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Tag: M-Sport Ford World Rally Team
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Rally Italia Sardegna: Gaurav Gill shows good pace; Ogier, Neuville locked for title
Gaurav Gill with M-Sport team principal Malcolm Wilson, OBE, at the Rally Italia Sardegna. Photo: M-Sport Alghero, 09 June 2018: Having taken a restart after retiring yesterday following a hard nose-dive on SS-5, Indian champion Gaurav Gill showed why his credentials should not be taken lightly as the three times Asia Pacific Rally Champion showed impressive pace to end Leg 2 of the Rally Italia Sardegna in 14th spot among RC2 cars.
Gill, the 36-year old from Delhi, backed by MRF Tyres and with Aussie Glenn Macneall as his co-driver, enjoyed a much better outing in the M-Sport Ford Fiesta R5 today when seven Special Stages were run and despite suffering mechanical problems early in the day.
He was 11th quickest in SS-11, 10th in SS-12, fourth in SS-13, ninth in SS-14, 10th in SS-15 and ninth in SS-16 to finish Leg 2 in 15th position. Having re-started under Super Rally format, but with a heavy time penalty, Gill seemed determined to show that he belonged at this level and his pace on some of the Stages underlined the long-held belief that he could more than hold his own on the World stage.
As a non-priority driver, Gill, participating in WRC 2 is not eligible for points, but will be classified.
World champion Sebastien Ogier looking hot . Photo: WRC Ogier leads Neuville by just 3.9secs in WRC!
Title rivals Sebastien Ogier and Theirry Neuville face a thrilling final day victory showdown after gripping duel in the sun on Saturday. They traded seconds across seven dusty and rocky speed tests in the north of the Mediterranean island before Ogier finished with a slender 3.9sec advantage. Neuville, who heads Ogier in the WRC championship battle by 19 points, claimed three stage victories in his Hyundai i20, compared to Ogier’s two at the wheel of a Ford Fiesta.
Ogier extended his overnight advantage to almost 20sec before an overly-cautious drive through the famous Monte Lerno stage cut his lead to less than 5sec. As temperatures soared this afternoon, in contrast to yesterday’s torrential rain, both had problems. Ogier stalled his engine at the Ittiri stage start while Neuville punctured in the next test. With just one spare tyre onboard, he had no room for error in the final two stages.
“It’s so tight,” said Ogier. “It was a big push for me this afternoon because I was so angry with the last stage this morning. All the time I lost to Thierry was there. There’s pressure but it’s been like that all weekend and if we want to win we’ll have to fight for it.”
Thierry Neuville pushing hard. Photo: WRC Neuville said: “I knew if I had one more puncture I would lose a lot of time but it was our decision to carry on pushing. That was the risk we had to take and we managed it well – there were a couple of stones I had to avoid. The fight is open and tomorrow will be intense.”
There were battles across the leaderboard. Jari-Matti Latvala and Toyota Gazoo team-mate Esapekka Lappi fought tooth and nail for the final podium place. Latvala’s lead never rose above 7.0sec and he ended the final stage with a 5.3sec advantage.
However, his Yaris stopped on the liaison section back to Alghero with an alternator problem, believed to have been caused by an impact with a rock. Despite the efforts of the Finn and co-driver Miikka Anttila, they could not restart the car and retired.
Hayden Paddon and Mads Østberg dueled for what became fourth following Latvala’s exit. Østberg began the day in front in his Citroën C3, but his Kiwi rival moved his i20 ahead and held off the Norwegian’s afternoon pursuit. The gap between them was 2.1sec.
Craig Breen was sixth in another C3 after a frustrating day, ahead of WRC 2 leader Jan Kopecký. Ott Tänak recovered to eighth after yesterday’s engine damage, despite stopping to change a puncture in the final stage. Martin Prokop and Nicolas Ciamin completed the top 10.
Sunday’s short finale comprises two loops of two stages along the coast north of Alghero. They add up to 42.04km, the action ending with a spectacular Power Stage which runs alongside the beach and offers bonus points to the fastest five drivers.
