Elfyn Evans responded to Kalle Rovanperä’s challenge with an impressive display on the final stage of Saturday morning at Rally Chile, reasserting his lead and leaving his Toyota teammate trailing. Despite a turbulent Friday, which saw Evans’ lead position solidified by adjusted notional times for SS1—much to Hyundai’s protest—Saturday’s stages were all about the Welshman’s relentless pace.
Evans began the day with a 3.0-second advantage over Ott Tänak, but he quickly expanded that lead to 7.1 seconds by dominating SS7, leaving Tänak in his wake. Tänak’s struggles continued on SS8, where a half-spin forced the Estonian to reverse his Hyundai, costing him crucial time and the second spot to Rovanperä.
Despite his earlier complaints about the Friday stages, Rovanperä found his rhythm on Saturday morning. He clawed back 9.7 seconds on SS8, closing the gap to Evans to just 1.8 seconds, setting up a tense battle for the rally lead.
“I probably didn’t drive to my correct rhythm,” Evans admitted after SS8, reflecting on his narrow escape. However, the Welshman’s resilience shone through on SS9, the weekend’s longest and most challenging stage, featuring fog and rain that tested every driver’s mettle. Evans answered the call, outpacing Rovanperä by 9.5 seconds to push his overall lead to 11.3 seconds.
Rovanperä acknowledged Evans’ mastery: “I felt I did a good stage but clearly he has done better.” Meanwhile, Tänak was left perplexed by his lack of pace, now trailing Rovanperä by 6.1 seconds and Evans by 17.4 seconds.
Thierry Neuville capitalized on his improved road position, snatching fourth place from Sami Pajari and overcoming ongoing car troubles, including a malfunctioning wiper that severely hampered his visibility. “We are carrying some serious problem all morning, but we are here now,” Neuville said, determined to push on after repairs.
Grégoire Munster, who shined on Friday, struggled on Saturday morning, dropping behind Neuville and into sixth overall. Esapekka Lappi’s rough day began with losing his Hyundai’s front bumper in a muddy mishap, forcing him to rip it off mid-stage. Despite his troubles, Lappi sits eighth, just behind Adrien Fourmaux, who is now breathing down Munster’s neck.
Sébastien Ogier’s rally came to an abrupt halt on SS8 after hitting a rock, breaking a suspension arm and ending his day near the end of the stage. Meanwhile, Oliver Solberg surged into the WRC2 lead, moving ahead of Yohan Rossel by 4.1 seconds—a victory that would secure Solberg the championship title.
With treacherous conditions, tactical tire choices, and relentless competition, Rally Chile continues to test the mettle of the world’s top drivers, with Evans standing tall as the man to beat heading into the final stages.
