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Irish Examiner
3 days ago
- Automotive
- Irish Examiner
Ogier and Landais claim Rally Italia Sardegna as McErlean adn Treacy finish 34th
No stranger to achieving and breaking records, French driver Sebastien Ogier (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1) clinched another with his fifth Rally Italia Sardegna victory but not before he survived an overshoot on the final stage to finish 7.9s ahead of the Hyundai i20 N Rally1 of Estonian Ott Tanak, whose team mate Kalle Rovanpera took the final spot on the podium. Following their second stage drama on Friday, the Irish crew of Josh McErlean/Eoin Treacy (Ford Puma Rally1) returned to the event under "Super Rally" where it was all about gaining more seat time and making preparation for the forthcoming and next round Acropolis Rally. Finishing 34th, McErlean said, "A lot of good learning, and hopefully someday we can use this (running first on the road) for the first day. A big thanks to the whole team, because even before this last service, it was a big job inside seven minutes to fit a front left damper. Hopefully some good learning for Greece and it definitely means you have to have a good Friday at WRC. It's been a busy one for the team." Sebastien Ogier (left) and Vincent Landais (Toyota Gazoo Racing) celebrate their victory in Rally Italia Sardegna Olbia, Italy. It was a record breaking fifth win ifor Ogier.. Picture: Jaanus Ree / Red Bull Content Pool. Ogier began Saturday's six stages with a 2.1s lead over Fourmaux and duly extended that margin to 7.4s on the morning's first stage where Fourmaux was unhappy with his performance. A stage later, there was more disappointment when his Fourmaux's Hyundai punctured some 5km into the stage before he had to stop and change the wheel at the 16km mark losing around four minutes and dropping to seventh. More drama followed on SS9 when he lost two more places following an off road excursion. His team mate Ott Tanak fared better and with the fastest time on SS8 closed the gap to leader Ogier to 4.5s - the latter had his stage time revised after he was slowed by the dust from Fourmaux. A stage later Tanak lost time with a slow puncture to drop 15s behind Ogier. The rally leader remained calm and consistent through the repeat loop but Tanak with two stage wins cut the deficit to 11.1s. With Fourmaux and Sami Pajari (puncture) faltering, their Toyota GR Yaris team mate Kalle Rovanpera gained a few places to move into third. Championship leader Elfyn Evans (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1) was another driver forced to stop and change a punctured wheel (on SS11) and ended the penultimate leg in fifth. With their M-Sport Ford Puma Rally1 re-fettled, McErlean/Treacy had the task of sweeping the loose gravel from the stages. After the morning's second stage, McErlean said, "I have new appreciation for world champions, who win championships by doing that (being first on the road). On Sunday's the final leg (six stage) and having extended his lead to 17.1s on the penultimate stage, Ogier seemed to have everything under control. However, he had an overshoot on the closing few kilometres of the Wolf Power Stage when his Toyota didn't turn into a tight rutted right hander and ended up in the bushes. Twelve months ago a final stage puncture robbed him of victory, but this time and reversing his way out of trouble, he took the spoils and a record fifth win. With his team mate and championship leader Elfyn Evans finishing fourth, Ogier is now into second - 19 points behind and one ahead of Kalle Rovanpera, who won the Power Stage and also took an additional five points for the faster driver on Sunday, Rovanpera is only twenty points off Evans in a Toyota lock-out of the top three championship positions in the Drivers' championship. Meanwhile, Killarney's Colin O'Donoghue (Ford Escort) won the Laois Heartland's Rally as he finished the day's six (2x3) stages 4.6s ahead of the Toyota Starlet of Monaghan's David Moffett with similar car of Richard Moffett, 13.6s further behind in third. Monaghan's Johnno Doogan (Ford Escort) led Richard Moffett by 6.7s after the first pair of stages but retired on the road section to SS3 with a broken half-shaft. O'Donoghue, who experienced transmission woes on SS2 moved into the lead on SS3 only for Richard Moffett to move 0.8s ahead after SS4. O'Donoghue was best on the final loop to secure victory. Rally Italia Sardegna (Round 6, World Rally Championship) Olbia:1. S. Ogier/V.