Метка: Rally Portugal

Hyundai’s plan to help Tanak unlock potential from WRC car

Опубликовано от ASPPA IMAGES ANO


Tanak has struggled to adjust to the i20 N Rally1 following his return to the Korean manufacturer this season but showed signs he’s made a stride forward by challenging for victory in Portugal earlier this month.

Tanak was able to find a way to drive around his set-up struggles on Portugal’s gravel roads to finish a season’s best second, 7.9s adrift of rally winner Toyota’s Sebastien Ogier. Tanak, who sits 31 points adrift of team-mate and championship leader Thierry Neuville, felt he could have won the rally had he avoided a puncture on stage 13.

Hyundai boss Abiteboul was encouraged by Tanak’s performance but believes there is more the team can do to tailor the car more to his liking for the remainder of the season. Hyundai is also yet to decide how it will deploy its remaining homologation jokers for 2024.

“I’m happy with his [Tanak’s] performance as we are opening stint of seven rallies with a similar profile, so the fact, that not always but on occasions, he was feeling good with the car does show that we can expect something good from him in the following rounds,” Abiteboul told Motorsport.com.

“Having said that he has given us a clear direction of what he wants to change and again that is what we want. From an engineering side, it is good to have a new perspective and angle on things on what we need to do, and we will endeavour to do that as soon as possible.

“We have some ideas, there is indeed some limitation, but we have some ideas, and we will be testing some stuff in relation to that, and maybe for introduction this year.

Photo by: Red Bull Content Pool

“We still need to confirm exactly the two jokers that we want to use for this year, so we have some leeway there.

“I think what is interesting that Thierry has been able to drive around those limitations and I think by doing so does cost him a bit of speed, and the fact that Ott is saying that he cannot do what Thierry is doing, there is something not quite right with the car. By helping Ott I also believe he can help Thierry unlock an extra step.”

Abiteboul believes that Tanak is not suffering from a lack of confidence and commitment and that the onus is on the team to extract the best out of its driver.

“It is not just him building his confidence he doesn’t lack confidence or commitment it is about us coming with the mechanical solutions, so he has a better feeling for how the car is going to respond,” he added.

The WRC continues with a visit to Sardinia next week, which will feature a new 48-hour itinerary concept.

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Tanak has struggled to adjust to the i20 N Rally1 following his return to the Korean manufacturer this season but showed signs he’s made a stride forward by challenging for victory in Portugal earlier this month.

Tanak was able to find a way to drive around his set-up struggles on Portugal’s gravel roads to finish a season’s best second, 7.9s adrift of rally winner Toyota’s Sebastien Ogier. Tanak, who sits 31 points adrift of team-mate and championship leader Thierry Neuville, felt he could have won the rally had he avoided a puncture on stage 13.

Hyundai boss Abiteboul was encouraged by Tanak’s performance but believes there is more the team can do to tailor the car more to his liking for the remainder of the season. Hyundai is also yet to decide how it will deploy its remaining homologation jokers for 2024.

«I’m happy with his [Tanak’s] performance as we are opening stint of seven rallies with a similar profile, so the fact, that not always but on occasions, he was feeling good with the car does show that we can expect something good from him in the following rounds,» Abiteboul told Motorsport.com.

«Having said that he has given us a clear direction of what he wants to change and again that is what we want. From an engineering side, it is good to have a new perspective and angle on things on what we need to do, and we will endeavour to do that as soon as possible.

«We have some ideas, there is indeed some limitation, but we have some ideas, and we will be testing some stuff in relation to that, and maybe for introduction this year.

Photo by: Red Bull Content Pool

«We still need to confirm exactly the two jokers that we want to use for this year, so we have some leeway there.

«I think what is interesting that Thierry has been able to drive around those limitations and I think by doing so does cost him a bit of speed, and the fact that Ott is saying that he cannot do what Thierry is doing, there is something not quite right with the car. By helping Ott I also believe he can help Thierry unlock an extra step.»

Abiteboul believes that Tanak is not suffering from a lack of confidence and commitment and that the onus is on the team to extract the best out of its driver.

