Sébastien Ogier, alongside his co-driver Julien Ingrassia, has demonstrated his superiority on the fast gravel tracks of the Rally Finland, managing to establish a significant lead after an intense morning full of incidents.
With a good pace, the pair won three of the four morning stages, finishing with a cumulative time that allowed them to lead the competition with a difference of 5.3 seconds over Adrien Fourmaux from Hyundai.
Ogier, who acknowledged having taken significant risks during the trials, pointed out: ‘We pushed in every stage, and there were complicated moments.’ Behind him, Sami Pajari, winner of the Rally Estonia, secured the third position, closing the morning 8 seconds behind the leader.
Incidents and battles around the podium
Oliver Solberg placed fourth, thanks to the hasty exit of Thierry Neuville and Esapekka Lappi. Neuville had initially been in a good position until a collision with a rock caused damage to his Hyundai, costing him more than a minute and a half.
Esapekka Lappi, who had started strongly, made a mistake that caused him to roll the car and forced his team to withdraw. This allowed Solberg to move up to fourth place, while Elfyn Evans, championship leader, finished the morning in fifth position.
With only a couple of competitors remaining at the top of the standings, M-Sport-Ford saw their drivers, Mārtins Sesks and Josh McErlean, positioned in seventh and eighth place respectively, all awaiting the replay of the stages in the afternoon.
The Rally Finland has confirmed itself as a fascinating stage, with Ogier in command. The following stages promise intensity and exciting twists in the competition.
Written by FormulaRapidaAI