( Landais (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1) 3h. 34m. 24.5s; 2. O. Tanak/M. Jarveoja (Hyundai i20 N Rally1)+7.9s; 3. K. Rovanpera/J. Halttunen (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1)+50.5s. 4. E. Evans/S. Martin GBR Toyota GR Yaris Rally1)+5m. 05.7s; 5. T. Katsuta/A. Johnston (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1)+7m. 29.6s; 6. O. Solberg/E. Edmondson (Skoda Fabia RS Rally2)+8m. 32.9s; 7. S. Pajari/M. Salminen (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1)+10m. 29.0s; 8. N. Gryazin/K. Aleksandrov (Skoda Fabia RS Rally2)+10m. 58.7s; 9. R. Dapra/L. Guglielmetti (Skoda Fabia RS Rally2)+12m. 15.3s; 10. K. Kajetanowicz/M. Szczepaniak (Toyota GR Yaris Rally2)+12m. 21.1s. World Rally Championship for Drivers' Standings (After Round 6): 1. E. Evans 133pts; 2. S. Ogier 114pts; 3. K. Rovanpera 113pts; 4. O. Tanak 108pts; 5. T. Neuville 83pts; T. Katsuta 63pts; 7. A. Fourmaux 44pts; 8. S. Pajari 31pts; 9. G. Munster 18pts; 10. J. McErlean 12pts. World Rally Manufacturers' Championship Standings (After Round 6):1. Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT 312pts; 2, Hyundai Shell Mobis WRT 243pts; 3. M-Sport Ford WRT 87pts; 4. 4Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT2 48pts. Laois Heartland's Rally, Stradbally: C. O'Donoghue/K. O'Donoghue (Ford Escort) 40m. 31.7s; 2. D. Moffett/M. Connolly (Toyota Starlet)+4.6s; 3. R. Moffett/D. Kelly (Toyota Starlet)+18.2s; 4. M. Carbin/D. O'Sullivan (Ford Escort)+59.8s; 5. F. Kelly/L. Kelly (Ford Escort)+1m. 18.3s; 6. E. O'Callaghan/J. Dalton (Ford Escort)+1m. 23.3s.
Irish Examiner
5 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.
Irish Examiner
25-04-2025
- Automotive
- Irish Examiner
McErlean and Treacy struggle with oversteer on opening day at Rally Islas Canarias
Struggling with understeer, the Irish crew of Josh McErlean and Eoin Treacy finished outside the top ten on the opening day of Rally Islas Canarias, round four of the World Rally Championship. The Kilrea/Killeagh pairing are 12th overall. The Toyota GR outfit have an impressive lock-out of the top five places with Finland's Kalle Rovanpera finding form and pace to lead team mate Sebastien Ogier by 26.8s with championship leader Elfyn Evans a further 9.6s behind in third after the day's six stages. Rovanpera imposed his authority from the very start and with three stage wins on the morning loop he arrived at the Las Palmas service park with a lead of 17.8s from Ogier, who was on his first WR event since his Monte Carlo victory with Evans a further 2.4s behind in third. Rally leader Rovanpera admitted he couldn't get the tyres to work on the third stage where his Toyota Yaris had some understeer, Ogier's tyres had too much pressure on the opening stage but he moved ahead of Evans on the next stage. Hyundai's Adrien Fourmaux, 34.2s off top spot in fourth place interrupted the Toyota dominance as Sami Pajari and Takamoto Katsuta and his Irish co-driver Aaron Johnson placed fifth and sixth for the Japanese team. Set-up issues with their Hyundai i20 N Rally1 saw Ott Tanak and reigning champion Thierry Neuville languish in seventh and eighth respectively. Luxemburg driver Gregoire Munster (ninth) was best of the M-Sport Ford team, however, he too suffered with understeer as did McErlean, who was eleventh. Following his tenth place on SS1 (Valsequillo) the longest stage of the rally at 26.32km, McErlean said, "We struggled a bit towards the end with some precision. (It's) so easy to miss a braking point or a note, everything is happening so much." The Wexford/Waterford crew of Eamonn Boland/MJ Morrissey (Ford Fiesta Rally2) were 28th in the RC2 category. On the repeat loop, Tanak continued his unrelenting pace to complete the full set of fastest stage times. McErlean improved on all his previous stage times. "It's been nice team work today. Greg (Gregoire Munster) has been a big help today to learn off. Two more days of trying to learn this beast and these roads. Obviously, the times haven't been great, but it's been a crazy experience just to drive these roads. I didn't realise that there were so many people in this country, never mind fans." There are seven stages today (Saturday) and six on Sunday. Rally Islas Canarias (Round 4, World Rally Championship) Gran Canaria: 1. K. Rovanpera/J. Halttunen (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1)1h. 10m. 31.8s; 2. S. Ogier/V. Landais (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1)+26.8s; 3. E. Evans/S. Martin (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1)+36.4s; 4. S. Pajari/M. Salminen (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1)+55.3s; 5. T. Katsuta/A. Johnston (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1)+1m. 06.0s; 6. T. Neuville/M. Wydaeghe (Hyundai i20 N Rally1)+1m. 13.3s; 7. O. Tanak/M Jarveoja (Hyundai i20 N Rally)+1m. 14.1s; 8. A. Fourmaux/A. Coria (Hyundai i20 N Rally1)+1m. 14.8s; 9. G. Munster/L. Louka (Ford Puma Rally1)+2m. 11.1s; 10. Y. Rossel/A. Dunand (Citroen C3 Rally2)+2m. 50.7s; 11. A. Cachon/B. Rozada (Toyota GR Yaris Rally2)+3m. 09.4s; 12. J. McErlean/E. Treacy (Ford Puma Rally1)+3m. 16.2s.
