SS4: Andreucci drops back on Targa Florio

Paolo Andreucci has lost ground in his bid to close the gap to Targa Florio-Rally Internazionale Di Sicilia leader Andreas Mikkelsen, despite altering the set-up of his Peugeot Italia 207 Super 2000.

Multiple Italian champion Andreucci is a six-time winner in Sicily but is now 16.5s adrift of Mikkelsen, who was fastest through the stage in his ŠKODA UK Motorsport Fabia Super 2000.

“We’ve made some changes in service and we’re hoping it’s going better but the weather is getting hotter so we will have to see,” said Andreucci, whose advantage over Italian championship rival Umberto Scandola, in fifth, is now down to a slender 0.1s.

Mikkelsen’s third stage best came despite the Norwegian reporting losing time after an impact on his front-right wheel. Nevertheless, the defending Intercontinental Rally Challenge champion now leads Jan Kopecký by 2.9s in the overall classification.

“I pushed quite a lot but I hit something and there was a vibration,” said Mikkelsen. “I thought it was a puncture and we lost a bit of time. We have to keep pushing, there is nothing else to do.”

Giandomenico Basso, who was 1.3s slower than Mikkelsen in his M-Sport Ford Fiesta RRC, said: “I changed the tyre compound but the balance of the car is only a little bit better.”