Rovanperä and Evans give Toyota a double in Chile

Leader since Saturday afternoon, Kalle Rovanperä easily retained the lead this Sunday at Rally Chile, and scored his fourth success in seven appearances this season.

The Finn was third at the end of the first day, behind Ott Tänak and Elfyn Evans, and took the lead on Saturday, making the difference in special stages where visibility was made very low by fog. With around fifteen seconds ahead of his first pursuer, he was no longer really threatened this Sunday.

The situation was the opposite for Toyota’s other part-time driver, Sébastien Ogier, who lost time on Friday morning, with a puncture following contact with an embankment, then a small problem with the hybrid system later. -noon, and above all a retirement on Saturday, an impact against a stone having broken a wishbone.

With a top 10 impossible to hold on to, the Frenchman could concentrate on the points to be taken in Super Sunday. He was a hit, winning all four special stages on the program, and therefore the Power Stage at the same time.

Rovanperä won the rally ahead of Evans and Tänak, who did not have the means to respond this Sunday. The Hyundai was struggling against the Toyota of the two leaders this weekend but Thierry Neuville finished in a valuable fourth place, combined with fifth place in Super Sunday and fourth place in the Power Stage, which meant that he only lost five points to Tänak. The Belgian was only sixth at the start of the rally before taking the advantage over Adrien Fourmaux and Sami Pajari on Saturday.

Fourmaux placed fifth, after showing some strong performances, but the Ford M-Sport driver lost any real hope of shining on day one, due to a one-minute penalty for clocking in late due to a technical problem. The Frenchman beat Pajari and Grégoire Munster. Esapekka Lappi, author of a messy rally with several road exits, retired this Sunday after yet another contact.

Left behind on Friday due to two punctures, Martins Sesks lost more time this Sunday by losing his rear wing over a bump.

Rally du Chili