Snow, ice and water have made a relevant selection during the day of special stages outside Autodromo Nazionale Monza on Bergamo area. The retirement, due to an off road, for the world championship leader Elfyn Evans (Toyota) has heavily affected the course of the drivers’ and manufacturers’ championship. The Italian Umberto Scandola has won SS 11 on Hyundai i20 NG.

Monza, Saturday December 5th 2020 – This was considered to be the deciding day, the stages in Bergamo area being the most demanding ones. And so it was for real, with the rain turning into snow and ice on the highest points and clearly defining the race and maybe the 2020 World Rally Championship as well.

At the end of today’s leg the lead is in the hands of Sébastien Ogier with Julien Ingrassia, on Yaris WRC of the team Toyota Gazoo. The sixth times world champion has started the race with the only goal to win and try to achieve another world title; a project that on the eve of this rally was very hard to realize, but that is now becoming more and more real after Elfyn Evans, paired with Scott Martin on the Yaris WRC by the team Toyota Gazoo, has slided off road on the snow of the “Gerosa 2” stage. The current world championship leader only needed a placement to win the title, and so he is now forced to take his chances during last leg tomorrow, hoping in some mistakes by his main opponent: his teammate.

Evans off-road has also addressed firmly the manufacturers’ title towards Corea, with Hyundai currently being in second and third position in the overall standing. The two i20 Coupé WRC were second with Sordo – Del Barrio and third with Tänak – Järveoja.

These calculations are naturally just virtual because there is still the whole tomorrow’s leg to go, with its very tricky forty km of stages all inside Autodromo Nazionale Monza and, as per the forecast, under heavy rain.

After the first plot-twist with the missing start of Thierry Neuville, destined to return tomorrow on his Hyundai i20, today stages have put to the test many other giants, such as the Brit Gus Greensmith (Ford Fiesta WRC) and the Norwegian Ole Christian Veiby (Hyundai i20 WRC), both rolled over on the very long “Selvino” stage, just a few hundred metres from each other.

Among the “survivors” in the highest ranking to end the stages we find Esapekka Lappi with Janne Ferm on Fiesta Ford M-Sport and Kalle Rovamperä with Jonne Haltunen on Yaris WRC of team Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT.

The best in WRC2 was the Norwegian Mads Østberg with Torstein Eriksen, who upholds the leading position on his Citroen C3, ninth in the overall standing and winner of SS 7 and 9, where he has taken the lead on Pontus Tidemand, the Swede on Skoda Fabia who thinks of the world title being on top of the championship. Third position is for the Czech Jan Kopeck, on Skoda as well and struggling on the most snow-covered stretches. Bad luck for the Frenchman Adrien Formaux, best in SS 8, losing positions after a spin and a collision with the rear side during SS 10 and then winner of SS 12.

With his sixth overall position the Norwegian Andreas Mikkelsen, navigated by Andreas Jaeger on Skoda Fabia, has defended the head of the WRC3 standing from the attacks of the opponents. In second place comes the other Norwegian Oliver Solberg, seventh overall on Skoda Fabia and winner of SS 9, followed by the Finn Jari Huttunen on Hyundai i20 NG, best in SS 13, then the very young Emil Lindholm on Skoda Fabia, best in the seventh stage and now tenth overall. Among Regional Cars private teams the performance of the Verona driver Umberto Scandola, navigated by Guido D’Amore, stands out: the Italian has won the overall standing of SS 11 and in SS 8 has been the best in WRC3, thanks to the right choice of snow tyres. Scandola, on his birthday, has brought an Italian name back to the top of a world-class stage’s ranking. This has not happened since Turkey’s Rally in 2008 when it was achieved by Gigi Galli – Giovanni Bernacchini on Ford.

The Swede Tom Kristensson, navigated by Joakim Sjoberg, has extended the gap and is now aiming to Junior WRC, among all young drivers behind the wheel of Ford Fiesta made in M-Sport. In SS 7 the Latvian Martins Sesks was forced to retire due to an off-road.

TOP10 ACI RALLY MONZA OVERALL AFTER SS13: 1. Ogier-Ingrassia (Toyota Yaris WRC) IN 1H47’47”2; 2 Sordo-Del Barrio (Hyundai i20 Coupè WRC)+17”8; 3 Tanak-Jarveoja (Hyundai i20 Coupè WRC) +22”1; 4 Lappi-Ferm (Ford Fiesta WRC) +38”2; 5 Rovanpera-Halttunen (Toyota Yaris WRC) +1’10”1; 6 Mikkelsen-Jaeger (Skoda Fabia Evo Rally2) +3’20”6; 7 Solberg-Johnston (Skoda Fabia Evo) +3’34”9; 8. Huttunen . Lukka (Hyundai NG i20) a 4’08”9; 9 Ostberg – Eriksen (Citroen C3) a 4’39”; 10 Lindholm-Korhonen (Skoda Fabia Evo Rally2) +05’06”6.

WRC2 STANDING AFTER SS13: 1. Ostberg-Eriksen (Citroen C3) in 1h52’26”2; 2 Tidemand-Barth (Skoda Fabia Evo) +30”9; 3 Kopecky-Hlousek (Skoda Fabia Evo) +1’11”4; 4 Fourmaux-Jamoul (Ford Fiesta MKII) +28’36”5; 4.

WRC3 STANDING AFTER SS13: 1 Mikkelsen-Jaeger (Skoda Fabia Evo) 1h51’0728; 2 Solberg-Johnston (Skoda Fabia Evo) +14”3; 3 Huttunen-Lukka (Hyundai i20 NG Rally2) +48”3; 4 Lindholm-Korhonen (Skoda Fabia Evo) +1’46”0. 4.. Kajetanowicz-Szczepaniak (Skoda Fabia Evo) +3’06”9; 6. Bulacia-Der Ohannesian (Citroen C3) +4’16.8.