Relive the first day of the Rally of Chile with live commentary

Le WRC is settling in South America for its final round of the season on dirt: the Rally from Chile. On site, Thierry Neuville has the opportunity to take another step towards the title of champion and above all to win it for the first time! No less than 16 timed special stages are on the program for this Chilean event where it will be essential to manage your tires well at the risk of puncturing as was the case during the 2023 edition. See you from 13:35 p.m. this Friday to follow the Rally of Chile with live commentary.

> You can follow the live evolution of the ranking via the official WRC Live Timing, available here.

Chile Rally
Follow the first day with live commentary

SS6/22:18 – 🏁 This is the end of this first day of the Rally Chile. Thank you for joining us. The Rally Chile is scheduled to resume at 14:07 this Saturday with SS7, and will still be available to follow on AUTOhebdo. Have a great evening everyone!

ES6/22:14 p.m. – 🏁 Another French scratch to end the day, but this time for Fourmaux who preceded Ogier of 1“8. Overall, it is more disputed than ever with only 4 tenths of a gap between the leader Thank you and his runner-up Evans. The Top 5 is 10 seconds apart

SS6 standings

General classification after SS6

ES6/22:12 p.m. – 12'11"4 for Munster on the line which closes this first day in Chile in 5th place overall, just over 10 seconds behind Tänak.

ES6/22:09 p.m. – 12'12"4 for Lappi 7 seconds behind Fourmaux. Difficult day for the driver Hyundai, never comfortable with his i20

ES6/22:06 p.m. – There is our national Fourmaux! The Northerner flew in this final special to stick 1“8 to Ogier with a time of 12'05“4 and despite the water pressure warning on his board. What a shame that he got a one-minute penalty because he really has pace. Without that, he would be 3rd overall, 1 second behind Tänak. To be honest, we tried to do our best all afternoon. »

ES6/22:00 p.m. – Pajari not far from finishing on a scratch time. Only 1“7 behind Ogier with a time of 12'08“9. Very solid day for the Finn who remains in the running for a place on the podium! It was very clean without any real mistakes (…) There is still a lot to learn but I have to be happy. »

ES6/21:59 p.m. – Rovanperä still not happy as he shakes his head at the finish line. 12'09“5 to 2“3 behind Ogier. He remains 3rd overall at 7“1 behind Tänak. That's pretty much all I could give (…) It's one of those tough days… »

ES6/21:54 p.m. – Evans' response to end the day! The Welshman is back to just 4 tenths of a second behind Tänak after his time of 12'07"5, just 0"3 behind Ogier. I had to do better than the previous special. » The Welshman sent everything

ES6/21:51 p.m. – No hybrid? No problem for Ogier who improves on Tänak's time in 12'07“2, 2“4 faster. The Tricolore continues his faultless performance in this second loop of the day. It wasn't our day, " he said, confirming the absence of hybrid

ES5/21:48 p.m. – Tänak seems to have the right settings. 12'09“6 for the rally leader on the line with a 7“1 lead over his teammate. It was a good day. We have to be happy with that. " The Estonian appeared smiling.

ES6/21:45 p.m. – Neuville finished this first day without any problems. 12'16“7 for the championship leader who took no risks and who did not lose too much time despite his position as opener. I could never go fast. I just went to the end. Every time I tried to push, I lost the car (…) I think we made a mistake on the set-up. Maybe it was the right direction this afternoon but it was too late (…) Let's see what we can improve for tomorrow when I should have a better position on the road. Maybe that will help. »

SS6/21:40 – 🛠️ Problems for Ogier? Unless it's a display problem, the Tricolore doesn't seem to be able to count on his hybrid system. On the TV broadcast, we can see that it doesn't move when it's supposed to, for example, display that it's regenerating energy. In any case, this problem doesn't appear on the other drivers

ES6/21:38 p.m. –This is the longest special of the day with 23,32 kilometers

SS6/21:32 – 🟢 The starting signal for the last special of the day in Chile. Neuville started his time (after checking that everything was safe as a dog had just crossed the road)

ES5/21:21 p.m. – 🏁The Rally Chile is scheduled to resume at 21:32 p.m. with the last special stage this Friday.