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Gaurav Gill’s debut WRC 2 campaign ends in crash; Ogier takes slender lead in WRC
Sebastien Ogier on a late charge to lead Rally Italia Sardegna. Photo: WRC Alghero, 08 June 2018: Indian champion Gaurav Gill’s WRC 2 debut ended in a disaster as he damaged the M-Sport Ford Fiesta R5 following a heavy nose landing on SS-5 on the second day of the Rally Italia Sardegna on Friday. He was docked a time penalty of seven minutes plus the time of the fastest in the Stage. After Leg 1, the MRF Tyres driver was placed 15th among all the RC2 cars.
Gill’s campaign had begun on a promising note on Saturday night when he was placed ninth in the RC2 category after the 2 Kms Super Special Stage before heading out to the Special Stages today.
Through Friday’s first four Stages, Gill kept himself within sight of top-10, but the heavy nose-landing on SS-5 effectively put an end to his campaign. However, he was still classified under the Super Rally format. In all there were as many 10 retirements after 45 cars took the start early morning.
Meanwhile, in WRC, World champion Sebastien Ogier, driving the M-Sport Ford Fiesta, enjoyed a lead of 18.9 seconds over Thierry Neuville (Hyundai i20) with Jari-Matti Latvala (Toyota Yaris) a further 18.3 seconds adrift.
The turning point for Ogier came in the latter part of the day when he soared from fifth to first but even he found the muddy roads tough to master. “I did no mistakes but it wasn’t possible to push. It was super tricky,” admitted the Ford Fiesta pilot.
Further torrential rain just before the second pass of the 22.12 Kms Tula test made conditions even more treacherous than this morning. The five-time World champion took charge with a stunning time more than 12sec quicker than anyone else.
His joy contrasted with the disappointment of Andreas Mikkelsen. Starting the stage with a 14.0 sec advantage, the Norwegian firstly overshot a junction and then completed the stage having reportedly lost second gear in his Hyundai i20. A half spin towards the end of Castelsardo brought the car to a halt and he retired after being unable to restart.
Tula became increasingly slippery with the passage of every car and the time gaps were big. Neuville lost vital seconds after spinning his i20 but third fastest through Castelsardo, which ironically was dry and dusty in places, kept him second, 10.9sec behind Ogier.
Ott Tänak made changes to his differential at service in a bid to make his Toyota Yaris turn into corners better. The Estonian was third, a further 4.1sec back and still frustrated at being unable to match the pace of those ahead.
Latvala took the day’s last Stage with a stunning drive to ease past Tanak into third place behind Origer and Neuville.
In WRC 2, which saw lead changing hands through the day, Stephane Lefebvre (Citroen C3 R5) firmly in front, enjoying a lead of 14 seconds over Jan Kopecky (Skoda Fabia R5) who in turn led third-placed Nicolas Ciamin (Hyundai i20) by over a minute.
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Sebastien Ogier hoping to bounce back in Rally Italia Sardegna this weekend
Sebastien Ogier…..keen to make up for Portugal debacle. Photo: WRC Alghero, 05 June 2018: Reigning champion Sebastien Ogier is looking to put the disappointment at the Vodafone Rally de Portugal behind him as he looks to claim a fourth victory at this weekend’s Rally Italia Sardegna.
The M-Sport Ford driver was forced to retire on the opening day in Portugal after a pace note error caused him to hit a tree stump and break the suspension on his Fiesta, sending him sliding into the trees on the following corner.
His first no-score of the season meant he forfeited his lead in the championship to rally winner Thierry Neuville. Ogier now trails the Hyundai i20 driver by 19 points in the drivers’ standings thanks to the Belgian also claiming four bonus points on the Live TV Power Stage.
“Portugal was a shame as we had the speed to challenge for the win,” Ogier explained. “It was a small mistake with big consequences, but we put it behind us and are now fully focused on giving it everything we’ve got in Sardinia.”
The one silver-lining for the Frenchman is that he won’t be tasked with opening the road on Friday, but he conceded starting second won’t be much of an advantage.
“We won’t be opening the road this year, but we’ll still have something of an uphill battle with many fast drivers benefitting from a cleaner road behind,” Ogier said. “Even so, I’m confident that we can challenge for a good result. If we can keep the lead in sight on Friday night, then we’ll be in with a good chance – and will push for the best possible result.”
The five-time World champion has good form on the Mediterranean island rally, with three previous wins – most recently with VW in 2015 – from seven World Rally Car starts.
