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Tag: Sebastian Ogier

  • WRC: Sebastian Loeb claims his 8th Monte Carlo win in dramatic battle with Ogier

    WRC: Sebastian Loeb claims his 8th Monte Carlo win in dramatic battle with Ogier

    Monte Carlo, 23 Jan 2022: Sébastien Loeb became the oldest winner of an FIA World Rally Championship round after grabbing a remarkable Rallye Monte-Carlo victory from the under the nose of old foe Sébastien Ogier on Sunday.

    The 47-year-old Frenchman trailed Ogier by almost half a minute heading into the penultimate speed test of the four-day event in the French Alps.

    But when Ogier received a ten-second jump start penalty and limped to the finish with a front left puncture, Loeb reclaimed a lead he had conceded to his compatriot on Saturday. He stayed calm through the final test to seal his eighth Monte-Carlo success in a Ford Puma by 10.5s. 

    Starting his first WRC event for more than a year, the nine-time World Rally Champion was competing for the British M-Sport Ford squad in a one-off appearance. He joins Ogier at the top of the Monte-Carlo roll of honour with eight wins.

    His victory means he has topped the WRC podium in three different decades. Co-driver Isabelle Galmiche, a 50-year-old math teacher who was making her first top-tier start, became the first female winner of a WRC fixture since 1997.

    “I didn’t expect so much when I came here,” Loeb admitted. “It was a great fight, Ogier was really fast and I struggled a bit yesterday and even this morning.”

    The duel between the most successful drivers in the sport’s history proved a fitting start to the new hybrid-powered era in the championship’s 50th season.

    Ogier led initially after Thursday’s short opening night in his Toyota GR Yaris but a run of four consecutive fastest times on Friday put Loeb ahead. He failed to find the same pace on Saturday and Ogier moved back in front before Sunday’s breath-taking finale.

    Craig Breen finished almost 90sec further back in third in another Puma, giving the British-based M-Sport Ford squad an early lead in the manufacturers’ championship.

    Kalle Rovanperä languished outside the top 10 after the opening night, but after set-up changes improved the balance of his GR Yaris, he soared up the order to secure fourth.

    Despite losing time with engine issues on Saturday, Gus Greensmith claimed fifth in another Puma after winning his first special stage at WRC level. Thierry Neuville was sixth in a Hyundai i20 N after a lacklustre weekend for the Korean manufacturer.

    The Belgian fought problems all rally, including a broken damper which punched through his bonnet on Saturday. Team-mates Ott Tänak and Oliver Solberg both retired.

    Elfyn Evans, championship runner-up in 2021, was on the edge of the fight for victory until he beached his GR Yaris on a bank and remained stranded there for 20 minutes. The Welshman ended 21st.

    Andreas Mikkelsen and co-driver Torstein Eriksen got the defence of their FIA WRC2 titles off to the best possible start with victory in their Toksport WRT Škoda Fabia Rally2 Evo. Yacco ACCR Team’s Erik Cais finished second in a Ford Fiesta MkII with Toksport’s Nikolay Gryazin recovering from early delays to complete the provisional podium in a Toksport-entered Škoda Fabia Evo.

    Sami Pajari, with Enni Mälkönen co-driving, marked the start of the new-look FIA WRC3 category, which is now for Rally3 cars, in style by beating Jan Černý to the class laurels with a mere 7.6s in hand. Enrico Brazzoli rounded out the top three with all drivers competing in Ford Fiesta Rally3s.

    Raphaël Astier headed Manu Guigou and François Delecar in an Alpine A110 clean sweep of the FIA RGT Cup.

    The full unofficial results can be consulted here.

  • Ogier, Ingrassia win Rally Croatia: WRC Round 3

    Ogier, Ingrassia win Rally Croatia: WRC Round 3

    Zagreb (Croatia), 25 April 2021: Sébastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia made history this afternoon by winning the first Rally Croatia to count for the FIA World Rally Championship.

    In a dramatic finish to the Wolf Power Stage, the Toyota duo beat their team-mates Elfyn Evans/Scott Martin by 0.6s with Hyundai-powered Thierry Neuville/Martijn Wydaeghe just 8.1s behind the winners after three days of spectacular action on stunning countryside roads close to the Croatian capital Zagreb.

    Despite nursing damage to the right side of their Yaris WRC following a road traffic accident on the liaison section heading to SS17, overnight leaders Ogier/Ingrassia remained in contention for victory starting the Wolf Power Stage, which they began 3.9s behind Evans/Martin.

    Although the French pair made a minor error, they went quickest through the run to lay down the gauntlet for Evans/Martin. The Britons appeared to have done just enough until they slid wide on a right-hander within sight of the charge to the finish. Starved of vital traction as they mounted an earth bank, the seconds lost meant they completed the stage 4.5s slower than Ogier/Ingrassia to lose the rally by 0.6s.

    “It looks like it really went close to the last metres,” said Ogier, who moves to the top of the WRC standings by eight points. “Maybe the last mistake from Elfyn hand us the win but over the weekend the whole team has done an amazing job. Of course, the emotion for us now is super-strong. It’s been a crazy rollercoaster for us this weekend between the puncture and the issue this morning obviously. I was glad to still be in the race honestly. Now, just to catch this is, I guess, why we do this sport: for this emotion. I said ‘sorry’ to Elfyn because he’s done an amazing job as well. He was very close to do the same this weekend. But I’m very happy for the whole team; Toyota and the car have been amazing this weekend. That’s for you guys: a lot of points. Congrats to all of you.”

