After SS4: Drivers hit trouble on Yalta Rally

Neuville extend his lead

Team Peugeot Belgium-Luxembourg driver Thierry Neuville continues to lead the Prime Yalta Rally following a dramatic fourth stage as several leading drivers hit trouble.

Although there was no rainfall, chunks of the stages were damp, while crews reported dirt being dragged onto the road.

Andreas Mikkelsen dropped more than a minute when he suffered a puncture on his Škoda UK Motorsport Fabia. PG Andersson was also delayed by a front puncture on his PROTON Satria Neo, which he picked up 10 kilometres before the end of the 22.55-kilometre Plato test.

Guy Wilks was also hit by a rear puncture six kilometres from the stage start in his Peugeot UK 207. Patrik Sandell had to stop and change a puncture, while Karl Kruuda suffered a loss of brakes and slid into a ditch approximately one kilometre before the stage finish, although he managed to complete the run.

“It was very slippery with a lot of dirt on the road,” said stage winner Neuville, whose lead is 8.7s over Bryan Bouffier with Juho Hänninen climbing to third following Wilks’s delay.

Jan Kopecký, who was fourth fastest in his Škoda Fabia, said: “The pacenotes were very bad and the stage was very difficult and tricky. We lose a lot of time and there are rocks coming in from the corners.”

Overall positions after SS4: