INDIA in F1

Tag: Toyota Yaris

  • Ogier takes lead as Hyundai pair suffers setbacks: WRC

    Ogier takes lead as Hyundai pair suffers setbacks: WRC

    Mexico City, 13 March 2020: Toyota driver Sébastien Ogier has made a strong start to his bid for a sixth Rally Mexico victory, leading at the end of Friday morning as Hyundai drivers Ott Tänak and Dani Sordo both suffered early setbacks.

    After two street stages through Guanajuato city on Thursday evening, the drivers faced the first true gravel action of the season with a trio of stages in the surrounding mountains, plus a new short test in Parque Bicentenario.

    In his first appearance of 2020, Sordo was expected to be a strong contender with a favourable road position, but he was forced to stop in the morning’s first stage – El Chocolate – after a radiator pipe came loose, causing him to drop over five minutes.

    Team-mate Ott Tänak – running sixth on the road as he plays catch-up in the championship following his crash on Rallye Monte-Carlo – set an impressive pace in El Chocolate, completing the 31.45 kilometres of stage 10.3 seconds faster than anyone else.

    However, the reigning world champion then lost 45.9s to Ogier in SS4 Ortega due to damage at the rear of his car. He and co-driver Martin Järveoja were able to make repairs on the road section, but ended the morning loop in seventh.

    With Tänak’s issues, Ogier claimed the lead with the fastest time in Ortega, and took a lead of 9.7 seconds back to León for the midday service.

    Sebastian Ogier of Toyota Yaris takes lead on Friday. An FIA image
    Sebastian Ogier of Toyota Yaris takes lead on Friday. An FIA image

    Teemu Suninen has made an impressive start in his M-Sport Ford Fiesta to sit in second place, but Hyundai’s Thierry Neuville is on his heels just 0.6s behind after setting the fastest time in Parque Bicentenario.

    Suninen’s team-mate Esapekka Lappi is fourth in front of championship leader Elfyn Evans, who is running first on the road on a Friday for the first time. His fellow Toyota driver Kalle Rovanperä occupies sixth place, forced to take caution through much of the morning following a slow puncture in SS3.

    Behind Tänak sits the third M-Sport driver Gus Greensmith, while Pontus Tidemand leads FIA WRC2 in ninth, 23.4s in front of category rival Nikolay Gryazin. Marco Bulacia is just eight seconds further back in 11th and leading FIA WRC3.

  • Elfyn Evans of Toyota reclaims lead in the Monte Carlo WRC round

    Elfyn Evans of Toyota reclaims lead in the Monte Carlo WRC round

    Monte Carlo action Photo MSport Ford

    Gap (France), 25 Jan 2020: Today’s itinerary on Rallye Monte-Carlo contains the longest road distance but a comparatively short 75-kilometre competitive distance, featuring two identical loops of two stages split by the midday service in Gap  before the crews make their way down to Monaco in the evening. Because of the icy conditions, most drivers chose studded tyres to ensure maximum grip.

    Toyota’s Elfyn Evans, who led most of the action on Friday before losing the lead to his team mate Sébastien Ogier on the final stage yesterday, reclaimed the top position on the second stage this morning, thanks to a time that was 7.6 seconds faster than his closed rival.

    After extending slightly his overnight lead on the first stage this morning, Ogier dropped to second after the incredible run from Evans. The Frenchman is now 4.8 seconds off the lead with two stages to run this afternoon.

    Thierry Neuville won the opening stage of the day but couldn’t match the pace on the following tests. The Hyundai i20 Coupe driver ended Saturday morning in third place, 16.6sec behind the flying Welshman.

    Neuville’s team-mate Sébastien Loeb maintained a lonely fourth, now more than a minute and a half behind the leader. Loeb tried to save his tyres in the first part of the stage but said that he
    probably slowed down too much.

    He’s now coming under threat from M-Sport’s Esapekka Lappi, now within 35 seconds of the Frenchman, while Toyota’s Kalle Rovanperä continued his solid progress in sixth overall on
    his World Rally Car debut.

    In seventh, more than six minutes behind, is the FIA WRC3 leader Eric Camilli with his privately-run R5 Citroën, going from strength to strength.

    Unlike yesterday, this morning’s action featured a classic Monte weather in the mountains around Gap, with black ice on the road causing hazardous road conditions for the competitors. One of the victims was Toyota’s Takamoto Katsuta, who lost three minutes when he spun and hit a snow bank on SS9, dropping down to eight overall behind Camilli.

    Frenchman Nicolas Ciamin is ninth overall in another Citroën C3 R5, while Norway’s Mads Ostberg is 10th, leading FIA WRC 2 in an identical factory-entered car.

  • Ogier leads his first shakedown in the Toyota Yaris WRC: Rallye Monte-Carlo shakedown

    Ogier leads his first shakedown in the Toyota Yaris WRC: Rallye Monte-Carlo shakedown

    Sebastien Ogier and J Ingrassia during shakedown in the 2020 FIA World Rally Championship / Round 01 / Rallye Monte Carlo on Jan 22, 2020. Photo: Toyota Gazoo Racing WRC

    Monte Caarlo, 22 Jan 2020: Sébastien Ogier recorded the fastest time in shakedown for Rallye Monte-Carlo: his competitive debut behind the wheel of the Toyota Yaris WRC. Two-thirds of the team’s all-new line-up featured in the top three, with Elfyn Evans in third, while Kalle Rovanperä was seventh as he prepares for his first appearance at rallying’s highest level, a Toyota Yaris release says.

    The shakedown was held on a 3.35-kilometre stage close to the service park in Gap, with dry conditions giving the drivers a chance to get a good feeling with their machinery.

    Ogier recorded a time of 1m57.1s on his first run over the stage, with that time remaining unbeaten. Evans was just six tenths of a second slower with his best effort, set on his second run. Rovanperä also improved on his second pass, finishing less than three seconds behind his team-mates.

    TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Rally Challenge Program driver Takamoto Katsuta rounded out the top 10 as he prepares for the first of eight events this season in an separately-run Toyota Yaris WRC.

    Quotes:
    Tom Fowler (Technical Director)
    “Going into our first rally with the new drivers, they were all pretty settled on their setups after our successful pre-event tests, so there wasn’t much to do from a setup point-of-view in shakedown. Given the unpredictable nature of the weather on the Monte, we have a few different settings for the car depending on the conditions, so we did change a few things during shakedown just to run the parts in anticipation of the different possibilities that can come up over the weekend. Everything went smoothly for everybody, and Ogier posted the fastest time with the first run. You can’t take too much from the shakedown results, but it’s always nice. The road was then getting muddy so it was difficult to take much from the later runs. But everyone is feeling confident, so it’s a good start.”

    Sébastien Ogier (Driver car 17)
    “So far, everything is good and running like we were hoping. Shakedown doesn’t mean much and you don’t need to make any conclusions from the results, but it’s always a good sign if you are in the rhythm already. I’ve had the chance to have a good amount of testing already in the car before the start of the season. Of course, there are still some details to learn but the general feeling is there, and the sensations from the test came straight away here in shakedown. We can be confident heading into the rally, but this is probably the one rally of the season where you need to stay humble at the start as the conditions can make it so tricky.”

    Elfyn Evans (Driver car 33)
    “It was a really nice feeling to get started with the Yaris here in shakedown. I found a good feeling pretty much straight away. The car was working really well and I’m looking forward to getting going now. The shakedown was very dry to begin with, so I doubt it will be representative of the whole rally, but that’s typical Rallye Monte-Carlo. It would be nice if we can start the first stage with a clear, dry road, but I’m sure it will get interesting after that.”

    Kalle Rovanperä (Driver car 69)
    “It felt amazing to be in the car in shakedown. It was my first time back on asphalt after one month, and it was not so easy on the first run, but the second run was already better. The car was feeling really good and the setup also, and I think the small changes that we did in the test were now correct. There is still some work to do with myself for sure, but it feels good.”