    Evans said: “That last corner, I just got onto the loose and completely missed the next corner so for sure, it wasn’t all lost there. But I say one second was gone. That’s a shame but it was a big fight all weekend and hats off to Seb for that last stage. Next time.”

    After completing the Croatia Rally podium in third following his fightback through Saturday afternoon, Neuville said: “I pushed very hard but I overshoot a junction in the stage so I lost easily three seconds. But we have tried, we have tried our best. I was absolutely on the limit of the car all the time, trying to enjoy, which we obviously did. Martijn did a good job, it wasn’t easy for the co-drivers. But we are happy to be here.”

    Ott Tänak/Martin Järveoja finished fourth for Hyundai, one place ahead of Adrien Fourmaux/Renaud Jamoul in an M-Sport Ford Fiesta WRC.

    It was a remarkable result for Frenchman Fourmaux, who was competing in a World Rally Car in the WRC for the first time in only his fourth season of rallying. “I’m really, really happy about our weekend, just a bit disappointed for one thing that the rally is finished now,” said Fourmaux. “It was just perfect, I can only say thank you M-Sport and Red Bull for all the opportunity and also the FFSA. They still believe in me after four years. It was an incredible weekend for us. I think we had an amazing pace in some stages… What a weekend. I don’t know [when we will be back in the car]. You will have to ask M-Sport for that.”

    Takamoto Katsuta/Daniel Barritt, who won two stages on Saturday, took sixth place for the third round of the WRC running followed by Gus Greensmith/Chris Patterson, who were slowed by a hydraulic system issue and a brake problem during the morning runs.

    Craig Breen/Paul Nagle, who finished eighth, made up for a frustrating event by going second fastest on the Wolf Power Stage. “Yesterday morning was such a disappointment, 100 metres into the day and already it was game over,” said Breen. “It was difficult to really go at 150 per cent on those tricky stages but, okay, I enjoyed it and I learned a lot. Hopefully we have a lot of food for thought. Hopefully it will not be too long [that I am back in a World Rally Car].”

    Østberg/Eriksen begin WRC2 title defence with victory

    Mads Østberg/Torstein Eriksen overcame brake issues in their Citroën C3 Rally2 to claim the FIA WRC2 win ahead of Teemu Suninen/Mikko Markkula in ninth overall. Nikolay Gryazin/Konstantin Aleksandrov were in the podium fight but crashed into retirement on SS19.

    “It was one of the worst days I’ve had in a rally car,” said Østberg. “To do a day like today with no brakes. I can’t believe I’m at the end. So many times I couldn’t stop the car and I just had to roll and be really careful. I have no idea why we have this issue, but we forget about that now. We have won the first rally this year and of course we are very happy with that.”

    Kajetan Kajetanowicz and Jon Armstrong took FIA WRC3 and Junior WRC honours respectively.

    Sébastien Ogier (Driver car 1)
    “It has been a real rollercoaster of emotions this weekend. The most important thing is that everyone is safe after what happened this morning on the road section; this was my main concern when it happened. I also thought my rally could be over, but the car was not too badly damaged and we could carry on. I’m not sure I believed it was possible to still win after everything that happened, but I think everybody knows that I never give up and I tried to keep fighting until the end. I feel for Elfyn who did a good job this weekend and was especially strong this morning. But we had good pace this weekend and just had some issues that slowed us down at times. It’s nice to share the podium in another one-two for the team.”

    Elfyn Evans (Driver car 33)
    “To come second is never the way you want to finish when you go into the last stage with the lead. Obviously, Seb had a very, very strong last stage and unfortunately for us we made an error on what was basically the last proper corner. It’s frustrating but at the same time it’s a solid result, and a very good result for the team. They have done a great job to give both Seb and I a fantastic car this weekend. We fought tooth and nail all the way through and it was good fun.”

    FINAL CLASSIFICATION, CROATIA RALLY
    1 Sébastien Ogier/Julien Ingrassia (Toyota Yaris WRC) 2h51m22.9s
    2 Elfyn Evans/Scott Martin (Toyota Yaris WRC) +0.6s
    3 Thierry Neuville/Martijn Wydaeghe (Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC) +8.1s
    4 Ott Tänak/Martin Järveoja (Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC) +1m25.1s
    5 Adrien Fourmaux/Renaud Jamoul (Ford Fiesta WRC) +3m09.7s
    6 Takamoto Katsuta/Dan Barritt (Toyota Yaris WRC) +3m31.8s
    7 Gus Greensmith/Chris Patterson (Ford Fiesta WRC) +3m58.8s
    8 Craig Breen/Paul Nagle (Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC) +4m28.2s
    9 Mads Østberg/Torstein Eriksen (Citroën C3 Rally2) +10m00.8s
    10 Teemu Suninen/Mikko Markkula (Ford Fiesta Rally2) +10m29.3s
    Retired Kalle Rovanperä/Jonne Halttunen (Toyota Yaris WRC)

  • Sebastian Ogier leads Rally Croatia set for a dramatic climax: WRC Ro3

    Sebastian Ogier leads Rally Croatia set for a dramatic climax: WRC Ro3

    The outcome of the first Rally Croatia to count for the FIA World Rally Championship is tightly poised with four stages remaining on Sunday, April 25 and 10.4s separating the fastest three crews.

