Ott Tänak leads Rally Turkey after one of the WRC's most dramatic ever days.
He led the enthralling four-day gravel road event by 13.1sec from Toyota Yaris team-mate Jari-Matti Latvala after title rivals Thierry Neuville and Sébastien Ogier retired and erstwhile leader Andreas Mikkelsen hit problems.
A third successive victory tomorrow for the Estonian would increase the impetus gained by wins in Finland and Germany, setting up a three-way fight at the final three rounds to decide the most exciting championship battle in recent memory.
Leg one leader Neuville retired when the front left suspension punched though his Hyundai i20’s bonnet in this morning’s opening speed test. He limped to the finish and tried swapping suspension parts from the rear to the front but the damage was too great.
Ogier was left with a 22.5sec lead but the Frenchman struggled to the finish of the following test with a broken front right wishbone on his Ford Fiesta. He wrestled to install an ill-fitting replacement, helped by team-mate Elfyn Evans who stopped to relay advice from team engineers in the service park by telephone.
“I thought I would never make it. We tried to put the track control arm back but the suspension wishbone was too tight in the sub-frame and I couldn’t fit it in. I fought like hell and was very close to giving up because I had no energy,” said Ogier.
Time penalties for arriving late at the next stage relegated Ogier to fourth but his hopes were extinguished when he slid wide in the afternoon’s opening stage. He swiped a tree and his car became stuck on the outside of the corner.
Drama, what drama? Oh yeh, that drama. What a day covering all the action for #WRCLive with the amazing @HeikkiBarsk and Markus. Don’t remember a day like it. A few of my pics as a wee reminder 😀 pic.twitter.com/fxNzm3GbJy
Mikkelsen regained the lead he held for much of yesterday but a transmission problem left his i20 with only rear-wheel drive all afternoon. He conceded almost four minutes and plunged to fifth.
By his own admission, Tänak has lacked pace but keeping a cool head on the rock-strewn roads paid dividends. “We knew from the beginning it would be tough and we didn’t have the performance so we had to keep it on the road,” he said.
Haydon Paddon is almost a minute adrift of Latvala in third.
It was a disastrous day for Citroën’s Craig Breen and Mads Østberg. Breen’s C3 caught fire and burned out while Østberg stopped with a broken turbo. Esapekka Lappi retired his Yaris from sixth when he crashed.
Sunday’s finale is short but no less demanding than the previous two legs. Drivers tackle four stages covering 34.98km, the rally ending with a second pass over the 7.14km live TV Marmaris Power Stage, with bonus points available to the fastest five drivers.
Leading positions:
1. O Tänak / M Järveoja EST Toyota Yaris 3hr 34min 22.5sec
2. J-M Latvala / M Anttila FIN Toyota Yaris + 13.1sec
3. H Paddon / S Marshall NZL Hyundai i20 + 1min 10.5sec
4. T Suninen / M Markkula FIN Ford Fiesta + 3min 22.2sec
5. A Mikkelsen / A Jaeger NOR Hyundai i20 + 6min 25.4sec
6. H Solberg / I Minor NOR Skoda Fabia R5 + 11min 55.5sec
SUBSCRIBE BELOW TO READ THE FULL STORY
RallySport Magazine Subscription
Select Subscription Level
Select Subscription Length
Recurring Subscription Cost
A subscription to RallySport Magazine give you access to all our rally
content from Australia, New Zealand and around the world – with news,
features and experiences nobody can match.
Our team are dedicated to providing an unrivalled experience which
shares, supports and promotes the sport of rallying.
By clicking "Subscribe Now" you agree to receive news, offers and updates on RallySport Magazine.
If you do not wish to receive marketing communications, you can update your preferences in My Account.
We will commence charging your payment method after the 7 day free trial expires.
If you cancel after expiry of your trial, cancellation will take effect from the end of your current monthly subscription period.
You will not be refunded any fees paid to RallySport Magazine unless otherwise set out in the terms and conditions.
Account Created!
Welcome to RallySport Magazine VIP Membership.
Get ready for your rally news experience to completely transform.
Start browsing news, exclusive VIP content or check out your account.