Category: Tin Top Racing

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Rally Finland, Day One Report – Craig and Paul lead for Hyundai

The first day of the 70th running of Rally Finland saw almost 90km over six stages. The startlist looked like this – Ogier, Evans, Neuville, Rovanperä, Tänak, Katsuta, Breen, Fourmaux, Greensmith, Lappi. It was great to see the 2017 winner back in a Yaris WRC!

The short first stage, SS1 Harju 1 – 2.31 km saw Takamoto with his new co-driver Aaron Johnston set the fastest time from Thierry and Esapekka. Only 1.9 seconds covered the top nine positions as well. It was game one! Quickest of the M-Sport drivers was Adrien with a top five time as well! Mads led the WRC2 category from Jari and Nikolay, whilst Emil was leading WRC3 from Pepe and Teemu.

Into SS2 Ässämäki 1 – 12.31 km then, the first long stage and Takamoto had a huge moment in the stage with a 360 spin. He managed to keep it out of the scenery and finished the stage with the tenth best time. Craig set the fastest time from Ott and Elfyn and now just 1.8 seconds covered the top three as they all moved up a place and were now the top three overall. Esapekka, Thierry, Adrien and Seb all dropped down the leaderboard.

Ott won the following stage, SS3 Sahloinen – Moksi 1 – 21.37 km from Craig and Esapekka. The Finn’s pace took him into third overall as well, deposing Elfyn down to fourth. Championship leader, Seb, was not having a good day though, with him only eighth best time and holding seventh overall. After Takamoto’s moment earlier, he was now making his way back up the leaderboard and was now ahead of both Gus and Adrien and holding eighth place.

The first afternoon stage, SS4 Ässämäki 2 – 12.31 km after the tyre fitting zone saw Ott win the stage from Kalle and Craig. The Estonian still held the lead from his teammate, but there was a change for third place with Elfyn passing Esapekka after the Finn was only sixth fastest. It certainly wasn’t over though, as the top six was covered by just 9.7 seconds.

We had a new stage winner with Craig winning SS5 Sahloinen – Moksi 2 – 21.37 km from Kalle and Ott. The Irishman’s time cut the gap to Ott to just 1.5 seconds. Meanwhile Kalle and Esapekka had just moved ahead of Elfyn into third and fourth respectively. In WRC2 Nikolay was fastest from Teemu and Mads. The Russian’s time took him ahead of Teemu and into second place in the category.

The final stage then of the day SS6 Oittila – 19.75 km, and this started just as the sun was starting to set as well. Elfyn was fastest from Esapekka and Craig. The Welshman’s time took him back ahead of Esapekka and into third, but the big moment was for Craig who jumped into the lead after Ott was just sixth fastest in the stage. The Irishman’s pace meant that he now had a lead of 2.8 seconds. The drama of the night stage had paid off as well, with the top five now covered by just 7.9 seconds. Everything had closed up at the end of the day.

2021 FIA World Rally Championship / Round 10 / Rally Finland / 28 September – 4th October 2021 // Worldwide Copyright: Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT

Classification after Day One

1 C. Breen P. Nagle Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC 43:51.3
2 O. Tänak M. Järveoja Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC +2.8
3 E. Evans S. Martin Toyota Yaris WRC +6.1
4 E. Lappi J. Ferm Toyota Yaris WRC +6.7
5 K. Rovanperä J. Halttunen Toyota Yaris WRC +7.9
6 T. Neuville M. Wydaeghe Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC +31.3
7 S. Ogier J. Ingrassia Toyota Yaris WRC +33.6
8 T. Katsuta A. Johnston Toyota Yaris WRC +46.9
9 G. Greensmith C. Patterson Ford Fiesta WRC +1:20.6
10 A. Fourmaux A. Coria Ford Fiesta WRC +1:48.9

 

Let’s hear from the drivers

Hyundai Motorsport

Craig Breen (1st)

“It sounds pretty good to be rally leader this evening. We have had an amazing day and I’ve enjoyed every second of it. The stages are really nice, and especially the final one in the dark. I have always questioned what Finland would be like in night conditions and now we know – absolutely incredible! The later runners were a bit more in darkness, and I actually had some moments at the start. We lost a bit of rhythm, missed a couple of junctions but nothing terrible; I enjoyed the last part inside the forest, and it was nice to see the time at the end. I think everyone is going to find a little something extra tomorrow, so we’ll try to take any opportunity that comes our way.”

2021 FIA World Rally Championship
Round 10, Rally Finland
1-3 October 2021
Craig Breen
Photographer: Austral
Worldwide copyright: Hyundai Motorsport GmbH

Ott Tänak (2nd)

“It has been a surprisingly good day and very consistent. On the small narrow roads, we were a bit handicapped and lost a lot, but on the fast and flowing parts we were on the pace. The improvements in the car on these fast roads are down to the efforts of the team, who have been working hard; they’ve done their job well and the performance here is better than it has been for them in the past. My pre-event test was not fully representative, so I had to make some changes to the car to find some confidence. Thankfully, it was a better direction. Tomorrow, we have some tough stages and a long loop, so it’s definitely going to be the big day of the weekend.”

Thierry Neuville (6th)

“From our side, the day was going quite ok, and we were in the fight up to the final night stage. I struggled to see the road at the end in the darkening conditions. I was quite fast in the first two splits, but the last section was very challenging, and I couldn’t commit as I would have liked. Up to that point, I had a good rhythm in the car and could push, so if we can pick up that level of performance tomorrow then we’ll see what we can do. Nothing is lost yet. We have to try and do the best we can to close the gap and if not, then we’ll try to keep our position and enjoy the stages.”

Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT

Elfyn Evans (3rd)

“I’m relatively happy with how it went out there today. The feeling has generally been good in the car. There are some areas where I’ve struggled a little bit more and we still need to work on, but overall, I’ve enjoyed the day. We obviously had a strong time in the final stage; it’s never easy driving in the dark and especially at these speeds, but the pacenotes were working quite well and I just went with the rhythm. Tomorrow’s a massive day with four rather different stages, and two of them are brand new. It’s close now in the top five, and anything can still happen, so we have to keep doing our best and see what comes.”

2021 FIA World Rally Championship / Round 10 / Rally Finland / 28 September – 4th October 2021 // Worldwide Copyright: Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT

Kalle Rovanperä (5th)

“It has been a really demanding day with tough conditions and a lot of new pacenotes. I think it was a difficult day for everybody with the grip level, which was really low. For us the first pass was not easy but we will try to improve the setup for that for tomorrow, and the times were better on the second pass. It is really close and everything is still open. Of course, after pushing really hard the whole day you would prefer the time gap to be the other way around, but we will try to do something about that tomorrow.”

Sébastien Ogier (7th)

“It was not a great day for me today. We were hoping for better. There should be at least three cars in front of us tomorrow, so hopefully that will be better for us, but we need to understand exactly why we had no pace today. For sure, part of the time loss today was down to road position but that was not the only reason. I have to understand if I was just too slow or if there is something we can do with the car setup. The grip was not fantastic but I still enjoyed the driving, so I was surprised to be losing so much. The night stage I was expecting to be very challenging but actually this one went better than I expected; our lights were working well there.”