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Fourmaux reacts to support from WRC rivals amid FIA swearing resolution
Adrien Fourmaux is grateful for the support from World Rally Championship competitors through the World Rally Drivers Alliance [WoRDA] that has resulted in a solution to the FIA swearing fine dispute. The Hyundai driver fell foul of the FIA's clampdown on drivers using 'inappropriate language' resulting in a €10,000 fine with €20,000 suspended, after swearing during a live television interview at the conclusion of Rally Sweden in February. Advertisement It sparked universal condemnation of the penalty by WRC drivers and the rally community. In response, drivers, led by eight-time world co-driver champion Julien Ingrassia, formed WoRDA which issued a statement urging the FIA to reconsider penalties for heat of the moment comments when competitors are interviewed in stage ends. After failing to enter dialogue with the FIA over the matter, WRC crews opted to remain silent or speak in only their mother tongue at stage ends during Safari Rally Kenya. However, discussions between WoRDA and the FIA have resulted in a solution to the situation. From this weekend's Rally Islas Canarias, traditional stage end interviews will return. Drivers will no longer be punished for swearing during said interviews and other heat-of-the-moment scenarios, such as radio communication with the team. Instead, drivers will only be sanctioned for swearing during press conferences or official media zones. This follows a similar clarification adopted in Formula 1. Reflecting on the positive outcome, Fourmaux told 'I'm happy and I would say we have gone back to normal. 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 Advertisement 'First, to be able to answer at the end of stage and that we don't have to be thinking all the time that if we say something wrong that we will get a penalty, and also we can give our feelings whether it is positive or not. 'I'm happy that the FIA was listening and everyone is working together and it was nice to see all the support from the rally drivers and not only the Rally1 drivers, which shows we are one [group together].' Double world champion Kalle Rovanpera believes the new agreement forged with the FIA means drivers can no longer be afraid to show their emotions. 'I think it is what everybody was aiming for and now it is fair for everybody and especially for drivers,' Rovanpera told Advertisement 'When we say things in the heat of the moment we don't mean anything bad and in sport these things can happen. We want to be speaking normally and nicely. It makes sense and we don't need to be afraid now in the heat of the moment. 'I think it is actually quite important that actually everyone came together to work on it, big thanks to them [the drivers] from our side and the FIA. I think it is a good step we have made together.' To read more articles visit our website.
Yahoo
26-01-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Monte Carlo Rally master Ogier takes 10th win on WRC opener
Sebastien Ogier has taken a record-extending 10th victory on the Monte Carlo Rally, the opening round of the 2025 FIA World Rally Championship. Driving a Toyota GR Yaris Rally1, the eight-time WRC champ (above) secured victory by 18.5s over his Toyota Gazoo Racing teammate Elfyn Evans after a short, but tense final leg through the French Alps. Sunday's trio of all-asphalt stages threatened to shake up the order. Ogier and Evans opted to carry four studded Hankook tires and only two super-soft slicks – an approach that proved effective on the icy roads of the 8.68-mile Avancon/Notre-Dame du Laus opener, but left them vulnerable on the drier penultimate test, 11.81-mile Digne-les-Bains/Chaudon-Norante. There, third-placed Adrien Fourmaux shone with a full-slicks setup on his Hyundai i20 N Rally1, outpacing the leading Toyotas by 3.9s and 17.8s, respectively, and briefly threatening to turn the podium order upside down. Hyundai's Adrien Fourmaux almost gate-crashed Toyota's Monte Carlo Rally 1-2 on Sunday's closing leg. Red Bull Content Pool Fourmaux, making his Hyundai WRC debut after switching from M-Sport Ford, had hoped for drier conditions on the rally-ending Wolf Power Stage to maximize his slick-tire advantage. Instead, the icy Col de Turini leveled the playing field, leaving him on the same mixed-tire setup as Ogier and Evans. Ogier capitalized with another stage win, while Evans held off Fourmaux's late charge by just 7.5s, despite a heart-stopping brush with a rock face. 'What a weekend,' reflected Ogier, who was born and raised close to the Monte Carlo Rally stages and whose first win on the WRC's most famous event came during its short tenure in the now-defunct International Rally Championship days in 2009. 