Even semi-retired, the eight-time French world champion continues to dominate the rounds of the World Rally Championship (WRC) in which he participates. At 39, Sébastien Ogier (Toyota) now has one victory more than Sébastien Loeb (6) on the slippery and demanding tracks of Mexico and continues his quest for records, as he did during the legendary Monte-Carlo rally , the first event on the calendar which he had won for the ninth time in January.
Belgian Thierry Neuville (Hyundai) ranks second, just four hundredths ahead of Briton Elfyn Evans, who brings a second Toyota to the podium. The mano a mano between the two pilots will have lasted the entire last day of the Mexican event, back after two years without due to the Covid-19. Reigning world champion, Finland’s Kalle Rovanperä (Toyota) is in fourth position at 1’55” and grabs a few extra points thanks to his fourth place in the Power Stage. A Power Stage, the last stage of this rally made of stones and dust, won by the Frenchman Ogier (Toyota), who had until then been able to manage his lead in the general classification cautiously. Thirty-five seconds acquired after the mechanical setbacks on Friday of the leader of the World Championship, the Estonian Ott Tänak (M-Sport Ford), and especially after a spectacular accident, fortunately not serious, which put the Finn Esapekka Lappi out of play (Hyundai) as he raced in the lead on Saturday.
With a harvest of 30 points, Ogier, who skipped Rally Sweden a month ago and only has a partial season with Toyota, takes the lead in the World Rally Championship with 56 points. , ahead of Neuville and Rovanpera. Ott Tanak, first when arriving in the Sierra de Lobos and Sierra de Guanajuato mountains, is only fourth with 47 units. Once again, the Mexico Rally, with its course laid out at 2,700 meters above sea level, its sharp stones along the tracks and its stray dogs, pushed the mechanics and the drivers to their limits. The Spaniard Daniel Sordo (Hyundai), victim of punctures, or the Frenchman Pierre-Louis Loubet (M-Sport / Ford), suspension breakage on Friday and Saturday and a slow puncture on Sunday, can testify to this. With this record in Mexico, Ogier also offers Toyota a victory in the form of revenge: the Japanese brand, reigning world champion for constructors, was absent from the podium in Sweden.
Next stop on the WRC calendar: Rally Croatia from 20-23 April on famously narrow and bumpy asphalt roads.
Standings for Rally Mexico, round three of the WRC World Championship, after day four on Sunday:
1. Sébastien Ogier/Vincent Landais (FRA/FRA) Toyota 3 hours 16’09”.4
2. Thierry Neuville/Martijn Wydaeghe (BEL/BEL) Hyundai at 27.5 seconds
3. Elfyn Evans/Scott Martin (GBR/GBR) Toyota at 27.9 seconds
4. Kalle Rovanperä/Jonne Halttunen (FIN/FIN) Toyota à 1 min 55.3
5. Dani Sordo/Candido Carrera (ESP/ESP) Hyundai à 2 min 58.8
6. Gus Greensmith/Jonas Andersson (GBR/SWE) Skoda à 12 min 31.5
7. Emil Lindholm/Reeta Hamalainen (FIN/FIN) Skoda à 13 min 4.4
8. Oliver Soldberg/Elliott Edmondson (SWE/GBR) Skoda à 13 min 37.7
9. Ott Tanak/Martin Jarveoja (EST/EST) M-Sport/Ford at 15 min 19.6
10. Kajetan Kajetanowicz/Maciej Szczepaniak (POL/POL) Skoda à 15 min 56.6
…
Special Stage Winners:
Esapekka Lappi (ES3, ES5, ES6, ES8, ES9), Sébastien Ogier (ES4, ES7, ES11, ES16, ES23), Dani Sordo (ES10), Ott Tanak (ES1, ES2, ES18, ES19), Thierry Neuville (ES12 , ES13, ES14, ES17, ES20, ES22), Elfyn Evans (ES21)
NB: SS15 canceled
Major dropouts:
Esapekka Lappi (FIN/Hyundai)
World Rally Championship (WRC) standings after Rally Mexico Round 3 (out of 13) of the 2023 season, which ended on Sunday:
Drivers:
1. Sébastien Ogier (FRA): 56* points
2. Thierry Neuville (BEL): 53 points
3. Kalle Rovanperä (FIN): 52 points
4. Ott Tänak (EST): 47 points
5. Elfyn Evans (GBR): 44 points
…
* Does not participate in all rounds of the season
Builders:
1. Toyota 127 points
2. Hyundai 100 points
3. M-Sport/Ford 73 points
