Hyundai’s Ott Tanak has laid the groundwork for a possible third consecutive Rally Chile triumph for the Estonian ace, ending Friday’s opening leg with a slender 0.4s benefit over Toyota’s Elfyn Evans.
It was a day of contrasting fortunes for Tanak, who has received each WRC spherical beforehand held in Chile (2019 for Toyota, and final 12 months with M-Sport Ford). He struggled within the morning, sitting solely fifth general on the lunchtime regroup after grappling with a insecurity and steadiness in his Hyundai i20 N Rally1 through the first move of the three gravel levels south of Chile’s second metropolis, Concepcion.
Nevertheless, setup tweaks at service rejuvenated his efficiency and helped him to overtake Evans on the times penultimate stage, the 8.29-mile Rere 2, to assert that wafer-thin in a single day lead.
Regardless of Tanak’s robust afternoon, Toyota’s Sebastien Ogier appeared probably the most potent contender all through day one. The eight-time WRC champ, who started this season on a restricted schedule, however has morphed into Toyota’s greatest shot on the 2024 drivers’ crown, received three levels in his GR Yaris Rally1 and would have led the rally by nearly 30 seconds, had he not run huge and hit a financial institution on the morning’s closing stage, forcing him to cease and alter a wheel.
Tanak was inspired by the afternoon turnaround and stays poised to shut the factors hole to his WRC drivers’ championship-leading teammate, Thierry Neuville, who ended down in sixth after beginning first on the highway and enduring the worst of the free gravel on the hard-packed grime roads
Evans, who’s been gradual out of the blocks on latest occasions, delivered a extra aggressive begin in Chile, however struggled with confidence on the afternoon loop, admitting: “I’m a bit misplaced with the sensation, in all honesty. It’s not feeling pure in the meanwhile.”
Toyota’s Elfyn Evans admitted to not feeling absolutely snug, however nonetheless ended Friday simply 0.4s off the lead. Picture by way of Toyota GAZOO Racing WRT
Two-time and reigning world champion Kalle Rovanpera, who’s additionally chosen a restricted schedule for Toyota this season, accomplished the highest three, 6.7s adrift of Evans in his GR Yaris, however voiced frustrations after overshooting and hitting a gate on the afternoon’s opening stage.
“I don’t really feel snug on these roads,” Rovanpera defined. “When it’s dry like this, it doesn’t swimsuit my typical driving type. I’m combating the automotive and my driving so much.”
Again on the occasion the place he made his top-tier Rally1 debut final 12 months, Gregoire Munster put in his greatest efficiency of the season, however tire injury on the ultimate stage noticed the M-Sport Ford driver drop to fifth behind Toyota’s Sami Pajari, who’s making solely his second Rally1 begin. Simply 1.4s separated the pair at day’s finish, with Pajari in flip trailing Rovanpera by solely 2.2s.
M-Sport Ford’s Gregoire Munster put in the very best efficiency of his debut Rally1 marketing campaign, ending Friday in fifth general. Picture by way of Pink Bull Content material Pool
For Munster’s M-Sport Ford teammates, it was a more difficult day. Martins Sesks retired his non-hybrid Puma Rally1 automotive within the morning after hitting a financial institution and damaging two tires whereas solely carrying one spare wheel. Adrien Fourmaux fell from fourth to eighth after incurring a one-minute time penalty for arriving late to the beginning of the penultimate stage. The delay stemmed from roadside repairs, first to his alternator after which to a water pipe broken in fixing the alternator difficulty.
WRC factors chief Neuville ended the day sixth in his i20 N Rally1, greater than a half minute off the tempo. Opening the highway, he struggled with free circumstances however nonetheless led teammate Esapekka Lappi by 5.8s.
“There wasn’t far more I might do,” Neuville admitted, whereas Lappi described his Friday efficiency as “a catastrophe of a day.”
The delayed Fourmaux introduced his Puma house in eighth general, simply forward of the recovering Ogier in ninth.
In WRC2, the second tier of worldwide rallying, Nikolay Gryazin holds the in a single day lead, regardless of nearly rolling his Citroen C3 on the ultimate stage of the day.
Oliver Solberg is second, 10.2s behind in his Toksport Skoda Fabia RS, however the Swede is placing a level of strain on himself to shut down the hole to Gryazin as a win would assure him this season’s WRC2 championship.
Second might nonetheless be sufficient for Solberg to take the title, however he’d be reliant on the efficiency of others on the ultimate two WRC rounds of the season to take action – not a scenario he feels snug with.
Citroen C3 driver Nikolay Gryazin (above) leads WRC2, however Oliver Solberg is homing in on each him and the category title. Picture by way of Pink Bull Content material Pool
Saturday will probably be a real check of endurance and tire administration, with six levels totaling almost 87 miles to get via, and the highway surfaces anticipated to be much more abrasive than Leg One’s exams.
WRC Rally Chile, positions after Leg One, SS6
1 Ott Tanak/Martin Jarveoja (Hyundai i20 N Rally1) 58m06.9s
2 Elfyn Evans/Scott Martin (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1) +0.4s
3 Kalle Rovanpera/Jonne Halttunen (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1) +7.1s
4 Sami Pajari/Enni Malkonen (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1) +9.3s
5 Gregoire Munster/Louis Louka (Ford Puma Rally1) +10.7s
6 Thierry Neuville/Martijn Wydaeghe (Hyundai i20 N Rally1) +30.3s
7 Esapekka Lappi/Janne Fern (Hyundai i20 N Rally1) +36.1s
8 Adrien Fourmaux/Alexandre Coria Ford Puma Rally1) +1m01.0s
9 Sebastien Ogier/Vincent Landais (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1) +1m24.9s
10 Nikolay Gryazin/Konstantin Aleksandrov (Citroen C3 – WRC2 chief) +2m14.9s
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