    Defending World Champions Sébastien Ogier/Julien Ingrassia hold top spot in their Toyota Yaris WRC, 6.9s ahead of their team-mates Elfyn Evans/Scott Martin. Thierry Neuville/Martijn Wydaeghe, who began Saturday’s leg with a 7.7s advantage, are 3.5s down on Evans/Martin and 10.4s adrift of Ogier/Ingrassia after they experienced a morning of frustration on the spectacular Croatian stages.

    Under bright blue skies and in ambient temperatures approaching 20 degrees centigrade, Croatia has delivered a thrilling WRC spectacle.

    Four drivers have taken their turn to record a fastest stage time while Ogier/Ingrassia and Neuville/Wydaeghe have both been hit by issues. For the flying French pair, a slow puncture on SS13 cost vital time, while a broken brake disc on SS12 made for a “really tricky” run for their Belgian rivals.

    They lost their overnight lead on SS9 after the decision was taken to select a combination of hard and soft-compound Pirelli tyres on their Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC for the morning loop, when the all-hard option favoured by the rival Toyota squad proved much better suited to the dry conditions and rising temperatures. 

    It left Neuville/Wydaeghe trailing Ogier/Ingrassia by 19.6s at the Zagreb Fair midday service, although Ogier/Ingrassia’s delay on SS13 gave Neuville/Wydaeghe hope, which increased when they went quickest on the stage and also matched Ogier/Ingrassia for time on SS15.
     
    By winning SS11 and shadowing Ogier on the day-closing SS16, Evans is firmly in the fight for his first victory of 2021.

    Ott Tänak/Martin Järveoja hold fourth overnight with Adrien Fourmaux/Renaud Jamoul fifth and Gus Greensmith/Chris Patterson in sixth. Greensmith/Patterson began SS14 in seventh but climbed one position when Pierre-Louis Loubet/Vincent Landais crashed into a ditch, albeit without injury to either driver or co-driver.

    After claiming two outright stage wins during an impressive comeback from their Friday delays, Takamoto Katsuta/Daniel Barritt are in seventh place after 16 stages in their Toyota Yaris WRC.
     
    Craig Breen/Paul Nagle headed into Saturday’s leg in a strong fifth place but a puncture within the first 100 metres of SS9 wrecked their hopes. They are eighth overnight and more than one minute behind Katsuta/Barritt. “I think it’s quite clear I’m far away from where I should be,” a frustrated Breen said at the end of SS16.

    Adrien Fourmaux has spent leg two making the most of the opportunity handed to him by the M-Sport Ford World Rally Team to step up to the WRC’s top class for the first time. The Frenchman, who gave up a medical career to become a rally driver four years ago, set a brace of top-two stage times alongside Belgian co-driver Renaud Jamoul.

    Mads Østberg/Torstein Eriksen are on course to begin the defence of their FIA WRC2 title with a class win aboard their TRT-run Citroën C3 Rally2. With four stages remaining, the Norwegians are more than one minute clear of Teemu Suninen/Mikko Markkula after Nikolay Gryazin/Konstantin Aleksandrov – who took the lead on SS11 – dropped back with a powersteering issue on SS13.

    Kajetan Kajetanowicz leads FIA WRC3 after long-term leader Yohan Rossel rolled but continued on SS11. Jon Armstrong, a former esports champion, tops the FIA Junior WRC division ahead of scholarship winner Lauri Joona.

    Rally Croatia concludes on Sunday with four more spectacular sealed-surface stages. Up first, at 07:20 local time, is the 25.20-kilometre Bliznec – Pila stage. The event-deciding Zagorska Sela – Kumrovec test, the points-paying Wolf Power Stage, is due to get underway at 13:18.

  • Sebastian Ogier leads a 1-2 for Citroen: WRC Rally of Turkey

    Sebastian Ogier leads a 1-2 for Citroen: WRC Rally of Turkey

    Ogier takes lead. An FIA image

    Marmaris, 14 Sept 2019: Citroën’s Sébastien Ogier and Esapekka Lappi were the class of the field on the second full day of Rally Turkey and managed their pace to preserve their tyres and secure a comfortable first and second in the overall standings after 13 special stages.

    Lappi started the day with a 17.7 second advantage over the six-time World Champion, but the Frenchman pulled off a brave and canny tyre choice for the longer stage at the start of the morning. The duo became embroiled in a fascinating tussle, until Ogier grabbed the lead in SS12 when Lappi stalled under braking for a downhill hairpin.

    Ogier takes a lead of just 0.2s into the night halt and is on course for a 47th career WRC win and a first since Mexico in early March.

    Hyundai’s Andreas Mikkelsen delivered impressive stage times throughout the day and conserved his tyres to hold third overall, once his team-mate and Ogier’s title rival Thierry Neuville lost his way in the dust on the first stage of the morning, slid off the road and slipped down the rankings to eighth at the night halt. Mikkelsen now finds himself 1min17.1s behind the rally leader.

    In what developed into a dramatic morning on Turkey’s Turquoise Coast, FIA WRC leader Ott Tänak suffered a ECU failure on the road section to SS9 and was sidelined, his demise throwing the title race wide open.

    M-Sport Ford’s Teemu Suninen finished the day in a strong fourth and closed the gap on Mikkelsen to just 9.8 seconds at the end of the leg.

