Rally

Toyota driver Latvala took the lead with a brilliant run through the second stage of Sunday morning – Gwydir – but Ogier struck back on the next three stages and set a stunning time on Gwydir 2, which he’d struggled on earlier. Despite lacking first and second gear for some stages on Friday, the M-Sport Ford driver battled hard and was rewarded with a victory by 10.6 seconds over ... ... Keep reading View the full article

Originally scheduled to start at 12:18, the all-asphalt SS23 has been put back with a provisional start time now estimated at 13:00. A spokesman from the event told Motorsport.com: "The stage is delayed because of an incident on the promenade." Motorsport.com's sources have indicated two of the motorbikes involved in a display on the sea front were involved in a collision. Emergency ... ... Keep reading View the full article

Latvala – in search of a third Wales Rally GB win – closed the gap to 1.7s on the opening stage of the day, Elsi, before grabbing a sensational stage win in Gwydir, which is running as the Power Stage and was described as being “like Monte Carlo” by Hayden Paddon, referring to how slippery it was. Latvala recounted a moment where his car was sideways over a crest and he was ... ... Keep reading View the full article

Tanak was out two tests into the four-stage afternoon loop, in Sweet Lamb Hafren, with suspected radiator failure, turning a close battle for second into one for the lead of the rally. Ogier inherited the position, but on the next test, Tanak’s teammate Jari-Matti Latvala immediately cut the M-Sport driver’s lead from 5.5s to 2.9s in the 19-kilometre Dyfi test. But in the shorter ... ... Keep reading View the full article

The Estonian had been leading the event by 41.9s from Ogier and looked in total control as he headed towards a fourth consecutive WRC rally win, despite a hefty off in shakedown before the event. But on the Sweet Lamb Hafren stage, SS16, he pulled off to the side of the road. After investigating and then removing his helmet, oddly Tanak then drove the car up an escape road before exiting ... ... Keep reading View the full article

Across the five stages Tanak drew out another 15 seconds at the top of the times as he hunts a fourth consecutive WRC victory. Out of Tanak, Ogier and Thierry Neuville, the three drivers battling for the title, the former was on the softest tyre compound and took advantage of the extra grip. Ogier turned his rally on its head over a 24-hour period. Come Friday’s first service he sat ... ... Keep reading View the full article

The Hyundai driver began the day second overall, half a minute behind rally leader Ott Tanak, but went off during the final third of the 20km Sweet Lamb Hafren stage. At the apex of a right-hand sweeping hairpin, he suffered a spike of oversteer and the rear axle of his i20 fell off the road and became stuck in a ditch. Neuville was fortunate that his error came during a section that was ... ... Keep reading View the full article

Tanak's lead has grown to 28.8 seconds over Neuville after winning the first two stages of the afternoon's loop, despite Neuville hitting back with victory on the day-ending Penmachno stage. Neuville's climb to second overall was boosted by the retirement of M-Sport Ford's Elfyn Evans after he developed a misfire on the road to the first stage of the afternoon. The Hyundai driver's ... ... Keep reading View the full article

Tanak crushed his opposition with three stage wins in a row to start the day. Crucially, he took victory on the the longest stage, Brenig, by a decent margin as his title rivals Sebastien Ogier and Thierry Neuville then hit trouble on the following stage. Tanak's advantage was boosted by two spins for Ogier as a gearbox problem meant he lost first and second gear. Hyundai's Neuville lost ... ... Keep reading View the full article

The Finn headed compatriot and team-mate Jari-Matti Latvala by just 0.3s following the 1.7-mile opening stage. Championship leader Thierry Neuville matched Latvala’s time in his Hyundai, leaving the Belgian nicely poised for an assault on the lead heading into Friday’s opening loop of stages. Neuville’s main title rivals Sebastien Ogier and Ott Tanak fourth and fifth fastest ... ... Keep reading View the full article

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Tanak became disoriented while braking for a tight and tricky right-hander because of the wiper issue. The corner is well known to drivers who regularly rally in the Clocaenog forest, where the shakedown test is situated, and heavy rain in the build-up to the event made the road extremely slippy. The car crashed front-first into a bank with its rear wheels suspended, and spectators had to ... ... Keep reading View the full article

Ogier and M-Sport won the 2017 WRC titles as effective privateers, and appeared set for more substantial Ford support this season. But the fact that "Ford has not kept pace with our needs" left Ogier frustrated and caused his exit. “At the end of last year, Ford seemed motivated to help us further and allow us to raise our level this season but unfortunately I was a little disappointed on ... ... Keep reading View the full article

Loeb has one more event in his three-round WRC comeback programme with Citroen remaining this season - the mixed-surface Rally Spain at the end of October. Asked why Loeb had been called up for Citroen's first day of testing on Hafren, a team spokesperson replied: "He hasn't driven the C3 WRC on gravel since Mexico, this made sense." Loeb finished second on his last Rally GB appearance six ... ... Keep reading View the full article

The circuit has signed a “long-term deal” to host a round of World RX, which will take the series to the Middle East for the first time next April (5 – 6). The United Arab Emirates round will mark the first time World RX’s season-opener of has been run outside Europe, having previously been held at Montalegre in Portugal (2014 – 2016) and Barcelona in Spain (2017 – 2018). “Yas ... ... Keep reading View the full article

Reigning WRC champion Ogier is leaving M-Sport Ford to return to Citroen seven seasons after splitting with the team that had given him his top-level break. Citroen took Sebastien Loeb to nine straight WRC titles from 2004 to 2012 but has only won seven rallies since then and is currently last in the manufacturers' championship. Ogier said Citroen team principal Pierre Budar had convinced ... ... Keep reading View the full article

As predicted by Motorsport.com, the trio and nine-time World Rally champion Sebastien Loeb had formed Peugeot's factory cross-country rallying line-up before it withdrew from the discipline following the 2018 Dakar. X-raid won four straight Dakars with its Minis from 2012-15, two of them with Peterhansel, before Peugeot began its dominant run. Sven Quandt's team has carried out substantial ... ... Keep reading View the full article

Solberg had dominated the weekend in Austin and started on pole position for the final after beating Kristoffersson in the first semi-final. He led the final from Audi driver Andreas Bakkerud on lap one, as Kristoffersson forced his way inside Audi driver Mattias Ekstrom in the first corner joker – a move that would prove decisive. Not wanting to allow Kristoffersson clear air, Solberg ... ... Keep reading View the full article

The two-time F1 champion is leaving grand prix racing at the end of 2018 but is yet to firm up his programme for next season beyond the remaining races of his World Endurance Championship superseason with Toyota. A move to IndyCar was expected to facilitate his goal of winning the Indianapolis 500 to complete the unofficial triple crown of motorsport, but that has become complicated, and ... ... Keep reading View the full article

Solberg set the fastest time in Q1, despite not making the best start in his race and having to re-pass Mattias Ekstrom at the first corner as Ekstrom ran deep. Meanwhile, Solberg’s teammate and runaway championship leader Johan Kristoffersson had been forced wide in a lap one joker in Q1 by Peugeot drivers Sebastien Loeb and Timmy Hansen and would only set 13th fastest time. Starting in ... ... Keep reading View the full article