Takamoto Katsuta suffered another opening stage crash, this time at Rally Chile. The Toyota driver ran wide at a corner, hit a barbed-wire fence, and his car became stuck at the side of the road. This marks his second consecutive SS1 crash, following a roll on the opening stage of Rally Paraguay two weeks ago.
Katsuta currently sits fourth in the WRC standings, but Friday's mistake could be a severe blow to his title ambitions. With only a few rounds remaining, his chances of challenging championship leader Elfyn Evans are fading.
Meanwhile, Rally Chile began with Oliver Solberg and Evans setting the pace. Solberg eventually set the fastest time, beating Evans by 1.4 seconds. Evans, who feared sweeping loose gravel as the first car on the road, was instead aided by damp conditions after overnight rain, despite sunny skies. This allowed him to be competitive.
"The conditions were quite OK, although it was a little more difficult in some places. It wasn't quite the cleanest run from us," Evans said. Other drivers were over ten seconds off the lead. Adrien Fourmaux of Hyundai took third, 11.6 seconds behind, followed by Thierry Neuville (+16.7), Sami Pajari (+17.8), and Sebastien Ogier (+18.4).
Pajari, who has won the previous three rallies, struggled on SS1. "It was really difficult, I don't know why. I couldn't find confidence in the narrow sections. We have to find some kind of solution," he said. Meanwhile, Esapekka Lappi, back in Hyundai's third car, finished a massive 45.4 seconds off the pace and sits eighth.
With Katsuta's crash, the WRC title fight narrows. Evans is now in a stronger position, but five more special stages remain on Friday and the rally concludes on Sunday. Muddy conditions after rain require extra caution from the drivers.
Rally Chile Standings after SS1/16
| Pos | Driver | Team | Time/Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oliver Solberg | Toyota | 12:49.8 |
| 2 | Elfyn Evans | Toyota | +1.4 |
| 3 | Adrien Fourmaux | Hyundai | +11.6 |
| 4 | Thierry Neuville | Hyundai | +16.7 |
| 5 | Sami Pajari | Toyota | +17.8 |
| 6 | Sebastien Ogier | Toyota | +18.4 |
| 7 | Josh McErlean | Ford | +42.1 |
| 8 | Esapekka Lappi | Hyundai | +45.4 |
| 9 | Jon Armstrong | Ford | +46.2 |
Note: Katsuta is not classified due to retirement.
Baca Juga
Takamoto Katsuta tersingkir di etape pertama Rally Chile setelah menghantam tebing. Oliver Solberg memimpin di depan Elfyn Evans.
WRC 2027 masih diliputi ketidakpastian soal aturan urutan start. Hanya Toyota dan M-Sport yang mungkin terkena reversing order. Simak analisis lengkapnya.
Bos M-Sport Richard Millener peringatkan solusi mudah untuk finale WRC 2025 yang terancam batal di Arab Saudi. Salou jadi kandidat pengganti, tapi ada dampak komersial.
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