Freddy Loix has snatched the lead of Rallye Sanremo by setting the fastest time on the 44-kilometre Ronde night stage.
The BFO-ŠKODA driver started the stage 4.5s adrift of Andreas Mikkelsen but a sensational performance has enabled him to vault in front of the ŠKODA UK pilot who had led from the day’s opening stage.
“It was really, really tough,” said Mikkelsen. “We were struggling in there but we could go a lot faster.”
Thierry Neuville was 5.4s behind leader Mikkelsen starting the stage but overheating brakes on his Team Peugeot Belgium-Luxembourg 207 has dropped him 16.6s adrift of new first-place driver Loix.
Pierre Campana was 1.0s down on Loix after 30 kilometres but a right-rear puncture cost him valuable time. A puncture also slowed leading privateer Toni Gardemeister.
Giandomenico Basso suffered a brief off in his PROTON Motorsports’ Satria Neo S2000 after his car’s intercom failed and he was unable to hear the instructions from his navigator Mitia Dotta.
Estonian Karl Kruuda is reported to have gone off the road in his ŠKODA.
Overall positions after SS7
| Pos. | Driver | Car | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Loix Freddy / Miclotte F. | Škoda Fabia S2000 | 1h17m49.7s |
| 2 | Mikkelsen Andreas / Floene Ola | Škoda Fabia S2000 | +2.7s |
| 3 | Neuville T. / Gilsoul Nicolas | Peugeot 207 S2000 | +16.6s |
| 4 | Bouffier Bryan / Panseri Xavier | Peugeot 207 S2000 | +17.8s |
| 5 | Kopecký Jan / Starý Petr | Škoda Fabia S2000 | +34.2s |
| 6 | Magalhães Bruno / Grave Paulo | Peugeot 207 S2000 | +39.2s |
| 7 | Scandola Umberto / D’Amore Guido | Ford Fiesta S2000 | +47.1s |
| 8 | Perico Alessandro / Carrara Fabrizio | Peugeot 207 S2000 | +2m39.9s |
| 9 | Campana Pierre / De Castelli Sabrina | Peugeot 207 S2000 | +2m40.3s |
| 10 | Gardemeister Toni / Suominen Tapio | Škoda Fabia S2000 | +3m35.9s |
| 11 | Hotz Grégoire / Ravasi Pietro | Peugeot 207 S2000 | +4m26.7s |
| 12 | Medici Davide / De Luis Daniele | Renault Clio S1600 | +4m41.2s |
| 13 | Albertini Stefano / Scattolin Simone | Renault Clio R3 | +5m06.5s |
| 14 | Basso Giandomenico / Dotta Mitia | Proton Satria Neo S2000 | +5m07.9s |
| 15 | Guglielmi Pierre Antoine / Porcu Jean François | Renault Clio R3 | +5m36.4s |