Toyota: WRC one-two with photo finish 🎥
DECISION ON THE LAST METER In one of the closest finishes ever, Sébastien Ogier and co-driver Julien Ingrassia won the third WRC round of the season in Croatia ahead of his Toyota team-mate Elfyn Evans. This resulted in a close finish for the Toyota drivers at the Rally Croatia, which was held for the first time as a WRC round. Before the final day of the rally, the top three [...]
Thus, at the Rally Croatia, which was held for the first time as a WRC round, the Toyota drivers had a close finish.
Before the final day of the rally, the top three World Rally Cars were separated by just 10.4 seconds, with Ogier leading by 6.9 seconds ahead of Evans. The latter completed the first two stages of the final day fastest and took the lead from the defending champion.
Accident on the connecting stage
The Frenchman was then involved in a traffic accident on a liaison stage between two special stages, which fortunately all those involved survived unharmed. Only the Yaris WRC sustained damage to the passenger door and the aerodynamics.
Error in the last curve
Evans and Ogier went into the decisive Power Stage with a gap of 3.9 seconds. The Frenchman took the lead and the Welshman tried to counter. However, a minor braking error in the final corner, which caused him to go a little wide onto the embankment (see video), cost Evans the overall victory.
Ogier/Ingrassia brought this home with a tiny six-tenths of a second lead after almost three hours of SS driving. Only twice in the history of the WRC has it been tighter.
Accident of the world championship leader
Third place overall went to Belgian Thierry Neuville on Hyundai, 8.1 seconds behind the winner. His teammate Ott Tänak took fourth place with a gap of almost one and a half minutes.
With the maximum haul, Ogier returns to the top of the drivers' standings with 61 points, followed by Neuville (53) and Evans (51). In addition, the Toyota Gazoo Racing World Rally Team extends its lead in the manufacturers' standings over defending champion Hyundai to 27 points.
The previous WRC leader Kalle Rovanperä sank his Yaris WRC into the trees on the very first day at the exit of a tricky right-hand bend, which also almost doomed other drivers. Thanks to the robust airframe, the Finn, like his co-driver, was unhurt.