Ogier added: “I’ve learned to really enjoy these demanding stages, it’s a beautiful island but not the easiest of rallies with some very rough and abrasive terrain. You need to keep a margin and stay focused from start to finish – which is exactly what we intend to do.”
Sardinia’s beautiful beaches and luscious landscapes attract visitors in their droves, but the island is also prime rally territory – its rugged mountains, ancient forests and unspoilt rural terrain providing some of the year’s most demanding stages.
Lined with car-breaking obstacles, these stages leave no room for error. Fast and narrow, they demand precision driving and note calling from the drivers and co-drivers who must maintain their focus in temperatures as high as 30C.
More than a third of this year’s route is new – countless sections within each of the demanding speed tests offering a different challenge to last year’s encounter.
But the service park remains a familiar affair, hosted by the coastal town of Alghero. The town hosts the ceremonial start as well as the podium ceremony, and its idyllic cafes and mouth-watering selection of Italian gelateria are a must for teams and spectators alike.
Rally Italia Sardegna offers 20 Special Stages totalling more than 313 Kms on rugged and sun-baked gravel roads. Not only the tough gravel roads, but as well the temperatures are a challenge for the crews. While it has 28 Centigrade outside, the temperatures inside the rally cars can easily raise up to 68 degrees.
After the Super Special Stage on Thursday at the rally cross circuit of Ittiri, Friday features four stages in the north of the island, each run twice. Saturday is again the longest day of the rally with seven special stages covering over 146 kilometres. Sunday will bring the final decision with four stages close to the coast north of the host town of Alghero. The event first took place in 1928 as the “Rally of Flowers” and has been a round of the WRC since 1973.
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M-Sport Ford’s Sebastien Ogier & Julien Ingrassia take 5th Monte-Carlo win: WRC
Ogier celebrates Monte Carlo win on Sunday. WRC Round1. An M-Sport image Sébastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia notched up their fifth consecutive Rallye Monte-Carlo victory this afternoon, their sixth overall win on home soil. The French reigning FIA World Rally Champions arrived back in the Principality 58.3 seconds ahead of Toyota newcomers Ott Tänak and Martin Järveoja who finished a career-best on the event. Team-mates Jari-Matti Latvala and Miikka Anttila rounded out the podium on what has been one of the trickiest and incident-packed ‘Montes’ in years.
After the season-opener Ogier takes an eight-point lead over former team-mate Tänak in the Drivers’ Championship with Latvala and Kris Meeke on equal points, one point further behind. M-Sport Ford and Toyota are also on equal points at the head of the Manufacturers’ Championship, 15 points ahead of Citroën who are in turn four points ahead of Hyundai, the team having a disappointing start to their Championship campaign.
With just the final two stages to run, Ogier was able to control the pace and the Frenchman was also aware he didn’t have the optimum tyres to fight for victory on the Power Stage. “It’s been a difficult weekend,” he said. “Often in Monte-Carlo, you have to face hard conditions but this was extremely hard. I’ve never struggled so much with tyre choices, but in the end, we win and I’m super happy with that. Every driver did mistakes this weekend; I did too – just a few less.”
Tänak was delighted with his performance on his debut outing with the Japanese manufacturer. Not prepared to risk his best finish in Monte-Carlo, the Estonian was relieved to start the season with a top result having had a really good feeling with the car and an almost faultless rally. Latvala was also cautious, determined to start the season on a high and kick-start his campaign with important points.
Behind the leading trio, drama unfolded in the closing two stages. Kris Meeke was able to hold off a charging Thierry Neuville, who won the pair of stages and ultimately came to within 10.7 seconds of overhauling the Briton. Both were set to finish fifth and seventh respectively, until Esapekka Lappi dropped time in the first stage with an off into a snow bank, and then crucially threw away fourth in the Power Stage when he went off the road and plummeted to seventh. Both Meeke and Neuville moved up a position and, with the pace Neuville was setting, he also overhauled Elfyn Evans in the Power Stage to take fifth overall by one second. Bryan Bouffier also had an off-road excursion; he finished eighth with Craig Breen ninth for Citroën.
Jan Kopecky claimed 10th overall and maximum points in the FIA WRC 2 Championship category, and Enrico Brazzoli won the FIA WRC 3 Championship for two-wheel drive cars.