«It is not just him building his confidence he doesn’t lack confidence or commitment it is about us coming with the mechanical solutions, so he has a better feeling for how the car is going to respond,» he added.

The WRC continues with a visit to Sardinia next week, which will feature a new 48-hour itinerary concept.

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Has the WRC finally turned a corner in its promotion pursuit?

Опубликовано от ASPPA IMAGES ANO


Harmony within the World Rally Championship has been a rare commodity over the last 12 months. Conflict over a lack of promotion or uncertainty over future technical regulations has been a regular theme.

But at Rally Portugal last weekend, there was a moment where the WRC Promoter, key stakeholders and the FIA all appeared to be singing from the same hymn sheet. There was a genuine feeling that the green shoots required to take this championship forward and unlock its potential to be a top player in the global sporting sphere are beginning to grow again.

This light-at-the-end-of-tunnel optimism for the future has arisen following a presentation delivered by the WRC Promoter outlining its key initiatives to improve the promotion of the championship.

While there has been a strong pushback from the manufacturers regarding the FIA’s proposed technical regulations for next year, and plenty of headlines have been devoted to uncertainty over rules for 2027 and beyond that are designed to attract new players to the table, raising the profile of the championship is just as important to stakeholders as firming up the rules.

The two factors go hand in hand. If the championship’s profile is raised and more eyeballs are watching it, the return on investment increases for those competing. This also makes opting to compete in the WRC an easier decision for automotive management boards to sign off and commit significant budget.

Last Saturday’s vision was a crucial moment for the WRC as it strives to be the ultimate version of itself. The meeting was held almost exactly a year after the WRC’s current plight was made clear by an outburst made by Hyundai’s Thierry Neuville, stating that the championship was at a critical point and needed change to improve its appeal.

Neuville's outburst one year ago has had the desired effect of spurring the WRC into action

Neuville’s outburst one year ago has had the desired effect of spurring the WRC into action

Photo by: McKlein / Motorsport Images

The need to raise the bar has certainly been highlighted by the incredible success Formula 1 has achieved under Liberty Media, which has put pressure on all sporting disciplines to up their promotional game. Neuville’s words triggered action.

A forum was held between the promoter, drivers and teams in Sardinia last year to discuss ideas to improve the category. Elfyn Evans’ co-driver Scott Martin has since joined the WRC Commission to offer competitors a voice in the decision-making process moving forward.

Changes have been made with the introduction of a new points system for this year. It has made Sundays more exciting, but has been largely derided for devaluing wins and being overly complicated. Later this month will be a trial of a 48-hour event in Sardinia, which intends to offer event organisers flexibility and variety in formats. There have also been significant improvements in the social media output from the WRC Promoter.

«They will implement a lot this year, like having a test year, then implement a lot more for ’25»
Pernilla Solberg

The FIA rolled out its vision for the future of the WRC in February, causing uproar among the teams with its proposal to remove hybrid power while making aero and power downgrades to the Rally1 cars three years into a five-year cycle. Motorsport.com understands that there is a strong chance these changes won’t eventuate for next season. The teams have however been supportive of the FIA’s proposals for events to be more flexible and varied.

Amid all the movement behind-the-scenes over the last 12 months, Saturday’s presentation was perhaps the culmination. While finer details of the promoter’s initiatives are yet to be disclosed, it was communicated that it plans to put direct investment into realising its dream of breaking into the US market with an event in Tennessee in 2026. This was followed by plans to increase fan attendance at events by creating a better experience and further investment into digital and social media.

There are also plans to improve its broadcast package through a “command centre” that will feature more data and Formula 1 style team radio. It is understood helmet cameras, similar to those in operation in F1, are also being investigated to add a raw experience to the broadcast.

As previously reported, team bosses from Toyota, Hyundai and M-Sport-Ford have all been supportive of the measures. But perhaps more importantly, so was the FIA as the World Motor Sport Council looms, with technical and sporting decisions due to be made on 11 June.

“We had this presentation from WRC Promoter about the future and it’s something we know it’s very important for our manufacturers to know the way ahead,” said the FIA’s WRC Commission president Pernilla Solberg.

