The World championship delivered its joint-closest finish in history to mark the 20th anniversary of Rally Italia Sardegna’s inclusion on the annual schedule and fire the starting gun on a three-way race for the 2024 title.
With the event trialling a condensed two-and-a-half-day format, it was somewhat fitting that a scant 0.2 seconds split Ott Tanak and Sebastien Ogier at the finish following a dramatic climax to round six of the season.
Arriving on the Mediterranean island, Thierry Neuville, Tanak’s Hyundai team-mate, held a 24-point lead over Toyota’s misfiring Brit, Elfyn Evans. That meant the Belgian ran first on the road on Friday afternoon’s opening leg, which featured twin runs through the 16-mile Osilo-Tergu and eight-mile Sedini-Castelsardo stages.
Neuville did his best to minimise the time loss and reached the overnight halt in Alghero 36.6s behind