    Shakedown times:
    1 Sébastien Ogier/Julien Ingrassia (Toyota Yaris WRC) 1m57.1s
    2 Thierry Neuville/Nicolas Gilsoul (Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC) +0.1s
    3 Elfyn Evans/Scott Martin (Toyota Yaris WRC) +0.6s
    4 Ott Tänak/Martin Järveoja (Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC) +1.2s
    5 Teemu Suninen/Jarmo Lehtinen (Ford Fiesta WRC) +2.3s
    6 Esapekka Lappi/Janne Ferm (Ford Fiesta WRC) +2.6s
    7 Kalle Rovanperä/Jonne Halttunen (Toyota Yaris WRC) +2.9s
    8 Gus Greensmith/Elliott Edmondson (Ford Fiesta WRC) +3.1s
    9 Sébastien Loeb/Daniel Elena (Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC) +3.3s
    10 Takamoto Katsuta/Daniel Barritt (Toyota Yaris WRC) +4.8s

    What’s next?
    The rally starts from Monte Carlo’s famous harbour on Thursday evening before two night-time stages en-route back to Gap. The first test, Malijai-Puimichel, is being run for the first time since 1994. The darkness and falling temperatures can often combine to make a particularly tricky start to the season.

  • Tanak-Jarveoja finish 2nd behind Neuville-Gilsoul; win maiden WRC title

    Tanak-Jarveoja finish 2nd behind Neuville-Gilsoul; win maiden WRC title

    Thierry Neuville and Nicolas Gilsoul scored victory at the Rally of Spain for Hyundai, snatching the lead in Saturday’s first stage and maintaining their position at the top until the finish line. But it was not enough to stop the championship points leaders Ott Tänak and Martin Järveoja in their mission: the Estonian pair dominated the Power Stage, claiming maximum score and taking away second place from Dani Sordo and Carlos del Barrio to claim a maiden World Rally Championship title*.

    Conditions were dry and typical of the Spanish round, with air temperatures just over 20 degrees celsius, ensuring the drivers had plenty of grip on the asphalt for Sunday’s two loops of two stages.

    Neuville controlled the lead of the rally in first position from Saturday’s first morning speed test, but his teammate Sordo, in second overnight, had the pressure of Tänak on his heels. Sordo managed to keep Tänak at bay for most of the final day, taking two additional stage wins on Sunday morning, but the Estonian set a scorching time in the Power Stage, gaining six seconds on the Spaniard, which promoted him to second place and enabled him to secure the 2019 WRC title*.

    Sébastien Ogier had also started the Rally of Spain with a relative chance to stay in the title race for the season finale in Australia, but his hopes were dashed at the start of Friday when an hydraulic issue caused his power steering and paddle-shift gear selector to fail. The defending champion finished eighth overall after losing over four minutes.

    Hyundai showed dominant pace across the rally, occupying the top 3 spots of the timesheets at one point during five stages in a row on Saturday. Sébastien Loeb, who was the rally leader on Friday evening following a day on gravel, did not manage to find the right feeling in his car on tarmac. The 2018 event winner dropped back behind both his teammates Neuville and Sordo on Saturday and then fell behind Tänak after the evening’s street stage in Salou into fourth place, where he finished the rally.

    Jari-Matti Latvala scored solid points for Toyota in fifth, the Finn ending 6.3s behind Loeb. The M-Sport Ford pair of Elfyn Evans and Teemu Suninen finished sixth and seventh respectively. Evans had been fighting Latvala for a top five finish earlier on the event but the Welshman suffered technical issues on Friday. Teemu Suninen finished seventh, despite a spin in the rally-ending Power Stage.

    Ogier, in the only remaining Citroën, recovered to eighth after his power steering problems on the opening day but was unable to prevent his former M-Sport teammate to claim the 2019 title. The second Citroën driver, Esapekka Lappi, was forced to retire on Friday’s final stage with an engine related issue and could not start again.

    Behind Ogier, FIA WRC 2 Pro winner Mads Østberg and FIA WRC 2 winner Eric Camilli, both driving Citroën R5s, completed the leaderboard in ninth and tenth respectively.

    Kris Meeke was fighting the Hyundai trio for a podium place but crashed on Saturday morning’s second stage. The Ulsterman restarted on Sunday to finish in 30th position overall. Takamoto in the last WRC car – a privately entered Toyota Yaris – had set his sights on a Top 10 finish he dropped to 40th overall as a gearbox problem cost him over 30 minutes.

    * subject to the official publication of the results by the FIA.

