Hayden Paddon (Hyundai i20 WRC) benefited himself from the abandonment of Jari-Matti Latvala (Volkswagen Polo R) and climbed up to the highest of the overall classification. The Finn made three rollovers half of the penultimate stage of the day and could not go on. This way the YPF Rally Argentina will have a new winner.

With a shocking change of scene, Paddon turned into the new leader of the YPF Rally Argentina 2016. The New Zealand driver put pressure on Latvala all day liong and was able to win three of the six stages run, but he has never imagined that the Finn would be out of the fight when there were only two stages left for the end of the day.

The winner of the 2014 edition had three rollovers with his Volkswagen Polo R into 21,08 kms of the SS14  (Los Gigantes – Cantera El Cóndor II) and was unable to continue. His team will assess if the car is fit to be repaired so as to be able to rejoin the Rally 2 tomorrow according to the Super Rally system regulations.

His teammates Sébastien Ogier (Volkswagen Polo R) and Andreas Mikkelsen (Volkswagen Polo R) automatically climbed up one position in the overall. Being warned about this situation, they took advantage of the last stage of the day to push Paddon and take away several seconds.

A bit more further from the fight for the victory but waiting for a place in the podium, we have Dani Sordo (Hyundai i20 WRC). The Spanish driver is in fourth position in the overall to 17s7 of the third, Mikkelsen.

Argentinian Marcos Ligato had a very good day with his Citroën DS3 and climbed up from the ninth to the sixth position in the overall. “Better than we expected. Tomorrow is the toughest day of the race. It so nice to see all the people by the side of the road cheering us.”

Paddon will have to hold out for tomorrow’s 55.28 kilometres to be able to win the WRC for the first time – he has already won in Argentina in 2011 with the PWRC – and keep the gap with Ogier and Mikkelsen who may have the chance to snatch the victory from him. The definition of the 2016 edition will be again along the historical stage of El Cóndor – Copina, scenery to great deeds and surprises.

WRC2: after not being able to complete the first stage and be very far from the lead, Elfyn Evans is back on the scene and won four of the six stages run in the day.

The great winner of today was Nicolás Fuchs, who took advantage of the overturn and the loss of time from Abdulaziz Al-Kuwari to become the new leader of the overall. Hubert Ptaszek is at more than three minutes in the overall and Al-Kuwari in third place above 10 minutes of difference.

Copa ACA: after 8 stages run and when there are only two stages left, Gabriel Cerutti keeps the lead with a comfortable advantage of 2m17s2 over Hugo Ventura. For the time being, Carlos Roque completes the podium

 

Overall Classification YPF Rally Argentina 2016
1) H. Paddon (Hyundai i20 WRC), 2h54m45s6
2) S. Ogier (Volkswagen Polo R), +29s8
3) A. Mikkelsen (Volkswagen Polo R), +44s3
4) D. Sordo (Hyundai i20 WRC), +1m02s0
5) M. Ostberg (Ford Fiesta RS), +3m46s2
6) M. Ligato (Citroën DS3), +8m13s1

The stages for tomorrow:
SS16: VOLKSWAGEN El Cóndor – Copina (16,32kms) / 9:08hs
SS17: Mina Clavero – Giulio Césare (22,64kms) / 10:51hs
SS18: Power Stage El Cóndor (16,32kms) / 12:09hs