Flawless Lappi edges Ogier in WRC Rally Mexico’s dramatic day one
Esapekka Lappi put in a faultless efficiency within the scorching warmth and power-sapping altitude of WRC Rally Mexico to fend off six-time winner Sebastien Ogier throughout Friday’s dramatic opening leg.
Regardless of a number of of the FIA World Rally Championship’s main crews operating into bother on the grueling, dust-clogged phases within the mountains round Leon, Hyundai driver Lappi (above) steered away from drama to move Ogier’s Toyota on the primary gravel spherical of the season.
Lappi’s i20 N Rally1 led from the outset after grabbing the highest spot within the morning’s opener. However eight-time WRC champ Ogier, who’s chosen to run solely a restricted program of rallies with Toyota, stayed proper on his tail in his GR Yaris Rally1, with the duo exchanging instances for a lot of the day.
Nevertheless it was Lappi’s spectacular performances within the afternoon’s closing run of particular phases which made all of the distinction. Again-to-back stage wins in Las Minas and Las Dunas gave the Finn some much-needed respiratory area and, whereas Ogier clawed again a while within the Distrito Leon tremendous particular, 5.3s break up the pair at shut of play.
Sebastien Ogier is looking for a seventh Rally Mexico win, however trails Esapekka Lappi after day one.
“I’m a bit shocked, however I take it as it’s,” Lappi stated at day’s finish. “This was most likely the most effective days of my rallying profession.
“I at all times hoped that I might struggle on the prime, however to be main and preventing in opposition to Seb was by no means in my thoughts. I didn’t actually take into consideration how today would go, however I used to be simply assured that our tempo could be good.”
Elfyn Evans stuffed the ultimate podium spot, ending 24.8s behind his Toyota GR Yaris teammate, Ogier. As temperatures neared 85 levels F and sections on some phases reached 9,000ft in altitude, it was a making an attempt day for crews and automobiles alike, with the skinny air sapping engine energy by as a lot as 20 p.c. However the Welshman’s struggles have been restricted to a scarcity of traction on a number of the assessments.
Hyundai’s Thierry Neuville was hampered by hybrid unit failure within the morning, adopted by a seized rear-right damper and broken driveshaft boot within the afternoon. He pressed on regardless, reaching the in a single day halt simply 9.7s adrift of the rostrum in his i20 N.
Beginning second on the highway, reigning WRC champ Kalle Rovanpera was severely affected by the unfastened situations – the early runners successfully highway sweepers for the automobiles beginning additional down the operating order. Consequently, the Yaris driver misplaced time in nearly each check, ending the day fifth and a large 19.9s down on Neuville.
In the meantime, Hyundai’s Dani Sordo leaked round a minute when he limped by way of the day’s fifth check with left-rear tire injury, dropping from fourth to sixth total.
Championship chief Ott Tanak languishes greater than 14 minutes again from the lead after crawling by way of the morning loop with turbocharger failure and beginning first on the highway – a double whammy of challenges. In actual fact, it was a disastrous day for the Estonian’s M-Sport Ford crew throughout, as each teammate Pierre-Louis Loubet and privateer entry Jourdan Serderidis retired their Pumas within the opening stage.
Beginning first on the highway was dangerous sufficient, however a turbo difficulty destroyed Ott Tanak’s possibilities.
In WRC2, Gus Greensmith wasted no time in attending to grips along with his all-new Skoda Fabia RS, constructing an 8.5s benefit over former teammate Adrien Fourmaux.
Regardless of having restricted testing time previous to the occasion, Greensmith appeared comfy along with his Toksport-prepared machine. He constantly posted top-three stage instances all through the morning and reached the mid-leg service simply 3.0s down on in a single day chief Emil Lindholm’s Skoda Fabia Evo.
That put Greensmith in prime place to pounce within the afternoon when Lindholm dropped 14s on the second passage of the long-lasting El Chocolate stage, demoting the Finn 4 positions and leaving Greensmith because the WRC2 chief, the place he remained for the remainder of the day.
“The morning was somewhat bit difficult as a result of the tires have been overheating, however I knew that when we put the arduous tires on I might go a lot faster,” stated Greensmith, who’s dropped all the way down to the WRC2 class after a irritating season with M-Sport Ford’s Rally1 Puma in 2022. “It’s a pleasant lead, however not a large one. It’s all about managing dangers and the tempo right here, and making an attempt to be tidy.”
Gus Greensmith’s first rally in a WRC2-spec Skoda Fabia RS is figuring out up to now…
Lindholm’s demotion lifted Adrien Fourmaux to second in his Ford Fiesta Rally2. The Frenchman – additionally regrouping in WRC2 after a making an attempt marketing campaign in an M-Sport Ford Puma final season – is inside placing distance of former teammate Greensmith, organising an thrilling second day.
Saturday’s leg is the longest of the occasion and options 9 more difficult phases including as much as 78.62 aggressive miles.
WRC Rally Mexico, main positions after Day One, SS10
1 Esapekka Lappi/Janne Ferm (Hyundai i20 N Rally1) 1h25m12.0s
2 Sebastien Ogier/Vincent Landais (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1) +5.3s
3 Elfyn Evans/Scott Martin (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1) +30.1s
4 Thierry Neuville/Martijn Wydaeghe (Hyundai i20 N Rally1) +39.8s
5 Kalle Rovanpera/Jonne Halttunen (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1) +59.7s
6 Dani Sordo/Candido Carrera (Hyundai i20 N Rally1) +1m27.2s
7 Gus Greensmith/Jonas Andersson ((Skoda Fabia RS – WRC2 chief) +3m50.1s
8 Adrien Fourmaux/Alexandre Coria (Ford Fiesta MkII – WRC2) +3m58.6s
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