    2019 Rally of Spain – Final official results:

    1. Thierry Neuville (BEL) / Nicolas Gilsoul (BEL) Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC 3hr 07min 39.6sec
    2. Ott Tänak (EST) / Martin Järveoja (EST) Toyota Yaris WRC 3hr 07min 56.8sec
    3. Dani Sordo (SPA) / Carlos Del Barrio (SPA) Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC 3hr 07min 57.2sec
    4. Sébastien Loeb (FRA) / Daniel Elena (MON) Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC 3hr 08min 33.5sec
    5. Jari-Matti Latvala (FIN) / Mikka Anttila Toyota Yaris WRC 3hr 08min 39.8sec
    6. Elfyn Evans (GBR) / Scott Martin (GBR) Ford Fiesta WRC 3hr 08min 53.8sec
    7. Teemu Suninen (FIN) / Marko Salminen (FIN) Ford Fiesta WRC 3hr 09min 27.2sec
    8. Sébastien Ogier (FRA) / Julien Ingrassia (FRA) Citroën C3 WRC 3hr 12min 00.1sec
    9. Mads Østberg (NOR) / Torstein Eriksen (NOR) Citroën C3 R5 3hr 16min 04.2sec
    10. Eric Camilli (FRA) / Benjamin Veillas (FRA) Citroën C3 R5 3hr 16min 26.8sec
  • Flash: Ott Tanak-Martin Jarveoja claim Rally GB

    Flash: Ott Tanak-Martin Jarveoja claim Rally GB

    Ott Tanak, Jarveoja win Rally GB on Sunday. An FIA image

    Wales, 6 Oct 2019: Ott Tänak and Martin Järveoja have claimed victory for Toyota on Rally GB. They finished 10.9 seconds ahead of Thierry Neuville and Nicolas Gilsoul of Hyundai, while Sébastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia completed the podium for Citroën.

    By also winning the Power Stage, Tänak now leads the drivers’ standings by 28 points over Ogier and 41 over Neuville. Toyota has reduced the gap to Hyundai in the manufacturers’ championship to eight points.

    Kalle Rovanperä has taken the FIA WRC 2 Pro win in ninth overall in his Škoda, provisionally securing the drivers’ championship in the category.

    Petter Solberg has won FIA WRC 2 and finished 10th overall in the 2003 World Champion’s farewell event.

    Jan Solans is provisionally the FIA Junior WRC champion after winning the final round of the season in the category.

    All results are subject to final FIA confirmation. More to come.

  • Ott Tanak extends his lead as title race reaches fever pitch: Wales Rally GB

    Ott Tanak extends his lead as title race reaches fever pitch: Wales Rally GB

    Ott Tanak leads after Saturday. An FIA image

    Wales, 5 Oct 2019: Estonian ace Ott Tänak extended his lead of Wales Rally GB to 11 seconds on the toughest leg of the event.

    The Toyota Yaris WRC driver battled through the day’s classic fast and flowing stages in the forests of mid-Wales to head into the final leg with his fellow FIA World Rally Championship title protagonists in hot pursuit.

    Tänak adapted well to the inclement conditions to ensure the fight for the lead would swing in his favour, doubling his slender overnight advantage over title rival Thierry Neuville. The hard-charging Hyundai i20 WRC driver threw his hat into the ring from the opening stage of the day, first overhauling Toyota driver Kris Meeke and then six-time FIA World Rally champion Sébastien Ogier.

    The Citroën C3 WRC driver admitted he was ‘right on the limit’ and ‘couldn’t do any more’ as he dropped from the second spot he held overnight, whilst in contrast, Neuville bolstered his chances of remaining in the three-way battle for the WRC title.

    With the trio of title adversaries now locked in a titanic battle in the podium positions, tomorrow’s finale is likely to play a major role in the destination of this year’s WRC crown.

    Kris Meeke, who led for virtually all of Friday, started 3.6sec off the lead but could not reproduce the same speed on faster and wider roads in his Yaris. He ended 26.5sec behind team-mate Tänak, but in a vital points-paying position for Toyota’s manufacturers’ title challenge.

    Andreas Mikkelsen won a stage en route to retaining fifth in his i20. The Norwegian came under fierce pressure from Elfyn Evans, who won all three morning stages in his Ford Fiesta. The Welshman was less dominant this afternoon but was only 4.5sec adrift tonight.

    Team-mate Teemu Suninen was more than two minutes further back after losing time when he crashed off the road and punctured a tyre. Losing his Fiesta’s front splitter later cost aerodynamic downforce and more time.

    Pontus Tidemand, Craig Breen and FIA WRC 2 Pro leader Kalle Rovanperä completed the leaderboard.

