Hanninen prepared for tough challenge

Intercontinental Rally Challenge leader Juho Hanninen believes he has the pace to win Rally d’Italia-Sardegna this week but insists he won’t be taking anything for granted, and not just because of the extra opposition he will face on the island-based event.

The factory Skoda Motorsport driver, currently seven points clear in the title race, says the demanding nature of the stages, four of which will be shown live on Eurosport, will make for a very tough rally.

"I don’t know so much about the new stages but Sardinia is always demanding with hot weather and a lot of grip changes," said the Finn. "Sometimes you have a hard surface then in other places it is very sandy and quite slippery. It’s also narrow so it’s easy to make a mistake like hitting a rock by the side of the road."

Hanninen also pointed to the higher risk of punctures on the event due to the rough nature of some of the roads.

"It will be a risk but it doesn’t help if you are thinking about getting a puncture all the time and trying to be more careful as it is easier to get the puncture at that moment by being too careful," he said.