-expected conditions meant leading the field away on the first day wasn’t as drastic a penalty as it might have been. But this week’s Rally Italy is unlikely to be so kind to the championship leader.
Despite a shorter itinerary on Friday in Sardinia, featuring only two stages run twice across a total distance of 48.4 miles, Neuville is braced for a difficult opening day of the rally and expects to lose time.
Speaking to DirtFish during the recce on Thursday, Neuville was blunt in his assessment of what lay ahead: “Friday just looks like a disaster, but it is what it is and we knew it was coming.”
Osilo–Tergu and Sedini–Castelsardo, the two stages that compose Friday’s running, make up the most bruising loop of the entire rally. During recce there was plenty of loose gravel on both tests; an elevated puncture risk is also anticipated thanks to loose stones and exposed bedrock, while high tire wear is also a factor, not helped by concrete and asphalt sections mid-stage.
Elfyn Evans was equally downbeat in his assessment of his chances on the opening day of Rally Italy Sardinia
Neuville added: “Osilo has always been really loose with big stones on top, and Castelsardo the same, so definitely some of the most challenging stages.”
Elfyn Evans was equally grim in his outlook when asked by DirtFish if there was anything he could do on Friday: “Maybe a few little things but there’s nothing quite like good road position.
“We know that first to tenth or whatever is worth a massive amount, so it is what it is. Obviously, we’re fighting the guys that are around us and that’s how it will be.”
And it’s those around him that Evans has to keep his eyes on, as he sees little point in getting dragged into a fight with those further down the order.
“Yeah, try to focus on ourselves” he added. “We need a strong rally and to do the best we can but of course it’s unrealistic to expect to fight with the guys starting sixth, seventh and eighth.”
And what of Neuville? Is there anything the Hyundai driver can do to help mitigate his opening-day disadvantage?
“Nothing,” he said, matter-of-factly. “We’ve got to see what the weather will be like. With the temperature, we may consider some more soft compound [tires] if we can. But that is quite a way away, so the second pass with the same tires will make it very challenging for us.”