Pernilla Solberg (right) recognises that things appear to be moving in the right direction

Pernilla Solberg (right) recognises that things appear to be moving in the right direction

Photo by: McKlein / McMaster

“We’ve had several meetings with everyone to understand where they want to take us, what events and what direction is super important for everyone to make a clear, stable road ahead for us.

“This is something I think we’ve all missed and longed for. I think the presentation they made was really good and gave some clear indicators of what they want and how willing they are to invest and to take responsibility. That was really nice to see, and for me very nice that they acknowledge that.

“And then also confirming that we will go to the US, and they will invest in activation much more for fans on events and activation more in social media to maybe have a different tone. And also different techniques in how to broadcast, how to capture the images we have from the cars, what kind of cameras they use, so a lot of technical things as well. That was also very nice to see how they are willing to invest in equipment as well to broadcast the cool sport that we have.”

The FIA’s chief commercial officer Craig Edmondson went further, adding: “It was a really constructive, positive meeting. It was a major step change I think in the direction of travel with the promoter, and I feel very, very positive for what the future holds for WRC because of that.”

Now it’s time to work together

The pieces of the puzzle have been laid out and it appears all stakeholders are in agreement, so now it’s to push forward. Solberg believes that some of these initiatives could come online this year ahead of a wider rollout in 2025.

“I think they will start already this year to implement things,” she said. “They have already started…

“I’m not a very good person on social media, but they have invested in talking a bit in a different tone. They’ve done some clips and experiments of how to explain our sport better, not just taking for granted that everybody knows. I can’t remember from the top of my head, but they will implement a lot this year, like having a test year, then implement a lot more for ’25.”

Measures are already under way to improve promotion of the WRC

Measures are already under way to improve promotion of the WRC

Photo by: M-Sport

This progress will be music to the stakeholders and to the fans. But Solberg was also keen to stress that achieving the desired goals will require everyone to work together. Perhaps that is the most important message.

“I think we all agree that we all have to improve what we do, we can’t just point at one of us saying ‘it’s only the promoter’s fault’,” Solberg added. “What is really nice is to have the feeling that everybody acknowledges that we have to do better together.

“If we’re going to succeed and if we want to become an attractive motorsport, we have to do this together. We can’t just blame one part and not take responsibility ourselves. So for sure, we all need to do better.”

Can the WRC stick together to navigate the path ahead?

Can the WRC stick together to navigate the path ahead?

Photo by: Toyota Racing

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Evans feels “new ideas” are required after WRC Portugal struggles

Опубликовано от ASPPA IMAGES ANO


The Toyota driver felt that “everything he touched went wrong” last weekend as he witnessed his six-point deficit to championship leader Hyundai’s Thierry Neuville balloon to 24 points.

Evans’ difficulties began on Friday as he and his Toyota team-mates Sebastien Ogier, Kalle Rovanpera and Takamoto Katsuta struggled to find a balance with their GR Yaris Rally1 cars on the gravel stages.

This, on top of starting second on the road dropped Evans down the leaderboard before co-driver Scott Martin left his pacenote book at the stage 6 time control, which forced Evans to drive to notes being delivered from a digital copy on a mobile phone.

While the Welshman lost minimal time from the pacenotes, he conceded 52.6s to a puncture that left him in sixth at the end of Saturday. A broken radiator put his rally at risk on Sunday and subsequently ended any chances of scoring extra points, leaving him with six Saturday points, compared to Neuville’s total of 24.

With the rough gravel of Sardinia, the next destination on the WRC calendar (30 May- 2 June), Evans is hopeful his team can find a set-up solution to his Portugal struggles.

“The six points is the only positive. Of course, you want to forget the weekend, but we have to learn from it and be ready for the next one,” Evans told Motorsport.com.

“It will be difficult now with the current testing situation, but we definitely need to come up with some new ideas for Sardinia.

When asked if there was time to find a solution, he added: “Possibly, but it is obviously a risk to take something without trying it but maybe we need to look back to the past, we will see, we will discuss with the team.”

Toyota opted to conduct its pre-event Portugal test in Sardinia in order to prepare for the two gravel rallies, with test days limited under the FIA’s testing regulations.

