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Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Sebastien Ogier leads WRC Rally Sardinia after Thierry Neuville crashes out
Sébastien Ogier admits he is surprised to be leading Rally Italia Sardinia after an eventful Friday that caught out several of his World Rally Championship rivals. The eight-time world champion faced the effects of road cleaning in the morning, starting third, but completed Friday's six gravel stages with a 2.1s lead over Hyundai's Adrien Fourmaux. Advertisement Ogier defied his road position to grab the lead after the opening stage but dropped to third behind Hyundai duo Fourmaux, who took a 2.9s lead over Thierry Neuville into the midday service. However, the ultra fast and narrow Telti - Calangianus - Berchidda stage, that ruined M-Sport-Ford trio Josh McErelean, Gregoire Munster and Mārtiņš Sesks' days, once again wreaked havoc in the afternoon. Neuville clipped the left rear of his i20 N on a rock that forced the world champion to retire from the lead, having snatched the advantage away from Fourmaux by 0.2s. Fourmaux was unable to hang on to the lead he regained as a set up tweak made to his Hyundai i20 N in between stages didn't pay off for the Frenchman. Ogier pounced on the moment, winning the stage while taking 6.7s from Fourmaux to end the day in a surprise lead - a feat made even more impressive by his Toyota team opting not to test before the rally, unlike their rivals. Advertisement 'I'm very happy for sure. I would have definitely signed and not really bet on that especially considering the competition we are facing at the moment,' said Ogier. 'I have to be satisfied with what we did today and to pick up the best starting position for the rest of the weekend is ideal, but the gaps are still super small. One part of the job is done but a big part of the job remains.' Adrien Fourmaux, Alexandre Coria, Hyundai World Rally Team Hyundai i20 N Rally1 Adrien Fourmaux, Alexandre Coria, Hyundai World Rally Team Hyundai i20 N Rally1 Red Bull Content Pool Red Bull Content Pool Fourmaux was left to rue his set up tweak before the day's final stage but was buoyed to be in the fight for what could be a maiden WRC victory. Advertisement 'It is really close which is a positive point, and be two seconds behind Seb, but to be fair it has been a great day. I wish I could be leading and I should have been better on the last stage and unfortunately I made a mistake with set up and I lost time,' said Fourmaux. 'After what happened in Portugal [where we retired from the victory fight with a technical issue] I can be happy.' Hyundai's Ott Tanak ended Friday in third, 7.3s adrift of the pace after a broken front damper cost him valuable time in stage six. The 2019 world champion, who had been struggling with the handling of his i20 N in the morning, had closed to within 1.2s of then leader Fourmaux before the issue struck. 'For one stage things went better [with the car] but we had some trouble with the suspension and then in the last one we had to lose as little as possible. I don't know why it happened. We tried our best but we couldn't do anymore,' said Tanak. Advertisement Sami Pajari produced arguably his best showing of the season to date to complete a tricky day in fourth overall, 16.8s behind leader Ogier. The Finn headed two-time world champion Kalle Rovanperä, who ended the day encouraged by the pace he found after struggling with his GR Yaris in the morning, starting second on the road. 'This afternoon I would say I was pretty happy from a Sardinia level as I'm never super comfortable here but it seems we have found some pace,' said Rovanpera, who will start Saturday 22.8s behind Ogier. 'The biggest thing is I feel I need to push too much in the way of tyre wear. The times are coming if you push a lot but then also we have big tyre wear. This is what we need to work on tomorrow.' Championship leader Elfyn Evans faced the worst of the road conditions which was reflected in his times. The Welshman felt that it wasn't only the fact he had to open the road that left him 1m09.8s off the pace in sixth. Advertisement Evans fared better than team-mate Takamoto Katsuta, who clipped a rock at tight, slow speed right hander that tipped his GR Yaris onto its side. Spectators helped put the car back on its wheels allowing the Japanese to nurse a wounded GR Yaris home in seventh [+2m27,9s]. Elfyn Evans, Scott Martin, Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 Elfyn Evans, Scott Martin, Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 Red Bull Content Pool Red Bull Content Pool Neuville wasn't so lucky in the stage as his brush with the rocks at high speed ripped the left wheel from his i20 N forcing the world champion into a first retirement of the year. 