Oliver Solberg seized the early lead at Rally Chile, edging out Elfyn Evans by 2.3 seconds after the opening three stages. Overnight rain left the gravel tracks damp and puddled, creating tricky conditions that favored Evans, who started first on the road.
Evans, the championship leader, won SS2 to briefly take a 0.4s lead, but Solberg responded with victories on SS1 and SS3 to reclaim the top spot. "It’s a new day for everyone, and that helps me in the car for the first time," Solberg said. "Very sketchy conditions, so you’ve just got to be confident to have a decent flow but not push too hard. I’m happy it rained because otherwise Ogier at the back could have been dangerous."
Adrien Fourmaux overcame a technical issue on SS2 to hold third, 2.7s ahead of Hyundai teammate Thierry Neuville, who climbed two places with a stage win on SS3. Fourmaux trails Solberg by 17.7s, with Neuville 20.4s adrift. "When it’s rutted I can trust the car much more," Neuville explained. "When there are no ruts I’m all over the place. When it’s rutted I just stay in the ruts and it’s like running on rails."
Sebastien Ogier completed the top five, just half a second behind Neuville, after a challenging SS1 where he could only manage the sixth fastest time due to road position and an incorrect setup. "Not an ideal start for us," Ogier lamented.
Sami Pajari sits sixth, 2.1s behind Ogier and 23s off the lead. "Obviously I was happy to see that rain after so many dry rallies," Evans said. "It’s an OK start but a lot to go in this rally." A significant gap has opened behind Pajari, with Josh McErlean 51.3s back in seventh.
The morning’s biggest loser was Toyota’s Takamoto Katsuta, who retired less than four miles into SS1 after clipping a bank and getting stuck. Hyundai’s Esapekka Lappi also struggled, hitting a bank on SS2 after taking the wrong line over a crest.
With conditions expected to remain challenging, the battle for Rally Chile is far from over. Fans can follow all the action from Rally Chile on Sportrik.
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Takamoto Katsuta crashes again on SS1 at Rally Chile, jeopardizing his WRC title hopes. Solberg fastest, Evans second. Full standings inside.
Takamoto Katsuta crashed out on the opening stage of Rally Chile, hitting a bank. Oliver Solberg leads ahead of Elfyn Evans.
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