Toyota (NYSE:) Metropolis, Japan, Jun 3, 2024 – (JCN Newswire) – – TOYOTA GAZOO Racing World Rally Group and Sebastien Ogier seemed set to safe a 3rd consecutive victory collectively at Rally Italia Sardegna earlier than late drama within the closing few kilometres of the occasion meant they missed out by the narrowest of margins.
Automotive 17 (Sebastien Ogier, Vincent Landais)
Ogier was concerned in an in depth battle for the lead for a lot of the occasion, and whereas a powerful Saturday afternoon enabled him to steer into the ultimate day, competitors remained intense on Sunday and simply 6.2 seconds separated him and rival Ott Tanak going into the deciding Energy Stage. Nonetheless, Ogier seemed to be doing sufficient to safe victory till he started dropping air from a tyre over the tough closing part of stage.
It meant that he and co-driver Vincent Landais in the end missed out by simply 0.2s in a end that equals the closest ever in FIA World Rally Championship historical past – coincidentally set by Ogier when he beat his now-Group Principal Jari-Matti Latvala by the identical margin in Jordan in 2011. Ogier nonetheless climbs to fourth place within the drivers’ championship, solely 30 factors from the lead regardless of contesting solely 4 of the six rounds held thus far.
Elfyn Evans has additionally lowered his hole to the championship chief to 18 factors after ending fourth general with co-driver Scott Martin. Following a difficult begin on Friday, Evans remained constant to climb up into the highest 4 by the top of Saturday and carried improved tempo into the ultimate day to take third in each the Tremendous Sunday classification and the Energy Stage, netting 18 factors in complete.
Takamoto Katsuta was working in third place general on Saturday afternoon earlier than a transmission-related challenge compelled he and co-driver Aaron Johnston to cease. They restarted on Sunday and set the fifth-best time within the Energy Stage.
Following its maiden WRC2 victory in Portugal, the GR Yaris Rally2 claimed a second consecutive win on tough gravel roads. Sami Pajari and Enni Malkonen claimed a commanding triumph of their Printsport-run automobile whereas ending in sixth place general. Portugal class winners Jan Solans and Rodrigo Sanjuan made it a double podium in third for Teo Martin Motorsport.
Quotes:
Akio Toyoda (TGR-WRT Chairman)
“The floor in Sardinia may be very demanding, and it all the time offers challenges to our crew and vehicles. TGR has received Sardinia solely as soon as thus far when Seb bought the victory in 2021. Seb and Vincent have been doing very well on this harsh and demanding occasion, however they missed out on the final second on the Energy Stage. The hole of 0.2 seconds is so small and disappointing, however that is sport. Our crew all hate to lose. We are going to flip this frustration into energy and goal for the subsequent victory.
P.S. to OttI was on-site in Rally Sardinia 2019 and following your efficiency. You made up for the frustration of that Energy Stage this time. Congratulations!”
Jari-Matti Latvala (Group Principal)
“We’re after all very dissatisfied to overlook out on the victory on this manner. This closing stage in Sardinia has been very dramatic prior to now and sadly, it isn’t the primary time that we have now skilled late drama right here, as a result of it reminds us of what occurred again in 2019 once we have been main with Ott till the final stage. This occasion has not all the time been sort to us, however it was trying excellent for Seb and we thought we might take one other victory collectively right here. The one constructive is that it did not have an effect on the factors a lot for us. A second like this may be tough to digest, and we hate to lose, however we additionally by no means lose our combating spirit and we are going to come again to battle once more on the subsequent occasion in Poland.”
Elfyn Evans (Driver automobile 33)
“It has been a really tough weekend for us however in the present day was a bit higher. I’d say the sensation was positively improved and I believe the occasions and the factors that we bought from the day confirmed that. Nonetheless, it is clear trying on the weekend general that we nonetheless have numerous work to do to enhance in rallies with circumstances like this one. The excellent news is that the traits now change to one thing fairly totally different for the subsequent three rallies. We all know the automobile might be sturdy on quick rallies like these and will probably be necessary to arrange as finest we are able to and attempt to discover confidence early.”
Sebastien Ogier (Driver automobile 17)
“We knew it could possibly be powerful in the present day with some levels which might be very tough and perhaps not essentially the most suited to us. Nonetheless, I believe we have been doing a ok job to safe the win, however sadly we began to lose tyre stress three kilometres from the top. The circumstances have been very excessive on this Energy Stage, even worse than we have now seen there earlier than, and I do not assume there was a lot that I might have achieved otherwise. It is one thing that is by no means simple to take, however on the finish of the day it would not actually change something by way of the general factors for the crew. I believe I can nonetheless be proud of the weekend I’ve achieved, and typically motorsport simply would not go your manner. We are going to come again and attempt to sustain this degree of efficiency we have had.”
Takamoto Katsuta (Driver automobile 18)
“In the present day my goal was to get some factors. We knew it could be tough with our beginning place, and the primary stage was not good as a result of we had numerous mud from the automobile in entrance and couldn’t see a lot. We took some factors however after all I wished extra. Issues have been working properly earlier within the rally, all the things was below management after which sadly we had the technical challenge. However it was a demanding rally for the vehicles and typically issues like this could occur: I simply want to just accept it and transfer ahead to the subsequent rally.”
PROVISIONAL FINAL CLASSIFIACTION, RALLY ITALIA SARDEGNA
1 Ott Tanak/Martin Jarveoja (Hyundai (OTC:) i20 N Rally1 HYBRID) 3h06m05.6s
2 Sebastien Ogier/Vincent Landais (Toyota GR YARIS Rally1 HYBRID) +0.2s
3 Dani Sordo/Candido Carrera (Hyundai i20 N Rally1 HYBRID) +2m25.8s
4 Elfyn Evans/Scott Martin (Toyota GR YARIS Rally1 HYBRID) +2m37.8s
5 Gregoire Munster/Louis Louka (Ford (NYSE:) Puma Rally1 HYBRID) +6m42.9s
6 Sami Pajari/Enni Malkonen (Toyota GR Yaris Rally2) +7m13.4s
7 Yohan Rossel/Benjamin Boulloud (Citroen C3 Rally2) +7m45.7s
8 Jan Solans/Rodrigo Sanjuan (Toyota GR Yaris Rally2) +7m52.7s
9 Martin Prokop/Michal Ernst (Skoda Fabia RS Rally2) +10m05.4s
10 Kajetan Kajetanowicz/Maciej Szczepaniak (Skoda Fabia RS Rally2) +10m09.3s
35 Takamoto Katsuta/Aaron Johnston (Toyota GR YARIS Rally1 HYBRID) +41m28.1s
(Outcomes as of 16:00 on Sunday, for the newest outcomes please go to www.wrc.com)
2024 FIA World Rally Championship for drivers after spherical 6:
1 Thierry Neuville 122 factors
2 Ott Tanak 104
3 Elfyn Evans 104
4 Sebastien Ogier 92
5 Adrien Fourmaux 74
6 Takamoto Katsuta 52
7 Kalle Rovanpera 36
8 Dani Sordo 27
9 Esapekka Lappi 23
10 Gregoire Munster 16
2024 FIA World Rally Championship for producers after spherical 6:
1 Hyundai Shell (LON:) Mobis World Rally Group 269 factors
2 TOYOTA GAZOO Racing World Rally Group 256
3 M-Sport Ford World Rally Group 131
What’s subsequent?
Rally Poland (June 27-30) returns to the WRC for the primary time since 2017, providing quick levels on tender and sandy roads round Mikołajki within the Masurian lake district within the north-east of the nation.
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