    Spaniard Dani Sordo managed to fend off the challenge from the Toyotas of both Jari-Matti Latvala and Kris Meeke to reach the Asparan Service Park in fifth overall. Meeke survived a late scare when the Yaris snapped sideways due to a lack of grip and slid off the road to hand sixth position to his team-mate.

    Suninen’s team-mate Pontus Tidemand was classified in ninth and FIA WRC 2 front-runner Kajetan Kajetanowicz rounded off the Top 10.

    A flat tyre and then a second puncture on his Škoda Fabia R5 Evo cost long-standing FIA WRC 2 Pro leader Jan Kopecký crucial time and gifted the advantage England’s Gus Greensmith. The Ford Fiesta R5 driver reached the end of the leg with a lead of 1min00.07s. Series leader Kalle Rovanperä returned to action today after a series of punctures blighted his progress on Friday and held third.

    Behind the dominant Kajetanowicz from Poland, Bolivian driver Marco Bulacia and Italy’s Fabio Andolfi were second and third in FIA WRC 2.

    2019 Rally Turkey – Unofficial results after Section 5:

    1. Sébastien Ogier (FRA) / Julien Ingrassia (FRA) Citroën C3 WRC 3hr 20min 12.0sec
    2. Esapekka Lappi (FIN) / Janne Ferm (FIN) Citroën C3 WRC 3hr 20min 12.2sec
    3. Andreas Mikkelsen (NOR) / Anders Jaeger-Amland (NOR) Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC 3hr 21min 29.1sec
    4. Teemu Suninen (FIN) / Marko Salminen (FIN) Ford Fiesta WRC 3hr 21min 38.9sec
    5. Dani Sordo (SPA) / Carlos Del Barrio (SPA) Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC 3hr 22min 36.7sec
    6. Jari-Matti Latvala (FIN) / Mikka Anttila Toyota Yaris WRC 3hr 23min 26.4sec
    7. Kris Meeke (GBR) / Sebastian Marshall (GBR) Toyota Yaris WRC 3hr 23min 41.5sec
    8. Thierry Neuville (BEL) / Nicolas Gilsoul (BEL) Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC 3hr 24min 50.2sec
    9. Pontus Tidemand (SWE) / Ola Floene (NOR) Ford Fiesta WRC 3hr 27min 07.8sec
    10. Kajetan Kajetanowicz (POL) / Maciej Szczepaniak (POL) Škoda Fabia R5 3hr 33min 04.5sec
  • Ogier (Ingrassia) secures fifth victory to close gap on Tanak: WRC Rally Mexico

    Ogier (Ingrassia) secures fifth victory to close gap on Tanak: WRC Rally Mexico

    ifth win for Ogier-Ingrassia on Sunday. An FIA image

    Mexico, 11 March 2019: Frenchmen Sébastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia delivered a remarkable performance in the final three gravel stages on Round 3 of the World Rally Championship to secure their fifth victory on Sunday and a record eigth win for Citroën in Mexico. Ott Tänak and his co-driver Martin Järveoja from Estonia fought their way up to second place at the wheel of their Toyota Yaris while M-Sport Ford’s Elfyn Evans and Scott Martin completed the WRC podium. Benito Guerra delighted the home crowd with sixth overall and the victory in the FIA WRC 2 category.

    The Citroën C3 WRC crew duly confirmed their 46th WRC victory on an event where their outstanding career started with a win in the FIA Junior WRC Championship back in 2008.

    Leading by 27 seconds at the end of Saturday, Ogier was never allowed to rest on his laurels by a hard-charging Ott Tänak and Elfyn Evans, both of whom were fighting for second place.

    2019 championship leader Tänak was the star of the morning as the Toyota Yaris WRC driver claimed two stage wins to secure second place. But Ogier had a winning margin of 30.2 seconds and also managed to whittle the Estonian’s advantage over him at the top of the Drivers’ Championship down from 16 to four points with five additional Power Stage bonus points.

    Evans, steering the ship for M-Sport Ford after Teemu Suninen’s premature retirement on Friday, delivered an impressive performance in his Fiesta WRC to round off the podium places and earn vital points for the team. He finished 19.7 seconds behind his Estonian rival after incurring a 10-second penalty for arriving late on the final Power Stage.

    Too far adrift to challenge for the podium after a difficult start to the event, Thierry Neuville had to settle for fourth overall and lost his second place in the championship to Ogier. His result was the only high point in a frustrating event for Hyundai, which saw both early leader Andreas Mikkelsen and Dani Sordo – who had been up to second – pushed out of contention after problems on Friday. The Norwegian and the Spaniard finished the rally in 11th and ninth overall, respectively.

    Toyota’s Kris Meeke led outright for one stage on Saturday morning, before a puncture, suspension damage and then a gearbox issue cost him any chance of challenging for the podium. The Ulsterman conserved his tyres on the first two stages of the final day in an attempt to win the Power Stage. He was rewarded with second on the test, catching four bonus points and an eventual fifth overall.

    Mexican Benito Guerra delighted the home crowds by equalling his best ever finishing position of sixth overall at his home event. On this occasion, the Škoda Fabia R5 driver achieved the success in a WRC 2 car, however, and maximum points in the FIA WRC 2 class were an added bonus for the México City man. His winning margin was 3min 16sec.

