INDIA in F1

Tag: WRC, Rally

  • 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.

  • WRC 2020 Calendar

    The FIA today announced a number of changes to the World Rally Championship calendar for the 2020 season, following an e-vote by the World Motor Sport Council last week.

    Following a request by the organiser of Rally Chile, it has been approved to withdraw this event from the 2020 World Rally Championship calendar.

    The date of the next event on the WRC calendar, Rally Argentina, initially scheduled from April 30 to May 3, has been brought forward by one week to allow additional time for the shipment of equipment from South America to Africa.

    The World Motor Sport Council also approved Wales Rally GB as the fifth and final round of the 2020 Junior World Rally Championship.

    The revised 2020 calendar, comprised of 13 rounds, is confirmed as follows:

    1. 26 January Rally Monte-Carlo
    2. 16 February Rally Sweden*
    3. 15 March Rally Mexico
    4. 26 April Rally Argentina
    5. 24 May Rally Portugal
    6. 7 June Rally Italy*
    7. 19 July Rally Kenya
    8. 9 August Rally Finland*
    9. 6 September Rally New Zealand
    10. 27 September Rally Turkey
    11. 18 October Rally Germany*
    12. 1 November Rally Great Britain*
    13. 22 November Rally Japan

    *Rounds that count for the FIA Junior WRC Championship

  • Young and ambitious team for 2020 WRC: M-Sport Ford World Rally team

    Young and ambitious team for 2020 WRC: M-Sport Ford World Rally team

    Photo by M-Sport World Rally team

    Esapekka Lappi will join forces with Teemu Suninen and Gus Greensmith this season as the M‑Sport Ford World Rally Team put youth at the head of their FIA World Rally Championship campaign.

    Taking to the wheel of the EcoBoost-powered Ford Fiesta WRCs, the three drivers have an average age of 25 and will be led by a similarly young and ambitious team – the average age of the engineers just 30, and Team Principal Richard Millener a mere 35 years young!

    As a proven rally winner, Lappi will lead the team alongside compatriot co-driver Janne Ferm. The Finns last took to the wheel of a Fiesta in 2012 when they stormed to Finnish Championship success with a clean-sweep of victories behind the wheel of the Ford Fiesta S2000. Eight years later, the popular duo are now regularly challenging for top results on the world stage.

    Securing their maiden win on home soil in 2017, Lappi and Ferm have gone on to secure seven FIA World Rally Championship podiums and claimed the runner-up spot on three occasions last year. Competitive on all surfaces, the Finns have speed in abundance and the team are keen to see what they can do when reunited with the Blue Oval.

    Teemu Suninen and Jarmo Lehtinen continue their partnership as the young Finn contests his second full season at the sport’s highest level. Developing at pace, Suninen made his world rally car debut in 2017, secured his first podium in 2018, and led his first rally in 2019 – so the team are eager to see what he can do in 2020.

    This also marks the first time an all-Finnish line-up has led the team since Mikko Hirvonen was partnered with Marcus Grönholm in 2006 and 2007, and Jari Matti Latvala from 2008 to 2011. Over those six years the Finns delivered two championships, 31 victories, 99 podiums and 592 stage wins; and M-Sport Ford are now looking forward to promoting the next generation of Flying Finns.

    Joining the Finns in the third Ford Fiesta WRC on nine events are British talents Gus Greensmith and Elliott Edmondson. The Brits will get their season underway in Monte-Carlo before events in Mexico, Argentina, Portugal, Sardinia, Finland, Turkey, Germany and Wales.

    The youngsters made a strong debut when they took to the wheel of the top-specification Fiesta for the first time last year – bettering the time of both Sébastien Loeb and Sébastien Ogier on their very first speed test; and the team are keen to see them continue their development at the highest level this year.

    Managing Director, Malcolm Wilson OBE, said:

    “We’re going back to our roots in more ways than one this year – fielding a young team and welcoming two sets of Finns back to the family. We enjoyed some fantastic results with Marcus, Mikko and Jari-Matti, and now I’m looking forward to seeing how the next generation of Flying Finns develop.

    “But our core philosophy has always been the promotion and progression of young talent, and in Esapekka, Teemu and Gus we have three talented youngsters who are all capable of delivering some strong results.

    “The team may be a young one, but they have the experience and ambition to go far – and I’m keen to see what they can achieve in 2020.”

    Team Principal, Richard Millener, said:

    “There’s a lot of potential in our 2020 line-up and our aim is to continue challenging for the top results. A rally win is the ultimate goal, and I think we have every chance of achieving that. Everyone is determined to deliver, and we can’t wait to get stuck in.

    “Esapekka is a proven winner and there is no doubting his speed. He finished second three times last year so I’m looking forward seeing how he gets to grips with the Fiesta. And if it’s anything like the last time he got behind the wheel of a Ford then we’re in for one hell of a season!

    “I think a lot of people will be keen to see what Teemu can do too. He and Jarmo work really well together and I wouldn’t be surprised if we saw them challenging for the top results on quite a few events this year.

    “It’s also great to see Gus back with nine events in the Fiesta WRC. He had a really strong debut last year and he’s only going to get stronger and more confident as the season progresses. This is very much a learning year for him, but if I know Gus he’ll want to make his mark too!”

    Esapekka Lappi said:

    “I’m really looking forward to this new adventure and I’m excited to see what we can achieve. M‑Sport Ford has a real passion for rally and there were a lot of talented drivers available for this seat, so I’m very happy they put their trust in us – giving myself and Janne an opportunity to show what we can do in 2020.

    “We start testing this week, and I’m really looking forward to discovering the Fiesta. The last time I drove a Ford we had a lot of success and it would be great to see that continue this year. I can’t wait to get started, and hope we can push for some strong results.”

    Teemu Suninen said:

    “I’m really grateful to Malcolm and the team for their belief in me. I feel as though I learnt a lot over the past 12 months, and I’m looking forward to seeing what Jarmo and I can do in 2020. Last year taught me that I need to give everything in all of the rallies if I want to reach the top results – and that’s what I hope to do this year.

    “It’s also really great to be in a team with Esapekka because he was something of a hero to me in my childhood. When I started go-karting as a teenager in Finland, he was in the same team and winning the championship. Three years later I was able to do the same, and now we’re both in rally and both back in the same team!”

    Gus Greensmith said:
    “I have been waiting for this opportunity my whole life, and now I have it. I’ve progressed through M-Sport Ford’s, ‘Ladder of Opportunity,’ from R1, to R2, to R5 and now WRC. I owe a lot to everyone at M-Sport and Ford who has helped me progress as a driver, but there is still a lot more to come.
    “The team may be young, but we’re all ultra-competitive and together I’m sure we can deliver some strong performances. During the off season I have made some big improvements to myself outside of the rally car. I have never been fitter, and I have never been faster, and when the light turns green for the first stage of 2020 I will be ready.”

     

  • Ford is official partner of FIA Jr WRC for 2020

    Ford is official partner of FIA Jr WRC for 2020

    Ford to partner Jr WRC in 2020. A Jr WRC image

    The iconic blue oval joins FIA Junior WRC as an official partner for 2020.

    Working with M-Sport Poland, Ford Performance assisted with thedevelopment of the EcoBoost-powered Fiesta R2T – the car that is exclusively used by all FIA Junior WRC competitors. The newpartnership sees Ford extend its commitment to finding the next generation of FIA World Rally Championship superstars offering a clear pathway from the Fiesta R2T to the Fiesta WRC – all using M-Sport built cars with EcoBoost power.

    The most powerful car (per driven axle) in WRC

    Thanks to the 200HP one-litre EcoBoost engine the Fiesta R2T features 200HP per driven axle, which is the highest in the WRC, with the top tier WRC cars delivering 190HP per driven axle.

    Same EcoBoost power, very different conditions

    The EcoBoost powered Fiesta R2Ts use the same base engine as their road going variants and will be put through their paces on both ends of the spectrum of extreme conditions. From the snow and ice of Rally Sweden, where ambient temperatures drop as low as -25°C, to the ruttedand rocky Rally d’Italia, reaching a searing 40°C, FIA Junior WRC’s 2020 crews will demonstrate the capabilities of the EcoBoostpowerplant.

    Maciej Woda, FIA Junior WRC Championship Manager: “To have Ford join FIA Junior WRC as an official partner underlines the importance of supporting and growing the potential future World Rally Champions to manufactures such as Ford. Elfyn Evans is a great example of a driver that Ford has been involved with since he started his WRC career in the championship when it was known as WRC Academyin 2012 which he won in a Ford Fiesta R2. Elfyn graduated to the WRC 2 category in 2013 with a Ford Fiesta R5 and joined the M-Sport World Rally Team full-time for the 2014 season and took his maiden WRC overall victory in 2017 on Wales Rally GB in an EcoBoost poweredFord Fiesta WRC.”

