Ott Tänak seized control of the Central European Rally on Sunday after a rare mistake by Sébastien Ogier during the opening stage, which also saw Toyota rookie Sami Pajari roll his GR Yaris Rally1 and retire from the event.
Ogier’s mishap occurred when he locked up the brakes on his Toyota heading into a tight left-hand corner, sliding into a field. Though Ogier was able to regain the road and finish the stage, the incident cost him 10 seconds and allowed Tänak to snatch the rally lead by 1.9 seconds. Ogier now trails the Estonian as the battle intensifies on the final day of the penultimate round of the FIA World Rally Championship.
For Pajari, the consequences were far more severe. The rookie lost control coming into a fast left-hander, running wide and dropping into a ditch before rolling his car. Fortunately, the Toyota landed back on its wheels, and Pajari and his co-driver were unharmed. However, the crash forced Pajari to retire from the rally.
Reflecting on the incident, Pajari admitted it was an unexpected and frustrating error. “We went wide on the corner, so I guess it’s simply a bit too fast,” he said. “It’s a big shame, and I’m very sorry for the team. We didn’t have any real mistakes before this, so it was a big surprise.”
Despite running a crossover tire strategy, Pajari ruled out tire choice as a cause, adding: “I had understeer, but it was the soft tire on that side, so even that doesn’t make sense.”
Fourmaux Shines, Loose Gravel Causes Chaos
Adrien Fourmaux, who returned to action after his Saturday retirement, took advantage of cleaner road conditions to post the fastest time on the opening stage. The M-Sport driver beat Toyota’s Elfyn Evans by 2.2 seconds, with Takamoto Katsuta rounding out the top three.
Gravel and debris on the Am Hochwald test were key talking points, with drivers reporting difficulties with grip. Thierry Neuville, still clinging to a slim chance of clinching the drivers’ championship this weekend, played it cautiously, wary of the road conditions. Despite being fourth fastest, just 0.2 seconds behind Tänak, Neuville voiced concerns over the amount of debris on the road.
“Lots of surprises. We had one big slide immediately because it was full of gravel,” said Neuville. “Even towards the end, all the anti-cuts have somehow moved, and some are even removed. The road is dirty.”
Mikkelsen’s Puncture Adds to Hyundai’s Troubles
Adding to Hyundai’s woes, Andreas Mikkelsen suffered a puncture on his i20 N Rally1, losing almost two minutes as he stopped to change the front-left tire. The Norwegian was visibly frustrated after discovering a small cut on the tire, exclaiming: “S***.”
With Tänak now in the lead and Ogier chasing, the stage is set for a thrilling final day of the Central European Rally. As Neuville and Tänak fight to keep their championship hopes alive, Ogier will be pushing to reclaim his advantage and make up for his earlier mistake.
