WRC Portugal: VW's Sebastien Ogier and Jari-Matti Latvala pull away
Sebastien Ogier is stretching away from team-mate Jari-Matti Latvala in a Volkswagen one-two halfway through day two in Portugal
With Dani Sordo having damaged his Citroen while chasing Ogier, and Mads Ostberg having rolled his M-Sport Ford while holding the VW off on Friday, the World Rally Championship leader is successfully seeing his rivals off.
Ogier's main battle is with his health, as his lingering illness is leaving him struggling for energy on the stages.
Latvala, up to second after Sordo's exit, managed to trim a little from Ogier's lead on Saturday's first two stages, before the Frenchman went quickest on Loule to give himself a 14-second cushion.
Mikko Hirvonen's Citroen is now 13s behind Ogier, with the Finn convinced the VWs are too quick.
M-Sport Ford drivers Evgeny Novikov and Nasser Al-Attiyah complete the top five. Their team-mate Thierry Neuville hit a rock and retired on the opening stage of the day.
After his Friday power steering problem, Andreas Mikkelsen is making good progress in the third VW.
He is now back up to eighth, with the next two cars firmly within sight for Saturday afternoon.
Dominant WRC2 leader Esapekki Lappi is now up into the top 10 overall.
Robert Kubica is having to change gear manually with his damaged right arm as the specially-developed paddleshift system on his Citroen RRC has malfunctioned.
Pos Driver Team/Car Time/Gap 1. Sebastien Ogier VW 1h43m25.8s 2. Jari-Matti Latvala VW + 14.1s 3. Mikko Hirvonen Citroen + 37.2s 4. Evgeny Novikov M-Sport Ford + 2m51.6s 5. Nasser Al-Attiyah M-Sport Ford + 4m36.7s 6. Martin Prokop Czech Ford + 5m24.9s 7. Michal Kosciuszko Italia Mini + 5m33.7s 8. Andreas Mikkelsen VW + 5m36.8s 9. Dennis Kuipers M-Sport Ford + 5m44.5s 10. Esapekka Lappi Skoda + 6m58.1s
Previous article
WRC Portugal: Dani Sordo crashes out of lead fight with Sebastien Ogier
Next article
Portugal WRC: Robert Kubica to tread carefully after gear problem
About this article
| Series | WRC |
| Drivers | Jari-Matti Latvala , Sébastien Ogier |
Why the casualty of rallying's evolution should still be cherished
The WRC's support categories are in a process of streamlining that will spell the end of a formalised 2WD world championship-level category. While its relevance to the top level has been questioned for some time, that doesn't mean it should be swept quietly under the carpet
Why WRC's hybrid path could leave it at a crossroads
With all three major manufacturers committing to the World Rally Championship’s hybrid era from 2022, the future of the series is assured for now, but it could lead to trickier twists and turns further down the road
How Tanak froze out the competition at the Arctic Rally
Ott Tanak made up for a disastrous Monte Carlo Rally by leading all the way on the snow-kissed stages of the Arctic Rally Finland and in the process hit back at an event Toyota had been expected to dominate
What to expect from the WRC's venture to the Arctic
This week's Arctic Rally Finland will bring the World Rally Championship into new territory. And, almost without exception, the service park can't wait for the subzero challenge to commence
How Ogier achieved a fitting Monte Carlo farewell
Against pandemic-shaped odds, the World Rally Championship season opener went ahead in Monte Carlo last weekend as a familiar face again took top spot. But for an emotional Sebastien Ogier, his record-breaking eighth win meant more than most
What to look out for in the 2021 WRC
As the 2021 World Rally Championship prepares to launch amid tight COVID-19 restrictions in Monte Carlo, here are the eight things unrelated to the pandemic that you should keep an eye on this year
Evans on the talking points of WRC 2021
He came close to the title last year, and now Toyota's Elfyn Evans gives his verdict on what to expect from 2021 as the World Rally Championship prepares to reconvene for the Monte Carlo season opener
Why Britain's continued WRC absence is a wake-up call
OPINION: With Rally GB dropping off the World Rally Championship calendar for the second year in a row, one of Britain's best-attended sporting events faces an uncertain future. It's an unfortunate situation that points to troubling times ahead
