The WRC Croatia was marked by a lack of significant incidents for most of the event, but everything changed dramatically during the second stage on Sunday. Sébastien Ogier made an impressive leap from third place to the overall lead, securing a surprising victory, while Thierry Neuville and Elfyn Evans suffered devastating setbacks. After three days of intense competition on the crowded streets of Zagreb, it seemed like the battle for victory would be between Neuville in a Hyundai i20 N and Evans in a Toyota GR Yaris.
During the 18th stage, the second stage of the day, the overnight leader made a mistake entering a left turn too quickly, causing him to slide off and collide with a tree after climbing a bank. This not only damaged the rear aerodynamics of his Hyundai but also resulted in a loss of almost 25 seconds. Unaware of his competitor’s mishap, Evans misjudged a right turn in the same stage and spun out, losing 20 seconds as he struggled to get his car back on track. As a result, Ogier, who had been in third place since the first stage on Friday, suddenly gained a 9.1-second advantage with only two stages remaining.
Ogier kept his composure and held off his Toyota teammate Evans, ultimately securing his second victory at the Rally Croatia by a margin of 9.7 seconds. This victory also marked his 100th podium in the WRC and his 69th career win. “It was a challenging weekend,” admitted Ogier, who had Vincent Landais as his co-driver. “We knew our starting position would be a disadvantage, but we never gave up and kept the pressure on throughout the weekend. I think I’ve never had so many scares in a single rally, but it’s great to secure the win for the team.” In the WRC2 category, Nikolay Gryazin comfortably led a Citroen 1-2 in the final results.
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