    In the FIA WRC 2 class, rally legend Petter Solberg leads the field on his farewell tour, ahead of Frenchmen Pierre-Louis Loubet – only 12.5 seconds behind – and Adrien Fourmaux.

    Jan Solans is the leader of FIA Junior WRC, over three minutes ahead of his closest rival Kristensson, who sustained a puncture. The Spaniard was never headed during Saturday’s challenging stages in Britain and is now within reach of the championship’s title.

    Breen dropped five minutes after a spectacular roll this morning, the Irishman blaming an over optimistic pace note. He struggled through the rest of the day with a cracked windscreen hampering visibility.

    Sunday’s finale returns to north Wales. Two loops of two forest stages sandwich an asphalt test around the rocky Great Orme headland on the edge of host town Llandudno. It totals 38.42km and the final Power Stage offers bonus points to the fastest five drivers.

    2019 Wales Rally GB – Unofficial Results after Section 6:

    1. Ott Tänak (EST) / Martin Järveoja (EST) Toyota Yaris WRC 2hr 42min 2.7sec
    2. Thierry Neuville (BEL) / Nicolas Gilsoul (BEL) Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC 2hr 42min 13.7sec
    3. Sébastien Ogier (FRA) / Julien Ingrassia (FRA) Citroën C3 WRC 2hr 42min 20.0sec
    4. Kris Meeke (GBR) / Sebastian Marshall (GBR) Toyota Yaris WRC 2hr 42min 29.2sec
    5. Andreas Mikkelsen (NOR) / Anders Jaeger-Amland (NOR) Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC 2hr 42min 49.6sec
    6. Elfyn Evans (GBR) / Scott Martin (GBR) Ford Fiesta WRC 2hr 42min 54.1sec
    7. Teemu Suninen (FIN) / Marko Salminen (FIN) Ford Fiesta WRC 2hr 45min 10.6sec
    8. Pontus Tidemand (SWE) / Ola Floene (NOR) Ford Fiesta WRC 2hr 47min 02.3sec
    9. Craig Breen (IRL) / Paul Nagle (IRL) Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC 2hr 51min 18.7sec
    10. Kalle Rovanperä (FIN) / Jonne Halttunen (FIN) Škoda Fabia R5 Evo 2hr 51min 32.9sec

  • Ott Tanak leads Toyota 1-2-3 heading into final day

    Panzerplatte (Germany), 24 August 2019: Ott Tänak sits at the top of a Toyota 1-2-3 heading into the final day of Rallye Deutschland, after the infamous Panzerplatte stage dented the championship hopes of his rivals Thierry Neuville and Sébastien Ogier.

    After midday service, the drivers tackled two loops on the Baumholder military area, consisting of the short “Arena Panzerplatte” stage (10.73km) and the 41.17 kilometre “Panzerplatte” test, with an 15 minute service at Bostalsee in-between.

    Tänak and Neuville were separated by just five seconds heading into the afternoon, but disaster struck Neuville early in the first run through the long Panzerplatte stage, when he had to stop and change a tyre on his Hyundai, losing 1min26sec to Tänak.

    Ogier meanwhile struggled for pace in the same stage and was passed by Tänak’s team-mates Kris Meeke and Jari-Matti Latvala, who both moved into podium places. But the problems continued for Ogier on the repeat of Panzerplatte, when he also suffered a puncture, losing 1min33sec and dropping four places in the overall standings.

    Meeke was fastest on Panzerplatte 2 to build a gap of 9.4 seconds between himself and Latvala, while Tänak ended the day with a lead of 32.4s over his British team-mate.

    After starting the day in ninth, Dani Sordo finished in fourth as the lead Hyundai, in front of Neuville and Mikkelsen. Ogier dropped to eighth behind his team-mate Esapekka Lappi, with Gus Greensmith and Takamoto Katsuta rounding out the top 10.

    Jan Kopecký leads the FIA WRC2 Pro category in his Škoda Fabia R5 Evo in 11th overall, while Fabian Kreim heads FIA WRC 2, ahead of fellow German Škoda driver Marijan Griebel.

