M-Sport Ford and Ogier are still losing ground on Hyundai and Neuville

M-Sport Ford did not achieve the objectives set ahead of the rally from Germany. The team led by Malcolm Wilson wanted to catch Hyundai in the Manufacturers' ranking as well as Thierry Neuville (Hyundai) on the Pilots side. It's a failure, the proof in figures.

Before starting the ninth meeting of the 2018 season, Sébastien Ogier was 21 points behind the Belgian. But after his puncture in the second stage, the Frenchman fell in the ranking. The points gleaned by winning the Power Stage on Sunday lunchtime were not enough to stop the delay from increasing, now increased to 23 points.

#WRC | A tough day for the @MSportLtd Ford World Rally Team #ADACRally with an unlucky puncture for @SebOgier after @ElfynEvans & @DanielBarritt went off course. We'll be back fighting for valuable points tomorrow! #RallyDeutschland pic.twitter.com/H4gAfG0ZkG

— Ford Performance (@FordPerformance) August 18, 2018

“We deserved better, I cannot be satisfied with this result (4th at 1'34'' from Ott Tänak), conceded the reigning champion. But that's what rallying is like and you have to accept it. We saved the day with the Power Stage but we will focus on the next round”, in Türkiye from September 13 to 16.

Malcolm Wilson analyzes this weekend as “ frustrating.” “Luck was not on our side. It would have been difficult to overcome Tänak but Sébastien was right behind him and he was competing for victory. »

The second man in the British team, Elfyn Evans, retired on Saturday due to going off the track. Left again on Sunday as part of Rally2, he left again on the grass from the first curves of the Power Stage.

The good performance in the M-Sport Ford clan ultimately came from Teemu Suninen, fifth for his first participation in an asphalt rally on a WRC. The Finn made very few mistakes, to the great pleasure of his boss.

SS18 and Rally Germany done. We were fifth overall and learned a lot about these conditions with WRC car. Result was more than I expected. pic.twitter.com/wSOzyqkDWF

— Teemu Suninen Racing (@TeemuSuninenRac) August 19, 2018

“A fantastic weekend for Teemu! He learns so quickly, his performance suggests he has the potential to be as effective on tarmac as on dirt.”, his favorite field.

Find the analysis of the WRC in Germany in issue 2179 of AUTOhebdo, available Monday evening in digital version and Wednesday on newsstands.