The Toyota driver will head into the event's final stage with a 47.8s lead over Hyundai’s Dani Sordo.
Hyundai’s Esapekka Lappi inherited third, 1m17.8s back, from team-mate Neuville, who dropped to fifth and is now 6m35.0s off after nursing a severely underpowered i20 N through the morning loop. M-Sport’s Ott Tanak climbed to a lonely fourth, 2m03.4s off the oveall lead, virtue of Neuville’s dramas.
The morning started in a disastrous fashion for Neuville courtesy of a suspected turbo issue that significantly reduced the power of his i20 N.
Smoke was seen coming from Neuville’s car at Saturday night’s media zone although it is unclear if the two circumstances are connected.
However, the problem effectively ended his podium hopes and the potential for Hyundai to deploy team orders to elevate Neuville ahead of team-mate Sordo into second overall.
As a result, Neuville lost 1m26.4s on stage 16, Paredes 11.05km, demoting him from third to fifth overall.
"It's over. It's something similar to yesterday evening... we have to find out,” said a frustrated Neuville.
Toyota’s Takamoto Katsuta, who retired on Friday, won the stage to claim his first fastest time of the event, beating rally leader and team-mate Rovanpera by 1.8s, with the Finn electing for a measured approach to protect his lead.
"It seems that we were still too fast,” said Rovanpera. “I don't know how slow we should drive because it feels so slow. We were just saving the tyres.”
Source: Autosport