    Gerard Quinn, Senior Manager Ford Performance Europe: “Ford has been a proud partner and advocate of the JWRC from  its inception several years ago.  Since the foundation of Ford Motor Company we have consistently been at the forefront of making opportunities for talent to flourish in motorsport.  The JWRC provides a valuable opportunity for Ford to be involved in a professional rally series that continues to find world class driving talent.  Obviously we are delighted that the Ford Fiesta continues to be  the competition car of choice for this exciting programme in 2020.”

     

  • Gaurav Gill all set for Rally of Australia: WRC

    Gaurav Gill all set for Rally of Australia: WRC

    Gaurav Gill all set to resume rallying at WRC Australia leg.

    New Delhi, 11 Nov 2019: After the unfortunate incident in Jodhpur in September, during the third round of the INRC, India’s top rally driver Gaurav Gill will be back on familiar territory as he returns to the Rally of Australia, the final round of the prestigious FIA World Rally Championship this weekend.

    Gill, a three-time APRC champion and recent Arjuna Awardee, had taken part in WRC2 of this rally last year too and had come up with an impressive performance.

    The JK Tyre athlete in India, donning JK Racing colours internationally with Macneall Glenn as his co-driver, made his debut as a registered driver in the Rally of Turkey and looked set for a Top 5 finish in his category.

    Gaurav Gill during the test run at Raleigh International Raceway ahead of Rally of Australia from Nov 14. Photo: JK Tyre.

    But mechanical problems hurt him on almost each of the four days, eventually depriving him of the opportunity to excel on the world stage. On the final day, with just 5 kms left to finish the rally, his R5 WRC2 car gave in after a gearbox failure.

    He missed the Rally of Wales in between and is now set for the Kennards Hire Rally Australia from November 14 to 17.

    “I have had very good testing here over the last few days. I have made a lot of changes to the chassis and the handling of the car and I have a good feeling about the new car. I can’t wait to start the rally, since I’ve been here and have had top times in the past I’m confident of a positive result too,” Gill said from New South Wales, shortly after a practice run.

    “I’m loving all the support from rally fans in India as well as many well—wishers on social media,” he added.

    “It’s great to see Gaurav Gill behind the wheel at one of his favourite terrains,” Sanjay Sharma, head of JK Tyre Motorsports, said. “We would like to see him drive in his usual aggressive self and make an impact,” he added.

    Going by his last year’s performance and the field, Gaurav stands a very good chance of making the podium. He needs to make sure that he completes the rally to become the first Indian to achieve this feat.

    The Rally of Australia, however, may be shortened due to the raging fire in the forest stages around the city of Coffs Coast, New South Wales.

    The organisers announced that they were in consultation with emergency services, authorities and local community and would take a final call soon. They were confident of staging the WRC on all four days, even if it’s a shorter affair.

  • Battle on for Constructors’ title as WRC moves down under for its last leg

    Battle on for Constructors’ title as WRC moves down under for its last leg

    File photo by FIA

    The 2019 FIA World Rally Championship season reaches its conclusion on the gravel roads of Rally Australia (November 14-17), where the battle for the manufacturers’ title goes down to the wire.

    Coffs Harbour (Australia), 8 Nov 2019: Previously based in Perth, Rally Australia moved to New South Wales ten years ago and has been now located in Coffs Harbour for most of this decade, since 2011. The surrounding area provides an exciting mix of gravel stages, combining rugged and dusty forest tracks in the bush with wider and faster roads through the open countryside.

    After Ott Tänak and navigator Martin Järveoja claimed their maiden drivers’ and co-drivers’ title last time out on Rally de España, all eyes are now on the fight for the manufacturers’ crown. The battle will be raging between Hyundai, seeking to win its first FIA WRC title with an 18-point advantage, against the defending Champion, Toyota.

    While the Japanese manufacturer relies on its regular trio of drivers featuring Tänak, Kris Meeke and Jari-Matti Latvala, the South-Korean squad has once again tweaked its line-up, with Thierry Neuville joined by Dani Sordo and Craig Breen, although 2016 Rally Australia winner Andreas Mikkelsen had been initially announced on the entry list. At M-Sport Ford, New Zealander Hayden Paddon enters with a third Ford Fiesta, alongside Elfyn Evans and Teemu Suninen, on an event on which he finished second in 2018 and third in 2017.