'I don't know where to start. I think I've had my lucky star with me this weekend – my uncle, who we lost one year ago. I am sure he was bringing me everything and this one is for him. 'I have no idea if it is my last [Monte Carlo Rally] now,' added the 41-year-old Frenchman, who's once again elected to run only a part-time WRC program in 2025. 'It would be a good place to stop.' Sebastien Ogier celebrates his 10th Monte Carlo Rally win with co-driver Vincent Landais, but could it be the eight-time champ's last start on the WRC classic? Red Bull Content Pool The final-day drama extended far beyond the podium battle, with Sunday's treacherous conditions wreaking havoc further down the field. Toyota's Sami Pajari and Takamoto Katsuta both slid off the road on the icy opening stage, while Gregoire Munster's M-Sport Ford Puma Rally1 met a similar fate on the very next stage. Behind the third-placed Fourmaux, Hyundai's Ott Tanak ceded fourth position to full-time WRC returnee Kalle Rovanpera's GR Yaris on the final day due to Tanak's own tire misjudgment. The pair finished just 4.7s apart, with both drivers now eager to bounce back on next month's Rally Sweden as previous winners of the WRC's only true snow-and-ice event. Thierry Neuville, the reigning WRC champ and defending Monte Carlo Rally winner, salvaged sixth place after a tumultuous event. A combination of broken suspension on his Hyundai in a Friday crash, a deflated tire and an unexplained electrical issue added up to cost him more than five minutes, thwarting his hopes of a repeat win. M-Sport Ford's Josh McErlean impressed with a solid seventh-place finish in his Puma Rally1, the Irishman building experience and doing exactly what his team had asked of him on his Rally1 debut. M-Sport Ford's Josh McErlean took a mistake-free seventh overall on his Rally1 debut. Red Bull Content Pool In WRC2, the second tier of international rallying, Yohan Rossel's 2025 title aspirations were giving an early boost as he wrapped up an emphatic class victory. A year ago, the Citroen C3 Rally2 driver edged out Pepe Lopez by just 4.0s in a nail-biting finish. This time, however, the Frenchman was in a class of his own – cruising to victory with a staggering near-three-minute margin over his nearest points-scoring rival. Partnered with co-driver Arnaud Dunand, PH Sport's Rossel was fastest of the points-chasers on 15 of the event's 17 stages and led the field from start to finish. Nikolay Gryazin had taken the fight to him in his WRC2-spec Skoda Fabia RS, but hadn't included the Monte as one of his seven points-counting events. That left Rossel leading a French 1-2-3 finish among the registered drivers, with Eric Camilli heading in second in his Hyundai i20 N Rally 2 and younger brother Leo Rossel grabbing third in a second PH Sport Citroen. 'Thanks to all my team,' said a magnanimous Yohan. 'It was not the driver that won this weekend, it was the co-driver, the team, the strategy and the tire choice.' Citroen's Yohan Rossel repeated his 2024 WRC2 class win on the Monte, but in considerably more dominant form. Red Bull Content Pool Round 2 of the WRC takes place on the snow and ice of northeast Sweden, Feb. 13-16. Based in Umea, Rally Sweden includes some of the fastest stages of the season, thanks to studded tires and snow banks that drivers 'wall ride' to stay on course. Ogier is choosing to skip an event he's won three times, yet tolerates rather than enjoys, which presents a golden opportunity for some of the other leading crews to start putting their mark on the 2025 points race. WRC Monte Carlo Rally, final positions after Sunday/Leg Three, SS18 1 Sebastien Ogier/Vincent Landais (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1) 3h19m06.1s 2 Elfyn Evans/Scott Martin (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1) +18.5s 3 Adrien Fourmaux/Alexandre Coria (Hyundai i20 N Rally1) +26.0s 4 Kalle Rovanpera/Jonne Halttunen (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1) +54.3s 5 Ott Tanak/Martin Jarveoja (Hyundai i20 N Rally1) +59.0s 6 Thierry Neuville/Martijn Wydaeghe (Hyundai i20 N Rally1) +5m44.2s 7 Josh McErlean/Eoin Treacy (Ford Puma Rally1) +10m15.1s 8 Yohan Rossel/Arnaud Dunand (Citroen C3 – WRC2 winner) +10m26.8s 9 Nikolay Gryazin/Konstantin Aleksandrov (Skoda Fabia RS – WRC2 non-points) +11m40.7s 10 Eric Camilli/Thibault de la Haye (Hyundai i20 N Rally2) +13m14.6s WRC Drivers' Championship after 1 of 14 rounds 1 Ogier 33 points 2 Evans 26 3 Fourmaux 20 4 Rovanpera 18 5 Tanak 11 WRC Manufacturers' Championship after 1 of 14 rounds 1 Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT 60 points 2 Hyundai Word Rally Team 36 3 M-Sport Ford 11 Check out the official home of the FIA World Rally Championship. And for the ultimate WRC experience, sign up for a subscription to watch all stages of every rally live and on demand, whenever and wherever. Story originally appeared on Racer
