The longest stage of the rally, Amarante (37.92km) was next on the agenda. Drivers with tyre and technical issues, like Sordo and Gryazin, were entering worrying and unchartered territory on the mixed surface speed test. Neuville should have opened the road but started the stage after Katsuta. Hyundai team tactics, perhaps?
Greensmith survived an early half-spin and throttle issues and went on to stop the clocks in 24min 38.1sec, as he continued to chip away at Rovanperä’s hold on sixth.
Ogier reduced Katsuta’s grasp on fourth to just half a second. Sordo stormed through to beat the Frenchman by 5.4 seconds but Evans strengthened his grip on second place by beating the Spaniard by 1.5.
There was no stopping Tänak, however, and a third fastest time of the morning saw his lead rise to 19.2 seconds. “The first loop has been quite okay,” said the 2019 World Champion. “I tried to be very smooth to keep the tyres alive.”
Lappi increased his lead over Suninen in WRC2 to 14 seconds and Solberg began to reel in a struggling Gryazin in the battle for third place and closed to within 2.1 seconds. “This car will not get a sweet after this race,” said a distraught Gryazin.
Kajetanowicz had managed to overtake Rossel and snatch the WRC3 lead before the start of the stage.