    In the drivers’ competition, the fight for the runner-up spot remains alive between Rally Spain’s winner Neuville and six-time WRC Champion Ogier, separated by just 10 points in second and third respectively. There’s also a thrilling battle ahead between the drivers in fourth to ninth position, covered by only 13 points. With 30 points available in Australia, the top 10 could be looking very different at the end of WRC’s grand finale!

    In the support championships, Škoda Motorsport has won it all in the FIA WRC 2 Pro category this season, by securing the drivers’ title with their factory crew of Kalle Rovanperä and Jonne Haltunnen on Rally GB, as well as the manufacturers’ title last time out in Spain. In Australia, the focus switches to the FIA WRC 2 class, where the champion is still to be decided between Pierre-Louis Loubet – the winner in Portugal and Italy earlier this year – and Benito Guerra, who started his campaign with a victory on home soil in Mexico in March. Both contenders will be driving a Škoda Fabia R5, with the Frenchman leading his Mexican rival by 16 points.

    THE 2019 ROUTE

    Changes for the 2019 event include an earlier start to the competitive action in the form of two runs over a revamped Super Special stage near the Coffs Harbour jetty on Thursday afternoon. On Friday, the crews will travel north for morning and afternoon loops of the familiar Coldwater and Sherwood tests and the new Kookaburra Road, blending sections from a number of previous stages, while two further passes of the super special will end the event’s longest leg. On Saturday, the action will head south to the flowing farmland tests of Northbank and Utungun, joined by the classic shire roads of the Argents Hill and Welshs Creek stages. Sunday’s repeated loop also features new stages in Mount Coramba and Lower Bucca, before a longer version of the popular Wedding Bells test, which will again serve as the Power Stage and scene for the final podium ceremony.

    RALLY DATA

    Total distance 1.084.00 km
    Stage distance: 324.53 km (30%)
    Number of stages: 25
  • 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
  • News Flash: Tanak-Jarveoja crowned 2019 WRC Champions; Neuville wins

    News Flash: Tanak-Jarveoja crowned 2019 WRC Champions; Neuville wins

    Thierry Neuville and Nicolas Gilsoul scored victory on Rally de España in Salou today, but it was not enough to keep the Hyundai crew in the fight for the crown, as Toyota’s Ott Tänak and Martin Järveoja secured the 2019 FIA World Rally Championship title.*

    Tänak and Jarveojä finished in second place but importantly won maximum Power Stage points, which promoted them ahead of Dani Sordo and Carlos Del Barrio, who complete the podium in third place.

    Mads Østberg and Torstein Eriksen claimed FIA WRC 2 Pro victory for Citroën, while Eric Camilli and Benjamin Veillas won in the FIA WRC 2 class in a privateer Citroën C3 R5.

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

  • Thierry Neuville takes the lead after the Spanish rally switches to asphalt

    Thierry Neuville takes the lead after the Spanish rally switches to asphalt

    Thierry Neuville takes the lead as the rally switches to asphalt on Saturday. An FIA image

    Catalonia (Spain), 26 Oct 2019: Thierry Neuville took the lead from his teammate Sébastien Loeb as Rally de España, the penultimate round of the 14-event World Rally Championship, made the switch from gravel to asphalt on Saturday morning. Dani Sordo is in third place as Meeke crashed out, completing an all-Hyundai Top three.

    After the cars were converted into asphalt specification during a longer than usual service on Friday night, the crews faced a loop of three stages this morning on Catalonia’s smooth and fast sealed surface roads.

    A charging Neuville, who had previously led briefly on Friday morning, won the first speed test of the day, SS7, to move ahead of Loeb, the overnight leader. The Belgian was fastest again in SS8 and despite a braking issue in SS9, he increased his advantage at the top to 11.4 seconds, hence keeping his hopes of winning the driver’s title alive.

    2018 Rally de España winner Loeb is second, 5.4s ahead of Sordo, who initially lost third place in the morning’s first stage after a second-quickest time from Toyota’s Kris Meeke.

    But Meeke then crashed out at the start of SS8, hitting a barrier with his Yaris WRC and ripping off the rear-right wheel. This moved the Spanish favourite back to third and Toyota’s Ott Tänak to fourth.

    Tänak had a steady start to the day but still took a stage win in SS9, coming closer to a maiden World Champion title.

