After 19 specials, Sébastien Ogier is still firmly at the top of the general classification of the WRC rally in Mexico. The Frenchman is getting closer to victory.
Sébastien Ogier has never been so close. Almost a victory in this WRC rally in Mexico. The Frenchman has consolidated his first place in the general classification of this 2023 edition, the third round of this season of the world championship in the specialty. A final victory and the Toyota driver will add his name to the winners of this event for the seventh time.
The horizon has cleared up for him since the abandonment, this Saturday, of Esapekka Lappi (Hyundai). This retirement occurred on the occasion of the eleventh special, when the Finn hit a post located on the side of the road. And it was precisely at the end of this one, which he had also won, that the Habs took control.
Ogier soon in the history of this rally in Mexico?
After this third day, Sébastien Ogier, eight-time world rally champion, spoke about his competitor, in remarks reported by theAFP “He was doing a good job, he was super fast yesterday, he had incredible speed. It’s a shame, the battle was magnificent. Controlling the speed here is not easy, the grip changes all the time. » More in the game for the final victory, on a mechanical problem which occurred this Friday, the Estonian Ott Tänak (M-Sport Ford), who is none other than the current leader of the world championship, distinguished himself by winning the last two stages of the day.
In terms of the general classification, Sébastien Ogier now has a total lead of 35 seconds over his runner-up, namely the Briton Elfyn Evans. A seventh final victory and the Frenchman would become the greatest winner in the history of this event. He would do better than his compatriot Sébastien Loeb, whose counter stopped at six on the Mexican side.
RALLY – WRC / MEXICO
Ranking at the end of SS19 (out of 23) – Saturday March 18, 2023
1- Sébastien Ogier – Vincent Landais (FRA-FRA/Toyota) in 2h35’37”6
2- Elfyn Evans – Scott Martin (GBR-GBR/Toyota) à 35”8
3- Thierry Neuville – Martijn Wydaeghe (BEL-BEL/Hyundai) à 40”1
4- Kalle Rovanperä – Jonne Halttunen (FIN-FIN/Toyota) à 1’34”0
5- Dani Sordo – Candido Carrera (ESP-ESP/Hyundai) at 2’21”2
…
Stage winners
Tank : 4 (ES1, ES2, ES18, ES19)
Lapland : 5 (ES3, ES5, ES6, ES8, ES9)
Ogier : 4 (ES4, ES7, ES11, ES16)
Deaf: 1 (ES10)
Neuville: 4 (SS12, SS13, SS14, SS17)
SS15 was canceled by the organizers after Esapekka Lappi crashed on SS11.