Team principal Jari-Matti Latvala is however confident his cars will perform better in Sardinia. 

“I think on Saturday we could see we were improving with the performance of the car, so this was a good step forward,” Latvala told Motorsport.com.

“I’m not so worried about Sardinia but the biggest thing is we just need to stay on the road, because the current championship doesn’t allow you to do so many mistakes. The punishment is quite hard.”

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Tanak not far from “being in the fight” after Portugal WRC victory challenge

Опубликовано от ASPPA IMAGES ANO


The 2019 world champion ignited his season last weekend by ending a 2024 podium drought after losing out in an intense victory battle with Toyota’s Sebastien Ogier.

Prior to Portugal, Tanak had struggled for form since rejoining Hyundai this year, headlined by mistakes in the season opener in Monte Carlo and in Sweden, followed by an unfortunate crash in Kenya.

Finding the sweet spot in the i20 N was an issue in Croatia and again in Portugal, although Tanak was able to make progress and drive around the problems last weekend to challenge Ogier.

Tanak briefly led the rally on Saturday before a slow puncture on stage 13 handed the advantage back to the Frenchman, which held to the finish by a margin of 7.9s.

While Tanak admits he is not feeling 100% driving the Hyundai, he is making progress.

“I would say [we could have won without the puncture]. If you take 13 or 15 seconds off [the time] then we were going to be there,” Tanak told Motorsportcom.

“Obviously, Seb was pushing all the way through, so I would say he definitely didn’t slow down because of it.

Ott Tänak, Martin Järveoja, Hyundai World Rally Team Hyundai i20 N Rally1

Ott Tänak, Martin Järveoja, Hyundai World Rally Team Hyundai i20 N Rally1

Photo by: McKlein / Motorsport Images

“Definitely the outcome is not too bad it is just very unfortunate this one stage with the tyre, the slow puncture, otherwise I would say it was quite positive. On Friday we were struggling but I was slowly getting used to the car and in the Power Stage on Sunday I went for a push, but it wasn’t really working anymore, and I had too many mistakes.

“As long as I could keep a little margin, I was able to manage and especially with the second loop when the roads were a bit rougher and when I could lean in the ruts, I was quite ok.

“Let’s say, we are not in a place with the car where I have the speed of the others, but at least we are not far away, and if we keep pushing, we should be in the fight.”

Although Tanak missed out on victory, he scored 26 points, a point more than rally winner Ogier thanks to the championship’s new points structure. The points haul moved Tanak into third in the championship, 31 points behind leader and Hyundai team-mate Thierry Neuville.

When asked if this was a boost to the championship, he added: “Let’s see. Like in Croatia, everybody has still scored the same points. You can do whatever you want but it [this point system] is like being in Kindergarten, and there is a thumbs up for everyone and a thanks for coming.”

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Neuville stunned by almost “impossible” result in WRC Rally Portugal

Опубликовано от ASPPA IMAGES ANO


The Hyundai driver had downplayed chances of a strong result in the first event of the WRC’s traditional gravel season given the disadvantage of opening the gravel roads on Friday.

An impressive performance on Friday, which included a stunning stage win on Arganil, limited the time loss to 18.1s to keep the Belgian firmly in the fight.

Neuville was able to steadily climb the leaderboard to sit third, claiming 13 points, heading into the final day having been assisted by retirements for rally leader Kalle Rovanpera and Takamoto Katsuta, who held third.

To cap off the display Neuville finished second in the Super Sunday standings and won the Power Stage to claim 24 points, 18 more than title rival Evans, who endured a difficult rally.

“Nobody expected us to be on the podium here actually and to increase the lead in the championship was nearly impossible,” Neuville told Motorsport.com.

“But somehow, we made it with a strong Friday run and then after that, we were consistent yesterday and we pushed hard today for those extra points which have made the difference.

“It is quite a margin [in the championship] but you can see how easy it is to lose points with Elfyn having problems today. I mean if somebody has a good run on Friday and Saturday and you have problems on Sunday and he scores the 12 points, he can take back some of the gap, so consistency is going to be important.”

