SS10: Tänak edges further ahead
The first pass through Cabeceiras de Basto (22.37km) was next on the agenda. Several drivers stated before the event that this was, perhaps, the roughest stage of the entire rally.
Greensmith carded the target time of 13min 56.7sec. That was eclipsed by Rovanperä and Ogier, who half-spun his Yaris near the stage start and slipped back behind a flying Katsuta and into fifth place.
Sordo regretted his tyre choice decision and strengthened his hold on third place, but dropped 1/10th of a second to Evans. There was no stopping Tänak, however, and the Estonian set a blistering pace through the closing kilometres to extend his lead to 18.3 seconds after a fifth stage win of the weekend.
Lappi continued to pull well clear of a struggling Gryazin in WRC2. The Russian’s turbo issues had already pushed him behind Suninen, who was 14.5 seconds behind his fellow Finn. Solberg held fourth.