The FIA World Rally Championship contenders now head to more snow in the Scandinavian forests for Rally Sweden (15-18 February).
Rallye Monte-Carlo – Final Provisional Classification (subject to scrutineering)
1. Sébastien Ogier / Julien Ingrassia Ford Fiesta WRC 4hr 18min 55.5sec 2. Ott Tänak / Martin Järveoja Toyota Yaris WRC 4hr 19min 53.8sec 3. Jari-Matti Latvala / Miikka Anttila Toyota Yaris WRC 4hr 20min 47.5sec 4. Kris Meeke / Paul Nagle Citroën C3 WRC 4hr 23min 38.6sec 5. Thierry Neuville / Nicolas Gilsoul Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC 4hr 23min 49.3sec 6. Elfyn Evans / Daniel Barritt Ford Fiesta WRC 4hr 23min 50.3sec 7. Esapekka Lappi / Janne Ferm Toyota Yaris WRC 4hr 23min 53.0sec 8. Bryan Bouffier / Xavier Panseri Ford Fiesta WRC 4hr 26min 35.0sec 9. Craig Breen / Scott Martin Citroën C3 WRC 4hr 28min 02.2sec 10. Jan Kopecky / Pavel Dresler Škoda Fabia R5 4hr 35min 38.5sec -
Sebastian Ogier and Julien Ingrassia continue to lead: An M-Sport Ford World Rally team’s view
FAN FAVOURITE OGIER
INCREASES MONTE LEAD
M-Sport Ford World Rally Team’s Sébastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia continue to hold a popular lead at Rallye Monte-Carlo – increasing the EcoBoost-powered Ford Fiesta WRC’s advantage at the head of the field.
The Blue Oval continues to hold more fastest times than any other manufacturer and has led from the very first stage. With a resurgent Elfyn Evans climbing to sixth, and Bryan Bouffier producing a solid drive in eighth, all three top-specification Fiestas are also positioned safely inside the top-ten.
Team Principal, Malcolm Wilson OBE, said:
“It’s been another strong day for the team with Sébastien consolidating his lead and Elfyn climbing to sixth with the potential to go even further tomorrow.
“Sébastien really is a master of strategy, and he proved that today. Identifying the first and most challenging stage to make his move, he took more than a minute out of Ott [Tänak] and it’s just been a case of controlling the pace since then.
“Elfyn too has shown great speed and hinted at what could have been were it not for that unlucky puncture on Thursday night. He’s up to sixth now and with less than half a minute separating him from the two positions ahead, there’s a chance to gain even more tomorrow.
“Bryan also has really impressed. This is his first time behind the wheel of one of these new-generation world rally cars and he is delivering a very intelligent drive that could be rewarded with a solid result tomorrow.”
OGIER AND INGRASSIA
LEADERS AFTER STAGE THIRTEEN
Sébastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia continue to hold a popular lead at Rallye Monte-Carlo. Controlling their position behind the wheel of the EcoBoost-powered Ford Fiesta WRC, the French pairing hold a 33.5 second lead ahead of the final 63.98 kilometres.
Making it count when the conditions were at their most challenging, Ogier took more than a minute out of his main rival on the opening stage alone. Consolidating his lead thereafter, just four more stages now stand between the home crowd favourites and a sixth Monte victory.
Stage performances:SS9: 2nd (+22.2)
SS10: 4th (+15.0)
SS11: 2nd (+15.3)
SS12: 6th (+10.6)
SS13: 8th (+16.0)Sébastien Ogier (1st) said:
“We started less than 15 seconds in front of Ott [Tänak] and now we have an advantage of 33 seconds so I am happy with that.
“We had a really good first stage in extremely challenging conditions where we managed to take a lot of time. It was a bit trickier after that, but it’s never easy to manage the gap when the conditions are this difficult. It’s not my style to take unnecessary risks so maybe I was a bit too careful, but it’s been a good day overall.
“We still have 64 kilometres to go and I know Ott will give it everything until the end so we cannot afford to relax, and will need to stay focused with good pace in the morning.”