Photo by: Red Bull Content Pool

Evans was fortunate to salvage six points from the event after a stone damaged his cooling system which required the Welshman to limp to the end of the penultimate stage in EV mode before undergoing a roadside repair.

This ended any hopes of securing any Super Sunday points leaving Evans with six points acquired from finishing sixth at the end of Saturday. Evans started the rally on the backfoot as he struggled for confidence with the balance of his GR Yaris.

The Toyota driver then had to drive to pacenotes being delivered from a mobile phone after co-driver Scott Martin accidentally left his pacenote book at the stage six time control. The misfortune was compounded by a puncture in stage seven.

“The six points is the only positive. Of course, you want to forget the weekend, but we have to learn from it and be ready for the next one,” Evans told Motorsport.com.

“It is still early in the season. It is not what you hope for, and we obviously have to aim for some strong rallies and see what is possible.

“It is definitely the case that anything can happen at any point of the season. For sure, 24 points seems big now, but it can turn around very quickly.”

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Surpassing Markku Alen’s WRC Portugal record “means a lot”

Опубликовано от ASPPA IMAGES ANO


Eight-time world champion Ogier added yet another record to his glittering resume by scoring a record sixth career Rally Portugal after beating Hyundai’s Ott Tanak by 7.9s. The triumph marked Ogier’s 60th WRC win and his second from three rallies during a part-time campaign for Toyota this year.

Rally Portugal, one of the founding members of the WRC in 1973, is a special place for Ogier having scored his first WRC win in 2010 for the Citroen Junior Team. Further wins followed in 2011 (Citroen), 2013-2014 (Volkswagen) and 2017 (M-Sport Ford) and until now, Ogier had been tied with 1978 world champion Alen for most wins in Portugal (1975,1977,1978,1981,1987).

Now standing on his own in the Rally Portugal record books, 40-year-old Ogier admitted his latest triumph was a special victory.

“It is [special] for sure. It looks like every weekend I get to enjoy nice new number, so I have to enjoy these moments and cherish them as you never know when it is going to end,” Ogier told Motorsport.com.

“But at the moment we are still having a good run and my age hasn’t hit us too bad yet, so we have to continue like this.

“It means a lot as he [Markku] is a legend. I have heard this comparison for years now and somehow it is nice to have this behind me, although I have enjoyed tying with him on this record.”

The passage to victory was not straightforward as Ogier initially struggled with the setup of his Toyota on Friday, before emerging from an intense fight with Tanak.

Photo by: Red Bull Content Pool

Ogier felt the secret to the success was “almost perfect race management” across the 22 stages. The only negative in Ogier’s eyes was the fact he left Portugal, scoring one point less than Tanak under the new points system that continues to split opinion.

“I think it is pretty clear that our race management was as close to perfect this weekend, and that is what brought us to where we are today,” he said.

“We pushed when we needed to and when I felt 100% in the car I pushed and managed to make some good times. Then when the situations were a bit more challenging and more tricky, I thought about it. The consistency was our biggest advantage and I still think we were the best performer.

“Three rallies, two wins and second place, it really isn’t that bad at all. The only not-so-bright side is the points as it is not reflecting at all what we have achieved. We don’t even need to discuss it anymore as it is clearly wrong.”

Toyota team principal Jari-Matti Latvala believes the way Ogier secured victory highlighted why the Frenchman has won eight world titles.

“Seb was magnificent and once again he was so mature and the way he was able to drive, and the pressure was there from Ott, I have to say he is very clever,” said Latvala.

“He knows the situation, and he goes fast but if the conditions are bad, he doesn’t push the car too much to the limit. This is why he has won the championship so many times.”

Ogier will rejoin the Toyota for the next two WRC rounds in Sardinia and Poland.

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Ogier makes history with record sixth Portugal win

Опубликовано от ASPPA IMAGES ANO


Eight-time world champion Ogier and co-driver Vincent Landais managed to avoid drama from 22 challenging gravel stages to take a second win from his 2024 partial campaign by 7.9s from Tanak, who secured his best result of the season so far.

