ALGHERO, Italy, (AFP) - Spaniard Dani Sordo won the last three stages and four overall to build a lead of more than 17 seconds in the Rally of Sardinia on Friday.
The Hyundai driver has not scored a point in the World Rally Championship this season but won in Sardinia last year.
He took the second stage and then grabbed the lead when he was fastest by 9.4sec on the fourth stage, the last one on the morning loop. He then won the two afternoon stages.
“I am really happy to come back like this,” Sordo said. “We pushed hard and made time with good tyre choices.”
Finland’s Teemu Suninen, who won the opening stage in his M-Sport Ford, lies second.
Sordo’s Belgian team-mate Thierry Neuville, who stalled twice during the day, was second on the sixth and final stage of the day to take third from Frenchman Sebastien Ogier. In the driver championship, Ogier is second to Toyota team-mate Elfyn Evans.
Evans did interrupt Sordo’s winning streak by taking the third stage but ended the day in fifth, 51 seconds behind the leader and 16 seconds behind Ogier.