Tomorrow

Day two sees the longest day of the rally with 151km over nine stages. Pop back at the end of tomorrow for the full day’s report. Can Craig stay in the lead, or will we see Ott and Kalle move into the lead? One thing is for sure. It will be an amazing day.

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Rally Finland 2021 Preview – Big jumps and fast gravel!

We return to Finland for the second time this year, but the first time on the gravel roads since 2019. It’s been too long, but it is good to return! Also returning to a full world rally machinery is Esapekka Lappi and Janne Ferm. The 2017 Rally Finland winners are back in a Toyota Yaris and have recently tested that car. It’s been too long for them out of one of these cars, and I am glad that they are back.

With 287.11km of competitive kilometres over nineteen stages and run much later than usual, it will be an interesting event. Here’s a look at the stages. The last two stages on Friday and Saturday will be run as the sunsets.

Secto Rally Finland itinerary:
Friday October 1
Shakedown, Vesala 0801
SS1 Harju 1 2.31km (1.43 miles) 1338
SS2 Ässämäki 1 12.31km (7.64 miles) 1436
SS3 Sahloinen-Moksi 1 21.37km (13.27 miles) 1526
SS4 Ässämäki 2 12.31km (7.64 miles) 1708
SS5 Sahloinen-Moksi 2 21.37km (13.27 miles) 1758
SS6 Oittila 19.75km (12.27 miles) 1900

Saturday October 2
SS7 Kakaristo-Hassi 1 18.17km (11.29 miles) 0816
SS8 Päijälä 1 22.61km (14.04 miles) 0914
SS9 Arvaja 1 13.49km (8.38 miles) 1038
SS10 Patajoki 1 20.55km (12.76 miles) 1128
Service Jyväskylä 1243
SS11 Kakaristo-Hassi 2 18.17km (11.29 miles) 1516
SS12 Päijälä 2 22.61km (14.04 miles) 1614
SS13 Arvaja 2 13.49km (8.38 miles) 1738
SS14 Patajoki 2 20.55km (12.76 miles) 1828
SS15 Harju 2 2.31km (1.43 miles) 2000

Sunday October 3
SS16 Laukaa 1 11.75km (7.30 miles) 0835
SS17 Ruuhimäki 1 11.12km (6.90 miles) 0938
SS18 Laukaa 2 11.75km (7.30 miles) 1101
SS19 Ruuhimäki 2 11.12km (6.90 miles) 1318

 

Let’s hear from the drivers.

Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT

Sébastien Ogier

“Rally Finland is another rally that I love to drive. At this time of year, it could be a different challenge and a bit more difficult than what we are used to. We will discover more in our test just before the rally. For sure we can expect some colder conditions, and I have to say I am hoping for some dampness as well so we have less of a disadvantage opening the road. The Yaris WRC was born on Finnish roads so it should perform well there but I am expecting tough competition as well, including from my team-mates. Nothing is decided in the championship yet so let’s see what approach we will take on this rally, but I’m looking forward to driving those roads in this car.”

Elfyn Evans

“Finland is one of my favourite rallies on the calendar and I always enjoy the feeling of driving there. For me it’s actually been over three years since I last competed there, having missed the event in 2019, so I’m really looking forward to being back on those stages. At this time of year there will be a few new challenges which will be interesting, with the potential for different weather conditions and the fact we’ll be doing some stages in the dark. Our test before the rally will be quite important, as much for getting back up to speed on those roads as for deciding on car setup. For myself the drivers’ championship looks more difficult now but our approach won’t change, and I’ll go to Finland trying to do my best like always.”

Kalle Rovanperä

“Driving Rally Finland in a World Rally Car is going to be one of the coolest things for me in my career so far. A home rally is always different and Rally Finland is something special: It’s normally a really nice event and you can really feel the atmosphere there. Now that it’s later in the year, the conditions could be really difficult if it’s wet and muddy. That could change things a bit but I’m really looking forward to it, and it’s going to be really nice to see the fans cheering for us on the stages. It helps to have three really good rallies under our belt going there, but I think that it’s going to be a tight fight. Hopefully we can have a good weekend.”

Hyundai Motorsport

Thierry Neuville

“Rally Finland is a very popular event – in the past, it seemed only Scandinavians could win there, but other drivers have recently been getting faster in Finland as well. I haven’t been able to win it yet, but I have finished on the podium once in the past. It is a very nice event, but it’s one of the tougher ones for me. I am always fast at technical rallies where road position is very important, however in Finland the goal is to keep it flat and it’s very different to my natural driving style. However, I am able to adapt, and this is where the recce plays a vital role; you need to have a lot of trust in your pace notes and just go for it. We know we have what it takes to finish on the podium, so that’s our target for next weekend.”

2019 FIA World Rally Championship
Round 09, Rally Finland
1 – 4 August 2019
Thierry Neuville
Photographer: Austral
Worldwide copyright: Hyundai Motorsport GmbH

Ott Tänak

“The characteristics of this rally will be very different. There is a big part of the route that we haven’t seen previously, so we will need to put a lot of effort into our recce to ensure our pace notes are completely accurate. The weather could also change quite a bit, so this will keep us on our toes. As the last full gravel rally with this generation of WRC cars – in my opinion, they are probably the best ever – I will definitely enjoy this event. The roads are normally both fun and challenging at the same time, and as it is so fast with small gaps, we should have a great competition. Let’s see if we can take a third Rally Finland victory – we know our competitors and it will be tough, but we have worked very hard in the last two years so now is our chance to show we can fight in fast rallies.”

Craig Breen

“As a crew we tend to go well on events with this kind of profile, and I think this could be another strong event for us given our current form. The roads evolve every year, and as we’ve had a two-year break, I think we will notice a lot of changes. In terms of set-up, you need a car that gives you confidence to carry the speed on the roads, and a stable rear will enable you to really chuck the car into those long, fast corners and jumps. It’s the rally where you have to be the most committed. I’m still searching for my first win – it feels like it has been eluding us now for some time, but we are getting closer and Finland will present one of the better opportunities this year, so we will do everything in our power to make it happen.”

Jari Huttunen

“I am really looking forward to getting back into the Hyundai i20 N Rally2 in Finland. This will be my first WRC2 event on gravel with the car, so we might face a steep learning curve. I am hoping my existing knowledge of these roads will put me on the front foot next weekend, as I have finished on the podium in the past and taken a victory there. We have shown the car is capable of winning rallies in Ypres Rally Belgium, and I think we have the potential for another good result at this demanding and fast rally.”

Oliver Solberg

“This is probably the rally I have been looking forward to the most this year. I can’t wait to take the Hyundai i20 N Rally2 there – we saw we had good speed and we were leading in Greece. The roads are gravel again but they are very different from Acropolis and so much faster. One of the things I really look forward to is driving in the dark, which will add to the extra challenge. In terms of a result, I know there are some really fast guys who know almost every inch of these roads, so we have to be realistic. I am focused on taking the experience and enjoying driving the car. My new co-driver Craig is a good guy, a former team-mate and somebody I know well. I’m looking forward to working with him.”

WRC Rally Estonia 2021

M-Sport Ford WRT

Gus Greensmith

“Very much looking forward to Finland, it’s one of the rallies every single driver looks forward to. It’s probably the rally that gives each driver the most satisfaction, in terms of pure driving experience. Especially in these 2017 cars, it’s something remarkable. I am really grateful the last gravel stage I will drive this incredible 2017 machinery will be Ruihimaki. It’s been special to drive these cars and something I will never forget.

Adrien Fourmaux

“I am really happy and glad to be taking part in this famous rally. Rally Finland has always been an exciting rally for me, especially in terms of spectators, even in 2019 when I did the rally in a Fiesta R2. It will be my first time in Finland with four-wheel drive, and will be interesting to work with Alex for the first time together. It will be a big challenge but we will do our best and take all the experience we can from the event.

 

Summary

Well, who can win this weekend then? Well, it’s hard to look past Ott Tanak. If he gets comfortable in his i20, then he has to be one to consider. Joining his teammate as a possible winner is Craig. His co-driver Paul Nagle guided Kris Meeke to victory in 2016 – Perhaps Craig who has taken third in this event, and was Kris Meeke’s teammate in 2016 can go even better? Thierry who has scored a best result of second place in 2013 is probably the one driver that we would most surprised to win this weekend, given his recent results in Finland, but we shall see.

The world champion, Seb, will hope that a slightly damp first day will allow him to keep the gap to the leaders small and to then be able to unleash the performance of his Yaris on these stages. 2017 winner, Esapekka, will be hoping that his return to the top cars will bring him another victory. He knows the car very well, but he’s not sat in it since the end of 2018. Will this hold him back? Time will tell. Elfyn will look upon this event as a chance to show the speed that took him to second place in 2017, and perhaps he’ll take victory and join Kris Meeke as British winners? Finally, Kalle who is now a double winner at the top level has to be considered as a possible winner of this year’s event.

For the M-Sport drivers, Adrien will look upon this rally as a chance to gain experience for the future, but perhaps on the second run stages, will show some pace if he can get comfortable. Gus crashed out of this event in 2019, but with a new co-driver this year has shown good pace. Again, if he can get comfortable, then we should see some top times from him.

 

Well, it all starts on Friday morning. Keep up to date with our daily reports at the end of each day.

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BTCC Silverstone – Hill keeps title fight alive with win in final race

Jake Hill reignited his title challenge by taking the win in the third and final race of the weekend at Silverstone. He overtook and held off reverse grid polesitter Dan Lloyd who finished second.

Ash Sutton managed to extend his title lead by finishing third after a quiet but consistent weekend for the reigning champion.

Lloyd made a good start from pole, while team mate Jason Plato, who started second, fell down the order, losing places to Hill and Stephen Jelley in his BMW.

Tom Chiton’s poor weekend continued as he collided with Sam Osborne coming out of Copse. He spun off but managed to rejoin and finished last on the road.

The BTCC Hybrid programme was concluded with the Toyota Corolla Hybrid driven by 2013 champion Andrew Jordan pulling into the pits midway through the race. The objective of the car was not to affect the action or get into any incidents. The programme a success on both fronts.

On lap 11 Hill managed to get past Lloyd and it was a lead he didn’t give up. He passed into Copse with a brilliant move and held on from then on in. Sutton was doing his best to catch the leading duo. He dispatched Chris Smiley on lap 16 into Becketts. Smiley had a good race, running in fourth for the majority of the race and held on for it.

Sutton was charging, he couldn’t quite catch Hill and Lloyd but by finishing third he manages to extend his championship lead with Tom Ingram and Hill chasing behind.

Josh Cook had the poorest weekend of the five title challengers, with Colin Turkington grabbing a hat-full of consistent points.

Pos Driver Car Team +/-
1 Jake Hill Ford Focus ST MB Motorsport 21:24:184
2 Dan Lloyd Vauxhall Astra Power Maxed +0.698
3 Ash Sutton Infinti Q50 Laser Tools +1.444
4 Chris Smiley Hyundai i30N Excelr8 +4.474
5 Stephen Jelley BMW 330i M Sport Team WSR +4.906
6 Jason Plato Vauxhall Astra Power Maxed +5.269
7 Aiden Moffat Infiniti Q50 Laser Tools +5.476
8 Colin Turkington BMW 330i M Sport Team WSR +6.146
9 Dan Rowbottom Honda Civic Type R Team Dynamics +7.740
10 Ollie Jackson Ford Focus ST MB Motorsport +8.731
11 Tom Oliphant BMW 330i M Sport Team WSR +8.938
12 Tom Ingram Hyundai i30N Excelr8 +10.652
13 Rory Butcher Toyota Corolla Toyota Gazoo +11.434
14 Aron Taylor-Smith Cupra Leon Team HARD +12.965
15 Jack Goff Cupra Leon Team HARD +13.277
16 Adam Morgan BMW 330i M Sport Ciceley +13.566
17 Senna Proctor Honda Civic Type R BTC Racing +14.111
18 Josh Cook Honda Civic Type R BTC Racing +15.390
19 Carl Boardley Infiniti Q50 Laser Tools +15.487
20 Sam Smelt Toyota Corolla Toyota Gazoo +16.120
21 Gordon Shedden Honda Civic Type R Team Dynamics +16.273
22 Rick Parfitt Jr Hyundai i30N Excelr8 +20.854
23 Jack Butel Hyundai i30N Excelr8 +21.147
24 Jade Edwards Honda Civic Type R BTC Racing +21.405
25 Sam Osborne Ford Focus ST Motorbase +22.992
26 Andy Neate Ford Focus ST Motorbase +27.816
27 Nicholas Hamilton Cupra Leon Team HARD +28.265
28 Tom Chilton BMW 330i M Sport Ciceley +28.534
Retirements
DNF Jack Mitchell Cupra Leon Team HARD Mechanical
DNF Andrew Jordan Toyota Corolla Hybrid – N/A

 

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BTCC Silverstone – Butcher holds off Cook for second win of the day

Rory Butcher took his second win from two at Silverstone as he held off a chasing Josh Cook.

Once Cook had cleared Tom ingram in a thrilling race-long battle, he hunted down Butcher but couldn’t quite take the win.

Cook was however disqualified from the result for failing a ride height check at the end of race scrutineering.

The first of two safety car periods came on lap three when Nicholas Hamilton’s Cupra was in the gravel trap. He recovered and rejoined the race.

On the restart Josh Cook was battling Tom Ingram for second place. The pair were side by side from Brooklands through to Becketts. The Hyundai of Ingram prevailed and he maintained second place.

On lap nine there were two incidents to bring out the second Safety Car. Carl Boardley was tapped into Copse by Andy Neate’s Ford. Further back Jade Edwards and Gordon Shedden collided and not for the first time this season. Shedden tipped Edwards into the gravel at Brooklands and out of the race.

Racing resumed on lap 16 with Sam Smelt joining the list of retirements with a mechanical issue. It was round two of the Cook and Ingram battle on lap 17. This time Cook managed to squeeze past Ingram into Copse and went on the hunt for race leader Butcher.

Senna Proctor was next to join the list of retirements after contact going into Becketts. His team mate Cook however was closing in on Butcher, and was hot on his heels into the penultimate lap.

The final lap meant it was now or never for Cook. He made an audacious dive down the inside of Butcher into Brooklands, getting onto the grass, but Butcher held on for the win.