Ogier’s run to victory helped the Frenchman eclipse 1978 world champion Markku Alen as the most successful driver in Rally Portugal history.

Championship leader Hyundai’s Neuville produced an impressive drive to round out the podium [+1m09.8s] despite facing the disadvantage of starting first on the road on Friday.

Ogier, making his first WRC appearance on gravel since Acropolis last year, initially struggled with the balance of his GR Yaris on Friday morning. However, a big push on stage nine hauled the Frenchman from fourth to second just one second behind leader and team-mate and fellow part-time driver Kalle Rovanpera.

Friday’s eight stages proved to be hotly contested as 9.1s covered the top six after the morning loop while 5.4s split the top four heading into Saturday.

Ogier assumed the rally lead after stage 11 when Rovanpera misjudged a right-hand corner and clouted a tree which pitched his GR Yaris into a roll. The victory battle developed into a head-to-head with Tanak after Friday morning leader Takamoto Katsuta clipped a rock in stage 12 causing terminal damage to his Toyota’s rear suspension.   

Tanak had been fighting with the balance of his i20 N through Friday but was able deliver blistering pace in heat on Saturday. A stunning effort in the first pass of Amarante, 37.24km pushed Tanak into the rally lead by 0.2s over Ogier. The Estonian became the fifth different leader in 12 stages.

Ott Tänak, Martin Järveoja, Hyundai World Rally Team Hyundai i20 N Rally1

Ott Tänak, Martin Järveoja, Hyundai World Rally Team Hyundai i20 N Rally1

Photo by: McKlein / Motorsport Images

However, a slow puncture for Tanak in stage 13 cost him 13.8s to Ogier who moved back into the lead he would hold until the finish. Back-to-back stage wins in Felgueiras 2 and Montim 2 for Tanak applied pressure on Ogier as the gap reduced to 7.8s.

Ogier issued an immediate response to open up the lead which he controlled through Sunday’s four stages to claim the win. The Frenchman claimed 25 points after finishing third in the Super Sunday standings which added five points to his 18 from Saturday in addition to two points from the Power Stage.

Tanak secured a much-needed 26 points which helped move him to third in the championship, ahead of M-Sport’s Adrien Fourmaux.

Neuville ran as high as second on Friday morning after coping admirably opening the road before falling down to sixth. Drama for Rovanpera and Katsuta helped climb the leaderboard ending Saturday in third [13 points] after Hyundai told its third driver Dani Sordo to back off to fall behind the championship leader.

Neuville held onto the final podium spot through Sunday while claiming 24 points for finishing third on Saturday, second in the Super Sunday classification alongside five points for winning the Power Stage.

This helped Neuville open up a 24-point championship lead over Evans, who endured a difficult rally. After struggling to find confidence with the set up of his GR Yaris, misfortune struck twice on Friday afternoon.

First, co-driver Scott Martin left his pacenote book on a table at the stage six time control, requiring Martin to read pacenotes from a backup version on his mobile phone, before the pair suffered a puncture on stage seven. To make matters worse, an overheating issue threatened to end their rally prematurely, but a roadside repair ensured they reached the finish to claim the six points for finishing sixth on Saturday.

Thierry Neuville, Martijn Wydaeghe, Hyundai World Rally Team Hyundai i20 N Rally1

Thierry Neuville, Martijn Wydaeghe, Hyundai World Rally Team Hyundai i20 N Rally1

Photo by: Red Bull Content Pool

M-Sport’s Adrien Fourmaux delivered an assured, mature and trouble-free performance to finish fourth overall [+1m47.8s] after ending Saturday in fifth. Sordo finished fifth overall having shown impressive pace on Friday that included three stage wins. But on Sunday the Spaniard, making his first start of the season, struggled in foggy conditions and fell behind Fourmaux.

M-Sport’s Gregoire Munster had avoided drama until his Puma retired on stage 21 after becoming beached.

Jan Solans scored a maiden WRC2 victory for the new Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 after pipping Ireland’s Josh McErlean by 3.2s. Oliver Solberg, Gus Greensmith and Yohan Rossel enjoyed spells in the lead before drama struck. Solberg rolled in stage 11 after being distracted by Rovanpera’s stricken car, Greensmith found himself beached in stage 14, while Rossel was hit by a puncture and two penalties.

