Rallying-Ogier edges Tanak to win in Sardinia, Evans stays top
FILE PHOTO: FIA World Rally Championship - Rally Sweden - Stage 7 of Second Round - Torsby, Sweden - February 15, 2020. Sebastien Ogier of France (Toyota Yaris WRC) speaks to the media. TT News Agency/Micke Fransson/via REUTERS/File Photo
Sebastien Ogier clinched a record fifth Rally Italy victory on Sunday, fending off Hyundai's Ott Tanak by 7.9 seconds after a tense final stage in Sardinia, while Toyota teammate Elfyn Evans stayed top of the championship standings.
Ogier, with co-driver Vincent Landais, completed the sixth round of the season in three hours 34 minutes and 24.5 seconds to secure the Frenchman's third win in four starts in a part-time campaign.
The eight-times world champion was beaten by Tanak on the island last year by 0.2 seconds after a final-stage puncture but this time Ogier stayed composed and took the win despite a late wobble.
Ogier had built a 17.1-second cushion heading into the Wolf Power Stage, but the 41-year-old overshot a tight, rutted corner in the final kilometres.
This forced him to stop and reverse after his car refused to turn, cutting his advantage by more than half in a tense finale.
"In the ruts, I just couldn't turn the car," Ogier explained. "There was no speed at all, so I didn't try to force it and hit it - I preferred to stop and reverse. But yeah, not ideal. Still, it was enough to win."
The victory follows hot on the heels of his Rally Portugal triumph and sent Ogier second in the championship with 114 points to Evans' 133.
Toyota, who have won every rally so far this year, also tightened their grip on the manufacturers' race with 312 points to Hyundai's 243.
"There are many places I've won several times," said Ogier.
"It's just a type of rally I like, where precise driving is needed, but also smoothness for tyre management. Thanks to the team, great turnaround after Portugal in terms of speed and set-up, so good job."
Tanak pushed hard in the final stage but fell short, while Kalle Rovanpera, clawing his way up from fifth during Saturday's stages, completed a double podium for Toyota in third, 50.5 seconds behind Ogier.
The Finn dropped to third overall, one point behind Ogier, with Tanak fourth on 108.
Evans and Takamoto Katsuta rounded out a strong showing for Toyota, taking fourth and fifth respectively.
Hyundai's reigning champion Thierry Neuville, fifth in the championship on 83 points, took four points from the Power Stage and one from the 'Super Sunday' format after returning following Friday's retirement.
The next round is in Greece on June 26-29. REUTERS
Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
42 minutes ago
- Straits Times
Sinner's dad too busy with work to attend record-breaking French Open final
PARIS - World number one Jannik Sinner was part of the longest French Open final when he lost in five sets to defending champion Carlos Alcaraz on Sunday but his dad was not there to witness it because he was at work, the Italian said. The marathon match lasted five hours and 29 minutes, making it the longest French Open final since tennis turned professional in 1968 and the second longest in Grand Slam history. "My dad was not here because he was working today," Sinner, who hails from a German-speaking Alpine region in northern Italy told a press conference. "Nothing of our success changes in the family." His father works as a chef in the mountains. Sinner had a full box for support, with his team of coaches as well as his mother, who was seen welling up and being extremely nervous as her son wasted three match points in the fourth set. "It was nice to see my mom here. And yeah, I guess my dad, he was watching on TV - if he finished work. It's okay." The Italian top seed wasted three match points at 5-3, 40-0 up in the fourth set and was also 6-5 up in the decider, before Alcaraz clawed his way back in dramatic fashion to win the title for the second year running. "So we are just very simple family, you know," he said. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
an hour ago
- Straits Times
Sinner heading for sleepless night after losing classic French Open final
Tennis - French Open - Roland Garros, Paris, France - June 8, 2025 Italy's Jannik Sinner with the runner up trophy after losing the men's singles final against Spain's Carlos Alcaraz REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes Tennis - French Open - Roland Garros, Paris, France - June 8, 2025 Italy's Jannik Sinner with the runner up trophy after losing the men's singles final against Spain's Carlos Alcaraz REUTERS/Stephanie Lecocq PARIS - World number one Jannik Sinner rued his missed chances and said he expected a sleepless night after agonisingly letting three championship points slip through his fingers in a five-set defeat by Carlos Alcaraz in the French Open final on Sunday. The Italian top seed wasted three match points at 5-3, 40-0 up in the fourth set and was also 6-5 ahead in the decider, before Spaniard Alcaraz clawed his way back in dramatic fashion to win the title for the second year running. It was the longest French Open final since tennis turned professional in 1968, lasting five hours 29 minutes, and the second longest Grand Slam final in the Open Era. "I won't sleep tonight very well, but it's okay," Sinner said during the presentation ceremony. "First of all Carlos, congrats. An amazing performance, amazing battle, amazing job. I am very happy for you, you deserve it. "It's easier to play than talking now," said the 23-year-old, who was on a 20-match winning streak in the majors. Sinner had only played one tournament, in Rome in May, after coming back from a three-month doping ban but said his run to the final proved he was on the right track. "I was ready. I was feeling much more ready than in Rome. I think we saw that. He's the world number two, but he's number one on clay," he told a press conference before listing his missed opportunities in the match. "I was a break up in the third, was a break up in the fourth, had three match points, serving for the match," he said. "I came back. Six-five up (in the fifth set), I had chances also in the fifth. So many chances I couldn't use." The two finalists, who have won seven of the last eight Grand Slams to stamp their authority on the tour, were locked in a fierce battle that mesmerised the 15,000 crowd at the Philippe Chatrier court. "When it was over, it was over," Sinner said. "That's a different feeling, different things coming through your mind." "You cannot change anymore when the match is over. But when you start a fifth set, you can still change some things." It was the first major final between two men born in the 2000s while Alcaraz became only the second man in the professional era to win all of his first five Grand Slam singles finals after Roger Federer. "I had lots of chances, but this is the good part of the sport. Also today it got me the sad part, no?," Sinner said. "But, you know, if you watch only the sad part, you're never going to come back." REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
an hour ago
- Straits Times
Sinner prepares for sleepless night after dramatic loss to Alcaraz at French Open
PARIS - World number one Jannik Sinner said he was expecting a sleepless night after agonisingly letting three championship points slip through his fingers in a five-set defeat by Carlos Alcaraz in the French Open final on Sunday. The Italian top seed wasted three match points at 5-3, 40-0 up in the fourth set and was also 6-5 up in the decider, before Alcaraz clawed his way back in dramatic fashion to win the title for the second year running. It was the longest French Open final since tennis turned professional in 1968, lasting five hours and 29 minutes. "I won't sleep tonight very well, but it's okay," Sinner said during the presentation ceremony. "First of all Carlos, congrats. An amazing performance, amazing battle, amazing job. I am very happy for you, you deserve it. "It's easier to play than talking now," said the 23-year-old, who was on a 20-match winning streak in the majors. The two finalists, who have won seven of the last eight Grand Slams to stamp their authority on the tour, were locked in a fierce battle that mesmerised the 15,000 crowd at the Philippe Chatrier court. "My team, thank you so much for putting me in this position. We tried our best today. We gave everything we had. Some time ago we would've signed to be here. Still an amazing tournament even though it's very, very difficult right now. But it's ok." It was the first major final between two men born in the 2000s while Alcaraz became only the second man in the professional era to win all of his first five Grand Slam singles finals after Roger Federer. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