    Finland’s Jari-Matti Latvala suffered alternator woes on Friday evening that dropped his Toyota Yaris WRC out of contention, but the veteran of 198 WRC rallies fought back strongly to try and displace Bolivian youngster Marco Bulacia on the final morning to claim eighth place, despite a late radiator scare.

    Eighteen-year-old Bulacia belied his lack of experience to finish second in the FIA WRC 2 category behind team-mate Guerra and in an impressive seventh overall. Mexican driver Ricardo Triviño was classified in 10th place in his Škoda Fabia R5.

    Poland’s Lukasz Pieniazek bounced back from his Friday retirement to reach the finish of his first event outside Europe in twelfth overall. The result enabled the unchallenged Ford Fiesta R5 driver to claim much-needed maximum points in theFIA WRC 2 Pro class, as he looked to close to gap on series leader Gus Greensmith. The Pole said he gained a lot of experience and confidence on the demanding Mexican stages.
    2019 Rally Guanajuato México – Final unofficial results (subject to scrutineering)

    1. Sébastien Ogier (FRA)/Julien Ingrassia (FRA) Citroën C3 WRC 3hrs 37min 08.0sec
    2. Ott Tänak (EST)/Martin Järveoja (EST) Toyota Yaris WRC 3hrs 37min 38.2sec
    3. Elfyn Evans (GBR)/Scott Martin (GBR) Ford Fiesta WRC 3hrs 37min 57.9sec
    4. Thierry Neuville (BEL)/Nicolas Gilsoul (BEL) Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC 3hrs 38min 35.0sec
    5. Kris Meeke (GBR)/Sebastian Marshall (GBR) Toyota Yaris WRC 3hrs 43min 14.2sec
    6. Benito Guerra (MEX)/Jaime Zapata (MEX) Škoda Fabia R5 (WRC 2) 3hrs 52min 43.5sec
    7. Marco Bulacia (BOL)/Fabian Cretu (ARG) Škoda Fabia R5 (WRC 2) 3hrs 55min 59.5sec
    8. Jari-Matti Latvala (FIN)/Miikka Anttila (FIN) Toyota Yaris WRC 3hrs 56min 03.9sec
    9. Dani Sordo (ESP)/Carlos del Barrio (ESP) Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC 3hrs 59min 52.1sec
    10. Ricardo Triviño (MEX)/Marc Marti (ESP) Škoda Fabia R5 (WRC 2) 4hrs 07min 21.8sec
  • Ogier-Ingrassia remain firmly on track for fifth victory: WRC Rally Mexico

    Ogier-Ingrassia remain firmly on track for fifth victory: WRC Rally Mexico

    Ogier and co-driver Ingrassia on track for their fifth victory on Saturday. An FIA image

    Citroën’s Sébastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia remain firmly on track for a fifth victory on Rally Guanajuato México after another pulsating day’s action over nine special stages on Saturday. Toyota’s hard-charging Ott Tänak, third placed, begins to turn the screw on M-Sport Ford’s Elfyn Evans, second, with an advantage of only 2.2 seconds. In the WRC 2 category, local hero Benito Guerra holds a massive lead.

    The Citroën C3 WRC crew will take an advantage of 27 seconds into the remaining three gravel stages on Sunday, as they bid to reduce Ott Tänak’s early season lead in the Drivers’ Championship. Ogier managed his pace to perfection to stay out of trouble and is at the top of the standings for a second day, despite sliding into the barriers on the first run through Léon’s super special this evening.

    Estonia’s Tänak, who began the morning in fourth position, 37.1 seconds behind the defending World Champion, went on a charge in the heat of a Mexican afternoon. After passing team-mate Kris Meeke – when the Ulsterman suffered a puncture and a suspension upright issue – the Toyota Yaris WRC driver began to pressurise Elfyn Evans as the afternoon progressed. The Welshmen held on to his position at the end of the day but a mere 2.2 seconds separate the two heading into Sunday.

    Thierry Neuville admitted that he was struggling to find his rhythm and the confidence to challenge for stage wins in his Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC, but the Belgian held fourth overall at the end of Saturday, 3min 21.4sec. Kris Meeke, who had suffered a puncture and resulting rear-wheel damage in the morning loop, slid wide in the superspecial’s second run, dropped another 45 seconds and then limped around the final street stage stuck in second gear to finish fifth overnight.

    Mexican favourite Benito Guerra delivered a body blow to Bolivian youngster Marco Bulacia’s aspirations of preventing a home FIA WRC 2 victory with several impressive stage performances during the course of the day. Guerra returned to León at the end of Saturday in sixth overall and FIA WRC 2 leader, 3min 33.6sec ahead of Bulacia, who stopped for over three minutes in SS13.

    Among the FIA WRC 2 entrants, Chile’s Alberto Heller was in second place at the beginning of the afternoon before stopping on two occasions in SS14. He finished third of the category and 13th overall as Saturday came to a close.

    Finland’s Jari-Matti Latvala began a charge through the tail-enders as the day progressed in a bid to catch the FIA WRC 2 runners. He held eighth at the end of the day.

    Mexico’s Ricardo Triviño ran strongly in ninth in his Škoda Fabia R5 while the Hyundai duo Andreas Mikkelsen and Dani Sordo were classified in 10th and 11th at the night halt.

    The sole entrant in the FIA WRC 2 Pro category on Rally Mexico, Poland’s Lukasz Pieniazek, returned to action on Saturday morning after issues on Friday and remains on course for maximum championship points. He classified 12th overall, over 6 minutes behind eleven placed Mikkelsen.