    Jari-Matti Latvala is fifth ahead of M-Sport Ford’s Elfyn Evans and Teemu Suninen, while Sébastien Ogier is up to eighth, following the hydraulic issues he suffered on Friday on his C3 WRC. Just behind Ogier, Mads Østberg and Eric Camilli round out the overall top 10 in their Citroën machinery and lead FIA WRC 2 Pro and WRC 2 respectively.

    Østberg leads the Škodas of 2019 WRC 2 Pro champion Kalle Rovanperä and his teammate Jan Kopecky. In WRC 2, Pierre-Louis Loubet is second in front of Kajetan Kajetanowitz.

    Ninth overnight, Toyota’s protégé Takamoto Katsuta stopped at the start of the day’s first stage as he struggled to select gears in his Toyota, but he was able to continue after losing 17 minutes.

  • Sebastien Loeb leads Hyundai’s 1-2-3: WRC Spanish Rally

    Sebastien Loeb leads Hyundai’s 1-2-3: WRC Spanish Rally

    Sebastian Loeb takes lead on Friday. An FIA image

    Nine-time FIA World Rally Champion Sébastien Loeb took the lead of Rally de España ahead of his Hyundai teammates with a commanding time on Friday’s final stage.

    Sixth overall after his stage win on the first run over the event’s longest stage – the 38.85 kilometre “La Fatarella-Vilalba” – Loeb continued to set impressive pace in the afternoon’s loop of three stages, held mostly on gravel to the west of Salou.

    A win on SS5 moved the Frenchman to third behind his colleagues Dani Sordo and Thierry Neuville, before another fastest time on SS6 – by 8.9 seconds – propelled him into the lead, ahead of Saturday’s tarmac stages.

    He now holds a small advantage of 1.7s over Neuville, while Sordo is a further 5.9s behind after struggling in the day’s final stage.

    The three Hyundais are followed by the three Toyotas, with Kris Meeke moving up to fourth ahead of Ott Tänak by setting the second quickest time in SS6. Running first on the road, Tänak ended the day 21.7s off the lead and 8.7s behind Meeke, although the Estonian “pushed hard”.

    Jari-Matti Latvala said he was lacking confidence in the morning but improved in the afternoon to move from eighth after SS3 to sixth overall; another eight seconds behind Tänak.

    Elfyn Evans dropped to seventh after he had an issue on his Ford Fiesta in SS6. His teammate Teemu Suninen is eighth and Takamoto Katsuta holds ninth in a privately entered Toyota.

    A difficult day for Citroën continued as Esapekka Lappi was forced to stop and retire in SS5 because of a technical issue affecting his engine. Sébastien Ogier is 17th overnight, with a deficit of four minutes, following an hydraulic problem that hampered him during the morning.

    Mads Østberg is 10th overall and leading FIA WRC2 Pro in his Citroën, increasing his advantage over Škoda’s Kalle Rovanperä to over 40 seconds. Jan Kopecky completes the class standings overnight.

    Pierre-Louis Loubet now leads FIA WRC 2, just 1.5s in front of fellow compatriot Eric Camilli, while Ole Christian Veiby is in third position, a further 20.7s behind.

    Unofficial Results after Section 2 (Day 1):

    1. Sébastien Loeb (FRA) / Daniel Elena (MON) Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC 1hr 21min 24.7sec
    2. Thierry Neuville (BEL) / Nicolas Gilsoul (BEL) Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC 1hr 21min 26.4sec
    3. Dani Sordo (SPA) / Carlos Del Barrio (SPA) Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC 1hr 21min 32.3sec
    4. Kris Meeke (GBR) / Sebastian Marshall (GBR) Toyota Yaris WRC 1hr 21min 37.7sec
    5. Ott Tänak (EST) / Martin Järveoja (EST) Toyota Yaris WRC 1hr 21min 46.4sec
    6. Jari-Matti Latvala (FIN) / Mikka Anttila Toyota Yaris WRC 1hr 21min 54.8sec
    7. Elfyn Evans (GBR) / Scott Martin (GBR) Ford Fiesta WRC 1hr 22min 8.7sec
    8. Teemu Suninen (FIN) / Marko Salminen (FIN) Ford Fiesta WRC 1hr 22min 16.5sec
    9. Takamoto Katsuta (JAP) / Daniel Barritt (GBR) Toyota Yaris WRC 1hr 23min 15.1sec
    10. Mads Østberg (NOR) / Torstein Eriksen (NOR) Citroën C3 R5 1hr 24min 24.5sec