    2019 Rallye Deutschland – Unofficial Results after Section 7:

    1. Ott Tänak (EST) / Martin Järveoja (EST) Toyota Yaris WRC 2hr 27min 21.9sec
    2. Kris Meeke (GBR) / Sebastian Marshall (GBR) Toyota Yaris WRC 2hr 27min 54.3sec
    3. Jari-Matti Latvala (FIN) / Mikka Anttila Toyota Yaris WRC 2hr 28min 03.7sec
    4. Dani Sordo (SPA) / Carlos Del Barrio (SPA) Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC 2hr 28min 32.7sec
    5. Thierry Neuville (BEL) / Nicolas Gilsoul (BEL) Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC 2hr 28min 57.1sec
    6. Andreas Mikkelsen (NOR) / Anders Jaeger-Amland (NOR) Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC 2hr 28min 59.2sec
    7. Esapekka Lappi (FIN) / Janne Ferm (FIN) Citroën C3 WRC 2hr 29min 05.0sec
    8. Sébastien Ogier (FRA) / Julien Ingrassia (FRA) Citroën C3 WRC 2hr 29min 39.6sec
    9. Gus Greensmith (GBR) / Elliott Edmondson (GBR) Ford Fiesta WRC 2hr 33min 24.5sec
    10. Takamoto Katsuta (JAP) / Daniel Barritt (GBR) Toyota Yaris WRC 2hr 34min 19.3sec

     

  • Ott Tanak powers his Toyota Yaris into lead after opening night: WRC Monte Carlo Rally

    Ott Tanak powers his Toyota Yaris into lead after opening night: WRC Monte Carlo Rally

    Ott Tanak takes lead after opening night. An FIA image

    Monte Carlo, 25 Jan 2019: Ott Tänak has powered his Toyota Yaris WRC into a 9.1-second lead on the opening night of Rallye Monte-Carlo, the Estonian ahead of reigning World Rally Champion Sébastien Ogier after two stages on the first round of the 2019 FIA World Rally Championship. Thierry Neuville heads the Hyundai challenge in third, just 5.2 seconds further adrift.

    After the opening ceremony in Gap, crews immediately headed to two new stages, both run in darkness and totalling 41.35 competitive kilometres. Tänak was on the pace from the outset and won the opener to claim a five-second advantage over the returning Kris Meeke. In the second stage, third fastest was enough to extend his lead, despite a spin in the tricky conditions. Ogier’s tyre choice proved safe for the first stage and he dropped 10.6 seconds, but regained some time in the next to climb into second position. Neuville dropped nearly 30 seconds in the opener, but then reeled in his rivals with fastest time on the clearer roads and overnights just 14.3 seconds off the lead.

    Behind the leading trio Esapekka Lappi admitted he hadn’t had the best tyre strategy, but the Finn overnight in fourth on his debut with Citroën. Former team-mate and Yaris WRC driver Jari-Matti Latvala felt the car was too soft for the conditions and he lacked confidence as a consequence, but he is just 1.2 seconds behind Lappi. Elfyn Evans is in the lead Fiesta WRC in sixth, kicking himself for not pushing harder but happy to have a clean start. In comparison, team-mate Teemu Suninen went off and into retirement in the first stage. After setting a great pace, Meeke dropped down the order with a puncture and is seventh ahead of nine-time FIA World Rally Champion Sébastien Loeb. The Frenchman, despite his lack of seat-time in the Hyundai, was fourth but then eighth fastest through this evening’s stages – the second not optimum for his tyres – and he overnights in eighth. Andreas Mikkelsen is ninth and Pontus Tidemand rounds out the top 10 after a cautious start.

    In the newly-created FIA WRC 2 Pro Championship, Gus Greensmith leads after Kalle Rovanperä went off, and Yoann Bonato tops the standings in the WRC 2 Championship, which is now solely for private entrants. He heads Nicolas Ciamin and Guillaume de Mevius.

    Rallye Monte-Carlo – Unofficial results after Section 1

    1 Ott Tänak / Martin Järveoja Toyota Yaris WRC 26min 33.0sec
    2 Sebastien Ogier / Julien Ingrassia Citroen C3 WRC 26min 42.1sec
    3 Thierry Neuville / Nicolas Gilsoul Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC 26min 47.3sec
    4 Esapekka Lappi / Janne Ferm Citroen C3 WRC 27min 18.2sec
    5 Jari-Matti Latvala / Miikka Anttila Toyota Yaris WRC 27min 19.4sec
    6 Elfyn Evans / Scott Martin Ford Fiesta WRC 27min 21.2sec
    7 Kris Meeke / Sebastian Marshall Toyota Yaris WRC 27min 26.8sec
    8 Sebastien Loeb / Daniel Elena Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC 27min 28.2sec
    9 Andreas Mikkelsen/Anders Jǽger Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC 27min 32.6sec
    10 Pontus Tidemand / Ola Fløene Ford Fiesta WRC 28min 14.1sec
  • Dayinsure Wales Rally GB: Gill and MRF finish 12th; Ogier survives Latvala challenge for title

