WRC Finland: Ogier clinches victory after Rovanpera rolls

Sebastien Ogier claimed his third World Rally Championship victory of the season after long-time Rally Finland leader Kalle Rovanpera rolled out, denying him a residence rep in a brutal rally.

Eight-time world champion Ogier and co-driver Vincent Landais produced a solid force for the duration of a disturbing Rally Finland struggling from changeable weather to seal a 61st occupation rep by 40.1s from championship leader Hyundai’s Thierry Neuville, with M-Sport Ford’s Adrien Fourmaux third 1m14.1s in the again of Ogier.

Whereas Ogier hasty held the rally lead after stage two on Friday, the match became once dominated by two-time world champion Rovanpera who situation his sights on changing into the first Finn to rep the rally since Jari-Matti Latvala’s triumph in 2015.

Rovanpera snatched the rally lead from Ogier on stage three sooner than then shedding it to team-mate Elfyn Evans on the next test as crews faced piquant wet cases. Then again, Rovanpera wrestled again the income on stage five to manual by 0.2s.

Then again, once forward Rovanpera didn’t conception again, going in an eight-2d lead over Evans with Ogier 0.6s further again at the cease of Friday. On Saturday, Rovanpera left his opponents in the again of profitable five of the six phases together with two passes thru the prestigious Ouninpohja stage that made its return after a seven-12 months hiatus. Rovanpera’s 2d pass smashed the stage fable previously held by Kris Meeke by 23.9s.

A driveshaft failure and prolonged midday carrier repair that incurred a 2m40s penalty put Evans out of the victory strive in opposition to and the Saturday aspects-paying positions. This elevated Ogier, who opted now not to attack, into 2d, 44.2s in the again of the dominant Rovanpera, who provisionally claimed 18 aspects for topping Saturday sooner than Ogier [15 points] and Neuville [10 points].

Kalle Rovanperä, Jonne Halttunen, Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT Toyota GR Yaris Rally1

Photo by: Toyota Racing

Then again, the rally became once became on its head on Sunday. Rovanpera had extended his lead over Ogier out to forty five.8s after profitable the first two morning phases, however drama struck the Finn on the penultimate stage when he clipped a rock in the motorway which pitched his GR Yaris into a roll and out of the rally. It became once the 2d 12 months in succession Rovanpera had rolled out of the lead at Rally Finland.

The accident occurred moments after Evans crashed on the first corner of the same stage which left the WRC title contender with none aspects after lacking out on the head 10 at the cease of Saturday.

This left Ogier to cruise to victory on the final stage to transfer the share-time driver to 2d in the championship, 27 aspects in the again of Neuville.

Neuville claimed 2d after a fancy rally that started with the Belgian grabbing an early lead by profitable the gap stage. He then dropped down the exclaim when he overshot a junction in stage three shedding 13s, sooner than struggling with the going thru of his i20 N for the duration of Friday and Saturday.

Neuville did on the other hand extend his championship lead after inheriting 15 Saturday aspects following Rovanpera’s exit, whereas opponents Evans and Ott Tanak did now not rating aspects. Tanak’s rally ended on stage three when he misplaced control and rolled sooner than colliding with a tree, which hasty red-flagged the stage. Co-driver Martin Jarveoja became once taken clinic right here he spent Friday night sooner than being launched.

M-Sport’s Fourmaux became once amongst those to strive in opposition to with his automobile at times in the piquant cases, however the Frenchman drove smartly to stable third, his fourth rostrum of the season.

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

Photo by: Crimson Bull Train Pool

Fourmaux performed sooner than the spectacular Sami Pajari, who claimed fourth [+1m54.5s] on his Rally1 debut utilizing a fifth Toyota GR Yaris.

Pajari suffered an excursion on stage two that broken his automobile however became once in a position to increase to cease Friday with a critical WRC stage rep in handiest 9 makes an try as he triumphed on the Ruuhimaki test. He then backed that tempo up by being narrowly overwhelmed on Ouninpohja by Rovanpera and Ogier.

Oliver Solberg took a precious WRC2 rep after ending a convincing fifth overall [+ 8m15.5s] sooner than Toyota team most well-known Jari-Matti Latvala making a one-off WRC2 day time out.

Toyota’s Takamoto Katsuta ran as excessive as fourth sooner than he clipped a tree on Friday that ripped his appropriate rear wheel off his GR Yaris. Katusta became once in a position to come to motion and received the Energy Stage on Sunday.

Hyundai’s Esapekka Lappi took over fourth, however suffered a identical destiny when he bounced out of a rut into trees, however topped the Big Sunday standings.

M-Sport’s Gregoire Munster rejoined the rally on Sunday after rolling out of seventh on Saturday.