Sesks posts eighth-fastest stage time in Sardinia rally as Fourmaux hit by tyre trouble
Latvian driver Mārtiņš Sesks set the eighth-fastest time on a 24.14-kilometre stage of the Sardinia rally, while he sits tenth overall. Adrien Fourmaux lost his title hopes in the season finale after a tyre issue dropped him to fifth place.
On a 24.14-kilometre stage of the Sardinia rally, Latvian driver Mārtiņš Sesks clocked the eighth-fastest time, finishing 45.3 seconds behind stage winner Thierry Neuville of Belgium.
Sweden's Oliver Solberg was second fastest on the stage, just 2.1 seconds off Neuville's pace. French driver Sébastien Ogier took third on the stage, 6.8 seconds behind the leader.
Sesks was 2.8 seconds quicker than teammate John Armstrong on the stage, but lost 5.2 seconds to his other teammate, Josh McErlean. Speaking afterwards, Sesks admitted he did not feel fully comfortable during the stage, noting that fast sections usually suit him but did not go as well as he had hoped this time.
Fourmaux's title hopes fade
Sesks was also overtaken on the stage by two Rally2-class drivers — Finland's Teemu Suninen and Estonia's Robert Virves, who posted the sixth-fastest time overall.
Hyundai driver Adrien Fourmaux ran into trouble when he was forced to drive more than four kilometres on a soft tyre. As a result, he posted only the tenth-fastest stage time and dropped to fifth overall, largely ending his hopes of winning the season-closing rally.
After eight stages, Thierry Neuville leads the overall standings in a Hyundai i20 N Rally1. Oliver Solberg is second, 14.4 seconds behind, with Sébastien Ogier third, 44.2 seconds off the lead. Mārtiņš Sesks, driving a Ford Puma Rally1, sits tenth overall, 4 minutes and 25.2 seconds behind the leader.
