On still very tricky roads – patches of ice, gravel – the Estonian Ott Tänak (Hyundai) went out in an extremely fast sector, his car flying up through the trees for a series of several barrels; Tänak and his teammate Martin Järveoja were not injured.
World champion Ott Tänak and his co-driver escaped unhurt after this terrifying crash at the Monte Carlo Rally pic.twitter.com/7rWSOUoKyA
– Guardian sport (@guardian_sport) January 24, 2020
Leader since the day before, the Belgian Thierry Neuville (Hyundai), who had lost a large part of his lead from the first timed sector – demonstration by the British Elfyn Evans (Toyota) – admits being afraid for his competitor: “I lost of the time, when I saw the traces of its exit of road. Evans (second scratch of the morning) was going to take advantage of it to settle temporarily in the command.
Sébastien Ogier takes the lead
But in the last special of the day, it was Frenchman Sébastien Ogier (Toyota) who was to regain command, for 1’2 compared to Evans and 6’’4 on Neuville. Fourth, Sébastien Loeb is already more than a minute away. And the protagonists’ speeches are the same: “A difficult day” (Ogier), “more slippery than expected, we should perhaps have done things differently” (Evans) and “not a great day, I am disappointed” (Neuville).
On the Swiss side, there was no lack of worries for the star crew Burri-Levratti (VW Polo), who was in eighteenth position for a while and who lost big in the first special of the second loop; the provost mechanic points to 21st row.
Big perf of the duo Ismaël Vuistiner-Florinne Kummer
A great performance, however, for the Valaisans Ismaël Vuistiner-Florinne Kummer, on the Clio RS of Renault-Switzerland: the Vercorin crew is at the head of the RC3 class (32nd overall), in a fight with the French Jeremy Caradec. As for the Jurassians Sacha Althaus / Lisiane Zbinden (Peugeot 208 R2), who have embarked on the adventure “for fun and, why not, a little more”, they are achieving flawlessness for the moment: 42nd overall , they are seventh in their category. On the program for Saturday, a loop of two speed tests to run twice.
Jean-Claude Schertenleib
Created: 24.01.2020, 6:41 p.m.
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