    Three stages bring the action to a conclusion on Sunday. The crews will tackle the 24.38km of Alfaro, then a new Mesa Cuata special of 25.07km that uses a large section of El Chocolate and will finish in the points-scoring Power Stage at Las Minas.
    2019 Rally Guanajuato México – Unofficial results after SS18  / Section 5:

    1. Sébastien Ogier (FRA)/Julien Ingrassia (FRA) Citroën C3 WRC 2hrs 57min 21.4sec
    2. Elfyn Evans (GBR)/Scott Martin (GBR) Ford Fiesta WRC 2hrs 57min 48.4sec
    3. Ott Tänak (EST)/Martin Järveoja (EST) Toyota Yaris WRC 2hrs 57min 50.6sec
    4. Thierry Neuville (BEL)/Nicolas Gilsoul (BEL) Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC 2hrs 58min 37.1sec
    5. Kris Meeke (GBR)/Sebastian Marshall (GBR) Toyota Yaris WRC 3hrs 01min 58.5sec
    6. Benito Guerra (MEX)/Jaime Zapata (MEX) Škoda Fabia R5 (WRC 2) 3hrs 09min 27.4sec
    7. Marco Bulacia (BOL)/Fabian Cretu (ARG) Škoda Fabia R5 (WRC 2) 3hrs 13min 01.0sec
    8. Jari-Matti Latvala (FIN)/Miikka Anttila (FIN) Toyota Yaris WRC 3hrs 13min 53.8sec
    9. Ricardo Triviño (MEX)/Marc Marti (ESP) Škoda Fabia R5 (WRC 2) 3hrs 19min 21.0sec
    10. Dani Sordo (ESP)/Carlos del Barrio (ESP) Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC 3hrs 19min 21.1s
  • Wales Rally GB: M-Sport pair Ogier, Ingrassia eyeing a strong result on home turf

    Wales Rally GB: M-Sport pair Ogier, Ingrassia eyeing a strong result on home turf

    All WRC photos courtesy M-Sport

    Wales, 3 October 2018: Sébastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia are no strangers to the taste of champagne, and especially not in Wales where the World Rally Champions have four victories to their name. Currently locked in an intense three-way battle for a sixth World title, the M-Sport Ford Fiesta pairing will be looking to challenge for victory once again this weekend.

    M-Sport Ford’s fleet of EcoBoost-powered Ford Fiesta WRCs will be chasing a strong result when the FIA World Rally Championship ventures to the team’s home event this week.

    Elfyn Evans and Daniel Barritt know what it takes to tame the tricky Welsh stages and secured their maiden victory on home soil last year. The Brits will have home support on their side this week, and Evans even has a corner named after him on the Myherin stage! Keen to close the latter half of the season with some strong results, the British pairing will be ones to watch.

    Teemu Suninen and Mikko Markkula have come to prove that they cannot be discounted at any event. Wales Rally GB might be one of the most challenging events on the calendar, but the young Finn seems to thrive when the going gets tough. Having secured the WRC 2 victory on his first ever appearance in Wales, Suninen took an instant liking to the Welsh forests and could spring a surprise or two next week.

    Sébastien Ogier said: “Wales Rally GB is one of the classics and an event that everyone wants to win. The stages are steeped in motorsport history and the early starts and late finishes make it a true test of focus and endurance. Win in Wales, and you know that you have mastered the challenge.

    “It’s one of the most challenging rallies on the calendar and there is a real art to judging the grip through the forests. The demanding weather conditions can take a bit of getting used to, but we could see a dry rally this year which would be interesting for sure!

    “This time 12 months ago, the Welsh forests played host to an incredible story as we claimed all three championships with Malcolm and his team. The title fight could not be closer this year, but the team can rest assured that we will give our very best in pursuit of the strongest possible result to keep our championship hopes alive!”

    To best prepare for Wales Rally GB’s notoriously challenging stages, the team completed four days of testing – both at home in Cumbria as well as on-location in the Welsh forests. And with the event’s past five winners all behind the wheel of the Fiesta this week, the team have high hopes of once again challenging for victory.

    Last year’s victory was particularly special as the Welsh fixture played host to an incredible weekend for the Cumbrian squad who secured the win as well as the FIA World Rally Championships for Manufacturers, Drivers and Co-drivers.

    The Championships can’t be secured on Welsh soil this year, but the victory will be hotly contested and could well prove pivotal as the season draws to a close; and M-Sport Ford will be giving their all in pursuit of a repeat performance.

    Wales Rally GB is one of the classics – an iconic event that every rally driver wants to win. Steeped in motorsport history, the British round has it all and provides one of the biggest challenges of the year.

    Mud, rain, fog, even snow and ice – anything can be expected in Wales. Glorious sunshine could even be a possibility this year and the crews could face a dry Wales Rally GB for the first time in a number of years.

    Whatever the conditions this weekend, the challenge remains. Focus and endurance are key and the crews will be tested to the maximum. Make no mistake, a win in Wales will have been hard fought and that’s why every driver wants to add this one to their repertoire.

    Team Principal, Malcolm Wilson OBE, said: “The competition could not be closer and we’ll be hoping for another strong result on home soil. Nothing will ever top last year when we secured all three titles as well as the rally win, but we are aiming to be in the fight for another victory this year.

