Ott Tanak extends lead as Adrien Fourmaux hits hassle

Ott Tanak produced a formidable drive throughout Saturday morning’s three levels to increase his Acropolis Rally Greece lead after Hyundai team-mate Adrien Fourmaux misplaced time after clipping a financial institution.

Tanak took a three-second lead into the day’s motion and elevated his benefit by profitable stage eight by 6.7s from Toyota’s Sebastien Ogier earlier than occurring to clock the quickest time in stage 9 to the tune of 6.7s over Fourmaux.

Regardless of selecting up minor injury to his rear wing in stage 9, Tanak was solely 0.1s slower than Ogier in stage 10, extending his rally result in 33.2s. That benefit was over Ogier after Fourmaux dropped 1m11s when he hit a rock off line within the take a look at that broken his i20 N’s right-rear suspension.

“On the skin of the road there was a rock or a stone, nothing in my pacenotes, there was a success into the wheel,” mentioned Fourmaux who slipped down to 3rd.

Championship chief Elfyn Evans remained in fourth albeit 2m27.2s away from the lead.

Toyota’s Takamoto Katsuta moved forward of M-Sport’s Gregoire Munster into fifth, after the latter struggled via the levels with out the usage of his Puma’s handbrake.

Kalle Rovanpera was additionally preventing together with his automobile and was unable to carry onto seventh spot after shedding out to Neuville, who suffered but extra tyre injury throughout the loop. Oliver Solberg maintained his WRC2 lead in ninth.

Whereas M-Sport’s Martins Sesks was in a position to rejoin the rally after struggling a gasoline system downside, Toyota was unable to restore a gasoline problem on Sami Pajari’s GR Yaris.

“We have been hoping to get the automobile again and operating for Saturday however a problem within the gasoline system couldn’t but be totally fastened within the service,” mentioned Pajari.

“This implies we needed to retire the automobile once more. The purpose remains to be to rejoin the rally if the problems are totally fastened come Sunday.”

M-Sport-Ford’s Josh McErlean needed to nurse a wounded Puma via the loop after damaging the rear suspension and driveshaft following an impression with a rock in stage eight. His privateer team-mate Jourdan Serderidis retired from the rally after a suspected heat-related sickness.