SS16: Solberg
takes Power
Stage win

Stage data: SS16, Gallura 2 - POWER STAGE (8.24 kilometres)

Stage description:
By WRC Team MINI Portugal co-driver Stephane Prevot: “The stage is unchanged from last year and begins with 400 metres on Tarmac. There is a tricky downhill section, medium fast. It’s rough but soft in places. There is a good spectator point towards the end of the stage where you can see for about three kilometres.”

How the action unfolded:
Petter Solberg has won the Rally Italia Sardegna event-closing Power Stage to earn three FIA World Rally Championship bonus points in his Ford Fiesta RS WRC as Mikko Hirvonen celebrated his first victory of 2012 driving a works Citroen DS3 WRC.

Solberg was 0.2s quicker than factory Ford team-mate Jari-Matti Latvala with Thierry Neuville claiming the final bonus point in his Qatar World Rally Team Citroen.

WRC Team MINI Portugal’s Chris Atkinson’s efforts to snatch fifth from Sebastien Ogier failed when he lost more than a minute although the precise cause is currently unclear.

Mads Ostberg’s bid for Power Stage glory ended when he picked up a puncture striking a stone in his Adapta Fiesta.

Ott Tanak secured his maiden WRC podium with the sixth fastest time, while M-Sport team-mate Evgeny Novikov secured second place by going fourth quickest. Hirvonen was fifth fastest and wins by 1m20.6s, his first victory for Citroen and his first in Sardinia after finishing runner-up on five previous occasions.

Nicolas Fuchs reached the stage finish to secure his maiden Production Car World Rally Championship victory in a Symtech Racing Subaru Impreza.