Heading into SS14, this morning’s first competitive test, with a lead of over four and a half minutes, Rendina had decided to ease off a little to limit the chances of making mistakes and ensure he got safely to the finish. However, this strategy fell short as it broke his rhythm, reducing his concentration, so he had to ramp his pace back up a little to drive smoothly through the stages.

Rendina can’t quite believe that he’s scooped his third back-to-back victory giving him a maximum 75 points so far with only four rounds to go and three more results to count in his Group N Cup challenge: ”It’s incredible! I never imagined that I would be able to come to the WRC, having never before competed outside Italy, and successfully complete three rallies, yet alone top the Group N Cup leader board. Now I can’t wait to get out to Argentina – I hear the fans are fantastic and the stages spectacular. It’ll be another challenge altogether, but I’ll do my best and hopefully do a good job in the process!”

Team Manager Bruno De Pianto is delighted with Rendina’s performance: ”It’s very easy working with Max. He’s cool and calm at all times and just puts in strong performances event after event. Portugal is a tricky rally even for experienced drivers who know the conditions well, but I think for Max to come here and beat the locals in the Group N category is an achievement he should really be proud of. Everyone in the team likes working with him and Mario and he couldn’t be in a position any stronger heading into Argentina!”