SS7: Basso closes back up to Mikkelsen

Giandomenico Basso has slashed Andreas Mikkelsen’s overall lead on Rally San Marino to 1.3s with the fastest time through the first of three runs of the 15.85-kilometre Rofelle stage.

Driving an M-Sport Ford Fiesta RRC for the Italian A-Style Team, Basso took full advantage of his turbocharged engine on the tight and twisty test to edge Andreas Mikkelsen, in a normally aspirated ŠKODA UK Motorsport Fabia Super 2000, by 7.9s. It was Basso’s third stage victory on the gravel event, round seven of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge.

IRC rookie Germain Bonnefis continues to impress in his Peugeot Sport 207, the young Frenchman recording the third quickest time, 13.1s slower than Basso.

Umberto Scandola was fourth quickest, 13.9s down on Basso. Although the ŠKODA Italia pilot is now 24.1s adrift of the overall lead, his margin ahead of Sepp Wiegand in fourth has increased to 30.5s after the young German could only manage the sixth quickest time in his Fabia.

Juha Salo was fifth quickest and, as a result, has moved back ahead of countryman Jarkko Nikara into fifth place in the overall classification. Nikara continues to dominate the IRC Production Cup in his Subaru Impreza R4 STI.

The action resumes with the 14.45-kilometre Sant’Agata Feltria stage from 11:51hrs local time, which will be followed by a 30-minute service halt in San Marino at 13:32hrs.