Ogier the metronome

To win a World crown, victories are important. In a competition as hotly contested as the WRCHowever, it is unlikely to hope to win every meeting and you have to manage to take points even when everything seems to indicate that it is impossible. Sébastien Ogier is the master in this field. On the lands ofOtt Tänak, the Frenchman knew that winning would be complicated. In addition to the Estonian who had to try everything to keep a slim chance of winning the title, the Haut-Alpine had to be wary of Kalle Rovanperä and Craig Breen with a good position on the road. The summer being particularly hot and dry in the Tartu region, the paths offered a good thickness of gravel to sweep for the championship leader. At the wheel of a Yaris with which he enjoys, the Frenchman once again took up the challenge and managed to limit the damage well.

« We did our best at the start of the stage, he rejoiced. We can be very satisfied to be in front of Elfyn and Thierry. They started right after us and they are our main rivals. I have the feeling of having given everything and the gap with the leaders is more or less as expected. On the other hand, our current ranking is much better. »  A few racing events such as the withdrawals of Tänak and Takamoto Katsuta also opened up good prospects for the rest of the weekend.

Ogier further distances Evans

The second part of Friday did not go as well, however. Installed on 3^e provisional progress, Seb saw Neuville rushing at him and overtaking him without being able to react. “ I am not obliged to fight for the podium, he asserted. I wouldn't change much about our day, apart from a few micro errors in the hairpins, but it's super complicated when we don't have any grip. It wouldn't be smart to take all the risks. » This last remark applied admirably following the performance of the multiple champions.

In the new sections of the 2nd day, during the second passages on a roadway disfigured by sometimes very deep rails or on Sunday in this poorly designed Power Stage on a too soft surface, the future retiree adopted a cautious approach. “ Saturday definitely wasn't my best day in the car, he admitted. The conditions were not those in which I enjoy driving and I didn't put a lot of energy into it either. I preferred to be sure. Attacking on this type of path carried too many risks. We also made a mistake in choosing our rubbers. The software overheated in the long stages and it cost us time. »

Finally 4^e, Sébastien Ogier remained satisfied with his Baltic trip. “ It’s a positive weekend for the championship, he concluded. While we knew the handicap of opening the road, we had a very solid Friday and we can only regret not having been able to continue on to the other stages.  The main thing, however, is to have managed to increase our lead over Elfyn. » Nothing is yet decided for a possible new crown, but the ball is in the Welshman's court. If there is very little chance of the Frenchman offering him easy points, Evans will have to produce performances of which he has so far been incapable if he wants to turn the situation to his advantage.