Sébastien Ogier unbeatable at Rally Mexico… and leader of the championship!

Sébastien Ogier (Toyota) has a knack for pushing past the other regular competitors in the World Rally Championship (WRC) for (almost) stooges. On a partial program in 2023, the Frenchman once again dominated the debates by winning the Rally from Mexico, as in Monte-Carlo at the end of January.

#RallyMexico WINNERS‼️🏆🇲🇽#WRC @TGR_WRC @vinzzlandais pic.twitter.com/y5Y7YNdZk0

- Sébastien Ogier (@SebOgier) March 19, 2023

The eight-time world champion certainly benefited from the accident of leader Esapekka Lappi (Hyundai) during SS11 on Saturday morning, but didn't he just push the Finn into making a mistake by applying controlled pressure? Lappi outside, Ogier, and his co-driver Vincent Landais, only had to manage a nice lead of more than half a minute over the pursuers.

Sébastien Ogier also becomes, this Sunday March 19, the only record holder for victories on this Rally of Mexico, with a seventh success, one more than big brother Sébastien Loeb.

ALSO READ > Towards a WRC championship more open than expected?

The interest of this end of Rally Mexico lay in the fight for the places of honor. More precisely, the one between Elfyn Evans (Toyota) and Thierry Neuville (Hyundai) for second position. The Belgian won his case at the last minute, thanks to a damaged suspension on the Welshman's Yaris hybrid in the last three stages.

The top 5 is completed by the outgoing champion Kalle Rovanperä (Toyota, 4th) and Dani Sordo (Hyundai), who never weighed in the course of the race due to a poor starting position (for Rovanperä) and 'an obvious lack of rhythm (for Sordo).

In the top 10, where are the Ford Puma hybrids? Far very far ! A blatant lack of reliability cost several minutes Ott Tänak in the first stage, which saved a few points in the Power Stage and a 9th place, but not the lead in the championship, taken over by… Ogier!

As for Pierre-Louis Loubet, his lack of experience on terrain as demanding as Mexico was cruelly felt with three driving errors, one on each stage.

In WRC2, victory went to the returning Gus Greensmith (Skoda). Not preserved by M-Sport Ford in 2022, the Briton signs a thunderous return to the lower level. He is ahead of outgoing champion Emil Lindholm (Skoda) and Oliver Solberg (Skoda). In the running for 2nd place on Sunday morning, the French Adrien fourmaux was let down by the reliability of his Ford Fiesta (HS alternator belt). He has to settle for 7th place.

Rally Mexico 2023 ranking:

General classification Drivers:

General classification Manufacturers:

Find out in the next issue of AUTOhebdo, on sale Monday evening digitally and Wednesday on newsstands, the analysis of WRC in Mexico by our special envoy.