SS5/21:17 p.m. – 🏁 This is therefore a second scratch time in a row for Ogier who continues to gain ground even if he remains at a distance from the leaders. Behind him, the Tricolore beat his compatriot Fourmaux by 2 tenths, then penalized by one minute for having clocked in 6 minutes late after his alternator problem.

ES5 Ranking

General classification after SS5

ES5/21:15 p.m. – Munster continues his clean and faultless ride. The Luxembourger crossed the line with a time of 6'38“5, only 2“6 behind Ogier. Here he is again 4th overall, only 8“9 behind Tänak.

ES5/21:12 p.m. – 6'38“2 for Lappi who is finding his rhythm again after a very difficult SS4. He only lost 2“3 on Ogier.

ES5/21:09 p.m. – Not really a mechanical problem for Fourmaux given the pace displayed. The Northerner finished just two tenths behind Ogier with a time of 6'36"1. We had a problem with the alternator. When I put the fan back on, I damaged a hose. We had one problem. »

ES5/21:06 p.m. – 6'40 to 4"1 from Ogier for Pajari. Great first day in Chile for the young Finn who is fighting for the podium. I feel comfortable even though I feel there is room for improvement. Everything is not perfect yet. »

ES5/21:04 p.m. – 6'39“6 for Rovanperä at 3“7 from Ogier. The Finn points out a difficulty in finding rhythm and in particular in being able to push at 100%. I just tried not to make any mistakes. »

SS5/21h03 – Good news, Fourmaux managed to take the start, however with a delay and should therefore not escape a penalty. 9 minutes behind for him

SS5/21:00 – 🛠️ Problems for Fourmaux who has not yet been able to start SS5. His dashboard displayed the message “water”. A water temperature problem?

ES5/20:57 p.m. – Rally Chile has a new leader! With a time of 6'42"4, 6"5 behind Ogier and 5"2 behind Tänak, the Welshman loses the lead. It is now the Estonian who leads. I don't really feel comfortable on this second pass (…) I'm trying to do my best. »

ES5/20:54 p.m. – Ogier confirms his good form in Chile. 6'35“9 for him who beats Tänak by 1“3. Life is beautiful, we make sure to enjoy it. » The Tricolore does not budge from its role while it faces the FIA

ES5/20:51 p.m. – Tänak is not bothered by being second on the road. The Estonian easily beats Neuville's time with a time of 6'37"2, 8"7 faster. Everything has been fine since this morning." No more no less.

ES5/20:48 p.m. – Neuville completed the special in 6'45"9, 6"8 faster than his previous run. I'm fighting with the car. We're on the right track, I'm happy with what we've been able to improve (…) But it's not really nice. » Really not happy to open the road again

SS5/20h41 – 🟢 Neuville receives the starting signal in this mid-loop stage. Earlier, the Belgian had finished 8 seconds behind Evans’ best time

ES4/20:25 p.m. – 🏁The Rally Chile is scheduled to resume at 20:41 p.m. with SS5.

ES4/20:22 p.m. – 🏁 Best time of SS4 for Ogier who is 1'31 behind Evans, still leader of the general classification of the Rally of Chile

SS4 standings

General classification after SS4

ES4/20:20 p.m. – 10'06“2 for Munster who remains in ambush in the general classification. The Luxembourger has had a good start to the weekend and is currently 6th, 10“3 behind Evans

ES4/20:017 p.m. – A catastrophic start for Lappi who crosses the finish line with a puncture on the rear right. 10'19"5 for him who has lost 27"2.

ES4/20:014 p.m. – Evans remains in the lead of the general classification after the passage of Pajari. 10'06“1 for the latter who falls back to 5th place at 9“9 from the leader.