'I lost the front and had to correct the line and at that point the rear went wide and I hit a stone and it was over,' said Neuville. Advertisement 'It could have been a massive crash but in the end we just went a little bit wide and it took off the rear. The smallest mistakes in rallying pays cash and sometimes nothing happens, but it is unfortunate for us as we were leading at the time.' The rally continues on Saturday with six stages scheduled, covering 121 competitive kilometres. Photos Rally Italy - Day 1 Ott Tänak, Martin Järveoja, Hyundai World Rally Team Hyundai i20 N Rally1 Ott Tänak, Martin Järveoja, Hyundai World Rally Team Hyundai i20 N Rally1 Red Bull Content Pool Red Bull Content Pool Sarah Rumeau, Julie Amblard, Sarrazin Motorsport - Iron Lynx Citroen C3 Rally2 Sarah Rumeau, Julie Amblard, Sarrazin Motorsport - Iron Lynx Citroen C3 Rally2 Red Bull Content Pool Red Bull Content Pool Thierry Neuville, Martijn Wydaeghe, Hyundai World Rally Team Hyundai i20 N Rally1 Thierry Neuville, Martijn Wydaeghe, Hyundai World Rally Team Hyundai i20 N Rally1 Fabien Dufour / Hyundai Motorsport Fabien Dufour / Hyundai Motorsport Oliver Solberg, Elliott Edmondson, Printsport Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 Oliver Solberg, Elliott Edmondson, Printsport Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 Red Bull Content Pool Red Bull Content Pool Takamoto Katsuta, Aaron Johnston, Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 Takamoto Katsuta, Aaron Johnston, Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 McKlein / Motorsport Images McKlein / Motorsport Images Takamoto Katsuta, Aaron Johnston, Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 Takamoto Katsuta, Aaron Johnston, Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 McKlein / Motorsport Images McKlein / Motorsport Images Jourdan Serderidis, Frédéric Miclotte, M-Sport Ford World Rally Team Ford Puma Rally1 Jourdan Serderidis, Frédéric Miclotte, M-Sport Ford World Rally Team Ford Puma Rally1 M-Sport M-Sport Grégoire Munster, Louis Louka, M-Sport Ford World Rally Team Ford Puma Rally1 Grégoire Munster, Louis Louka, M-Sport Ford World Rally Team Ford Puma Rally1 M-Sport M-Sport Sébastien Ogier, Vincent Landais, Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 Sébastien Ogier, Vincent Landais, Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 Toyota Racing Toyota Racing Martins Sesks, Renars Francis, M-Sport Ford World Rally Team Ford Puma Rally1 Martins Sesks, Renars Francis, M-Sport Ford World Rally Team Ford Puma Rally1 M-Sport M-Sport Sébastien Ogier, Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT Sébastien Ogier, Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT Red Bull Content Pool Red Bull Content Pool Thierry Neuville, Martijn Wydaeghe, Hyundai World Rally Team Hyundai i20 N Rally1 Thierry Neuville, Martijn Wydaeghe, Hyundai World Rally Team Hyundai i20 N Rally1 Red Bull Content Pool Red Bull Content Pool Sébastien Ogier, Vincent Landais, Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 Sébastien Ogier, Vincent Landais, Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 Red Bull Content Pool Red Bull Content Pool Ott Tänak, Martin Järveoja, Hyundai World Rally Team Hyundai i20 N Rally1 Ott Tänak, Martin Järveoja, Hyundai World Rally Team Hyundai i20 N Rally1 Red Bull Content Pool Red Bull Content Pool Adrien Fourmaux, Hyundai World Rally Team Adrien Fourmaux, Hyundai World Rally Team Red Bull Content Pool Red Bull Content Pool Sébastien Ogier, Vincent Landais, Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 Sébastien Ogier, Vincent Landais, Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 Red Bull Content Pool Red Bull Content Pool Kalle Rovanperä, Jonne Halttunen, Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 Kalle Rovanperä, Jonne Halttunen, Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 Toyota Racing Toyota Racing Thierry Neuville, Martijn Wydaeghe, Hyundai World Rally Team Hyundai i20 N Rally1 Thierry Neuville, Martijn Wydaeghe, Hyundai World Rally Team Hyundai i20 N Rally1 Vincent Thuillier / Hyundai Motorsport Vincent Thuillier / Hyundai Motorsport Thierry Neuville, Hyundai World Rally Team Thierry Neuville, Hyundai World Rally Team Austral / Hyundai Motorsport Austral / Hyundai Motorsport Kalle Rovanperä, Jonne Halttunen, Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 Kalle Rovanperä, Jonne Halttunen, Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 Toyota Racing Toyota Racing Elfyn Evans, Scott Martin, Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 