Tanak builds lead as Fourmaux hits trouble

Ott Tanak produced an impressive drive across Saturday morning’s three stages to extend his Acropolis Rally Greece lead after Hyundai team-mate Adrien Fourmaux lost time after clipping a bank.

Tanak took a three-second lead into the day’s action and increased his advantage by winning stage eight by 6.7s from Toyota’s Sebastien Ogier before going on to clock the fastest time in stage nine to the tune of 6.7s over Fourmaux.

Despite picking up minor damage to his rear wing in stage nine, Tanak was only 0.1s slower than Ogier in stage 10, extending his rally lead to 33.2s. That advantage was over Ogier after Fourmaux dropped 1m11s when he hit a rock off line in the test that damaged his i20 N’s right-rear suspension.

“On the outside of the line there was a rock or a stone, nothing in my pacenotes, there was a hit into the wheel,” said Fourmaux who slipped down to third.

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

Toyota’s Takamoto Katsuta moved ahead of M-Sport’s Gregoire Munster into fifth, after the latter struggled through the stages without the use of his Puma’s handbrake.

Kalle Rovanpera was also fighting with his car and was unable to hold onto seventh spot after losing out to Neuville, who suffered yet more tyre damage across the loop. Oliver Solberg maintained his WRC2 lead in ninth.

While M-Sport’s Martins Sesks was able to rejoin the rally after suffering a fuel system problem, Toyota was unable to repair a fuel issue on Sami Pajari’s GR Yaris.

“We were hoping to get the car back and running for Saturday but an issue in the fuel system could not yet be fully fixed in the service,” said Pajari.

“This means we had to retire the car again. The goal is still to rejoin the rally if the issues are fully fixed come Sunday.”

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