sardinia

Esapekka Lappi led a Hyundai Motorsport one-two on this morning’s Rally Italia Sardegna shakedown stage from Thierry Neuville in the second i20 N Rally1.

Elfyn Evans insists the disappointment of crashing out of Rally de Portugal is “behind us now” as he readies himself for one of the toughest World Rally Championship rounds on the calendar this week.

From this week’s Rally Estonia, World Rally Championship teams are to be given more time to work on those Rally1 hybrid cars that have been retired from either the Friday or Saturday leg.

Esapekka Lappi says he is “satisfied” with his opening day’s work at Rally Italia Sardegna and is confident he can build on that heading into the Saturday leg of the notoriously harsh gravel event. 

Leading Rally1 drivers have said they are bracing themselves for one of the most physically and mentally demanding weekends they are likely to encounter in this season’s World Rally Championship.

Hyundai Motorsport’s Thierry Neuville will be hoping his Rally Italia Sardegna shakedown victory is an indication of what is to come on round five of the World Rally Championship this weekend.

The leading standings after SS9 of Rally Italia Sardegna, the sixth round of the 2016 World Rally Championship (19 stages total)

The leading standings after SS5 of Rally Italia Sardegna, the sixth round of the 2016 World Rally Championship (19 stages total)

The leading standings after SS1 of Rally Italia Sardegna, the sixth round of the 2016 World Rally Championship (19 stages total)

Martin Prokop tops the times in the opening short super special stage in Sardinia, finishing up 1.7s ahead of Andreas Mikkelsen

Mads Ostberg is feeling bullish for Rally Italia Sardegna and will be looking to get another podium on round six of WRC 2014

Sebastien Ogier notches up his fourth win of the season and the 11th of his WRC career in Sardinia

Sebastien Ogier excels in Sardinia in his VW Motorsport-run Skoda Fabia S2000

Live TV deal revealed for Rally Sardinia next month

Having initially been classified in third place at the end of the final stage in Sardinia, Sebastien Loeb has been demoted to fourth after being hit with a two-minute time penalty by event stewards.

Suzuki's Michal Kosciuszko came through to take his maiden win in the FIA Junior World Rally Championship category on the Rally d'Italia Sardegna last weekend, the third round in the series.

Henning Solberg will take in his second event of the season under the Munchi's Ford World Rally Team banner this weekend in Sardinia and the Norwegian reckons another top-five finish should be possible.

Citroen privateer Conrad Rautenbach is looking forward to getting back on to familiar territory this weekend in Sardinia.

Marcus Gronholm's hopes of bouncing back from the shock absorber problems that cost him the lead on the Rally d'Italia at the end of Friday disappeared on the second stage this morning when he lost his spare wheel.

Petter Solberg's hopes of being able to battle for the lead on the Rally d'Italia Sardegna vanished on the second loop on Friday afternoon when brake problems left him with 'no chance' of staying in touch with the leaders.

Before being appointed as team manager at Peugeot Sport, Nicola Gullino - better known to his friends as 'Nick' - had tried his hand at everything to do with rallying, or nearly. We caught up with him prior to Italy's round of the World Rally Championship in Sardinia...

The organisers of the Supermag Rallye d'Italia-Sardinia have today announced that the service park of event will be situated in Olbia, while the subsidiary service park and the shakedown will be in Tempio Pausania.