    Dayinsure Wales Rally GB: Gill and MRF finish 12th; Ogier survives Latvala challenge for title

    Gaurav Gill and MRF Tyres had plenty to cheer after finishing 12th in RC2 at the Wales Rally GB. Photo: MRF Racing

    Llandudno, 7 October 2018: Gaurav Gill and MRF Tyres had reasons to feel satisfied after finishing 12th in the RC2 class in the Dayinsure Wales Rally GB, the 11th round of the FIA World Rally Championship which ended here on Sunday with Sébastien Ogier winning the title after a pulsating final leg.

    Gill and MRF who are focusing more on tyre development in preparation for a full WRC 2 season next year, maintained good pace, if opting to err on the side of caution in view of the treacherous conditions.

    Yet, Gill, partnered by Australian Glenn Macneall and driving the M-Sport prepared Ford Fiesta R5, was on anything but a leisurely Sunday drive as he progressed through the standings, moving from overall 15th to 14th to 12th over three consecutive Stages before holding position in SS-22. MRF did not run SS-23, the concluding test, following changes in the wake of a motorbike accident not related to the rally.

    “It is great to reach the end of the rally – it has been a challenging rally because of the slippery conditions and the changing weather,” Gill said. “Wales Rally GB is much different to Rally Finland and Rally Italy so it was a new experience for us and the team.”

    Gaurav Gill negotiating a treacherous section. Photo: MRF Racing

    The crews did not return to service on Sunday, rather relying on a tyre fitting zone, meaning that any damage would have to be repaired by the crews. For Gill and Macneall, they would not have to worry about this as they skilfully navigated their way through the stages.

    “Like the other days, today was tricky because of the narrow and slippery muddy stages,” Gill said. “We concentrated on getting through the stages and getting the data needed to develop our product.

    “It is a shame we didn’t get to do the second run on Great Orme Llandudno due to the injury of a bike rider and our thoughts are with him. However, it was great to be able to rally in front of the massive Welsh crowd.”

    Next up for Team MRF Tyres is Kennards Hire Rally Australia on more familiar roads. Joining Gill and Macneall in action on MRF Tyres will be the Australian Rally Championship, where MRF Tyres is the control tyre supplier.

    SEBASTIEN OGIER HANGS ON TO POUCH TITLE 

    Sebastien Ogier had every reason to smile after winning the Wales Rally GB. Photo: WRC

    Meanwhile, in the WRC battle, Jari-Matti Latvala snatched Ogier’s slender overnight lead before the Frenchman fought back to regain the initiative in the penultimate speed test and win the four-day gravel road encounter by 10.6sec in a Ford Fiesta.

    Latvala, driving a Toyota Yaris, finished 24.5sec ahead of team-mate and fellow-Finn Esapekka Lappi.

    In the battle for the FIA World Rally Championship, Thierry Neuville’s final day surge to fifth left him with a seven-point advantage (189-182) over Ogier with two rounds remaining.

    After narrowing Ogier’s overnight lead to 1.7sec with second fastest time in the opening Elsi speed test, Latvala threw caution to the wind in the following Gwydir special stage to move into a 3.6sec lead and claim maximum bonus points.

    Ogier fought back in the following asphalt Great Orme Llandudno test to claim fastest time and defeat the Finn by 3.4sec – reducing the Toyota Yaris pilot’s advantage to a tantalising 0.2sec with two stages remaining.

    The gravel forest roads were treacherously slippery after cold overnight temperatures and Latvala’s face at the finish of Gwydir revealed just how much of a roller coaster ride it was.

    “An extremely difficult stage. It was very, very low grip and on the asphalt there was a lot of mud. I went flat over a crest, the car was already sideways and I thought I was going to hit the impact, but luckily I got away with it. It was a big push,” he said.

    Ogier, who was third in both forest tests, admitted: “It was a difficult morning, the feeling wasn’t really great in the first two stages so I couldn’t push. The Toyota is very strong but we’re going to keep pushing until the end.”

