Thierry Neuville took control atop the 2026 WRC Croatia Rally leaderboard after Sami Pajari suffered a catastrophic puncture, inching Hyundai closer to first win of the year.
Neuville concluded Saturday’s leg with a commanding 1m14.5s advantage over Toyota’s Takamoto Katsuta as several drivers got caught up in tyre chaos on the second pass through the debris-strewn asphalt of the 13.97-mile Generalski Stol-Zdihovo stage.
What began with Pajari holding a slender overnight advantage of around 13 seconds after Friday’s dramatic opener quickly evolved into a see-saw battle as Neuville‘s precision driving and Hyundai i20 N Rally1’s reliability propelled him to the top by day’s end.
The morning loop kicked off with a twisty SS9 test that immediately showcased the intensifying fight at the front, as Neuville began chipping away at Pajari’s lead with a strong second-place stage time, while Takamoto Katsuta in the second Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 kept himself firmly in the podium mix by posting consistent top-three efforts.
Midday brought a brief respite for tire changes and strategic deliberations, but the real carnage loomed in the afternoon repeats where the roads—now scarred by the morning’s cuts—became a gravel minefield, amplifying the puncture risks that have long plagued Rally Croatia’s reputation as one of WRC’s most unforgiving events.
Adrien Fourmaux who was hungry to atone for a subdued Friday, pushed his Hyundai i20 N Rally1 into the top five during early stages, but disaster struck on SS11 when he slid wide on a slippery section and plowed off-road.
The impact damaged his chassis beyond quick repair, forcing him to retire as co-driver Alexandre Coria watched helplessly while the team’s mechanics assessed the wreckage back at service.
As the dust settled following Fourmaux’s exit, the battle at the front heated up exponentially on SS12 where Pajari extended his lead to 12.7 seconds over Neuville, demonstrating masterful pace control with a stage win that silenced doubters about his ability to lead under pressure.
However, the afternoon loop amplified the rally’s savagery with second passes over stages like SS13 and SS14 turning pristine asphalt into a gravelly mess, tires chewing up the surface and spitting stones into the path of trailing cars.
Sami Pajari entered the repeat of Generalski Stol-Zdihovo (SS14) still leading, but fate intervened midway through the 13.97-mile test when a sharp rock sliced into his right-rear tire, forcing the Finn to stop for a wheel change.
The delay cost him over two minutes, ultimately dropping him from contention for the win to third overall, 1m46.4s behind the new leader.
Thierry Neuville, meanwhile, swept through SS14 unscathed and fastest by 4.2 seconds, ballooning his advantage as he methodically dismantled Pajari’s buffer.
By the end of the leg, the Belgian commanded a 1m14.5s lead over Katsuta, who clawed into second by riding out a late puncture without stopping—a gamble that paid off and elevated him above Pajari.
Hayden Paddon made it two Hyundais in the top four after the New Zealander managed to complete the loop safely.
WRC2 frontrunner Yohan Rossel slotted his Lancia Ypsilon Rally2 HF Integrale into fifth overall, followed by Citroën’s Léo Rossel and Roope Korhonen in sixth and seventh, respectively.
Oliver Solberg rebounded from Friday’s setback to dominate six of eight Saturday’s stages including multiple afternoon hauls, but remains 50th overall. Teammate Elfyn Evans nabbed the day’s final stage win and remains 40th heading to Super Sunday.
READ MORE: Sami Pajari seizes WRC Croatia Rally lead as Evans and Solberg crash on Day 1
