Dani Sordo Leads Rally Portugal as Tänak Struggles with Tire
In a dramatic turn of events at Rally Portugal, Dani Sordo has seized the lead, making his authority amidst a challenging situation faced by M-Sport’s Ott Tänak. The unfolding drama began during the first stage on Friday afternoon when Tänak encountered tire difficulties.
Tänak’s Tire Mishap Sends Shockwaves Through Rally Portugal
Ever since the event’s second stage, Tänak had held a firm grip on the lead, maintaining a slim three-second advantage over Toyota driver Kalle Rovanperä after the morning loop. However, on the repeat stage called Lousã 2, Tänak endured a setback as his front-right tire dislodged from the rim, resulting in a staggering 50.1-second loss to Rovanperä.
Within the blink of an eye, M-Sport’s driver plummeted from the top position to the back of the Rally1 pack, finding himself in seventh place after just a single stage. Consequently, Hyundai now claims two spots on the podium, with Dani Sordo leading the pack by a mere 0.4 seconds ahead of Rovanperä. Sordo’s stellar performance on SS4, where he outpaced his rival by one second, secured his frontrunner status. Thierry Neuville of Hyundai ascended to third place, trailing his teammate by 14.2 seconds.
Reflecting on his performance, Neuville remarked, “I had a very good stage, but I think we are lacking grip. I pushed the limits on some corners and felt that our speed was not optimal. Let’s search for some additional performance to bridge the significant time difference.”
Meanwhile, Esapekka Lappi delivered a scorching pace, triumphing in the stage and surpassing Elfyn Evans on the leaderboard. Lappi expressed his satisfaction, stating, “OK, good. I like this direction.” However, Pierre-Louis Loubet made an impressive surge from sixth to fourth place on this stage, overtaking Evans, who remained tight-lipped about the setup issues exacerbating his road-cleaning disadvantage.
Stay tuned for more updates on wheel guiders, as Rally Portugal continues to captivate motorsport enthusiasts with its gripping battles and unexpected twists.