EVANS AND BARRITT
SIXTH AFTER STAGE THIRTEEN
Continuing their fight back, Elfyn Evans and Daniel Barritt have climbed to sixth place overall with the potential for further gains behind the wheel of their EcoBoost-powered Ford Fiesta WRC tomorrow.
Despite being disadvantaged by their early running order through this morning’s snow-strewn stages, the pairing kept their heads and pushed hard to gain time on their rivals.
As the snow cleared for the afternoon loop, Evans upped his pace with a string of competitive stage times. Not even an intermittent issue with the intercom could slow his speed – the Welshman just 2.9 seconds adrift of the fastest time on SS12 whilst only hearing 40 percent of the pacenotes.
With just 21.7 seconds separating him from fourth place, and four tricky stages left to contest, Evans could yet make further advances and there remains all to play for.
Stage performances:
SS9: 8th (+1:32.3)
SS10: 6th (+22.0)
SS11: 3rd (+18.3)
SS12: 4th (+2.9)
SS13: 2nd (+2.1)Elfyn Evans (6th) said:
“It’s not been the easiest day for sure, but I think we can be satisfied with our performance. We saw a lot of contrasting and challenging conditions today – and the morning stages were especially difficult. With our road position considered, I think the pace was pretty good.
“There’s just over 20 seconds separating us from the guys ahead, but it looks as though the conditions could be a bit more settled tomorrow. That will make it difficult to produce any big gains, but we have to keep going and see what’s possible.”
BOUFFIER AND PANSERI
EIGHTH AFTER STAGE THIRTEEN
Bryan Bouffier and Xavier Panseri currently hold eighth place on their maiden outing with the EcoBoost-powered Ford Fiesta WRC.
Discovering the performance of the top-specification Fiesta, the Frenchmen have delivered an intelligent drive through the event’s typically challenging terrain.
Making the right calls on the tyres and driving to the conditions, the pairing could well be rewarded with a solid result come the end of the rally.
Stage performances:
SS9: 7th (+1:32.1)
SS10: 8th (+33.1)
SS11: 8th (+47.5)
SS12: 9th (+13.2)
SS13: 9th (+22.0)Bryan Bouffier (8th) said:
“This has been a typical day at Rallye Monte-Carlo with a lot of different and challenging conditions. It’s what makes this rally so enjoyable, and it has been a lot of fun.
“At times it can be difficult to adapt the pace to the slippery sections and those with more grip, but it’s been a good day and I am quite happy.”
ELSEWHERE
IN THE TEAM
Teemu Suninen said:
“I’m really thankful to the mechanics who were able to repair the car last night as we’ve had a really good day today. I was really pleased with my pace and was able to learn a lot about this difficult rally – especially about the weather, and about the tyre choices. It’s a shame about the mistake yesterday, but today has been much better for us.”
Eric Camilli said:
“We had a problem with a fuel pump sensor on the first stage this afternoon [SS11]. We tried everything we could to fix it, but at the end it wasn’t possible to continue.
“It’s been a disappointing weekend because the pace was good and we really wanted to push for the victory, but it wasn’t to be.”
OVERALL
CLASSIFICATION
1. Sébastien Ogier / Julien Ingrassia (Ford Fiesta WRC) 3:30:30.9
2. Ott Tänak / Martin Järveoja (Toyota Yaris WRC) +33.5
3. Jari-Matti Latvala / Miikka Anttila (Toyota Yaris WRC) +59.2
4. Esapekka Lapp / Janne Ferme (Toyota Yaris WRC) +3:05.8
5. Kris Meeke / Paul Nagle (Citroen DS3 WRC) +4:40.1
6. Elfyn Evans / Daniel Barritt (Ford Fiesta WRC) +5:00.2
7. Thierry Neuville / Nicolas Gilsoul (Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC) +5:33.6
8. Bryan Bouffier / Xavier Panseri (Ford Fiesta WRC) +5:43.4
9. Craig Breen / Scott Martin (Citroen DS3 WRC) +8:49.0
10. Jan Kopecky / Pavel Dresler (Skoda Fabia R5) +14:04.4-ENDS-
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Defending champ Ogier-Ingrassia lead after opening night stages: Rallye Monte-Carlo, WRC
S Ogier and navigator Ingrassia lead after first round in the Rally Monte Carlo, the season opener of the WRC on Wednesday. An M-Sport Ford Rally team image Reigning FIA World Rally Champion Sébastien Ogier has made the perfect start to Rallye Monte-Carlo, the Frenchman scooping the first two stage wins and a 17.3 second lead after Thursday’s opening night stages. Andreas Mikkelsen heads Hyundai’s challenge in second with team-mate Dani Sordo third a further 8.3 seconds adrift of the Norwegian.
