SS8: Mikkelsen leads

ŠKODA UK Motorsport’s Andreas Mikkelsen has retaken the lead of Rallye Sanremo but it was Thierry Neuville who had the biggest cause for celebration at the completion of the 20.57-kilometre Colle Langan stage after he went fastest in his Team Peugeot Belgium-Luxembourg 207 Super 2000.

Neuville was 0.9s quicker than Mikkelsen through the stage and is now 13.0s off the lead of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge qualifier. BFO-ŠKODA driver Freddy Loix, who topped the overall classification after Friday’s final stage, was 5.6s slower than Neuville through Colle Langan and is now 2.0s adrift of new leader Mikkelsen.

Loix admitted he wasn’t “pushing too much” and like the bulk of his rivals he reported slippery conditions on the all-asphalt run, despite an absence of rain.

Young Corsican driver Pierre Campana completed the stage with the fuel pressure alarm flashing in his Peugeot.

Overall positions after SS8