Tanak believes it and grants an encore. The 2019 world rally champion also won Special Stage 15 of the Portugal Rally, the 8.69 kilometer Montim 2, which is the route where Kalle Rovanpera had an accident this morning and put many other drivers in difficulty.
Thanks to this scratch, the second consecutive in the two tests held this afternoon, the Estonian driver from Hyundai Motorsport managed to recover another 2.6 seconds from Sébastien Ogier, bringing his gap from the top to just 7.8 seconds.
Tanak’s comeback could be completed at the end of the day, because there are still three special stages left at the end of the stage, including the long 37 kilometer Amarante.
The impression, however, is that Ogier wanted to manage the car and tires precisely to attack on the longest test of the afternoon and deal the final blow to Tanak’s hopes of recovering the first position lost at the end of the morning due to a slow tire puncture rear right.
Therefore a calculated loss of seconds, that of Ogier, at least on paper and according to the veiled declarations released at the end of the test. To have proof of this theory, just wait for the Amarante to take place, scheduled for 5.40pm Italian time.
Nothing to report behind the two contenders for victory, with Thierry Neuville still firmly in third place and escorted by teammate Dani Sordo. Adrien Fourmaux is still achieving interesting times such as the third fastest time on SS15, but it is not enough to recover seconds on the riders ahead of him.
As for WRC2, Nikolay Gryazin occupies the first position in his class but, remember, he will not take points valid for the championship this weekend. Furthermore, behind him, Josh McErlean is recovering furiously and is now just 8 tenths behind him. The Irishman, however, takes WRC2 points and is the class leader. Third place in the category went to Jan Solans in the first Toyota GR Yaris Rally2, but 9.3 seconds behind second place.
WRC 2024 – Rally Portugal – Ranking after SS15
| Pos. | Pilot/navigator | Car | Time/detachment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ogier/Landais | Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 | 2h23’37”5 |
| 2 | Tanak/Jarveoja | Hyundai i20 N Rally1 | +7″8 |
| 3 | Neuville/Wydaeghe | Hyundai i20 N Rally1 | +53″2 |
| 4 | Sordo/Carrera | Hyundai i20 N Rally1 | +59″0 |
| 5 | Fourmaux/Coria | Ford Puma Rally1 Hybrid | +1’22″8 |
| 6 | Evans/Martin | Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 | +2’47″4 |
| 7 | Gryazin/Aleksandrov | Citroen C3 Rally2 | +7’40″2 |
| 8 | McErlean/Fulton | Skoda Fabia RS Rally2 | +7’41″0 |
| 9 | Solans/Sanjuan | Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 | +7’50″3 |
| 10 | Rossel/Dunand | Citroen C3 Rally2 | +8’03″5 |
#WRC #Rally #Portugal #SS15 #Tanak #closer #Ogier
