The opening stages of the 12th round of the World Rally Championship, the Central European Rally (CER) saw a tense battle between the trio of Toyota Gazoo Racing drivers vying for the title with mere tenths of a second covering the stage winners.
After eight stages, TGR’s eight-time WRC champion, and the log leader going into the CER Sebastien Ogier and Vincent Landais emerged with the tiniest of overnight leads, six tenths of a second ahead of the soon-to-be-retired Kalle Rovanperä and Jonne Halttunen.
Ogier led from the outset, his experience proving decisive over the day’s six stages spanning almost 100km across three countries and varying road conditions.
“It’s been more challenging than normal opening the road on Tarmac,” said Ogier. “Only SS5 was good for us, others were cleaning with the dust. It’s not much, small things – but we’re playing with small things. It’s been a good day for us.”
Ogier has only won two stages, while Rovanperä has enjoyed four scratch times so far.
“When it’s clean and proper Tarmac driving I enjoy it so much,” he smiled earlier in the day. “In the dark it was difficult with so many anti-cuts reflecting the light, but the gap is quite good,” said Rovanperä.
Vying for a maiden title, Elfyn Evans and Scott Martin lie third overall after recovering from a lowly eighth after a five second penalty was imposed after clipping a straw bale in the first stage of the event on Thursday evening.
Hyundai’s challenge has failed to materialize; Adrien Fourmaux/Alex Coria and Ott Tanak/Martin Jarveoja both held third on Friday morning but ended the day in sixth and fourth position respectively. Sandwiched between the two Hyundai drivers was Takamoto Katsuta and Aaron Johnston after a solid start to the event.
Toyota can clinch the manufacturers’ championship this weekend if Hyundai fails to outscore it by six points and after Friday’s action is well on the way to doing just that.
Thierry Neuville clouted an earth bank on the final stage of the morning loop and dropped to eighth overall. “It’s not fun and not what I was expecting,” said the defending champion, who trailed Sami Pajari in eighth overnight. “I’m struggling, I just can’t find the confidence.”
Gregoire Munster/Louis Louka went one better at the same spot as Neuville, wrecking the Puma’s right-rear suspension after going high, wide and wild and into retirement for the day.
M-Sport Ford team-mate Josh McErlean survived unscathed apart from a bent steering arm to end ninth overall after a steep learning day.
Newly crowned WRC2 champion Oliver Solberg rounded out the top 10 in his GR Yaris Rally2, but with the Swede not eligible to score points, it was Alejandro Cachón who topped the WRC2 standings.
Standings after Friday (SS8 /18):
1. S Ogier / V Landais Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 1h 03m 29.8s
2. K Rovanperä / J Halttunen Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 +0.6s
3. E Evans / S Martin Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 +29.5s
4. O Tänak / M Järveoja Hyundai i20 N Rally1 +32.8s
5. T Katsuta / A Johnston Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 +35.7s
6. A Fourmaux / A Coria Hyundai i20 N Rally1 +46.1s
Discussion about this post