Neuville leads Croatia Rally after demanding Saturday reshapes the fight for victory

Sport news The Hyundai Shell Mobis World Rally Team driver began the day 13.7sec behind rally leader Sami Pajari, but ended it with an advantage of 1min 14.5sec over Toyota GAZOO Racing’s Takamoto Katsuta. Pajari, who had led the rally since Friday morning, dropped to third after stopping to change a wheel on the second pass through Generalski Stol - Zdihovo, reaching the overnight halt 1min 46.4sec from the lead. Saturday morning had seen Pajari continue to manage his advantage well despite difficult conditions, with crews facing leaf-covered roads, changing grip levels and significant road pollution. At midday, the Finn still held a 12.4sec lead over Neuville, while Katsuta remained in close contention a further 12.7sec behind in third. Hayden Paddon continued an impressive Croatia Rally debut by holding fourth overall through the first half of the day. Adrien Fourmaux, meanwhile, saw his event come to an end on SS12 after running wide and damaging the left-rear of his Hyundai i20 N Rally1. The decisive moment of the day came on SS14, where deteriorating road conditions created major challenges across the field. Several leading crews encountered tyre issues, including Jon Armstrong, Paddon and Katsuta, while Pajari was forced to stop and change a wheel, losing significant time and surrendering the rally lead to Neuville. “It just clicks this weekend,” said Neuville. “The car was from the beginning feeling better than the other rallies. We were able to build step-by-step and improve it in the beginning of the event. The conditions are very challenging and we were somehow able to go with good speed.” Katsuta moved into second overall after maintaining a disciplined approach across the leg and capitalising on the difficulties encountered by others. “A bit of a shame because we were trying to manage it,” said Katsuta. “It was a proper lottery. Even on gravel rallies we don’t have that many stones.” Away from the overall fight, Oliver Solberg responded strongly after Friday’s retirement by winning every stage from SS9 to SS12 before a puncture interrupted his run on SS13. Elfyn Evans, also running under restart conditions following his Friday exit, claimed victory on SS16. Jon Armstrong again showed encouraging speed despite his own delays, while M-Sport Ford World Rally Team driver Josh McErlean endured a difficult day that included a cockpit fire, punctures and electrical issues. Paddon completed the day in fourth overall, 3min 28.2sec off the lead, after avoiding major drama across the afternoon. In WRC2, Yohan Rossel continued to lead the category and ended Saturday fifth overall. Just four stages, covering just under 60 competitive kilometres, remain on Sunday as Neuville bids to secure his first victory of the season. World Rally Championship WRC WRC SEASON 2026 Sport Rallies 1SportWorld Rally ChampionshipRalliesWRCSEASON 2026WRC00 Saturday, April 11, 2026 - 7:41pm Saturday, April 11, 2026 - 7:41pm