Kalle Rovanperä leads as thick fog shuffles the order
Kalle Rovanpera moved ahead of Toyota team-mate Elfyn Evans to lead Rally Chile as thick fog turned the fight for the World Rally Championship victory on its head. The reigning world champion started Saturday in third but emerged through treacherous weather and incredibly poor visibility to head overnight leader Evans by 15.1 seconds going into […]
Ogier concedes WRC title run is over after Chile retirement
Sebastien Ogier believes his bid for a record-equalling ninth World Rally Championship title is over after retiring from Rally Chile. The Toyota driver headed into the final gravel round of the season 38 points adrift of championship leader, Hyundai’s Thierry Neuville, having emerged as a serious title contender after winning Rally Finland in August. Ogier’s […]
WRC Chile: Elfyn Evans leads Rovanperä
Elfyn Evans claimed two of the three Saturday morning stages to extend his Rally Chile lead as reigning world champion Kalle Rovanperä emerged as his nearest rival. Evans, who was handed a three-second overnight lead following a change to his notional stage one time, completed a trio of abrasive gravel stages with a 11.3s margin […]
Ogier retires after hitting rock in stage eight
Sebastien Ogier’s World Rally Championship title hopes have suffered a blow after retiring from Rally Chile on stage eight. The eight-time world champion hit a rock with the front-right wheel of his GR Yaris, 400 metres from the finish of stage eight (Lota, 25.6km). Ogier hit the rock on the entry to a slow left-hander […]
Elfyn Evans keeps WRC Rally Chile lead after Hyundai protest
Toyota’s Elfyn Evans has held onto the Rally Chile lead after stewards rejected a protest from the Hyundai World Rally Championship team against the reallocation of a notional stage time. Hyundai’s Ott Tanak ended Friday’s six stages with a 0.4-second margin over Evans before stewards received a request to review the notional time issued to […]
Tanak surprised by WRC Rally Chile pace after Friday struggles
Ott Tanak admitted he was surprised to be fighting for the Rally Chile victory having initially written off his chances after Friday’s first stage. The Hyundai driver delivered an impressive drive from second on the road to lead Toyota’s Elfyn Evans by 0.4 seconds at the end of Friday’s six stages. Tanak will, however, head into […]
Elfyn Evans regains WRC Rally Chile lead after notional time adjustment
Elfyn Evans has been handed the Rally Chile lead after World Rally Championship officials issued an adjustment to the notional stage one time awarded to the Toyota driver. Evans had ended Friday’s six stages trailing Hyundai’s Ott Tanak by 0.4s, but a change in the notional time awarded to the Welshman for the interrupted opening […]
Tanak holds on to lead Evans by 0.4s
Ott Tanak held off World Rally Championship title rival Elfyn Evans to claim a slender 0.4s Rally Chile lead on the opening day of the final gravel round of the season. Tanak was never totally comfortable with his Hyundai i20 N through the day’s six slippery gravel stages but consistent pace helped the Estonian snatch […]
Ogier latest to protest FIA clampdown after Verstappen swearing saga
Sebastien Ogier has explained the reason for his short replies in Rally Chile stage-end interviews stating, «We have been told by the top of the FIA to shut our mouths». The eight-time world rally champion’s reaction follows being handed a €30,000 suspended fine from the FIA for comments he directed at officials at the end […]