Toyota (NYSE:) Metropolis, Japan, Jul 22, 2024 – (JCN Newswire) – – TOYOTA GAZOO Racing World Rally Group has claimed a second successive one-two end after Kalle Rovanpera stormed to victory forward of Sebastien Ogier on the FIA World Rally Championship’s first Rally Latvia.
Returning to the high-speed gravel roads the place he started his rally profession as a youngster, Rovanpera and co-driver Jonne Halttunen led the rally from the opening stage in Riga on Thursday evening. They gained 11 levels alongside the best way – recording their two hundredth profession quickest time on Saturday morning – as they marked their fiftieth begin on the highest degree of the WRC with their 14th victory.
Ogier and co-driver Vincent Landais made a formidable return to motion after being compelled to overlook the earlier spherical in Poland – which made this Ogier’s first quick European gravel rally for nearly three years. He was already the highest debutant on Latvian soil when he ended Friday in third place, earlier than taking second away from the native favorite Martins Sesks (M-Sport Ford (NYSE:)) on Saturday.
With its one-two consequence, TGR-WRT took most producers’ factors from the general standings plus second and third within the separate Tremendous Sunday classification – the place Ogier was denied prime spot by simply 0.2 seconds. With the Energy Stage outcomes additionally factored in, the workforce closes to inside one level of the championship lead.
Elfyn Evans and Scott Martin completed fifth total on an occasion the place street place was a big issue on the free gravel levels. Working second on the street on Friday, Evans nonetheless did properly relative to his championship rivals and, ending fourth within the Tremendous Sunday classification, has closed to inside 13 factors of the sequence chief.
Takamoto Katsuta and co-driver Aaron Johnston confirmed good confidence and tempo from the beginning of the rally, holding fourth place on the finish of Friday earlier than a small overshoot on Saturday’s SS12 induced injury to the facility steering system, leaving them sixth on the end.
There was additionally a double podium for the Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 within the WRC2 class, with Mikko Heikkila ending in second place for Step-5 Motorsport and Sami Pajari third for Printsport after an thrilling battle between the 2 Finnish drivers. Pajari, who gained WRC2 on the 2 earlier rounds in Sardinia and Poland, will make his Rally1 debut with TGR-WRT on the following occasion in Finland.
For extra info, go to https://toyotagazooracing.com/wrc/launch/2024/rd08-day4/.
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