“M-Sport Ford World Rally Team’s Ogier and co-driver Julien Ingrassia lead the first round with a 17.3-second advantage aboard their EcoBoost-powered Ford Fiesta WRC.
“As five-time winners of the prestigious event, the pairing knows exactly what it takes to master the notoriously challenging conditions. This year’s fixture threw up an immensely challenging opener – Sisteron, in reverse, in the dark – but Ogier and Ingrassia did not falter,” added a Ford Team release.
Sébastien Ogier (1st) said:
“We knew it would be tough to cross the icy section with slick tyres and we actually had a spin there. I think almost everyone had a moment in there, but luckily we didn’t lose too much time. The rest of the stage was also very tricky with the grip changing all the time and it was challenging to know where you could and couldn’t push.
“I was happy with the car and in these conditions and you need to be comfortable or you don’t have any chance to be fast. There are still some small things here and there that we can do to improve, but I’m happy and it’s a good start.”
The eagerly awaited 2018 FIA World Rally Championship kicked off this evening in Monaco, the crews leaving the famous Casino Square late afternoon and then heading directly into two daunting stages en route back to the overnight halt in Gap. Ogier was on the pace immediately, despite a low-speed spin on sheet ice, and the Gap-born driver overnights happy with his early performance. Mikkelsen, in his first full season with Hyundai, lost the brakes in the first stage but sits just 17.3 seconds adrift and ahead of Sordo who returns to the Championship with his former co-driver Carlos del Barrio.
Behind the leading trio, Esapekka Lappi surprisingly heads the trio of Toyota drivers. The Finn is on a mission not to make mistakes and while admitting his pace wasn’t the best, he was happy his confidence was building in tricky conditions. Toyota newcomer, Ott Tänak, is five seconds further behind in fifth having hit a bank in the first stage and suffering from massive understeer. Jari-Matti Latvala, in the third Yaris WRC, spun twice and played a gamble with three super soft tyres, admitting he needed to try something different. Craig Breen is seventh in the lead Citroën C3 WRC but the Irish driver stalled and got stuck in snow in the first stage and then struggled in the second when he ran out of time to set the tyre pressures before the start; a nightmare start to his 2018 campaign. Bryan Bouffier, drafted into the M-Sport Ford World Rally Team for this event, is eighth and Kris Meeke ninth. The Northern Irishman made a stupid mistake in the opener, spinning and then reversing into a ditch which cost him a precious minute. Eric Camilli holds 10th overall and leads the FIA WRC 2 Championship contenders ahead of Jan Kopecky.
Elfyn Evans has also had a bad start and is down in 16th overall, the Welshman picking up a puncture which he had to stop and change. Thierry Neuville fared even worse, the Belgian one place behind after locking up and skidding into a snow bank.
The FIA WRC 3 Championship is being led by Frenchman Jean-Baptiste Franceschi in a Fiesta R2T.
Rallye Monte-Carlo – Provisional results after Section 1
1. Sébastien Ogier / Julien Ingrassia Ford Fiesta WRC 38min 09.8sec 2. Andreas Mikkelsen / Anders Jæger Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC 38min 27.1sec 3. Dani Sordo / Carlos del Barrio Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC 38min 35.4sec 4. Esapekka Lappi / Janne Ferm Toyota Yaris WRC 38min 47.2sec 5. Ott Tänak / Martin Järveoja Toyota Yaris WRC 38min 52.2sec 6. Jari-Matti Latvala / Miikka Anttila Toyota Yaris WRC 39min 05.2sec 7. Craig Breen / Scott Martin Citroën C3 WRC 39min 12.1sec 8. Bryan Bouffier / Xavier Panseri Ford Fiesta WRC 40min 00.8sec 9. Kris Meeke / Paul Nagle Citroën C3 WRC 40min 22.5sec 10. Eric Camilli / Benjamin Veillas Ford Fiesta R5 40min 52.0sec
