After a day and a half of competition, Sebastien’s first acute arrived Ogier to the Rally Spain, penultimate round of the World Wrc 2021. The French from Toyota, hitherto unexpected supporting actor in the fight at the top involving Thierry Neuville and Elfyn Evans, won two of the three special stages scheduled for this afternoon, reopening the gap between himself and the fourth place occupied by Dani Sordo .
A margin that had been dangerously reduced at the end of the loop morning, when between Toyota # 1 and Hyundai # 6 there were only two tenths in favor of Ogier. The seven-time world champion – who in Spain hoped to put a very serious mortgage on the eighth crown and still risks getting out of it with a little reassuring margin in view of the last act in Monza – he was faster than Sordo in all three afternoon tests, and tomorrow he will be able to defend the last step of the podium starting from a lead of 6 ″ 9.
Ogier also filed a 5 ″ delay from Elfyn Evans – but the advantage of the Welshman is even more reassuring: to divide the two team-mates of the Toyota team – as well as the only two contenders for the title – there are still 18 ″, and the Sunday program is unlikely to help turn the tables. Even if the unexpected is around the corner, as experienced in 2015 by Ogier himself on the roads of Catalonia.
Thierry will not be able to let his guard down either Neuville, which certainly put a serious risk on the final success by extending another 5 ″ 2 on Evans. The Hyundai rider, already winner this year at Ypres, won the PS10 (Savallà, 14.08 km) with 1 ″ 4 on Ogier and 2 ″ 1 on Evans; in PS11 Querol-Les Pobles (19.17 km) then set the same time as Ogier, while Evans lost 1 ″ 6. In the conclusive PS12 El Montmell (with its 24.40 km the longest of the entire rally) finally lost 1 ″ 2 to the Frenchman, but gained another second and a half over Evans.
Always fifth Kalle Rovanpera, an error by Adrien Fourmaux in PS11 (more than nine minutes lost by the Frenchman) promoted the rest of the group by one position. Oliver Solberg climbed to square six, while teammate Nil Solans was overtaken by Gus Greensmith. Eric Camilli always leader among the Wrc2 is ninth, with Nikolay Gryazin on Skoda to close the Top-10.
While at the end of Saturday only the short PS13 of Salou (2.24 km) is missing, tomorrow four special stages are scheduled for a total of 50.9 timed kilometers. Departure at 7 with the SS14 of Santa Marina (9.10 km), followed by the Riudecanyes of 16.35 km at 8.08. At 10.20 the repetition of the Santa Marina, and at 12.18 the final one power stage along the Riudecanyes
Rally Spain | Ranking after the SS12 – Top-10
Pos. | Pilot | Car | Time / Gap |
1 | T. NEUVILLE | Hyundai | 2: 01: 22.1 |
2 | E. EVANS | Toyota | +14.2 |
3 | S. OGIER | Toyota | +32.2 |
4 | D. DEAF | Hyundai | +39.1 |
5 | K. ROVANPERÄ | Toyota | +1: 09.6 |
6 | O. SOLBERG | Hyundai | +3: 12.8 |
7 | G. GREENSMITH | Ford | +3: 40.8 |
8 | N. SOLANS | Hyundai | +3: 47.4 |
9 | E. CAMILLI | Citroen (Wrc2) | +7: 47.7 |
10 | N. GRYAZIN | Skoda (Wrc2) | +7: 56.3 |