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wrc-–-tanak-secures-maiden-fia-drivers’-championship*-while-neuville-wins-rally-of-spain

2019 WRC - Rally of Spain - 2019 WRC Champions O. Tänak / M. Järveoja

Thierry Neuville and Nicolas Gilsoul scored victory on the Rally of Spain for Hyundai, snatching the lead in Saturday’s first stage and inserting forward their situation on the head until the enact line. However it turned into no longer sufficient to terminate the championship aspects leaders Ott Tänak and Martin Järveoja of their mission: the Estonian pair dominated the Energy Stage, claiming most rating and taking out second station from Dani Sordo and Carlos del Barrio to issue a maiden World Rally Championship title*.

Instances were dry and usual of the Spanish round, with air temperatures appropriate over 20 degrees celsius, guaranteeing the drivers had a great deal of grip on the asphalt for Sunday’s two loops of two stages.

Neuville controlled the lead of the rally in first situation from Saturday’s first morning tempo test, but his teammate Sordo, in second overnight, had the stress of Tänak on his heels. Sordo managed to aid Tänak at bay for a great deal of of the supreme day, taking two additional stage wins on Sunday morning, but the Estonian dwelling a sizzling time in the Energy Stage, gaining six seconds on the Spaniard, which promoted him to second station and enabled him to stable the 2019 WRC title*.

2019 WRC - Rally of Spain - Final podium

Sébastien Ogier had also started the Rally of Spain with a relative probability to shield in the title scurry for the season finale in Australia, but his hopes were dashed on the open of Friday when an hydraulic field introduced about his energy steering and slither-shift tools selector to fail. The defending champion carried out eighth general after shedding over four minutes.

Hyundai showed dominant tempo across the rally, occupying the head 3 spots of the timesheets at one level during 5 stages in a row on Saturday. Sébastien Loeb, who turned into the rally chief on Friday evening following a day on gravel, did no longer put collectively to acquire the suitable feeling in his automobile on tarmac. The 2018 match winner dropped abet late each his teammates Neuville and Sordo on Saturday and then fell late Tänak after the evening’s aspect road stage in Salou into fourth station, where he carried out the rally.

Jari-Matti Latvala scored stable aspects for Toyota in fifth, the Finn ending 6.3s late Loeb. The M-Sport Ford pair of Elfyn Evans and Teemu Suninen carried out sixth and seventh respectively. Evans had been scuffling with Latvala for a high 5 enact earlier on the match but the Welshman suffered technical problems on Friday. Teemu Suninen carried out seventh, no topic a trek in the rally-ending Energy Stage.

Ogier, in essentially the simplest supreme Citroën, recovered to eighth after his energy steering problems on the outlet day but turned into unable to terminate his used M-Sport teammate to issue the 2019 title. The second Citroën driver, Esapekka Lappi, turned into compelled to retire on Friday’s supreme stage with an engine connected field and would maybe perhaps additionally no longer open over again.

Within the abet of Ogier, FIA WRC 2 Expert winner Mads Østberg and FIA WRC 2 winner Eric Camilli, each riding Citroën R5s, finished the leaderboard in ninth and tenth respectively.

Kris Meeke turned into scuffling with the Hyundai trio for a podium station but crashed on Saturday morning’s second stage. The Ulsterman restarted on Sunday to enact in 30th situation general. Takamoto in the supreme WRC automobile – a privately entered Toyota Yaris – had dwelling his sights on a Top 10 enact he dropped to 40th general as a gearbox disaster cost him over 30 minutes.

* field to the agreeable publication of the outcomes by the FIA.

2019 Rally of Spain – Final agreeable results:

1. Thierry Neuville (BEL) / Nicolas Gilsoul (BEL) Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC 3hr 07min 39.6sec
2. Ott Tänak (EST) / Martin Järveoja (EST)                          Toyota Yaris WRC 3hr 07min 56.8sec
3. Dani Sordo (SPA) / Carlos Del Barrio (SPA) Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC 3hr 07min 57.2sec
4. Sébastien Loeb (FRA) / Daniel Elena (MON) Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC 3hr 08min 33.5sec
5. Jari-Matti Latvala (FIN) / Mikka Anttila Toyota Yaris WRC 3hr 08min 39.8sec
6. Elfyn Evans (GBR) / Scott Martin (GBR) Ford Fiesta WRC 3hr 08min 53.8sec
7. Teemu Suninen (FIN) / Marko Salminen (FIN) Ford Fiesta WRC 3hr 09min 27.2sec
8. Sébastien Ogier (FRA) / Julien Ingrassia (FRA) Citroën C3 WRC 3hr 12min 00.1sec
9. Mads Østberg (NOR) / Torstein Eriksen (NOR) Citroën C3 R5 3hr 16min 04.2sec
10. Eric Camilli (FRA) / Benjamin Veillas (FRA) Citroën C3 R5 3hr 16min 26.8sec

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