ES4/20:011 p.m. – 10'08“1 for Rovanperä on the line at 15“8 from Ogier. A gap which can be explained by his small error in the middle of the special. I had a bit of a scare on a low-speed bend. Nothing too serious, but I lost some time… "Good news for Evans who keeps the lead in the general standings for the moment.

ES4/20:08 p.m. – 10'04“4 for Fourmaux at 12“1 from Ogier. It was my first time on this special and there were some not very easy places where things were moving quite a bit. »

ES4/20:06 p.m. – Rovanperä lost time after missing the brakes and hitting a gate. The Finn lost about 5/6 seconds in the story.

ES4/20:05 p.m. – Evans starts off gently and loses 10 seconds to Ogier with a time of 5'10"02. It remains to be seen what his direct rivals, Rovanperä and Pajari, will do. Nothing happened. Just the conditions are difficult."

ES4/20:02 p.m. – Still a very good pace for Ogier who must regret his puncture in SS3. The Gapençais already sets the bar high in this SS4 with a passage in 9'52"3 faster than Tänak by 5"9. I have nothing against you, I will give you more comments during the weekend. Today, it is like this. It is not the smartest way but it is the only tool we have. "The message could not be clearer.

ES4/19:59 p.m. – Tänak improves on the line with a time of 9'58"2 which allows him to beat Neuville by 8 full seconds. Good start to the afternoon for the Estonian. "Good special, everything is fine." The Hyundai driver does not elaborate further, as a way of getting a message across.

ES4/19:57 p.m. – 10'06“2 for Neuville on the line who did not hide his frustration at the lack of grip, describing the situation as horrible to keep the car under control

ES4/19:52 p.m. – Here is the afternoon program in Chile:

19h46 - ES4 : Pulperia 2 – 19,77 km
20h41 - ES5 : Rere 2 – 13,34 km
21h32 - ES6 : Rio Claro 2 – 23,32 km

ES4/19:48 p.m. – Here is a summary of the morning loop:

Rally Chile: Ogier distanced, Evans leader after a hectic morning

SS4/19h46 – 🟢 It’s back to Chile where Neuville is already leading the way. The Belgian is 7th overall, 13 behind the leader Evans

ES4/19:43 p.m. –As a reminder, here is the starting order for today in Chile:

Neuville
Thank you
Ogier
Evans
Fourmaux
Rovanperä
Pottery
Lapland
Munster
Sex

ES4/19:40 p.m. – 🟢 The Rally Chile is scheduled to resume at 19:46 p.m. with SS4.

ES3/16h09 – 🏁 It’s therefore a scratch for Rovanperä who continues the clear round of Toyota on this Friday morning in Chile. Overall, Elfyn Evans is in the lead with a 2" lead over the Finn while Ogier is in 2th place in Rally9 at 1'1"41. Championship leader Neuville is 8"13 behind

ES3 Ranking

General classification after SS3

SS3/16h04 – Sesks is back on track but seems to have problems with his Puma. The Latvian is not driving at a great pace. He has certainly damaged his suspension

ES3/16:03 p.m. – Meanwhile, a great performance from Munster, provisionally 3rd in SS3, 1 behind Rovanperä. Very encouraging for the Luxembourger looking for confidence after a difficult first full season. The feeling wasn't ideal (…) But overall it wasn't bad."

SS3/16h01 – 💥 Puncture for Sesks. Same scenario as Ogier but a little further into this stage. The Latvian hit the embankment and immediately stopped to change a tyre

ES3/16:00 p.m. – Lappi finished with a delicate finish after missing the brakes in the last few hundred metres, hitting the embankment with the rear of his i20. The Finn still managed to cross the finish line 11 seconds behind Rovanperä. “Everything is fine,” he reassured.

ES3/15:57 p.m. – 12'24“3 for Pajari who confirms his good start finishing only 3“8 behind Rovanperä. A good omen for the future?

ES3/15:54 p.m. – Rovanperä warms up. Best provisional time while waiting for Sesks, Lappi, Munster and Pajari. The Finn drove in 12'20"5 beating Evans by a tenth. The Toyotas seem in good shape on this Friday morning on the Chilean dirt. " It was very bad, I don't feel comfortable at all. "And yet he set the best time.