    “Both Sébastien and Elfyn know what it takes to stand on the top step of the podium in Wales. Sébastien has won this event four times, and Elfyn not only grew up on these roads but also made history when he won the event last year – the first Welsh driver to ever do so at this level.

    “This will be Teemu’s first time here in a world rally car and there will be a lot to learn, but time after time he proves what a quick learner he is and I wouldn’t be surprised if he sprung another surprise or two this weekend.”

  • WRC returns to gravel stages: Rallye Deutschland

    After four consecutive gravel rallies, the FIA World Rally Championship contenders return to asphalt competition for the ninth round of the series. Rallye Deutschland is regarded as one of the trickiest sealed surface events, largely due to the variety of different roads and potentially inclement weather that can make tyre choice such a gamble.

    The event was first held in 1982, running as part of the FIA European Rally Championship, and was included in the WRC in 2002. It provides a complete mix of conditions for the crews with narrow and twisty stages in the vineyards, daunting concrete roads in the tank training grounds at Baumholder, as well as more flowing country roads around the Mosel valley. The level of concentration and stamina is high and, if the weather conditions change through the day, the work of the route note crews permitted on asphalt events is even more critical. Running ahead of the competitors, these crews relay the most up to date information about road and weather conditions to their team, helping to provide an accurate assessment of what to expect.

    Thierry Neuville continues to head the Championship standings, he and arch-rival Sébastien Ogier split by 21 points going into an event where road-sweeping duties will not be a factor. After his impressive victory in Finland, Ott Tänak also made inroads on the Championship leaders, but the Estonian remains focused on maximum rally-by-rally points before thinking about a challenge for the title. Hyundai dropped only a handful of points to M-Sport Ford in Finland and continue to lead the Manufacturers’ Championship. However, after a double podium finish last time out, Toyota has significantly closed the gap to M-Sport Ford, just one point separating the two. The FIA WRC 2 Championship contenders are also back in action, an impressive 19 crews registering for this event. Series leader Pontus Tidemand again sits out this round, but his nearest rival, asphalt expert Jan Kopecký, will be looking to head a strong field and take maximum points to retake the lead in this hotly contested series. There is also a tight battle in the FIA WRC 3 Championship, which is currently being led by Jean-Baptiste Franceschi who has not nominated this event as a points-scoring round.

    THE 2018 ROUTE

    The area around St. Wendel takes centre stage for the start and finish ceremonies and an all-new super special stage opens the action on Thursday evening. Friday heads into the vineyards for two identical loops of three stages, the opener – Stein und Wein – not included in the itinerary since 2015. Saturday’s stage distance, at 150.12 kilometres, makes up nearly 50% of the entire competitive route and takes the contenders into the feared military camp of Baumholder where avoiding the massive hinkelstein kerbs, which are designed to keep tanks on the road, adds to the challenge. The day also includes two runs through the longest stage of the event, Panzerplatte. Sunday is back to the scenic roads in the Mosel vineyards for three stages, one of which is repeated. The final Power Stage takes the crews to Bosenberg, which has also not been run since 2015. The podium and prize-giving will then take place in St. Wendel.

    Three stages will be broadcast live on television: SS1 on Thursday, SS12 on Saturday and the closing Power Stage. All stages are however available live on WRC All Live on the WRC+ platform.

    ends

  • Sebastian Ogier, Julien Ingrassia take third win of the year: WRC Corsica

    Corsica, April 8: Defending FIA World Rally Champions Sebastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia claimed their third WRC victory of the season today, winning the Tour de Corse by a margin of 36.1 seconds. Ott Tanak and Martin Jarveoja headed the Toyota challenge and finished second, ultimately ending up with over 30 seconds in hand to Thierry Neuville and Nicolas Gilsoul, the Belgians having a late scare in the Power Stage with an unconfirmed engine problem.

    In the FIA World Rally Championship standings, Ogier increases his lead at the top of the table and now has a 17-point advantage over Neuville, who in turn has 22 points in hand to third-place Tanak. Hyundai Shell Mobis WRT tops the Manufacturers’ Championship, but with only four points between the Korean team and M-Sport Ford, the battle looks set to rage on.

    Today was the shortest of the event and took in just two stages. However, there was a sharp wake-up call for the crews early this morning as the competition kicked off with a daunting 55-kilometer test before closing with the much shorter 16 kilometer Power Stage. Ogier, who led from start to finish, was able to manage the pace and the five-time Champion cruised to the finish, picking up an additional three points on the all-important Power Stage. Victory in Corsica represents the 43rd WRC victory for both he and Ingrassia.

    After moving into second place by one-tenth of a second last night, Tanak was second fastest through the long stage, despite some understeer, but was gifted time by Neuville who was forced to complete the final stage down on power. He dropped nearly 15 seconds but had enough of a cushion to team-mate Dani Sordo to retain the final podium position.

    The fight for fourth between Dani Sordo and Elfyn Evans continued during the final day and the rivals were split by just 3.5 seconds at the end of the event. Esapekka Lappi suffered heartache in the first stage; after fighting his way into podium contention yesterday, the Finn clipped a kerb and had to stop and change a broken wheel, losing him nearly two minutes. As a consequence, he dropped to sixth but took some consolation from maximum points in the Power Stage.

