Andreucci wins again to build lead at the end of first day

Paolo Andreucci has completed the opening leg of Rally d’Italia-Sardegna with a lead of 7.4 seconds after a sensational end to the day. The 45-year-old was fastest on both runs through the famous 11.89 Monte Lerno stage to demote defending Intercontinental Rally Challenge champion Kris Meeke to second place overnight.

Juho Hänninen, the current IRC leader, is third and 3.9s behind Meeke after going second fastest on the final Monte Lerno test. Hänninen’s Škoda Motorsport team-mate Jan Kopecký is fourth but still playing catch up following his early puncture.

Thierry Neuville achieved his aim of completing day one with his Team Belgium-Luxembourg 207 S2000 unscathed in fifth overall. Teemu Arminen completes the top six in his Tommi Mäkinen Racing-built Subaru Impreza, while P-G Andersson has fought back up to seventh after an early puncture wrecked his hopes in his Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X.

Crews are now heading to the harbourside service in Olbia and overnight parc fermé before Sunday’s final six special stages.

Overall positions after SS7: