The Ford Fiesta Rally2 driver feared he and co-driver Andy Sarandis were on the verge of collapse after they were left without water and food through Saturday’s longest day of the Alghero-based event.
The Queensland driver was rescued by a farmer who offered the pair supplies.
“It was so hot,” Anear said. “We’d run out of water and we hadn’t eaten much. It was all pretty serious to be honest – fortunately the farmer gave us some water and we were able to cool down and drink. We didn’t have any cold packs or anything like that. To be honest, we were in a bit of trouble.
“I’ve got to say, the whole thing was harder than we thought it would be. The step to WRC was harder than anything we’ve done – we were really unprepared for it. It reminded me of 2018 when I did my first ever rally. I was pretty overwhelmed back then and I felt like that again.”
Despite a tough run on the Italian island, Anear is looking forward to his next WRC outing in Estonia – he misses Safari Rally Kenya later this month.
“It was tough, but we’ve learned so much,” he said. “It’s been a baptism of fire, but Estonia’s the next stop for us. It’s a different style of rally and a different surface, but I can’t wait to get there.”
Anear completed his WRC debut in 29th place. He returned on Friday morning after retiring and taking a 10-minute penalty after clipping a concrete block on Thursday’s curtain raiser in Olbia.
Finland
Italy
Hungary