What was supposed to be a highly promising outing for Dani Sordo at the World Rally Championship (WRC) turned into one of the most staggering lists of setbacks in recent memory. Piloting Hyundai's Rally1 car across the technically demanding gravel roads of Sardinia, the experienced Spanish driver carried high expectations backed by his two previous career victories on the Mediterranean island. The weekend also marked a special milestone as 27-year-old Spanish co-driver Patricia Saiz made her WRC debut alongside the seasoned veteran.
However, the cascade of bad luck struck Dani Sordo even before the competitive action officially commenced. During Thursday morning’s shakedown, an excessive amount of speed into a right-hand corner sent the car sliding directly into the trees, left side first. The heavy impact inflicted suspension damage and limited the crew to a single run, while also injuring Dani Sordo’s side. Although Hyundai managed to patch up the car in time for the evening’s opening stage, the extensive repairs caused the crew to check in late at the time control, resulting in an immediate ten-second time penalty.
The competitive rally itself offered no respite as Dani Sordo jumped the start of the stage, instantly compounding his woes with a second ten-second penalty. Having covered just over two competitive kilometers, the Spaniard found himself facing an immense deficit heading into the first full day of action. While Friday began with a promising fifth-fastest time on the opening morning test, disaster struck on the very next stage when the front-right tyre deflated right at the start, forcing the crew to halt and execute a wheel change.
The prolonged wheel change allowed the following driver, Robert Virves, to speed past, leaving Dani Sordo trapped inside the Estonian’s thick cloud of dust. Ultimately losing four minutes on the test, any realistic hopes of fighting at the front appeared shattered, with Dani Sordo also expressing frustration at the finish over issues regarding the tailgate supports.
A brief glimpse of his trademark pace emerged during Friday afternoon’s opening test with the third-fastest time, but misfortune struck once more on the final stage of the evening when the Hyundai went off the road on a high-speed section due to another puncture. Hyundai's resilient mechanics repaired the car overnight, allowing the crew to roll out for Saturday morning.
Yet, the physical toll on Dani Sordo proved insurmountable after losing over a minute on the morning’s opening stage. Revealing his physical state at the finish, Dani Sordo stated in visible pain: “It’s really bad with my ribs. I can’t continue like this. It’s really painful under braking and impacts. I think I have something broken because I couldn’t drive. After the shakedown crash, it got worse and worse. It’s a lot of pain in my back and my side. I can’t concentrate.” Consequently, Dani Sordo officially retired from the rally before stage nine, with Hyundai confirming the decision was taken as a strict precaution following his earlier shakedown crash.
Read Also
Sami Pajari beralih dari WRC ke reli klasik Finlandia mengendarai Toyota Corolla GT demi bersenang-senang bersama rekan sesama pereli.
Tom Fowler ungkap pelajaran krusial bagi Elfyn Evans dan Oliver Solberg usai duel sengit penentuan gelar juara dunia WRC di Rally Italia Sardinia.
Sebastien Ogier dipastikan absen dari Reli Monte Carlo 2027 dan mengurangi jadwal balapannya di World Rally Championship demi keluarga.
Continue with Google
Discussion (0)
Join the Discussion!
Sign in easily to start commenting, replying, and interacting with other readers.
Latest Comments
No comments yet. Be the first!