Elfyn Evans, Scott Martin, Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 Toyota Racing Toyota Racing Kalle Rovanperä, Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT Kalle Rovanperä, Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT Toyota Racing Toyota Racing Ott Tänak, Martin Järveoja, Hyundai World Rally Team Hyundai i20 N Rally1 Ott Tänak, Martin Järveoja, Hyundai World Rally Team Hyundai i20 N Rally1 Fabien Dufour / Hyundai Motorsport Fabien Dufour / Hyundai Motorsport Sami Pajari, Marko Salminen, Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 Sami Pajari, Marko Salminen, Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 Toyota Racing Toyota Racing Sami Pajari, Marko Salminen, Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 Sami Pajari, Marko Salminen, Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 Toyota Racing Toyota Racing Sébastien Ogier, Vincent Landais, Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 Sébastien Ogier, Vincent Landais, Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 Toyota Racing Toyota Racing Takamoto Katsuta, Aaron Johnston, Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 Takamoto Katsuta, Aaron Johnston, Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 Toyota Racing Toyota Racing Elfyn Evans, Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT Elfyn Evans, Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT Toyota Racing Toyota Racing Ott Tänak, Martin Järveoja, Hyundai World Rally Team Hyundai i20 N Rally1 Ott Tänak, Martin Järveoja, Hyundai World Rally Team Hyundai i20 N Rally1 Vincent Thuillier / Hyundai Motorsport Vincent Thuillier / Hyundai Motorsport Ott Tänak, Hyundai World Rally Team Ott Tänak, Hyundai World Rally Team Austral / Hyundai Motorsport Austral / Hyundai Motorsport Adrien Fourmaux, Alexandre Coria, Hyundai World Rally Team Hyundai i20 N Rally1 Adrien Fourmaux, Alexandre Coria, Hyundai World Rally Team Hyundai i20 N Rally1 Fabien Dufour / Hyundai Motorsport Fabien Dufour / Hyundai Motorsport To read more articles visit our website.
Irish Examiner
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Irish Examiner
McErlean and Treacy hoping to return to event Saturday after dramatic stage two at Rally Italia Sardegna
A dramatic and incident filled second stage of Rally Italia Sardegna, round six of the World Rally Championship, claimed the Irish crew of Josh McErlean/Eoin Treacy along with their M-Sport Ford team mates Gregoire Munster/Louis Louka and Martins Sesks/Renars Francis leaving Jourdan Serderidis as the sole Ford competitor, but the Greek driver reported a broken suspension damper at the stage end. Meanwhile, French driver Sebastien Ogier (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1) leads overnight 2.1s ahead of compatriot Adrien Fourmaux (Hyundai i20 Rally1) with his Hyundai team mate Ott Tanak 5.2s further behind in third. It had begun well for Kilrea's McErlean and Killeagh's Treacy, who followed up their strong performance in the shakedown to post the sixth fastest time on SS1 - 5.4s behind rally leader Sebastien Ogier (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1). "It was okay. I don't think I took much out of the road, it cleaned a lot, I saw Ogier's time before the stage and do that third on the road is incredible. Still a lot more to go." Unfortunately, the "more" only lasted about 8.5km into the Telti-Calangianus-Berchidda 18.43 km stage when McErlean's Puma clipped a tree. "Small mistakes have big consequences, after a positive start we ran wide and damaged the rear suspension and couldn't continue." Aware of his team mates, he added, "Not a great stage for M-Sport. We knew it would be tough, but this is brutal." The Irish duo are hoping to return to the event today (Saturday) under Super Rally where they will have the extra challenge of sweeping the road. Meanwhile, Hyundai's Adrien Fourmaux topped the time sheets after the opening loop of three stages 2.9s ahead of his team mate and reigning WR champion Thierry Neuville with Sebastien Ogier (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1) seeking a record breaking fifth win on the event, 5.2s further behind in third. Championship leader Elfyn Evans (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1) was down in eighth place and 41.2s off the lead, principally due to the fact that he was running first on the road. On the repeat loop, Neuville regained the lead on SS4 only to retire on the next stage following an impact that damaged the suspension. Fourmaux was back in front once more followed by team mate Tanak - 1.2s behind with Ogier third before setting the best time on SS6 to lead overnight. There are six stages today and four on Sunday. Rally Italia Sardegna (Round 6, World Rally Championship) Olbia: 1. S. Ogier/V. Landais (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1) 1h. 10m. 33.1s; 2. A. Fourmaux/A. Coria (Hyundai i20 N Rally1)+2.1s; 3. O. Tanak Ott/M. Jarveoja (Hyundai i20 N Rally1)+7.3s; 4. S. Pajari/M. Salminen (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1)+16.8s; 5. K. Rovanpera/J. Halttunen (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1)+22.8s; 6. E. Evans/S. Martin (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1)+1m. 09.8s; 7. T. Katsuta/A. Johnston (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1)+2m. 27.9s.
