After Friday’s high rate of attrition, the third day of Rally Italia Sardegna has passed without dramas for the leading crews fighting for honours in the penultimate round of the FIA World Rally Championship.

Mikko Hirvonen continues to head the leaderboard with more than a minute in hand to second-placed Evgeny Novikov. Ott Tänak also maintains third with just 16.48 competitive kilometres to run over two stages tomorrow.

Today’s route took the crews into more traditional territory and the two identical loops of three stages journeyed into the forests to the south-west of Olbia. In total, the route took in 115.92 competitive kilometres, the second longest day of this four-day rally.

The provisional podium positions remained unchanged today; the leading trio are split by sufficient gaps that none was prepared to risk their position. Mads Østberg has however shone throughout after losing time yesterday with a broken rear differential. The Norwegian was quickest through four of the day’s stages and has climbed from seventh to fourth, albeit with little chance of challenging the podium, barring problems for those ahead.

Sébastien Ogier and Chris Atkinson have been battling throughout the day, the Frenchman securing fifth by 3.9 seconds in the final stage this afternoon. His team-mate Andreas Mikkelsen is seventh. Petter Solberg, who restarted this morning, has moved one position up the leaderboard into ninth, while team-mate Jari-Matti Latvala is 15th, the Finn winning just one of the day’s stages.

Sunday is short and dedicated to two runs over the Gallura test, the second passage counting as the Power Stage.

WRC Rally Italia Sardegna – Day 3 Provisional Results

1. Mikko Hirvonen/Jarmo Lehtinen (Citroën DS3 WRC) 3hr 10min 51.7sec
2. Evgeny Novikov/Ilka Minor (Ford Fiesta RS WRC) +1:28.2
3. Ott Tänak/Kuldar Sikk (Ford Fiesta RS WRC) +2:20.6
4. Mads Østberg/Jonas Andersson (Ford Fiesta RS WRC) +3:48.3
5. Sébastien Ogier/Julien Ingrassia (Skoda Fabia S2000) +4:30.5
6. Chris Atkinson/Stephane Prévot (MINI Cooper Works WRC) +4:34.4
7. Andreas Mikkelsen/Ola Floene (Skoda Fabia S2000) +6:06.2
8. Martin Prokop/Zdenek Hruza (Ford Fiesta RS WRC) +9:18.9
9. Petter Solberg/Chris Patterson (Ford Fiesta RS WRC) +10:15.0
10. Karl Kruuda/Martin Jarveoja Ford Fiesta (S2000) +10:56.6