SS11: Slim advantage for Hänninen

Juho Hänninen has gained a slender advantage in his bid to win Rally Islas Canarias El Corte Inglés after topping the times on the penultimate stage of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge qualifier.

The Škoda Motorsport driver now heads team-mate Jan Kopecký by 3.9 seconds with one stage remaining. “I was really pushing, I’m lucky we are here,” said Hänninen.

With ambient temperatures continuing to rise, tyre wear is proving a concern for the leading crews, who have all reported their tyres losing some grip in the demanding conditions.

Thierry Neuville was second quickest through the stage and is now 2.7s behind Kopecký in third overall. “I pushed really flat-out, I was on the limit,” said Neuville. “We lost a bit of the grip with the tyres but I think they’re quit okay.”

Guy Wilks moved a step closer to cementing fifth place after increasing his margin over Andreas Mikkelsen to three seconds.

Overall positions after SS11: