Elfyn Evans had to swallow a bitter pill at Rally Chile. The Welshman, who leads the WRC standings, suffered a puncture on SS15, the nearly 27-kilometer Carampangue stage. As a result, Evans lost over two minutes and dropped from second to fifth overall.
Evans himself was baffled by the puncture. "I have no idea where the puncture came from, but is it any surprise?" he lamented. It was a heavy blow for Evans, who had been on course to win Super Sunday.
On the other hand, his Toyota teammate Oliver Solberg shone and took the rally lead. The Swedish driver holds a 13.3-second advantage over second-placed Sebastien Ogier. Solberg admitted he was worried after a puncture on the previous stage. "There was quite a lot of dust, but I was also careful not to kill the tyres. I also had a puncture on the previous stage, so I was afraid," he said.
Meanwhile, Hyundai's Adrien Fourmaux moved up to third. He called the rally absolutely crazy. "I'm surprised that we didn't have any punctures yesterday, but today there have already been several. The stage was still fantastic and perhaps the best of the whole rally. It has so many different sections, and I really enjoyed it," Fourmaux said.
Evans's problems were good news for his teammate Sami Pajari. Before Rally Chile, Pajari was 20 points behind Evans and looked set to fall further adrift. However, Evans's misfortune keeps the contest close. Pajari lost over 15 seconds on the penultimate stage but moved ahead of Evans into fourth. "We just have to do our best. As we've seen, anything can happen. The game is still on," Pajari said.
With one stage remaining, the Power Stage starting at 19:15 Finnish time, Solberg's lead is still secure. But Ogier and Fourmaux continue to apply pressure. Meanwhile, Hyundai's Esapekka Lappi is sixth, followed by M-Sport Ford's Josh McErlean. WRC2 leader Yohan Rossel is eighth, ahead of Estonia's Robert Virves.
Rally Chile has one more stage to go, which could be decisive. Will Solberg hold on to his lead? Or will Ogier and Fourmaux spring a surprise? All will be answered in the Power Stage.
Read Also
Elfyn Evans wins SS13 at Rally Chile to lead Super Sunday, while Oliver Solberg maintains overall lead. Read the full analysis.
Adrien Fourmaux reveals Hyundai's fatal flaw: a front bumper that destroys itself. Read the analysis and his WRC chances.
Oliver Solberg calls Sebastien Ogier a 'monster' in tyre management after holding Rally Chile lead. Read about his strategy and championship chances.
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