ES3/15:51 p.m. – Fourmaux ended his morning on a high note with the 2nd provisional time of SS3, just 2 seconds behind Evans. It's definitely a big challenge for my first time here (…) The passages of others bring stones onto the road so it's not easy."

ES3/15:48 p.m. – 12'20“6 for Evans who takes the lead of SS3 provisionally. He improved by 4“6 compared to Tänak. It's quite difficult to manage, there are places where it looks clean and others where it changes a lot. » The drivers are definitely struggling with grip this Friday morning.

ES3/15:46 p.m. – Ogier managed to make up some time after his puncture but he still lost 1'43“8 in the process. 14'09 for him on the line. At the stop point, there was no comment from him except for a " unlucky "Between his frustration and his crusade against the FIA, we shouldn't hear much from him today.

ES3/15:42 p.m. – Tänak improves the reference of this special with a passage in 12'25“2, 0“9 faster than that of Neuville. Everything is fine. Good morning. "The Estonian, not happy with the recent decisions of the FIA, says the bare minimum like Ogier.

ES3/15:39 p.m. – Morning over for Neuville who completed SS3 in 12'26"1. It's going to be a very long weekend for us. I'm fighting but there's not much I can do.. » The Belgian is not comfortable with the opener position. As for Ogier's problems: " I just have to focus on myself. »

SS3/15h36 – 🟢 Ogier back on the road. The Frenchman lost 1'51“5 in the affair

SS3/15h34 – 💥 Already problems for Ogier! The Tricolore went too wide in a right-hander and hit the verge. He is stopped on the road for a tyre change on the left rear

ES3/15:30 p.m. – Regarding SS1, for the moment, Ogier (9'59“1) and Tänak (10'08“2) keep their initial times while the rest of the competitors receive that of Neuville (10'09“6). A review will however take place after SS4.

SS3/15:26 p.m. – 🟢 Neuville receives the starting signal and launches SS3, the last of the first loop of the day in Chile  

ES3/15:21 p.m. – The special will start with a slight delay after the 5-minute delay of SS2.

15:15 p.m. – 🏁 The start of SS3 is scheduled for 15:21 p.m.

SS2/15h10 – 🏁 And the scratch for Evans, the first of this Rally Chile. The Welshman led a quadruple of Toyotas ahead of Rovanperä, Pajari and Ogier. Tänak completed the Top 5 just over 4 seconds behind the leader. Overall, while waiting for the stewards' panel to decide for SS1 when only Ogier and Tänak were able to keep a different time to that of Neuville, attributed to the other competitors, Ogier leads with a 6" lead over Evans.

ES2 Ranking

General classification after SS2

ES2/15:09 p.m. – Sesks is finding his marks. The Latvian didn't try to beat the clock even though he wasn't left behind either. 6'52"8 for him on the line of this SS2 at 8"3 from Evans.

ES2/15:06 p.m. – Munster has sensations for his first special of the day. The Luxembourger finished just 1 seconds behind his teammate Fourmaux and 1 seconds behind the leader.

ES2/15:03 p.m. – Lappi is not taking any risks at the start of the day. The Finn from Hyundai reached the finish in 6'51, 6"6 from the leader. I did my best, I have to say. It was good on my side (…) Maybe we lack a little bit of performance.

ES2/15:00 p.m. – A great debut for Pajari this Friday who rode in the leaders' time trials with a passage in 6'47"3 to 2"9 of Evans. Here he is provisionally 3rd of the SS2. I felt delicate, I didn't have the rhythm that I would have liked to have. »

ES2/14:57 p.m. – Toyotas at the forefront. Rovanperä slots in between Evans and Ogier. 6'46“7 for the Finn who is making his big comeback, 2“3 behind his teammate. It was quite strange (…) Depending on the place, the road is very different »

ES2/14:54 p.m. – SOn the line, Fourmaux finished 4 seconds behind Evans with a time of 8'6"49. He is provisionally 2th in the special. I feel good. Too bad about the cancellation of the first special. »

ES2/14:49 p.m. – The improvements keep coming. Almost 4 seconds ahead for Evans who completed SS2 in 6'44"4, 3"9 faster than Ogier.

