The Swede sets the fastest time on the Ittiri special stage to take the early lead in the 23rd edition of Italy’s WRC round. Toyota locks out the top four positions, with Ogier, Evans and Pajari behind the leader. The battle steps up a gear on Friday with 119.66 competitive kilometres.

Just 2.2 kilometres were enough to ignite the action at Rally Italia Sardegna 2026, with the opening stage held at the Ittiri Arena. Two years after its last appearance – in the 2024 edition based in Alghero – the short special stage inside the gravel circuit once again thrilled the large crowd in attendance, with the grandstands completely sold out, as the 58 crews that passed scrutineering took to the stage for the 23rd edition of the Italian round of the FIA World Rally Championship, organised by the Automobile Club d’Italia with the support of the Regione Sardegna and the Comune di Alghero.

The fastest time went to one of the three WRC title contenders, Sweden’s Oliver Solberg, co-driven by Elliott Edmondson in the GR Yaris Rally1. The pair, who arrived at the RIS third in the championship standings, stopped the clock at 2’01.4. The top four positions were all occupied by Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT crews, with French duo Ogier-Landais second, just 0.8’’ behind, although no longer in contention for the title. They were followed by the other two crews with major championship ambitions: British championship leaders Evans-Martin, 1.1’’ off the pace, and Finns Pajari-Salminen, second overall in the championship, at 1.5’’.

Completing the top five was the Hyundai i20 N Rally1 of Belgian crew Neuville-Wydaeghe, 2.3’’ from the lead, followed by the Toyota of Japan’s Katsuta, co-driven by Irishman Johnston, and the other Hyundai of French duo Fourmaux-Coria. The M-Sport Ford WRT Puma Rally1s of the two Irish crews Armstrong-Byrne and McErlean-Treacy set the eighth and ninth fastest times respectively on the opening stage.

Tenth overall and fastest in WRC2 was the Finnish crew Suninen-Hussi in a GR Yaris. It was also a positive start for the young Italian Rally2 drivers, with ACI Team Italia’s Giovanni Trentin, from Treviso, alongside Pietro Ometto, and Trentino’s Roberto Daprà with Luca Guglielmetti, both driving Skoda Fabia RS Rally2 cars. They placed seventh and ninth respectively in the support category, separated by just one tenth of a second. Between them was Estonia’s Virves, also in a Skoda, who arrived in Sardinia having already been crowned WRC2 Champion.

After the Ittiri opener, the crews returned to Alghero for service and a parade through the heart of the city. On Friday, they will face 119.66 competitive kilometres, split across two passes of the three stages scheduled for the second of the rally’s four days. The 18.77-km “Tula-Erula”, the 17.83-km “Su Filigosu-Lerno” and the 23.23-km “Monti di Alà-Sa Conchedda-Lerno”, which starts inside the spectacular Arena di Alà dei Sardi, will provide the first major test of the event.

RALLY ITALIA SARDEGNA CLASSIFICATION AFTER SS1: 1. SOLBERG-EDMONDSON (TOYOTA GR Yaris Rally1) in 2’01.4; 2. OGIER-LANDAIS (TOYOTA GR Yaris Rally1) +0.8; 3. EVANS-MARTIN (TOYOTA GR Yaris Rally1) +1.1; 4. PAJARI-SALMINEN (TOYOTA GR Yaris Rally1) +1.5; 5. NEUVILLE-WYDAEGHE (HYUNDAI i20 N Rally1) +2.3; 6. KATSUTA-JOHNSTON (TOYOTA GR Yaris Rally1) +2.7; 7. FOURMAUX-CORIA (HYUNDAI i20 N Rally1) +3.0; 8. ARMSTRONG-BYRNE (FORD Puma Rally1) +3.7; 9. MCERLEAN-TREACY (FORD Puma Rally1) +4.2; 10. SUNINEN-HUSSI (TOYOTA GR Yaris) +4.6.