    Lappi was fastest in Elsi and the Yaris driver watched the lead battle from a safe third place after Craig Breen’s hopes of a podium took a knock when the Irishman spun his Citroën C3 in Gwydir and dropped 10sec.

    Andreas Mikkelsen overhauled Mads Østberg to climb to fifth in his Hyundai i20, while team-mate Thierry Neuville’s scramble for vital championship points improved when he moved ahead of Hayden Paddon by a tenth of a second into seventh. He trails Østberg by 6.9sec.

    After yesterday’s problems Ott Tänak and Neuville were desperate for Power Stage points to boost their three-way championship battle with Ogier. Tänak fared best to claim four bonus points while Neuville took two, one fewer than Ogier.

  • Ott Tanak fastest on stages: WRC, Rallye Deutschland

    Ott Tänak extended his advantage over the repeated loop of Rallye Deutschland stages with a clean sweep of fastest times. The Estonian now has 12.3 seconds in hand to reigning FIA World Rally Champion Sebastien Ogier, while Thierry Neuville has dropped a little further back but remains in third position.

    Tänak went into the loop with a 7.2 second advantage and a string of three stage wins saw the Estonian progressively increase his lead, despite some tricky conditions after the rain this morning. Ogier was never far off his pace but admitted it was difficult to fight against the Tänak/Toyota package today. After a gearbox and steering rack change during the mid-leg service, Neuville continued to push hard and was pleased to have had a mistake-free, near perfect day. He is 15.1 seconds adrift of main championship rival Ogier.

    Behind the leading trio, Elfyn Evans catapulted up the leaderboard from seventh to fourth in the first of the afternoon stages, such has been the close competition between four drivers. The Welshman has had a strong afternoon and was much happier during the repeated stages. The battle he is in remains intense however, with the following three drivers only five seconds away. Jari-Matti Latvala, in fifth, moved up a place this afternoon with better confidence after changing some differential settings on the Yaris WRC. Despite a couple of small mistakes, he is only a second adrift of Evans with Dani Sordo only 3.9 seconds behind. Esapekka Lappi admitted to needing more mileage to understand the limit of the car on the dirty roads, the Finn thinking he was not brave enough despite feeling he was driving on the limit. He is seventh but only one-tenth of a second adrift of Sordo. Craig Breen struggled to get the car flowing as he wanted and is 15.2 seconds further behind in eighth. Andreas Mikkelsen continues to try and adapt his driving style to suit the Hyundai, but is struggling to get a natural feeling. Teemu Suninen moved into the top 10 as Mads Østberg had some sort of air intake problem all afternoon, the result of an issue during service which left him down on power. As a consequence, the Norwegian dropped to 11th.

    The FIA WRC 2 Championship is headed by Czech Rally Champion Jan Kopecký. The Škoda driver won two of the three stages this afternoon to take a 22.2 second lead over Yoann Bonato into Saturday. Eric Camilli is however just one-tenth of a second behind his fellow countryman in third. Taisko Lario continues to lead the small field in the FIA WRC 3 Championship category, the Finn taking two of the three stage wins with second-placed Enrico Brazzoli the other. Louise Cook is third.

    Rallye Deutschland – Unofficial results after Section 3

    1 Ott Tänak / Martin Järveoja Toyota Yaris WRC 59min 22.6sec
    2 Sebastien Ogier / Julien Ingrassia Ford Fiesta WRC 59min 34.9sec
    3 Thierry Neuville / Nicolas Gilsoul Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC 59min 50.0sec
    4 Elfyn Evans / Daniel Barritt Ford Fiesta WRC 1hr 00min 00.4sec
    5 Jari-Matti Latvala / Miikka Anttila Toyota Yaris WRC 1hr 00min 01.4sec
    6 Dani Sordo / Carlos del Barrio Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC 1hr 00min 05.3sec
    7 Esapekka Lappi / Janne Ferm Toyota Yaris WRC 1hr 00min 05.4sec
    8 Craig Breen / Scott Martin Citroen C3 WRC 1hr 00min 20.6sec
    9 Andreas Mikkelsen/Anders Jæger Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC 1hr 00min 21.6sec
    10 Teemu Suninen / Mikko Markkula Ford Fiesta WRC 1hr 00min 44.0sec