Auto - WRC. "We're going to win the championship": Winner in Paraguay, Sébastien Ogier still in the title race
Sébastien Ogier (Toyota) won the Rally Paraguay, the tenth round of the WRC, this Sunday. The driver from Haute-Alpes is putting even more pressure on the title race, closing to within nine points of his teammate Elfyn Evans, the overall leader.
Victory but frustration for Sébastien Ogier (Toyota) : the Haute-Alpes driver won the Rally Paraguay on Sunday, but torrential rain in the final special stage cost him dearly in the race for the world title.
The eight-time champion, who took the lead on Saturday after his Finnish teammate Kalle Rovanperä (Toyota) suffered a puncture, was held back by a heavy downpour in the final kilometers of the race and struggled to hide his disappointment at the finish.
"I was really unlucky, I was the only one who got caught in that heavy rain (in the last special)... But we keep winning and we're going to win the championship," said the 40-year-old from Gapençais.
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Although he gained four points on the championship leader, his British teammate Elfyn Evans, who was second on Sunday and remains nine points ahead of Ogier and Rovanperä, the rain probably cost the Frenchman eight or nine points, which would have allowed him to take the lead in the standings.
Despite his 65th WRC victory, the Frenchman kept his jaw clenched on the podium when La Marseillaise was played.
Ogier, who has contested three fewer rallies than his rivals, as he was only due to compete for part of the season, remains in contention for a ninth crown which would allow him to equal the other rally legend, his compatriot Sébastien Loeb.
He is expected to compete in the final four races of the season, including the next one in two weeks in Chile, in an attempt to win a ninth title.
The big winner of the weekend was ultimately Evans, who, despite the disadvantage of having to lead the way, snatched second place. Belgian Thierry Neuville (Hyundai), the reigning world champion, took third place.
Le Dauphiné libéré