    Andreas Mikkelsen has been at a loss to understand a lack of pace in Corsica and the Norwegian came home in seventh. Asphalt expert Jan Kopecky claimed the FIA WRC 2 Championship win, his second of the season, and finished eighth overall just ahead of Kris Meeke who returned for the final day of action after going off the road yesterday. After his Friday morning accident, Sebastien Loeb finished 14th, having shown the pace befitting a nine-time FIA World Rally Champion. The FIA Junior/WRC 3 Championship was won by Frenchman Jean-Baptiste Franceschi, who finished over 30 seconds ahead of Terry Folb.

    The FIA World Rally Championship contenders now take the long trip to South America for one of the most popular events on the calendar, Rally Argentina (26-29 April).

    Tour de Corse – Final Unofficial classification (subject to scrutineering)

    1 Sebastien Ogier / Julien Ingrassia Ford Fiesta WRC 3hr 26min 52.7sec
    2 Ott Tanak / Martin Jarveoja Toyota Yaris WRC 3hr 27min 28.8sec
    3 Thierry Neuville / Nicolas Gilsoul Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC 3hr 28min 00.2sec
    4 Dani Sordo / Carlos del Barrio Hyundai i20 Couple WRC 3hr 28min 55.3sec
    5 Elfyn Evans / Phil Mills Ford Fiesta WRC 3hr 28min 58.8sec
    6 Esapekka Lappi / Janne Ferm Toyota Yaris WRC 3hr 29min 26.2sec
    7 Andreas Mikkelsen / Anders Jæger Hyundai i20 WRC 3hr 29min 36.1sec
    8 Jan Kopecky / Pavel Dresler Skoda Fabia R5 3hr 37min 27.5sec
    9 Kris Meeke / Paul Nagle Citroen C3 WRC 3hr 37min 33.2sec
    10 Yoann Bonato / Benjamin Bouilloud Citroen C3 R5 3hr 39min 18.7sec
  • Sebastien Ogier leads by 33 seconds; Loeb crashes out in Tour de Corse

    Sebastien Ogier leads by 33 seconds; Loeb crashes out in Tour de Corse

    Ogier after taking the lead on Friday. Photo: FIA

    Corsica, April 6: After the repeated afternoon stages on the opening day of the 2018 Tour de Corse, Sebastien Ogier has extended his advantage and now heads Thierry Neuville by 33.6 seconds on Friday.

    The Frenchman won all but one of the day’s four stages and has a comfortable lead over his nearest Championship rival as the crews head into the longest day of the rally on Saturday. The fight behind the second-placed Belgian is however intense with Kris Meeke just 5.1 seconds further adrift in third and Ott Tanak 5.5 more seconds behind in fourth.

    Ogier has reigned supreme and has had a virtually totally trouble-free run and was able to start pulling out a clear advantage when Sebastien Loeb retired after going off the road this morning.

    Neuville, third going into the afternoon stages, was able to move ahead of Kris Meeke in the first of the repeated tests, second fastest through the long 49 kilometre stage aiding his charge. He maintained position through the final stage, pushing hard to stay ahead of a chasing Meeke.

    The Northern Irish driver once again suffered with a faulty intercom this afternoon but was happy with his day in the C3 WRC. Tanak heads Toyota’s challenge in fourth, the Estonian admitting he was playing with a few settings in his first outing in the Yaris WRC on asphalt.

    Toyota team-mate Esapekka Lappi has upped the pace this afternoon and had a great final stage, taking the fastest time in his first drive in a World Rally Car in Corsica. He is fifth albeit nearly 30 seconds adrift of Tanak.

    Behind the Finn, there is a big battle with four other drivers; Elfyn Evans is chasing hard and only three-tenths of a second behind Lappi, Dani Sordo sits a further six-tenths of a second away and previous Tour de Corse winner Jari-Matti Latvala is eighth and again within striking distance of his rivals. Andreas Mikkelsen is a close ninth and Bryan Bouffier rounds off the top 10.

    In the FIA WRC 2 Championship category, the fight is between Jan Kopecky and Yohan Bonato, the rivals split by 20.8 seconds at the end of a long day of competition in the mountains. The FIA Junior WRC Championship is headed by Terry Folb, the Frenchman 10.9 seconds ahead of Jean-Baptiste Franceschi.

    Tour de Corse – Unofficial classification after Section 2

    1 Sebastien Ogier/Julien Ingrassia Ford Fiesta WRC 1hr 19min 39.0sec
    2 Thierry Neuville / Nicolas Gilsoul Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC 1hr 20min 12.6sec
    3 Kris Meeke / Paul Nagle Citroen C3 WRC 1hr 20min 17.7sec
    4 Ott Tanak / Martin Jarveoja Toyota Yaris WRC 1hr 20min 23.2sec
    5 Esapekka Lappi / Janne Ferm Toyota Yaris WRC 1hr 20min 52.5sec
    6 Elfyn Evans / Phil Mills Ford Fiesta WRC 1hr 20min 52.8sec
    7 Dani Sordo / Carlos del Barrio Hyundai i20 Couple WRC 1hr 20min 53.4sec
    8 Jari-Matti Latvala / Miikka Anttila Toyota Yaris WRC 1hr 21min 04.0sec
    9 Andreas Mikkelsen / Anders Jæger Hyundai i20 WRC 1hr 21min 08.2sec
    10 Bryan Bouffier / Xavier Panseri Ford Fiesta WRC 1hr 21min 23.8sec