ES2/14:48 p.m. – Tänak may have complained but his time was very good! Ogier only improved by 2 tenths for a final time of 6'48"3 " I understand, I can't say anything. Sorry I can't hear you." Pinned down for having criticized the WRC, the Tricolore is determined to get a message across, in his own way.

ES2/14:45 p.m. – Faster than Neuville throughout the special, Tänak took the best provisional time in 6'48“5, improving by 4“2. It's still like before, it's not going very well but I can't say anything about that. »

ES2/14:42 p.m. – 6'52"7 for Neuville on the finish line of this second special. There's a lot of sweeping to do so it's not very pleasant. It's worse than the first one. I have no grip so it's difficult »

ES2/14:41 p.m. – Tänak leads after 3 kilometres in the stage. The Estonian was 4 tenths faster as Ogier prepares to take the start

ES2/14:35 p.m. – 🢢 The action returns to Chile where Neuville takes on the 13,34 km of the Rere special. Let's hope this time for an SS2 without problems with the spectators!

ES2/14:30 p.m. – 🢢 The start of SS2 is pushed back by 5 minutes! As for SS1, all the drivers were accredited with the same time as Neuville, i.e. 10'09"6

SS1/13h58 – 🔴 Rally Chile will restart at 14h30 with SS2

SS1/13h53 – 🔴 SS1 is cancelled for safety reasons. Problems with the presence of spectators visibly too close to the road. The rest of the drivers win the finish at a walking pace.

ES1/13:52 p.m. – Ogier confirms his good start. On the line, the Tricolor displays a time of 9'59"1 to beat that of Tänak by 9"1. The Toyota driver wants to put pressure on his rivals from Hyundai. All is well, good start. "We have known him to be more talkative...

ES1/13:49 p.m. – First improvement already with Tänak in the wake of Neuville. The Estonian reaches the finish in 10'08“2 beating his teammate's mark by 1“4. I don't have much to say so let's see how it goes. So far so good. »

ES1/13:46 p.m. – 10'09"6 for Neuville on the line which establishes the first reference in this SS1. It was quite difficult to be honest. The grip was zero. I slipped a little bit (…) We know what our objective is so I didn't put everything in »

ES1/13:44 p.m. – Ogier is faster with a 2" lead over Neuville after 1 kilometers in this SS5.

ES1/13:41 p.m. – For the moment, Neuville and Tänak are on equal terms after one sector (2,5 km). Only a tenth of a gap to the advantage of the Belgian who is taking advantage of a less dirty first part to try to create a gap

ES1/13:37 p.m. – In terms of strategy, no one dared. All the drivers left the service park with 5 soft tires.

ES1/13:35 p.m. – 🢢 3, 2, 1… Let’s go for the 2024 Rally Chile! Neuville leads the way. The clock is ticking!

13h34 - As for today's program, here it is:

Friday September 27 (112,86 km)
13h35 - ES1 : Pulperia 1 – 19,77 km
14h30 - ES2 : Rere 1 – 13,34 km
15h21 - ES3 : Rio Claro 1 – 23,32 km
19h46 - ES4 : Pulperia 2 – 19,77 km
20h41 - ES5 : Rere 2 – 13,34 km
21h32 - ES6 : Rio Claro 2 – 23,32 km

13h32 - Here is the starting order for today in Chile:

Neuville
Thank you
Ogier
Evans
Fourmaux
Rovanperä
Pottery
Lapland
Munster
Sex

13:30 p.m. – 👋 Hello everyone! Welcome to this live commentary to follow together the first day of the Rally Chile, the eleventh round of the 2024 WRC season. The start of SS1 (Pulperia 1 – 19,72 km) will be given in a few minutes, at 13:35 p.m.!

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