Rally Estonia 2022
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Who can overcome Kalle Rovanperä (Toyota)? The Finn seems locked into first place in the World Rally Championship (WRC) in 2022, as his victory during the Estonian Rally this Sunday July 17 once again proved.
The Toyota Gazoo Racing driver showed his muscles by winning a whopping 13 of the 24 special stages scheduled on Estonian soil. This is his fifth victory of the season; the son of Hart Rovanperä further establishes his authority in the championship, because he has almost double the points of his direct pursuer (Thierry Neuville).
Second as in Portugal and Kenya, Elfyn Evans (Toyota) once again admitted defeat. The Welshman was beaten consistently by his young Nordic teammate. This Rally reinforced the domination of Kalle Rovanperä over the outgoing double vice-champion, which should not reassure him about his future and his hopes of coronation.
On home soil, Ott Tänak (Hyundai) must be content with the last step of the podium. The Estonian watched from afar the semblance of a duel between the leading Toyotas. He can reassure himself by ahead of his teammate Thierry Neuville, handicapped by a foggy windshield during the Power Stage.
For his fifth participation in the Estonian Rally, Takamoto Katsuta (Toyota) finally sees the finish line. The Japanese are on a good dynamic. Indeed, since the season opened at Monte-Carlo, the driver of the Yaris Rally1 hybrid has constantly scored points and finished in the top 8!
In the Power Stage, contested under downpours of water, Esapekka Lappi (Toyota) stole 6th place from Adrien Fourmaux (M-Sport Ford). The Frenchman's mission was to reach the finish line without incident; his teammates Gus Greensmith and Pierre-Louis Loubet retired on Sunday morning due to a broken transmission and suspension respectively.
This extremis overtake has no impact on the Manufacturers' Championship, as only Kalle Rovanperä and Elfyn Evans score points for Toyota in this general classification. M-Sport Ford scores an unchanged number of points.
In WRC2, Andreas Mikkelsen (Skoda) reassures himself with his first victory since Sweden this winter. The Norwegian, defending champion, has not scored a single point since February, and needed to get back on track in the defense of his crown. This was done at the Estonian Rally, as he could regain the lead in the championship.
Teemu suninen (Hyundai) must return to the service park with two working cylinders to confirm his second final position, which is not assured for the Finn.
READ ALSO > Towards a return of Germany and a candidacy for the Czech Republic in the WRC?
WRC Rally Estonia 2022 final standings:
Drivers Championship:
Manufacturers' Championship:
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Kalle Rovanperä dominates everyone! The Finn won the Power Stage with a big lead of 20″ over Andreas Mikkelsen!
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Ott Tänak finished 15″ behind Mikkelsen. We could witness the first victory of a WRC2 in Power Stage!
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Thierry Neuville was handicapped by fogging in the windshield. He finished 56″ behind Mikkelsen. “I couldn’t see anything, zero visibility. »
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Takamoto Katsuta finished with the 3rd time, 14″ behind Mikkelsen.
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Thierry Neuville gave up half a minute from the first intermediate point!
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Adrien Fourmaux loses his 6th place in the general classification to Esapekka Lappi! The Frenchman followed the directive of his M-Sport Ford team to finish the rally in the top 10. In the Manufacturers' Championship, this makes no difference because at Toyota, only Rovanperä and Katsuta can score points in this classification. “I didn't enjoy it, it was bad. I was aquaplaning all the time, but I'm happy with my rally and to finish this event. »
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Esapekka Lappi attacks but it is not enough. The Finn on his hybrid Toyota finished 10″8 behind Mikkelsen.
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Solberg drops 47″6 on Mikkelsen.
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Oliver Solberg lost around fifteen seconds when he missed a turn in the rain.
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Craig Breen finished 30″ behind Andreas Mikkelsen! Mikkelsen can really win this Power Stage!
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The conditions are dire! First Rally1 on the track, Craig Breen's Ford Puma is going slower than Mikkelsen's Skoda Rally2 halfway through!
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Andreas Mikkelsen (Skoda) wins the WRC2 class! The Norwegian remained in the lead in this rainy special. His rival Teemu Suninen (Hyundai) finished second after losing around fifteen seconds.
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Here is the starting order for this final special stage of the rally:
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It's time for the Rally Estonia Power Stage! The author of the best time will score 5 additional points in the Drivers' World Championship, 4 for the second best time, and so on up to the fifth classified driver.
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