Daily Mirror
14-05-2025
- Automotive
- Daily Mirror
FIA announces major F1 rule change before Imola GP after complaints from drivers
Up to now, F1 drivers had been at risk of massive fines, race bans and even the docking of World Championship points for multiple offences of swearing under controversial FIA guidelines Formula 1 drivers are no longer at risk of triggering a race ban by swearing. That is the result of revisions made to the FIA sporting code ahead of this weekend's Emilia Romagna Grand Prix which show a softened stance on the issue from the governing body. The FIA caused uproar before the current F1 season began when it introduced much stricter rules around swearing. They applied to every driver and team principal and gave the stewards the power to levy massive fines and potential sporting punishments for anyone using foul language. But it was a step too far in the eyes of many, including the drivers. And the same was true in another major FIA-sanctioned sport, the World Rally Championship, where racer Adrien Fourmaux became the first to fall victim to the tougher guidelines. His punishment for saying he had "f***ed up" in a post-stage interview was an £8,400 fine. And that sparked a mass protest from many drivers in the WRC who declined to give any proper stage-end interviews at the following Rally. Though no F1 driver has fallen foul of the rule so far this year, the jeopardy for them was much greater. As F1 is deemed to be a higher-level championship, monetary fines were quadrupled meaning a driver faced a whopping £33,700 fine for a first offence. And that was just the tip of the iceberg. Multiple swearing offences – the use of foul language in an interview is now deemed to be akin to 'misconduct' in the eyes of the FIA – could bring about even more significant fines and the potential for a one-race ban, while the stewards also had the power to dock championship points. But some of those things will no longer be the case going forward. After a wave of complaints from drivers and teams, the FIA published a new version of the penalty guidelines on Wednesday which means a race ban is no longer on the table. And the fines that can be handed out have also been reduced significantly. A first swearing offence will now see a driver forced to pay £4,200 to the governing body, while the multiplier which quadrupled that figure for F1 drivers has also been removed. It has now also been formalised that the setting will now be taken into account. There was nothing in the initial guidelines which specified when a driver could or could not swear without facing a punishment, though there has been plenty of precedent set on that front. For example, one of the requests when the guidelines were introduced was that drivers not be punished for swearing while behind the wheel, given the high-pressure environment they are in while driving. And despite many instances of foul language being used by drivers up and down the grid, none have been punished. But, now, it has been made clear that swearing in "controlled" environments carries a much greater risk of being penalised compared to any cursing while in competition. However, the revised document still makes it clear that swearing is still punishable, and that "very serious offences" can still carry "more severe penalties". In a press release, the FIA described the changes to the guidelines as "major improvements". President Mohammed ben Sulayem, who himself publicly denounced drivers for their use of bad language, said: "I have led an extensive and collaborative review with contributions from across the seven FIA World Championships, FIA Member Clubs and other motor sports organisations. "The improvements the FIA has announced today to Appendix B will ensure we continue to promote the best of sportsmanship in motor sport, while also giving Stewards effective guidelines to act against individuals who may bring the sport into disrepute. The FIA will always be committed to ensuring motor sport is accessible for all our sporting family."