He took his second win of the day from Cook, Ingram came third with Colin Turkington behind him. Championship leader Ash Sutton finished fifth with team mate Aiden Moffat behind him. Dan Rowbottom, Chris Smiley, Stephen Jelley were seventh, eighth and ninth respectively with Jake Hill going from 21st on the grid to tenth.

Pos Driver Car Team +/-
1 Rory Butcher Toyota Corolla Toyota Gazoo 27:16:006
2 Tom Ingram Hyundai i30N Excelr8 +3.021
3 Colin Turkington BMW 330i M Sport Team WSR +3.162
4 Ash Sutton Infiniti Q50 Laser Tools +3.456
5 Aiden Moffat Infiniti Q50 Laser Tools +3.492
6 Dan Rowbottom Honda Civic Type R Team Dynamics +4.182
7 Chris Smiley Hyundai i30N Excelr8 +4.494
8 Stephen Jelley BMW 330i M Sport Team WSR +5.550
9 Jake Hill Ford Focus ST MB Motorsport +6.706
10 Jason Plato Vauxhall Astra Power Maxed +7.031
11 Dan Lloyd Vauxhall Astra Power Maxed +7.036
12 Aron Taylor-Smith Cupra Leon Team HARD +7.796
13 Tom Chilton BMW 330i M Sport Ciceley +8.348
14 Sam Osborne Ford Focus ST Motorbase +9.570
15 Jack Goff Cupra Leon Team HARD +9.728
16 Jack Butel Hyundai i30N Excelr8 +10.036
17 Adam Morgan BMW 330i M Sport Ciceley +10.166
18 Ollie Jackson Ford Focus ST MB Motorsport +10.773
19 Gordon Shedden Honda Civic Type R Team Dynamics +11.066
20 Andrew Jordan Toyota Corolla Hybrid – +11.621
21 Tom Oliphant BMW 330i M Sport Team WSR +13.751
22 Jack Mitchell Cupra Leon Team HARD +14.902
23 Andy Neate Ford Focus ST Motorbase +15.589
24 Rick Parfitt Jr Hyundai i30N Excelr8 +15.754
25 Nicholas Hamilton Cupra Leon Team HARD +24.217
Retirements
DNF Carl Boardley Infiniti Q50 Laser Tools Damage
DNF Senna Proctor Honda Civic Type R BTC Racing Mechanical
DNF Sam Smelt Toyota Corolla Toyota Gazoo Mechanical
DNF Jade Edwards Honda Civic Type R BTC Racing Crash
DSQ Josh Cook Honda Civic Type R BTC Racing Ride Height

 

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BTCC Silverstone – Butcher cruises to win despite compromised start

Rory Butcher allayed pre-race fears to convert pole to victory in race one at Silverstone.

A liquid spill from the earlier British F4 race on the start/finish straight meant Butcher’s start would be compromised. However despite losing the lead to Tom Ingram, he soon reclaimed his lead on lap three at Brooklands with an audacious and well executed move.

The opening lap saw five retirements, with Andy Neate suffering a puncture and causing damage. Gordon Shedden and Sam Smelt had a coming together, Jack Mitchell retired early on with a mechanical issue and Adam Morgan also never returned from the pits after pitting on lap one.

Once Butcher took his lead back, Ingram was reeled in by Dan Lloyd in his Vauxhall Astra. Of the five title protagonists Ingram finished highest, with Josh Cook, Colin Turkington and leader Ash Sutton finishing fifth, sixth and seventh respectively.

Jake Hill however struggled with 66kg of ballast in his Ford Focus, and was embroiled in a race-long fight with Tom Chilton and Jack Butel. He eventually finished 21st, and out of the points.

Butcher cruised to a win, with a winning margin of just over three seconds. Ingram held off Lloyd for second with Aiden Moffat’s second half renaissance to the season continued with fourth place.

History was made as the BTCC’s Hybrid car competed in its first race, driven by former champion Andrew Jordan. While it finished last, this wasn’t due to lack of performance. The Hybrid programme was simply to run the car in racing conditions, and so stayed near the back to avoid any incidents or affecting the championship.

Ash Sutton remains in the lead of the championship with only a handful of races left to go.

Pos Driver Car Team +/-
1 Rory Butcher Toyota Corolla Toyota Gazoo 21:21:142
2 Tom Ingram Hyundai i30N Excelr8 +3.262
3 Dan Lloyd Vauxhall Astra Power Maxed +3.666
4 Aiden Moffat Infiniti Q50 Laser Tools +4.263
5 Josh Cook Honda Civic Type R BTC Racing +6.674
6 Colin Turkington BMW 330i M Sport Team WSR +6.929
7 Ash Sutton Infiniti Q50 Laser Tools +7.379
8 Dan Rowbottom Honda Civic Type R Team Dynamics +8.113
9 Stephen Jelley BMW 330i M Sport Team WSR +10.154
10 Jason Plato Vauxhall Astra Power Maxed +10.564
11 Tom Oliphant BMW 330i M Sport Team WSR +10.757
12 Ollie Jackson Ford Focus ST MB Motorsport +16.981
13 Chris Smiley Hyundai i30N Excelr8 +17.270
14 Senna Proctor Honda Civic Type R BTC Racing +17.621
15 Carl Boardley Infiniti Q50 Laser Tools +18.009
16 Sam Osborne Ford Focus ST Motorbase +18.763
17 Aron Taylor-Smith Cupra Leon Team HARD +19.410
18 Jack Butel Hyundai i30N Excelr8 +19.886
19 Jack Goff Cupra Leon Team HARD +23.460
20 Tom Chilton BMW 330i M Sport Ciceley +23.822
21 Jake Hill Ford Focus ST MB Motorsport +24.904
22 Jade Edwards Honda Civic Type R BTC Racing +25.239
23 Rick Parfitt Jr Hyundai i30N Excelr8 +26.015
24 Nicholas Hamilton Cupra Leon Team HARD +28.099
25 Andrew Jordan Toyota Corolla Hybrid – +30.593
Retirements
DNF Andy Neate Ford Focus ST Motorbase Wheel
DNF Adam Morgan BMW 330i M Sport Ciceley Damage
DNF Sam Smelt Toyota Corolla Toyota Gazoo Crash
DNF Gordon Shedden Honda Civic Type R Team Dynamics Crash
DNF Jack Mitchell Cupra Leon Team HARD Mechanical

 

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BTCC Croft – Jake Hill boosts title credentials with dominant win

Jake Hill cruised to a dominant win in race two at Croft to take his second British Touring Car Championship win. The win also boosts his title credentials.

While Hill pulled away there was chaos behind him with around 20 cars all running close behind each other. Aiden Moffat defended incredibly well to take second with Josh Cook in third.

Cook was in the action from the off as he and Colin Turkington made contact into the high speed section, thankfully both drivers came out unscathed. The end of lap one saw Rory Butcher’s wretched luck continue as he was out after a collision.

Tom Oliphant also had another race to forget as he retired with suspension damage and the safety car was deployed to recover the two stricken cars.

Just before the safety car was deployed Hill managed to squeeze past Moffat to take the lead.

On lap six came the restart, Hill managed to get away well with Josh Cook all over the back of team mate Senna Proctor, looking to find a way past the local driver.

By la eight Hill was two seconds clear, with Moffat fighting to hold off the BTC Honda duo of Cook and Proctor with the maximum 75kg ballast in his Infiniti.

Cook finally managed to pass Proctor with a gutsy move down the inside into the Sunny corner.

While Hill was strolling to the win, the action was behind him as Moffat was still defending, but with a gaggle of cars behind him all exchanging places. Turkington the biggest loser as he dropped a handful of places after contact with Gordon Shedden into turn one.

Tom Ingram came out of nowhere to be fourth by the end of lap 15 from 12th on the grid.

Hill took the win, the second of his career, with Moffat showing some incredible racecraft and defensive driving to take second, with Cook third.

Ingram finished fourth with championship leader Ash Sutton fifth, Shedden was sixth with Turkington seventh. Proctor finished eighth with Chris Smiley ninth and Adam Morgan tenth.

Pos Driver Car Team +/-
1 Jake Hill Ford Focus ST MB Motorsport 27:31:374
2 Aiden Moffat Infiniti Q50 Laser Tools +5.508
3 Josh Cook Honda Civic Type R BTC Racing +6.849
4 Tom Ingram Hyundai i30N Excelr8 +7.512
5 Ash Sutton Infiniti Q50 Laser Tools +7.749
6 Gordon Shedden Honda Civic Type R Team Dynamics +7.999
7 Colin Turkington BMW 330i M Sport Team WSR +10.087
8 Senna Proctor Honda Civic Type R BTC Racing +11.254
9 Chris Smiley Hyundai i30N Excelr8 +11.916
10 Adam Morgan BMW 330i M Sport Ciceley +12.262
11 Stephen Jelley BMW 330i M Sport Team WSR +12.438
12 Jason Plato Vauxhall Astra Power Maxed +12.771
13 Sam Osborne Ford Focus ST Motorbase +13.152
14 Ollie Jaclson Ford Focus ST MB Motorsport +13.370
15 Jack Goff Cupra Leon Team HARD +13.810
16 Dan Rowbottom Honda Civic Type R Team Dynamics +14.927
17 Tom Chilton BMW 330i M Sport Ciceley +15.131
18 Dan Lloyd Vauxhall Astra Power Maxed +15.330
19 Sam Smelt Toyota Corolla Toyota Gazoo +16.011
20 Jack Mitchell Cupra Leon Team HARD +16.472
21 Jade Edwards Honda Civic Type R BTC Racing +17.225
22 Aron Taylor-Smith Cupra Leon Team HARD +18.419
23 Carl Boardley Infiniti Q50 Laser Tools +19.013
24 Andy Neate Ford Focus ST Motorbase +31.145
25 Nick Halstead Hyundai i30N Excelr8 +33.461
26 Jack Butel Hyundai i30N Excelr8 +1 Lap
Retirements
DNF Nicholas Hamilton Cupra Leon Team HARD Crash
DNF Tom Oliphant BMW 330i M Sport Team WSR Mechanical
DNF Rory Butcher Toyota Corolla Toyota Gazoo Crash

 

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BTCC Croft – Aiden Moffat fends off Jake Hill for brilliant win in race one

Aiden Moffat converted pole to victory in race one at Croft in the British Touring Car Championship. He fended off Jake Hill to take his fourth BTCC win of his career.

Having taken the first pole position of his career on Saturday, he led off the line with second placed qualifier Colin Turkington losing places to Hill and Senna Proctor to sit fourth. His BMW team mate Tom Oliphant had an off on lap one and finished 20th.

On lap three Ollie Jackson came off worst as Chris Smiley dove down the inside of Dan Rowbottom, the pair collided, and with Jackson on the outside of both, he was spun and retired with suspension damage.

The safety car was introduced on lap five as Dan Rowbottom was in the tyre wall as Aron Taylor-Smith clipped the Honda driver and it sent Rowbottom off into the wall.

The race restarted on lap nine and Hill was doing all he can to put the pressure on Moffat.  But the Infiniti driver was defending well and did all he could to hold off the Ford driver.

There weren’t many overtakes at the front with the drivers thinking of the bigger picture and the vital championship points on display. After the first lap the top five didn’t change order once.

Moffat took the chequered flag, with Hill and Proctor rounding off the podium with impressive drives. Turkington took fourth with Josh Cook fifth. He pulled off an incredible double overtake on lap one into the tight right hand hairpin.

Championship leader Ash Sutton was sixth with Smiley seventh, Adam Morgan, Dan Lloyd and Gordon Shedden rounded off the top ten.

Tom Ingram could only manage 12th place in his Hyundai as his title fight takes a hit.

Pos Driver Car Team +/-
1 Aiden Moffat Infiniti Q50 Laser Tools 23:26:297
2 Jake Hill Ford Focus ST MB Motorsport +0.520
3 Senna Proctor Honda Civic Type R BTC Racing +1.888
4 Colin Turkington BMW 330i M Sport Team WSR +2.269
5 Josh Cook Honda Civic Type R BTC Racing +2.877
6 Ash Sutton Infinti Q50 Laser Tools +4.502
7 Chris Smiley Hyundai i30N Excelr8 +5.447
8 Adam Morgan BMW 330i M Sport Ciceley +6.728
9 Dan Lloyd Vauxhall Astra Power Maxed +7.337
10 Gordon Shedden Honda Civic Type R Team Dynamics +8.043
11 Tom Chilton BMW 330i M Sport Ciceley +8.808
12 Tom Ingram Hyundai i30N Excelr8 +9.776
13 Stephen Jelley BMW 330i M Sport Team WSR +10.064
14 Aron Taylor-Smith Cupra Leon Team HARD +11.359
15 Carl Boardley Infiniti Q50 Laser Tools +11.970
16 Sam Osborne Ford Focus ST Motorbase +12.649
17 Jason Plato Vauxhall Astra Power Maxed +13.576
18 Jack Goff Cupra Leon Team HARD +14.276
19 Rory Butcher Toyota Corolla Toyota Gazoo +14.941
20 Tom Oliphant BMW 330i M Sport Team WSR +15.167
21 Sam Smelt Toyota Corolla Toyota Gazoo +16.101
22 Jack Mitchell Cupra Leon Team HARD +17.614
23 Jack Butel Hyundai i30N Excelr8 +23.884
24 Andy Neate Ford Focus ST Motorbase +29.719
25 Nicholas Hamilton Cupra Leon Team HARD +30.118
26 Nick Halstead Hyundai i30N Excelr8 +34.270
27 Jade Edwards Honda Civic Type R BTC Racing +1 Lap
Retirements
DNF Dan Rowbottom Honda Civic Type R Team Dynamics Crash
DNF Ollie Jackson Ford Focus ST MB Motorsport Suspension
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Acropolis Rally 2021, Rally of Gods – My thoughts

Well, what an incredible return of the Acropolis Rally to the calendar. It may not have been the rough event that it was in the past, but it was no less challenging.

Let’s take a look at the performances of each driver.

Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT

With Kalle taking such a strong victory, his second at the of the year, it’s fair to say the promise that he showed when he made his debut last year is definitely starting to bear out in some amazing results. Eight stage wins from the fifteen stages in total show complete domination, the kind that we would expect from any of the top drivers. If these results continue, then he could finish second or third in the championship.

2021 FIA World Rally Championship / Round 09 / Acropolis Rally Greece / 09-12, September 2021 // Worldwide Copyright: Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT

Now Seb opened the road throughout Friday, and he did really well to stay close to the top positions, and was ready to swoop for second place if Ott had any problems. Three stage wins confirmed the pace that Toyota had and showed that the team had made the most of their pre-event test. With this drive, he and Julien have pretty much put one hand on this year’s championship.

Finally, Elfyn had a tough Saturday with his gearchange problems, but he kept his head in the right place and delivered a very good result with some top times. It was the first time since he joined the team that he’d experienced any technical problems with the Yaris, which is pretty impressive. He even nearly took his first Powerstage win for a long time, only to be denied by Kalle at the last moment.

 

Hyundai Motorsport

When Ott was at one with his car, he was really quick in the way that we have witnessed over the years. Three stage wins was a good reward for the Estonian’s, and their first podium since his third in the Safari Rally Kenya. Far too long for a driver of his quality. It seems at least that the team have got on top of their suspension problems.

2021 FIA World Rally Championship
Round 09, Acropolis Rally
09-12 September 2021
Ott Tanak, Martin Jarveoja, WRC, Action during Day 3 of Acropolis Rally 2021
Photographer: Vincent Thuillier
Worldwide copyright: Hyundai Motorsport GmbH

Dani was kind of stuck in no-mans land, which was a surprise for the Spaniard. Still, it was a good start to the new partnership with Candido Carrera, and it will be interesting to see how things develop for the rest of this season.

Thierry took a single stage win, but just like Elfyn his pace was held back by technical problems, namely powersteering problems. He turned mechanic and fixed it, but had lost so much time with penalties and having to struggle with his car on the stages. He’s still in third place in the championship, but it probably fair to say that his championship hopes are over for this year. Now it will be all about where he can finish in the championship.

 

M-Sport Ford WRT

Finally, Malcolm’s team showed some pace, taking a second fastest time with Adrien on the last day. The Frenchman also suffered a technical problem, with him having to change the sparkplugs on the road section. This gave him and Renaud some huge time penalties and not only dropped him behind Gus, but also Elfyn. Up to that point, he’d been the fastest M-Sport driver all weekend.

Gus had a good weekend again, but was not quite on the pace of his teammate. Still, it was another decent weekend for the Brit and consistent pace brought him a more points. He’ll almost certainly be part of the team next year, given that he’s been testing the Puma Rally1 car.

In the WRC2 there was a great battle between Andreas and Marco in their Toksport run Fabia Evo’s. The Bolivian led at the end of Friday and Saturday, only to lose the lead each day. Andreas increased his lead on the final day and took a well-deserved victory, and thus extended his championship lead.

Finally, in WRC3, Chris held the lead for a while, before dropping back behind Yohan and then Kajetan. It was his first drive of the year with Toksport, the team that he won the ERC title in 2019 and ultimately brought him a deserved podium. Sadly, for Yohan, he was excluded from the results as his car when weighed was found to be overweight. A real shame considering his performance over the weekend, and the problem that he overcame after damaging his steering on the final stage and making a fix that meant that he could get back to the service park. The Frenchman has appealed the exclusion and we will have to await the outcome of this in the next few weeks. Emil took the final podium spot in the category as a result of the Citroen drivers’ exclusion.

Who was your driver of the rally? Let us know!

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Acropolis Rally Sunday Review – Rally of Gods. Day Three

The final day then of this incredible event! Kalle had a huge lead coming into the last day. With just under 70km over three stages, there was still plenty of opportunities for things to happen!

The startlist looked like this – Loubet, Serderidis, Neuville, Evans, Greensmith, Fourmaux, Sordo, Ogier, Tänak, Rovanperä.

Into the first stage of the day then, SS13 Tarzan 1 – 23.37 km. There was drama for Adrien as he suffered a problem on the road section, meaning that he’d had to stop to change the spark plugs. He was 18 minutes late to the time control and picked up 3 minutes of time penalties as a result. This meant that his teammate picked up fifth overall, and also Elfyn moved up a place to sixth as well at the expense of Adrien. Kalle won the stage by a huge 14 seconds from Ott, with Seb a further 13.9 seconds back from Ott. In the WRC2 battle, Andreas got ahead of Marco once again and the gap was up to 6.8 seconds! The WRC3 top three was Yohan, Kajeten and Chris.

The following stage, SS14 Pyrgos – 33.20 km, again just a single run stage as well, and Ott denied Adrien and M-Sport a stage win, whilst Seb was third in the stage. With his pace, the Estonian now held a lead over the Toyota driver of 32.4 seconds. Adrien’s pace in the stage actually meant that he’s passed Elfyn who was sixth fastest, but the gap was just eight tenths of a second. Thierry passed Marco for ninth place, and was now just five seconds behind Andreas, the WRC2 leader.

To the final stage then, SS15 Tarzan 2 [Power Stage] – 12.68 km, a shortened version of the mornings first stage. The startlist was updated to this – Gryazin (WRC2), Bulacia (WRC2), Mikkelsen (WRC2), Serderidis, Neuville, Evans, Fourmaux, Greensmith, Sordo, Ogier, Tänak, Rovanperä.

Thierry was the first to go under nine minutes, and then his time was beaten by Elfyn. It was looking good for the Welshman to take the stage win, as the following drivers could not beat his time. Ott had drama on the start line as his car nearly didn’t fire up, and when it did there was blue smoke at first. Adrien had a spin in the stage, losing 12 seconds to Elfyn and he dropped behind into seventh. Kalle completed the stage, 1.2 seconds up on Elfyn, meaning that he took the stage win and maximum points in the powerstage with Elfyn second, Seb third. Ott and Dani rounded out the top five. Andreas took the WRC2 victory from Marco, and Nicolay on his first outing for M-Sport. Yohan took WRC3 honours from Kajeten and Chris third.

 

Well, there you have it. Kalle and Jonne have taken their second WRC victory from Ott and Seb. This has lifted them into fourth place in the championship, just one point behind Thierry and Martjin who are a now six points behind Elfyn. Seb now has a 44-point advantage over his Welsh teammate in the championship, with just three rounds left.

2021 FIA World Rally Championship / Round 09 / Acropolis Rally Greece / 09-12, September 2021 // Worldwide Copyright: Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT

Final Overall Classification – Acropolis Rally

1 K. Rovanperä J. Halttunen Toyota Yaris WRC 3:28:24.6
2 O. Tänak M. Järveoja Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC +42.1
3 S. Ogier J. Ingrassia Toyota Yaris WRC +1:11.3
4 D. Sordo C. Carrera Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC +3:01.0
5 G. Greensmith C. Patterson Ford Fiesta WRC +5:45.0
6 E. Evans S. Martin Toyota Yaris WRC +6:42.7
7 A. Fourmaux R. Jamoul Ford Fiesta WRC +6:54.4
8 T. Neuville M. Wydaeghe Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC +8:41.1
9 A. Mikkelsen E. Edmondson Škoda Fabia Evo +9:02.5
10 M. Bulacia M. Der Ohannesian Škoda Fabia Evo +9:19.2

 

Let’s hear from the drivers then.

Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT

Kalle Rovanperä (1st)

“I’m feeling really good to win here in Greece. It was a really tough rally to be honest, a long week with a lot of stages to recce and long nights watching the videos, so I feel really happy to be at the finish with this result. I felt good on Friday already, and then we did some setup changes to the car because the stages on Saturday were different, and I felt even better with the car. It came quite nicely; I could enjoy the driving a lot. A big thank you to the team, everybody did a great job and the car was running without issues. Hopefully we can take the same speed to Finland.”

2021 FIA World Rally Championship / Round 09 / Acropolis Rally Greece / 09-12, September 2021 // Worldwide Copyright: Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT

Sébastien Ogier (3rd)

“This is a very good result for us. The target this weekend was to maintain the lead we had in the championship and we actually increased it, which is very positive. I think we did a very clever rally. The conditions were challenging all the time. Obviously, I was not in the same pace as Kalle, he was really flying and on the next level compared to everybody, so congratulations to him for a well-deserved win. In the position I was in in the championship after Friday, my mindset was not to risk everything to win the rally, so I’m very happy with my third place.”

Elfyn Evans (6th)

“This was not our weekend but these things happen in rallying and it’s been very rare at this team to have an issue like we had on Friday. The feeling in the car was generally quite good. Getting sixth place in the end today was a bit of a gift with an issue that somebody else had this morning. Maybe it was not a perfect run on the Power Stage for us, but four bonus points is still a good addition and at least we managed to salvage something from the weekend.”

Hyundai Motorsport

Ott Tänak (2nd)

“At the end of a challenging weekend, it is good to come away with second place and another podium. We haven’t had the easiest rally, but we have worked hard to find improvements to get a better feeling from the car, and there have been some positive signs. Kalle has been on top form since the very start, so we have had to focus on confirming second place. We have made some bold decisions on tyres, which has only been possible because of the work of our weather crew. I’d like to say thanks to them for a great job. We know there is more work we need to do, but I think we’ve achieved all that was possible in Acropolis with second place.”

Dani Sordo (4th)

“This has been a tough weekend. The days on which we had to make our pace notes were difficult and as a result we didn’t have the confidence we needed. The conditions today were really nice, and I liked the stages, but it was difficult to follow the road at times. Fourth place was about the best we could manage, so we concentrated on securing the result, nothing more. This was the first WRC event with Cándido, and he has done a good job, but we will try to do better on the next one.”

Thierry Neuville (8th)

“We have given everything this weekend and we have fought hard from the start to the finish. Unfortunately, there is no compensation for all that work. Our rally was over with the power steering issues on Friday. Since then, our focus has been on recovering positions to try and salvage whatever we could from the rally. To be honest, I think we deserve more than this. We have put absolutely everything into it and haven’t got out of it what we should.”

2021 FIA World Rally Championship
Round 09, Acropolis Rally
09-12 September 2021
Thierry Neuville, Martijn Wydaeghe, Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC
Photographer: Dufour Fabien
Worldwide copyright: Hyundai Motorsport GmbH

M-Sport Ford WRT

Gus Greensmith (5th)

“The team have lived-up to the form that we have shown on rougher rallies this year and, although probably I could have hoped for more in terms of my finishing position, a top-five finish is a good thing for sure. I gave it everything I could.

Adrien hit problems early on this morning which you never like to see. We were having a great battle until that point, and he was at least able to continue and score good points.”

Adrien Fourmaux (7th)

“A mixed day for us really, after picking up penalties for being late this morning because of an engine issue. We were able to set second-fastest time on one stage, but that early problem allowed Gus to pull ahead of us and I was left to fight to hold my position.

“On the Power Stage, we made a mistake: unfortunately, I spun and had to reverse but I tried, I had a big push, but unfortunately we ended the rally in seventh place. It has been an amazing event to experience and I’m delighted for the team that we have shown our pace and got the cars home, I just am sorry to them not to be higher at the end.”

Jourdan Serderidis (10th)

“It was fun, so many people, so many fans from Greece and it was nice to come and the stages have been fantastic. It was great to be here and to get the car safely to the finish in the top 10 of the rally. The team has built a fantastic car, I want to thank them for an unforgettable event.”

Nikolay Gryazin (3rd, WRC2)

“It’s been okay, a lot of things to work with but at least we are on the finish. We have a lot to learn about the car and the team but a podium finish at our first attempt is certainly something to take away from our first Acropolis.”

2021 FIA World Rally Championship for Drivers’ Standings
After round nine

1 S. Ogier 180
2 E. Evans 136
3 T. Neuville 130
4 K. Rovanperä 129
5 O. Tänak 106
6 T. Katsuta 66
7 C. Breen 60
8 G. Greensmith 44
9 D. Sordo 43
10 A. Fourmaux 36

2021 FIA World Rally Championship for Manufacturers’ Standings
After round nine

1 Toyota Gazoo Racing World Rally Team 397
2 Hyundai Shell Mobis World Rally Team 340
3 M-Sport Ford World Rally Team 153
4 Hyundai 2C Competition 44

 

Next up is Rally Finland which takes place from the 1st to the 4th of October. Look out for my preview in the days before.

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Acropolis Rally Saturday Review – Rally of Gods Report Day Two

Coming into day two, Kalle held a 3.7 second lead over Ott with Seb a further two tenths back from the Estonian. The startlist looked like this – Loubet, Serderidis, Neuville, Evans, Greensmith, Fourmaux, Sordo, Ogier, Tänak, Rovanperä.

Into the first stage then, SS7 Pavliani 1 – 24.25 km, and Kalle took full advantage of his road position winning the stage from Ott by 5.6 seconds, and Welshman Elfyn third a further 4.4 seconds back. Kalle now held a 9.3 second over Ott. Seb lost a little time only going fourth fastest and gap widening to Ott in their battle over second overall. There was a change in the lead in the WRC2 category, with Andreas setting the ninth best time in the stage, he passed Marco who was six seconds slower. The Norwegian was now twelve seconds ahead of the Bolivian. Chris Ingram remained in the lead of the WRC3 category, but there was a change in positions behind the Brit as Emil Lindholm passed Kajetan Kajtanowicz.

Following that stage was the single run of SS8 Gravia – 24.81 km, and the top three again was Kalle, Ott and Seb. Kalle unleashed a serious amount of pace, extending his lead a further seven and a half seconds to sixteen seconds. Seb was now almost fourteen seconds behind Ott, the gap widening between them. Marco remained behind Andreas in the WRC2 category, but there was another change in the WRC3 positions. Chris remained at the head, but Yohan Rossel moved from fourth to second, jumping both Kajetan and Emil who were now third and fourth respectively.

There was a second single run stage to follow, with SS9 Bauxites – 22.97 km up next. Once again, Kalle added a further 4.6 seconds to his lead over Ott and Seb was just 1.3 slower than Ott and they remained second and third overall. Elfyn was making excellent progress up the field, setting the fourth fastest time, just 8.8 slower than Kalle and jumping four positions into ninth overall. He was also just 29.2 seconds from Marco who was holding eighth. There was a change in the lead of WRC3, with Yohan passing Chris and also creating a decent gap over the Brit as he emerged from the stage 6.8 seconds to the good.

The final stage before the lunchtime service, SS10 Eleftherohori 1 – 18.14 km and Ott had a terrible stage, only setting the sixth best time, eighteen seconds slower than Kalle won the stage from Seb and Thierry. The Finn now held a massive 39.7 second lead over the Estonian, whose lead over Seb had come down to just 3.6 seconds. After Kalle finished the stage, it was red flagged, as there were spectators standing in the wrong places.

After the lunchtime service, SS11 Pavliani 2 – 24.25 km was won by Seb from Ott and Kalle. The Frenchman’s pace brought him a little closer to Ott, the gap now just two and a half seconds between them. Marco was fastest in WRC2 from Andreas and brought the gap between them to just 3.2 seconds. Yohan continued to pull away from Chris in WRC3, the gap now almost thirty seconds between them.

The final stage then of the day, SS12 Eleftherohori 2 – 18.14 km, and Ott flew through, with Kalle second fastest and Seb third. The gap between Seb and Ott was now 9.4 ahead of the championship leader. Marco passed Andreas again for the WRC2 lead, with a time four seconds faster than his Norwegian Toksport teammate. This battle will continue tomorrow. Finally, Yohan moved further into the WRC3 lead as Kajetan passed Chris as well, the Pole moving into second place.

Classification after Day Two

1 K. Rovanperä J. Halttunen Toyota Yaris WRC 2:36:52.8
2 O. Tänak M. Järveoja Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC +30.8
3 S. Ogier J. Ingrassia Toyota Yaris WRC +40.2
4 D. Sordo C. Carrera Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC +2:09.4
5 A. Fourmaux R. Jamoul Ford Fiesta WRC +3:19.2
6 G. Greensmith C. Patterson Ford Fiesta WRC +3:35.0
7 E. Evans S. Martin Toyota Yaris WRC +5:51.9
8 M. Bulacia M. Der Ohannesian Škoda Fabia Evo +7:09.0
9 A. Mikkelsen E. Edmondson Škoda Fabia Evo +7:09.8
10 T. Neuville M. Wydaeghe Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC +7:47.6

 

Toyota Gazoo Racing

Kalle Rovanperä (1st)

“It was really enjoyable for us on the first loop of stages today. They were four difficult stages and I was a bit surprised that the time gaps were so big, but I also felt that we did a good job in the car. We also had a bit of a different tyre choice to the others and that was good for us: Overall I just had a bit more confidence on the hard tyres. For the second loop we made some setup changes to gain a bit of protection for the rough conditions, and we lost quite a bit of traction, but it was still quite good, and we were being wise and not doing anything stupid. There is still a long way to go to the end of the rally, so let’s see what we can do tomorrow.”

Sébastien Ogier (3rd)

“This morning I was pretty consistent. Not extremely fast, but it was good enough to make our third place more secure from behind, which was the main target for the day. If we can finish on the podium tomorrow it will be another big step to the title. Kalle was extremely fast this morning and took a big lead, so well done to him for a very strong day. The afternoon loop was better for me. It’s always important to keep a bit of pressure on, we are not that far from second place. Tomorrow it will not be wise to take more risk but with many kilometres still to go, things can always happen. Those stages will be with all-new pacenotes for everybody and we recce’d it mostly in the fog, so it won’t be easy.”

Elfyn Evans (7th)

“It was a quite OK day today and I enjoyed the driving to be honest, even if it’s quite difficult when you’re no longer in a proper fight. Still, we had a target to move into the best overall position possible and from that side the goal of the day was achieved. I don’t think there’s a chance to climb up any further providing those ahead don’t have any trouble now, but we want to try and bring those points home tomorrow and add to the tally in the Power Stage if we can.”

2021 FIA World Rally Championship / Round 09 / Acropolis Rally Greece / 09-12, September 2021 // Worldwide Copyright: Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT

Hyundai Motorsport

Ott Tänak (2nd)

“I wouldn’t say the final stage was a turning point, but we have certainly been working hard to find solutions and feeling in the car. We have been trying different things with the tyre choice, going a bit more extreme, to try and keep the pace and retain our advantage over Séb (Ogier). So far that’s the maximum we’ve been able to do, but tomorrow will be another story. We still want more confidence and pace in the car, but there are three tricky long stages to go, so everything is still possible. I will for sure be doing my best to find a good rhythm in the car.”

Dani Sordo (4th)

“We have completed many kilometres today, so it has been a long and hard Saturday with very difficult conditions. We are still holding our fourth place, like yesterday, but a bit further away from the top-three. At the beginning of the day, I realised it was hard to catch them, so we focused on maintaining our place and not making any mistakes. If I’m honest, I can’t say I am entirely happy; I am in the middle of nowhere on the classification, and it’s difficult when you look at the times from the top-three. Still, we have managed our pace and it will be important to have another clean day tomorrow.”

2021 FIA World Rally Championship
Round 09, Acropolis Rally
9-12 September 2021
Dani Sordo
Photographer: Austral
Worldwide copyright: Hyundai Motorsport GmbH

Thierry Neuville (10th)

“Our objective today has been to close the gap to the WRC 2 cars, which we have been able to do. This morning, there was a lot of road cleaning in the stages, and it was pretty challenging. In some stages the R5 cars could go quicker than us, but this afternoon the conditions were more equal. As a result, we could find a good rhythm and make up some positions. It will continue to be tough on the final day, especially being so early on the road, but we are going to give it our all and try to get through without any mistakes.”

M-Sport Ford WRT

Adrien Fourmaux (5th)

“Today’s stages were much less risky in terms of the big rocks that we saw yesterday and we could push a little more. The car was good from the beginning but after a slight change to the differential in service I felt better still and this was shown in my stage times.

“We are in a very positive place for the team so far. It’s still a long way to go of course but we can consider the two first days to be a success and hopefully we can stay out of trouble and bring at least fifth place back”

Gus Greensmith (6th) said:

“I would have preferred to have more soft tyres on the car today, I think I could have pushed a little harder in some places with the extra grip, but we are very limited in terms of the number of the soft compound we are allowed to use.

“The stages this morning were very different to how we saw them on the recce – where it was so wet and foggy we could barely see them at all in places! Today was bright sunshine and gave ideal conditions to go quicker but without the experience of doing the recce in these conditions our notes couldn’t be as accurate as we needed them to be and we had to stay a bit within ourselves.”

Jourdan Serderidis (9th)

“There were no heroics from me today to be honest, I very much wanted to get through the stages, enjoy the experience and keep the car on the road. The stages were absolutely beautiful today, fast and flowing a lot of the time and the scenery for the fans is unbelievable. There were so many out there today, it was fantastic. We slipped back one place but it is still a day to remember.”

Nikolay Gryazin (3rd, WRC2)

“The day went well for us and we were able to push a little harder in the afternoon to set some good times. Everything is still new and exciting in that way we are learning the team and the same for them with us. Certainly, the Ford Fiesta Rally2 gave good confidence and even though some of the stages were tricky because the recce conditions were poor it was an enjoyable day and now, we hope to hold on to reach the podium.”

 

Final day

Sunday sees 69km over three stages, with the iconic Tarzan stage the first stage for the day. Can Kalle wrap up his second victory? The stages start at just after 6am UK time!

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