P1racenews AI automatic summary:
The thrilling three-way fight continued into Saturday where the team faced another eight stages and 108km of hard tarmac racing.
The morning started with all top category cars opting for wet tyres due to rain forecast, but the weather remained dry throughout the first loop. Thierry Neuville held a 4.9sec lead over Elfyn Evans, with Sébastien Ogier in third, just 11.6sec behind the leader. Neuville’s tyre strategy of preserving soft compound Pirelli tyres proved crucial in gaining an advantage. Toyota crews chose a mix of tyres for the afternoon loop, while Neuville went with two hards, two softs, and two wets. Neuville is set to earn 18 points on Saturday, with Evans getting 15 and Ogier 13. Eight more stages await in Sunday’s finale, offering up to 12 championship points before the finish in Croatian capital Zagreb.
