Ogier triumphs in Corsica
Sébastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia (Ford/Michelin) picked up their third victory of the 2018 FIA World Rally Championship in Corsica. The Frenchmen were jo...
Tanak and Toyota/Michelin steal Argentina limelight
29/04/2018
Ott Tanak collected the third world class win of his career, and his first behind the wheel of a Toyota Yaris WRC/Michelin, with victory in Argentina. The Estonian was joined on Sunday’s podium by Hyundai i20 Coupé WRC/Michelin runners Thierry Neuville and Dani Sordo.
A score of 10 fastest stage times from 18 – including six on the trot – earned Tanak a thoroughly deserved victory in South America. With the exception of a spin on SS2, which cost him around 20 seconds, the Toyota driver dominated the season’s fifth round in impressive style.
His third world class win was Toyota Gazoo Racing’s first since last year’s Rally Finland, and the first for Toyota/Michelin in Argentina since Didier Auriol’s success there in 1994.
With Tanak in a class of his own, four drivers ended up scrapping for the other podium places, namely Thierry Neuville (Hyundai/Michelin) and Kris Meeke (Citroën/Michelin) winners of the event in 2017 and 2015, Dani Sordo (Hyundai/Michelin), who was contesting the rally for the 13
The Frenchman fell out of contention after Saturday morning’s visit to foggy Los Gigantes, while Kris Meeke stopped to change a wheel on SS14, thereby ensuring podium placings for his two Hyundai rivals. The Korean carmaker consequently tops the provisional Manufacturers’ standings but Ogier is still the best-placed driver, 10 points clear of Neuville.
Andreas Mikkelsen (Hyundai/Michelin) lost time after a strong start but finally succeeded in fighting his way back to fifth, ahead of Britons Elfyn Evans (Ford/Michelin) and Meeke. Finns Esapekka Lappi (Toyota/Michelin) and Argentina rookie Teemu Suninen (Ford/Michelin) rounded out the top 10, ahead of WRC2 victor Pontus Tidemand (Skoda/Michelin).
As in Corsica earlier this month, Jari-Matti Latvala (Toyota/Michelin) failed to reach the finish, while Craig Breen (Citroën/Michelin) was eliminated by an off on Day 2.
An estimated crowd of 100,000 turned out to watch the El Condor stage alone (creating huge traffic jams in the process) to confirm Rally Argentina’s huge popularity.