Straits Times
25-04-2025
- Automotive
- Straits Times
Rallying-WRC drivers reach agreement with FIA on swearing
Formula One F1 - Spanish Grand Prix - Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain - June 20, 2024 General view as a worker cleans the FiA logo ahead of the Spanish Grand Prix REUTERS/Albert Gea World championship rally drivers have resolved a dispute with the sport's governing body over when they can swear during a competition. The World Rally Drivers Alliance (WoRDA) had protested after Hyundai's Adrien Fourmaux was fined 10,000 euros ($11,375.00), with a further 20,000 suspended, for swearing in a television interview during Rally Sweden in February. They stayed silent, or spoke only in their own languages, in stage-end interviews at last month's Kenya Safari Rally. Retired eight-times world champion co-driver Julien Ingrassia, representing WoRDA, told the website that a compromise had been reached ahead of this weekend's round in the Canary Islands. "The rally will now be divided into two zones: one is a controlled zone, one is an uncontrolled zone," the Frenchman, who raced alongside compatriot Sebastien Ogier, explained. "The latter is based around heat-of-the-moment areas such as stage ends, onboard cars during the stages or on road sections. Controlled sections are, for example, the media zones and the post-event FIA press conferences. "We're really pleased to find a solution. As was the case in Formula One, adjustments were needed to take into consideration some of the unique aspects of our discipline." The drivers had argued that the fines were vastly disproportionate to average incomes and budgets in rallying compared to Formula One, with some drivers not full-time professionals. The FIA has cracked down on swearing in Formula One under the leadership of its president Mohammed Ben Sulayem, with stiff sanctions set out in the sporting code. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
The Star
25-04-2025
- Automotive
- The Star
Rallying-WRC drivers reach agreement with FIA on swearing
Formula One F1 - Spanish Grand Prix - Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain - June 20, 2024 General view as a worker cleans the FiA logo ahead of the Spanish Grand Prix REUTERS/Albert Gea (Reuters) -World championship rally drivers have resolved a dispute with the sport's governing body over when they can swear during a competition. The World Rally Drivers Alliance (WoRDA) had protested after Hyundai's Adrien Fourmaux was fined 10,000 euros ($11,375.00), with a further 20,000 suspended, for swearing in a television interview during Rally Sweden in February. They stayed silent, or spoke only in their own languages, in stage-end interviews at last month's Kenya Safari Rally. Retired eight-times world champion co-driver Julien Ingrassia, representing WoRDA, told the website that a compromise had been reached ahead of this weekend's round in the Canary Islands. "The rally will now be divided into two zones: one is a controlled zone, one is an uncontrolled zone," the Frenchman, who raced alongside compatriot Sebastien Ogier, explained. "The latter is based around heat-of-the-moment areas such as stage ends, onboard cars during the stages or on road sections. Controlled sections are, for example, the media zones and the post-event FIA press conferences. "We're really pleased to find a solution. As was the case in Formula One, adjustments were needed to take into consideration some of the unique aspects of our discipline." The drivers had argued that the fines were vastly disproportionate to average incomes and budgets in rallying compared to Formula One, with some drivers not full-time professionals. The FIA has cracked down on swearing in Formula One under the leadership of its president Mohammed Ben Sulayem, with stiff sanctions set out in the sporting code. ($1 = 0.8791 euros) (Reporting by Alan Baldwin, editing by Clare Fallon)
