Championship contender Jon Armstrong stamped his authority on the morning loop, winning all three stages in his Ford Fiesta Rally2 and building a lead of more than 22 seconds over Robert Virves in a Škoda. Meanwhile, points leader Miko Marczyk was unable to take advantage of running first on the road, lacking confidence in his Škoda’s setup on the demanding Croatian asphalt. As a result, he slipped to seventh overall, falling not only behind Armstrong but also behind his other championship rival, Andrea Mabellini.
On the repeat of Krašić–Sošice stage, it was Romet Jürgenson who stunned the field. Starting well down the order after his Free Practice crash, the Estonian lit up the stage with a flawless drive, edging Robert Virves by 0.6 seconds. Title contender Jon Armstrong was less fortunate, a puncture costing him nearly ten seconds and cutting deep into his morning advantage. Marczyk, meanwhile, dropped further down the order with a suspected puncture of his own. The biggest blow came for Andrea Mabellini, who ran wide, damaged his engine and was forced to retire – ending his championship hopes on the spot.
The rally leader struck back on Hartje–Stojdraga. Armstrong reclaimed control, posting his fourth stage win of the day to rebuild a margin of more than 20 seconds. Virves was slowed by what he thought was a puncture, though his Škoda was ultimately undamaged. Mille Johansson produced a brilliant run to grab second fastest, enough to leapfrog Mads Østberg in their tight battle for third. Marczyk’s struggles continued as he slipped closer to losing sixth place.
The day ended on Breganica–Smerovišće stage with Armstrong stamping his authority once more. Despite cautious driving, he extended his overall lead to 27.3 seconds and completed a stage clean sweep for M-Sport. Virves held second with a strong response, but Østberg re-passed Johansson for third thanks to a gritty effort. Jürgenson’s charge ended with punctures that cost him crucial time, while Marczyk’s pace faded again, losing fifth to Romania’s Norbert Maior.
“Not really been thinking about it (the championship battle) too much today,” Jon Armstrong declared. “But yeah, it’s still a long way to go, and tomorrow the rain’s going to come, so I had that in mind this afternoon. I could have gone faster, but with the puncture (on SS4), it was a question of risk and reward.”
All of the remaining crews have returned to service at Westgate City in Zagreb before they go into Parc Fermé overnight. They will return to action tomorrow morning with the first of two passes through the day’s two stages: the 13.61-kilometre Veliko Trgovišće – Klanjec and 14.24-kilometre Zagorska Sela – Kumrovec.
