WRC
Ogier seizes control as rivals hit trouble in Finland
Sébastien Ogier and stand-in co-driver Julien Ingrassia produced a commanding Friday morning performance to lead Secto Rally Finland after an incident-packed opening loop.
The Toyota Gazoo Racing crew won three of the morning’s four high-speed gravel stages, overturning an overnight deficit to Adrien Fourmaux and reaching midday service in Jyväskylä with a 5.3sec advantage over the Hyundai driver.
Sami Pajari completed the loop in third, 8.0sec from the lead, while Oliver Solberg climbed to fourth following costly incidents for Thierry Neuville, Esapekka Lappi and Jon Armstrong.
Ogier immediately took control on the opening 18.16km Laukaa test. Despite admitting that he had endured a less-than-perfect start to the stage, the Frenchman was 2.9sec faster than Fourmaux and Lappi, who shared second-fastest time.
That performance moved Ogier into the rally lead by 1.7sec, and he remained there for the rest of the morning.
Pajari offered the strongest response on Saarikas, beating Ogier by 1.6sec to claim his first stage victory of the weekend and move into third overall.
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“That is all I can do,” said the Estonia winner. “I really tried to make a good stage. I hope it is enough, as I don’t have much more. It is early in the rally, but you need to be on it.”
Ogier hit back immediately on the new Sydänmaa test, edging Pajari and championship leader Elfyn Evans by just half a second.
The stage also brought the morning’s first major casualty when Lappi lost the rear of his Hyundai 800 metres from the start, found a ditch and rolled. Both Lappi and co-driver Enni Mälkönen were unharmed, but their strong run from fifth overall was over.
Armstrong had already gone off on the preceding Saarikas stage after clipping the rear-right of his M-Sport Ford Puma Rally1 and bouncing off into a ditch. Spectators attempted to recover the stranded car, but the Northern Irishman was unable to continue the loop.
Ogier then delivered his strongest statement on the short but treacherous Hoho test. He beat Fourmaux by 0.5sec and Solberg by 0.9sec, extending his advantage over the Frenchman from 4.8sec to 5.3sec.
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“I think there was a lot of risk for me in there,” Ogier admitted. “I pushed hard and there were some little moments. Honestly, we pushed on every stage.”
Fourmaux emerged as Hyundai’s only trouble-free front-running contender and remained firmly in the fight despite describing the conditions as difficult to read.
“It’s been a great morning, but I would like more,” he said. “Sometimes I’m in the line, sometimes the line is very challenging. It’s definitely not easy this morning, but I’m happy.”
Neuville had been fourth overall before a moment on Hoho saw him strike a hidden rock in the undergrowth. The impact badly damaged the front-left suspension of his i20 N Rally1 and cost more than 1min 30sec, with his ability to return to service uncertain.
Evans completed the morning fifth overall, 14.1sec from Ogier, after briefly running into the bushes on the final stage. Takamoto Katsuta endured a difficult loop with persistent understeer and oversteer and reached service sixth, 27.4sec from the lead.
Mārtiņš Sesks and Josh McErlean completed the surviving Rally1 order in seventh and eighth respectively, ahead of Friday afternoon’s repeat loop.
