WRC – Tänak snatches Rally Italia Sardegna win from Ogier in joint-closest WRC end
2024 Rally Italia Sardegna – Sunday report
Ott Tänak claimed a shock victory at Rally Italia Sardegna on Sunday afternoon after late agony for long-time chief Sébastien Ogier.
The Estonian, driving a Hyundai i20 N, celebrated his maiden success of the season when a broken tyre within the last tough street velocity take a look at denied Ogier a 3rd consecutive FIA World Rally Champonship victory.
Having traded blows with Tänak early within the rally, Ogier led since Saturday afternoon in his Toyota GR Yaris. The Frenchman started the rally-closing Wolf Energy Stage with a 6.2sec benefit however ended 0.2sec behind after catastrophe unfolded within the closing kilometres.
As we speak marks the joint-closest end in WRC historical past – matching the results of Rally Jordan in 2011. On that event, Ogier was on the opposite facet of the ledger and held off his now crew boss Jari-Matti Latvala.
Tänak, who scored his earlier win in Chile final yr, was humble in victory. He confronted related heartbreak on the exact same stage in 2019 when an influence steering failure value him a assured win.
Dani Sordo made it two Hyundai vehicles within the prime three, serving to the Korean marque to stay within the lead of the producers’ championship by eight factors over Toyota. The 41-year-old was initially out of kinds however climbed the order as drivers forward of him suffered heartbreak.
A type of drivers was his team-mate Thierry Neuville, whose podium bid went awry when he slid off the street on SS8. Neuville’s comfort was that he claimed the complete 12 factors from Tremendous Sunday to retain the driving force’s collection lead.
Evans’ feeling inside his GR Yaris was not optimum for the tough gravel roads however, whereas he ended nearly three minutes again from the lead in fourth, the Welshman did achieve lowering Neuville’s buffer from 24 to 18 factors. He and Tänak now sit on similar scores.
Consistency rewarded Puma teen Grégoire Munster with a fifth-place end. His M-Sport Ford team-mate Adrien Fourmaux ran as excessive as third early on however retired in Friday’s last take a look at with {an electrical} fault.
Pajari basks in WRC2 glory at Rally Italia Sardegna
Such was the extent of attrition that WRC2 equipment crammed the remaining prime 10 positions, with Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 driver Sami Pajari claiming the WRC2 win and sixth total.
The Finn returned to the highest step of the WRC2 podium for the primary time since final yr’s Secto Rally Finland, catapulting himself from eleventh to fourth within the total championship standings.
Pajari started Sunday with a 54.7sec benefit over Yohan Rossel and was capable of take a risk-free strategy to the remaining levels. His lead was lowered to 32.3sec by Frenchman Rossel on the end.
Regardless of victory going to Pajari, it was Rossel – behind the wheel of his upgraded Citroën C3 Rally2 – turning probably the most heads in the course of the weekend. After Saturday down in fifteenth total, he rattled off eight consecutive stage wins to overhaul Jan Solans (Toyota GR Yaris) and transfer into second total halfway via the penultimate day.
It spurred Solans to reply on Sunday morning because the Spaniard desperately fought again in his Yaris, successful three of the day’s 4 levels. However his efforts have been in useless as Rossel held on by 7.0sec, extending his championship lead over Solans to 23 factors.
Pajari additionally celebrated glory within the WRC2 Challenger championship whereas Armin Kremer cruised to victory in WRC Masters Cup in a Škoda Fabia RS.
Excessive-speed motion awaits the WRC drivers at ORLEN eightieth Rally Poland later this month. The gravel occasion returns to the collection for the primary time since 2017 and takes place from 27 – 30 June
