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2021 WRC - Rally Finland - Final podium

Elfyn Evans stormed to victory at Secto Rally Finland on Sunday afternoon to desire alive his hopes of a maiden FIA World Rally Championship title.

An beautiful series of 5 attend-to-attend escape check wins on Friday night and Saturday morning propelled the Welshman from fifth to first. He survived intense stress from Ott Tänak and Craig Breen all via the relaxation of the rally to expend by 14.1sec in a Toyota Yaris.

Nothing much less than victory would suffice in his title quest and with most functions for winning the closing Wolf Energy Stage, the Welshman slashed championship leader Sébastien Ogier’s advantage from 44 functions to 24 with two rounds last.

His Toyota Gazoo Racing team depends mostly shut to the host city of Jyväskylä and victory preserved its unbeaten Rally Finland record since returning to the WRC in 2017. Toyota furthermore increased its producers’ championship lead over Hyundai Motorsport to 61 functions.

Towards a backdrop of gorgeous autumnal colors within the forests, the championship’s quickest roads provided neat action and Tänak and Breen both led on the outlet day in a inflamed fight of their Hyundai i20s.

Finally, they’d no answer to Evans’ tempo, however residing-up enhancements midway via Saturday gave Tänak more confidence and he eased obvious of Breen to develop 28.1sec forward.

No topic an overshoot at a junction on Sunday morning, the Irishman bagged his third podium from his ultimate three outings and matched his 2016 result.

Esapekka Lappi, winner in 2017, made a substantial return to high-stage competition in a privately-entered Yaris after 10 months away. The Finn used to be within the thick of the podium fight within the outlet leg and at ultimate accomplished fourth, 16.6sec within the attend of Breen.

Ogier ended fifth after a lacklustre force in his Yaris. He below no circumstances had the tempo to compare the leading quartet and a disappointing weekend used to be made worse when he used to be hit with a 60sec penalty on Saturday night for no longer fastening his atomize helmet strap wisely earlier within the day.

Gus Greensmith accomplished the tip six in a Ford Fiesta, the Briton heading team-mate Adrien Fourmaux.

FIA WRC2 winner Teemu Suninen used to be eighth on the wheel of a Movisport-entered Volkswagen Polo GTI before fellow enhance class driver Mads Østberg in a TRT Citroën C3. FIA WRC3 winner Emil Lindholm accomplished the leaderboard.

The WRC returns to asphalt for the penultimate round at RallyRACC Rally de España on 14 – 17 October. The fixture depends mostly in Salou.

The unofficial outcomes may perhaps well fair furthermore be consulted right here.


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