Ogier and Landais claim Rally Italia Sardegna as McErlean adn Treacy finish 34th
No stranger to achieving and breaking records, French driver Sebastien Ogier (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1) clinched another with his fifth Rally Italia Sardegna victory but not before he survived an overshoot on the final stage to finish 7.9s ahead of the Hyundai i20 N Rally1 of Estonian Ott Tanak, whose team mate Kalle Rovanpera took the final spot on the podium.
Following their second stage drama on Friday, the Irish crew of Josh McErlean/Eoin Treacy (Ford Puma Rally1) returned to the event under "Super Rally" where it was all about gaining more seat time and making preparation for the forthcoming and next round Acropolis Rally. Finishing 34th, McErlean said, "A lot of good learning, and hopefully someday we can use this (running first on the road) for the first day. A big thanks to the whole team, because even before this last service, it was a big job inside seven minutes to fit a front left damper. Hopefully some good learning for Greece and it definitely means you have to have a good Friday at WRC. It's been a busy one for the team."
Sebastien Ogier (left) and Vincent Landais (Toyota Gazoo Racing) celebrate their victory in Rally Italia Sardegna Olbia, Italy. It was a record breaking fifth win ifor Ogier.. Picture: Jaanus Ree / Red Bull Content Pool.
Ogier began Saturday's six stages with a 2.1s lead over Fourmaux and duly extended that margin to 7.4s on the morning's first stage where Fourmaux was unhappy with his performance. A stage later, there was more disappointment when his Fourmaux's Hyundai punctured some 5km into the stage before he had to stop and change the wheel at the 16km mark losing around four minutes and dropping to seventh. More drama followed on SS9 when he lost two more places following an off road excursion.
His team mate Ott Tanak fared better and with the fastest time on SS8 closed the gap to leader Ogier to 4.5s - the latter had his stage time revised after he was slowed by the dust from Fourmaux. A stage later Tanak lost time with a slow puncture to drop 15s behind Ogier.
The rally leader remained calm and consistent through the repeat loop but Tanak with two stage wins cut the deficit to 11.1s. With Fourmaux and Sami Pajari (puncture) faltering, their Toyota GR Yaris team mate Kalle Rovanpera gained a few places to move into third. Championship leader Elfyn Evans (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1) was another driver forced to stop and change a punctured wheel (on SS11) and ended the penultimate leg in fifth.
With their M-Sport Ford Puma Rally1 re-fettled, McErlean/Treacy had the task of sweeping the loose gravel from the stages. After the morning's second stage, McErlean said, "I have new appreciation for world champions, who win championships by doing that (being first on the road).
On Sunday's the final leg (six stage) and having extended his lead to 17.1s on the penultimate stage, Ogier seemed to have everything under control. However, he had an overshoot on the closing few kilometres of the Wolf Power Stage when his Toyota didn't turn into a tight rutted right hander and ended up in the bushes. Twelve months ago a final stage puncture robbed him of victory, but this time and reversing his way out of trouble, he took the spoils and a record fifth win. With his team mate and championship leader Elfyn Evans finishing fourth, Ogier is now into second - 19 points behind and one ahead of Kalle Rovanpera, who won the Power Stage and also took an additional five points for the faster driver on Sunday, Rovanpera is only twenty points off Evans in a Toyota lock-out of the top three championship positions in the Drivers' championship.
Meanwhile, Killarney's Colin O'Donoghue (Ford Escort) won the Laois Heartland's Rally as he finished the day's six (2x3) stages 4.6s ahead of the Toyota Starlet of Monaghan's David Moffett with similar car of Richard Moffett, 13.6s further behind in third. Monaghan's Johnno Doogan (Ford Escort) led Richard Moffett by 6.7s after the first pair of stages but retired on the road section to SS3 with a broken half-shaft. O'Donoghue, who experienced transmission woes on SS2 moved into the lead on SS3 only for Richard Moffett to move 0.8s ahead after SS4. O'Donoghue was best on the final loop to secure victory.
Rally Italia Sardegna (Round 6, World Rally Championship) Olbia:1. S. Ogier/V.( Landais (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1) 3h. 34m. 24.5s; 2. O. Tanak/M. Jarveoja (Hyundai i20 N Rally1)+7.9s; 3. K. Rovanpera/J. Halttunen (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1)+50.5s.
4. E. Evans/S. Martin GBR Toyota GR Yaris Rally1)+5m. 05.7s; 5. T. Katsuta/A. Johnston (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1)+7m. 29.6s; 6. O. Solberg/E. Edmondson (Skoda Fabia RS Rally2)+8m. 32.9s; 7. S. Pajari/M. Salminen (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1)+10m. 29.0s; 8. N. Gryazin/K. Aleksandrov (Skoda Fabia RS Rally2)+10m. 58.7s; 9. R. Dapra/L. Guglielmetti (Skoda Fabia RS Rally2)+12m. 15.3s; 10. K. Kajetanowicz/M. Szczepaniak (Toyota GR Yaris Rally2)+12m. 21.1s.
World Rally Championship for Drivers' Standings (After Round 6): 1. E. Evans 133pts; 2. S. Ogier 114pts; 3. K. Rovanpera 113pts; 4. O. Tanak 108pts; 5. T. Neuville 83pts; T. Katsuta 63pts; 7. A. Fourmaux 44pts; 8. S. Pajari 31pts; 9. G. Munster 18pts; 10. J. McErlean 12pts.
World Rally Manufacturers' Championship Standings (After Round 6):1. Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT 312pts; 2, Hyundai Shell Mobis WRT 243pts; 3. M-Sport Ford WRT 87pts; 4. 4Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT2 48pts.
Laois Heartland's Rally, Stradbally: C. O'Donoghue/K. O'Donoghue (Ford Escort) 40m. 31.7s; 2. D. Moffett/M. Connolly (Toyota Starlet)+4.6s; 3. R. Moffett/D. Kelly (Toyota Starlet)+18.2s; 4. M. Carbin/D. O'Sullivan (Ford Escort)+59.8s; 5. F. Kelly/L. Kelly (Ford Escort)+1m. 18.3s; 6. E. O'Callaghan/J. Dalton (Ford Escort)+1m. 23.3s.
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