Finn heads Toyota podium lockout as high 4 blanketed by simply 5.4sec.
Kalle Rovanperä overcame a difficult Friday to steer a frenzied see-saw battle for the Vodafone Rally de Portugal high spot.
The Toyota-driving Finn topped the fifth spherical of the 2024 FIA World Rally Championship by a mere 1.0sec from team-mate Sébastien Ogier on a day marked by 5 completely different stage winners, ensuing within the high 4 crews being separated by simply 5.4sec.
Rovanperä initially languished in fifth total after a lacklustre opener however posted top-three occasions within the remaining seven checks, confidently climbing the standings regardless of reporting extreme understeer in his GR Yaris.
He seized the lead after overtaking early pacesetter Takamoto Katsuta on the afternoon’s second take a look at at Lousã and went quickest on the penultimate stage at Arganil, however Ogier’s blistering run by way of the Mortágua finale narrowed the hole and intensified the strain.
“It has been an excellent battle the entire day,” admitted Rovanperä “I couldn’t do rather more [in the last one] as a result of my tyres have been in such dangerous situation on the rear and it was nearly surviving.
“[The battle] is simply enjoyable in case you are profitable, so let’s see!”
Tyre administration performed a vital position. Pirelli’s gentle compound rubber was favoured for this morning’s sandy surfaces, whereas onerous tyres got here into play within the afternoon when the repeated phases have been rougher and temperatures increased.
Ogier’s late surge propelled him from fourth to second total. He may have probably led in a single day have been it not for an intercom failure throughout SS5 and a lack of hybrid energy on SS8.
Katsuta lived as much as his promise to push onerous from the outset, clinching the Mortágua 1 stage win in addition to setting top-three occasions on each runs of Arganil. He was joyful to carry up the rear of a Toyota 1-2-3 in a single day regardless of falling 3.7sec behind Ogier, whereas Ott Tänak accomplished the day simply 0.7sec additional again in fourth after admitting to a “not good” feeling behind the wheel of his Hyundai i20 N.
Though Toyota loved a profitable day, misfortune befell title-hunting GR Yaris driver Elfyn Evans, whose co-driver Scott Martin resorted to utilizing his cell phone to entry a digital copy of their tempo notes after misplacing the bodily ebook earlier than SS7. Their frustrations have been compounded by a tyre being pushed off the wheel rim in the identical stage, costing the British pair virtually a minute.
That flip of occasions was a boon for championship chief Thierry Neuville, who headed Evans by six factors earlier than this spherical.
Regardless of dealing with the problem of opening the highway and sweeping a cleaner and sooner line for these working behind, Neuville managed to remain in contact with the leaders and ended 0.2sec behind his Hyundai colleague Dani Sordo in sixth. Sordo misplaced hybrid energy for SS5 however nonetheless managed to win three of the day’s eight phases.
M-Sport Ford Puma hotshot Adrien Fourmaux headed Evans on his return to the Matosinhos service park whereas Grégoire Munster and WRC2 chief Oliver Solberg accomplished the highest 10.
Saturday hosts the longest leg of the rally, with 145km of motion packed into two loops of 4 phases earlier than the Lousada tremendous particular stage concludes the day.
Main positions after Friday:
1. Okay Rovanerä / J Halttunen FIN Toyota GR Yaris 1h 25m 0.4s
2. S Ogier / V Landais FRA Toyota GR Yaris +1.0s
3. T Katsuta / A Johnston Toyota GR Yaris JPN +4.7s
4. O Tänak / M Järveoja EST Hyundai i20 N +5.4s
5. D Sordo C Carrera ESP Hyundai i20 N +17.9
6. T Neuville / M Wydaeghe BEL Hyundai i20 N +18.1