 



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Ogier holds rally lead, Evans hit by overheating drama

Опубликовано от ASPPA IMAGES ANO


Thick fog provided a curveball for the field, but it failed to derail Ogier as the eight-time world champion led Tanak by 10.1s after the morning’s three stages. 

Hyundai’s Thierry Neuville held onto third [+1m12.1s], while M-Sport’s Adrien Fourmaux [+1m44.0s] leapfrogged Hyundai’s Dani Sordo [+2m44.2s] into fourth.

Toyota’s Evans completed the three stages, but an overheating issue put his rally in jeopardy, forcing Evans and co-driver Scott Martin to attempt a fix on a road section, before heading to the regroup. M-Sport’s Gregoire Munster also hit trouble when his Puma became beached in stage 21.     

Fog that intensified with every pass made driving conditions incredibly difficult for the day’s opening stage [Cabeceiras de Basto, 19.91km].

Hyundai’s Sordo was among those seeming affected by the conditions as the Spaniard lost grip of fourth overall and slipped behind Fourmaux, who was fourth fastest on the stage after battling an intermittent intercom issue.

“I tried to do a good stage but lost a lot of time at the end because we had an issue with the intercom, and I couldn’t hear Alex [Coria – co-driver]. With the weather we have, I should’ve gone mushroom picking,” said Fourmaux.

Sordo was extremely cautious through the stage losing 40.7s and initially appeared to be carrying a problem, before confirming at stage end that there was no issue with his i20 N.

“It was just very foggy and I was really bad, the car was understeering a lot. It was so difficult to drive like this,” said Sordo.  

Despite the worsening conditions, Ogier delivered his seventh stage win of the event to open up a healthy overall lead and move to the top the Super Sunday standings. The Toyota driver was 3.3s faster than Neuville, while rally rival Tanak dropped 6.2s as his victory hopes began to fade.

In the battle for the WRC2 honours, Ireland’s Josh McErlean managed to cut the gap to leader Jan Solans to 3.0s.

The thick fog rolled into the iconic Fafe [Stage 20, 11.18km], with the poor visibility testing the crews to their limits.

Tanak produced a brave drive in the challenging conditions to win the stage by 4.0s from Neuville while taking 4.5s out of rally leader Ogier to bring the gap down 13.6s.

Evans emerged from the fog 5.3s adrift to keep himself in the hunt for the Super Sunday points, sitting fourth in the final day classification.

Fourmaux extended his margin over Sordo in the fight for fourth overall to 36.0s as the latter continued to struggle with the poor visibility.

“It is difficult when you can’t see the road,” said Sordo.

Kalle Rovanpera, who rejoined the rally following his roll from the lead on Saturday, was slowest of the Rally1 runners. The Finn dropped 23.6s to stage winner Tanak after admitting that he was saving his tyres for the Power Stage given the disadvantage of starting first on the road.

Team-mate Takamoto Katsuta, who also restarted on Sunday, lost time to a hybrid issue on his GR Yaris.   

The lead of the WRC2 class changed hands as McErlean managed to beat Solans by 3.1s to move into a 0.1s rally lead, before losing that lead to Solans on stage 21 to the tune of 6.4s.

Tanak won the final stage of the morning by 1.4s from Neuville as the Estonian again took a nibble out of Ogier’s lead. The stage win was enough to haul Tanak ahead of Ogier to the top of the Super Sunday standings by 1.8s. Neuville held third in the Sunday classification ahead of Fourmaux, Katsuta, Rovanpera and Sordo. 

The rally will conclude following this afternoon’s Fafe Power Stage.



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What the teams made of WRC’s vision to improve promotion

Опубликовано от ASPPA IMAGES ANO


The WRC Promoter presented its vision to its key stakeholder group, which included Hyundai, Toyota, Ford, Stellantis and Skoda alongside representatives from the FIA during a meeting at Rally Portugal on Saturday.

