Neste Rally Finland 2017

[mknight]

If you want to win you have to push (Tanak)... I would add, everywhere. Clearly some places are safer, some are a bit less safe.
All drivers are watching same vids, so they are all likely to push a bit in the "safer" areas. Which is why you see far more off-road excursions in these areas than in the middle of narrow rock/tree ridden sections. But consequences are more serious in the difficult spots. Also on some rallies/stages the consequences are the same no matter where you crash (Corsica, most Finish stages etc.).

Btw. remember Breen in Sardinia hitting the stone. Immediately after the vid came out quite a lot of people here pointed to recce error (jumping right on the rock in the cut), some people said "bad luck". Then came official wrc vid analysis and Citroen team comments that it was indeed recce/driver error due to inexperience at that spot.

Clearly there is no point to continue this discussion (also Rally Finland thread), even though I find it really difficult to believe how little faith you have in the memory of the fastest rally drivers in the world in the age of onboards. There are tons of evidence, statements from drivers, teams, stagetimes (Breen without intercom on Corsica). Sure 10 years ago the situation was different, not now.