Improving the promotion of the championship has been earmarked as a key goal by teams and drivers that have been critical of the WRC Promoter in recent months.

On Saturday, the WRC Promoter showcased a detailed plan to address the concerns and boost the promotion of the category. While details of all the concepts are yet to be disclosed, the Promoter announced a clear roadmap to a USA event in 2026 that includes direct investment and involvement in event promotion.

It also committed to moves to increase fan attendance at events through the development of on-site fan experiences, alongside a plan to invest in social and digital media.

The presentation was met positively by teams with the onus now on all the stakeholders to work together to deliver the goals.

Toyota – Vision offers clear direction

Toyota team principal Jari-Matti Latvala was not only impressed by the strategy’s clear direction but also pleased to see more commitment from the WRC Promoter.    

“Overall what we were presented there is good things and they are really pushing for Rally USA to happen and that is one of the very important points,” Latvala told Motorsport.com.

Jari-Matti Latvala, Team principal Toyota Gazoo Racing, Elfyn Evans, Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT Toyota GR Yaris Rally1

Jari-Matti Latvala, Team principal Toyota Gazoo Racing, Elfyn Evans, Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT Toyota GR Yaris Rally1

Photo by: McKlein / Motorsport Images

“They have a different approach for the future to get more excitement and more engaged fans for the sport. Overall, I must say it was positive to see what ideas they have.

“For me, it seems there is a good direction now and it is clear as to what they want to do. I would say it is a bit more under control and I think it is good to have that commitment. I can see that there is more commitment coming from the promoter and that is a good thing.”

Hyundai – WRC and FIA need to be the driving force in rally

The WRC Promoter’s vision was described by Hyundai team principal Cyril Abiteboul as a “strong catalogue of measures and action” although the former Renault Formula 1 boss is concerned that the WRC’s fragmented governance could prove a stumbling block in achieving the ultimate goals. Abiteboul called from the promoter and the FIA to have more control of all aspects of the championship.

“There was absolutely nothing wrong with any of the things that were presented and quite the opposite, with the better calendar with an event in the USA, and nothing wrong with a slightly different broadcasting strategy,” Abiteboul told Motorsport.com. “It was a strong catalogue of measures and action.

“I think we need to look in general how the sport is structured and the stakeholders and see how we can have more control over the sport. I think what is really missing is the ability to steer the sport in the direction that we want.

“We need to think about the changes that need to be done so that the promoter and the FIA together can be the driving force in rally, because any of the measures we implement will fall short due to the fragmented governance we have in rally.

“If you ask me for a particular example of what I was trying to refer to, we all complain about the format of the event. We all talk to the promoter and the FIA, but we know that the format of the event is not decided by them, but the event organisers. This is quite important.

Thierry Neuville, Martijn Wydaeghe, Hyundai World Rally Team Hyundai i20 N Rally1

Thierry Neuville, Martijn Wydaeghe, Hyundai World Rally Team Hyundai i20 N Rally1

Photo by: McKlein / Motorsport Images

“You can see that other categories are in full control of a number of decisions from a promotion perspective and from an organisation perspective. The governing bodies are actually not in control. We need to stop being guests at our events and we need to regain control because any change that we want to implement will fall short due to the fragmentation of the decision.”

M-Sport-Ford: Now it is time to deliver

Commitment to a USA round for 2026 has been well received by M-Sport given its ties to America through Ford, which currently offers semi-factory support to the British team.

Team principal Richard Millener has been among those pushing to improve the WRC’s promotion and has been impressed by the “clear strategy” for the future.

“I think if we can deliver what was promised then I think it is really positive,” Millener told Motorsport.com.

“It was a clear strategy for the next few years on what they want to do and obviously they have announced a very clear approach to deliver the USA event, that alone won’t save everything we need to do, but it is really big bold statement to begin with and then a lot of good things to come after that.

“Now the key is to actually deliver it and now we have had some meetings with the FIA about the 2027 technical framework and there have been some good decisions about that, and we know that they have to be now finalised and delivered as soon as possible.

“We now need to be doing stuff weekly but what was shown was for me positive, and now we have to act on the words. I hope we can do that.”

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