Relive the first stage of the Latvia Rally in live text

“The” long-awaited novelty of the 2024 calendar of WRC is finally here! The first edition of Rally of Latvia at the world level takes place from July 18 to 21 on a dirt surface.

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

Latvia Rally
Follow SS8 live with commentary

Ranking Rally Latvia 2024, Stage 1:

• In summer, the days are long. In WRC, also ! T he first stage of the 2024 Latvia Rally, contested this Friday, July 19, did not give rise to a thrilling spectacle.
• Kalle Rovanperä (Toyota), already in the lead on Thursday evening after SS1, kept his lead and signed 5 fastest times. The Finn is evolving at a faster pace than all his rivals and seems well on his way to winning the 8th round of the season. “SS8 was the first time I could really feel like I was driving optimally,” Harri Rovanperä's son dared to say!
• The driver who saved this first day was Martins Sesks (M-Sport Ford). The 24-year-old rookie scored his first two special victories at the wheel of the Ford Puma Rally1 hybrid, on roads he knows by heart. Rejected 15 seconds behind Rovanperä, the Latvian hopeful's objective is not to seek victory but to continue the weekend without making a mistake.
• Absent in Poland following a road accident during reconnaissance, Sébastien Ogier (Toyota) is sailing in 3rd place and can claim to do better on Saturday by attacking.
• Is he still marked by his spectacular flight in Estonia last week? Ott Tänak (Hyundai) had no influence on the course of the race. While an opportunity to regain points Thierry Neuville (Hyundai) and Elfyn Evans (Toyota) offer themselves to him this weekend, the 2019 champion is only 6th.
• Adrien fourmaux (M-Sport Ford) continues to deliver no-frills services. The Northerner entered the top 5 during the last special on Friday and should fight with Takamoto Katsuta (Toyota, 4th) on Saturday.
• En WRC2, the suspense only lasted a few kilometers. Oliver Solberg (Skoda) continued to gain ground at the head of operations. The Swede also took advantage of his direct pursuer Josh McErlean (Skoda) going off the road during the afternoon. The current 2nd in the category, Mikko Heikkilä (Toyota) is half a minute behind.
• The second stage will begin on Saturday at 7:20 a.m. and can be followed in full in live text on AUTOhebdo.fr.
• ALSO READ > The program for the 2024 Rally Latvia

16h50 : Takamoto Katsuta overtakes Ott Tänak and Adrien Fourmaux at the end of this special! A great end to the first day for the Japanese who climbs to 4th place.

16h42: ↗️ In the 8th special, the last one contested this Friday, Adrien Fourmaux made his effort and overtook Ott Tänak to gain 5th place overall! “ It was like driving on ice at times because I no longer had any grip on the tires. »

16h15: Ranking Rally Latvia 2024, SS7:

General classification :

• The special may be unprecedented on this Rally of Latvia, eighth round of the 2024 WRC, but the rally experts were not found wanting. Kalle Rovanperä (Toyota) set a new best time and significantly increased his lead margin. No change is to be reported in the top 10 of the event.
• The last special on Friday, Talsi – 20,52 km, is scheduled for 16:20 p.m.

15h57 : Intractable Kalle Rovanperä! The Finn holds the best provisional time with 3 seconds ahead of Ogier.

15h51: The French are putting themselves in the spotlight. Sébastien Ogier holds the best provisional time with 1 second ahead of Adrien Fourmaux.

15h30: Place in Strazde – 17,44 km, the penultimate special of the day!

15:10 a.m.: 🏁 Ranking Rally Latvia 2024, SS6:

General classification :

• The longest special of the day (27 km) favored the outgoing double champion, Kalle Rovanperä (Toyota). The Finn continues to significantly increase his lead at the top of the Latvian Rally. For the first time in the competition, his teammate Sébastien Ogier (Toyota) was thrown back by more than 10 seconds.
• The astonishing Martins Sesks (M-Sport Ford) for his part preserves 2nd place for his national event. No position evolves in the heart of the top 10.
• In WRC2, the advantage still goes to the Swede Oliver Solberg (Skoda), ahead of the young Mikko Heikkilä (Toyota) and Sami Pajari (Toyota). Irishman Josh McErlean (Hyundai), 2nd this morning, lost several minutes after going off the road in a bend at medium speed!
• The next special, Strazde – 17,44 km, is scheduled for 15:30 p.m.

14h55: No third miracle for Martins Sesks. The rookie from the M-Sport Ford team settles for 2nd place, 3 and a half seconds behind the best time set by Kalle Rovanperä.

14h50: It's not going well for Lappi, who loses 13 seconds on Rovanperä, and even finishes behind his teammate Neuville, while the Belgian must sweep the track today... " We made some setting changes, but it didn't help. The problem may be between the steering wheel and the bucket seat…”

14h42 : Kalle Rovanperä takes for the first time in the event more than 10 seconds of margin on Sébastien Ogier in the general. “ The grip is quite weak. »

14h38: Sébastien Ogier takes the best time with only 1 tenth of a margin over Tänak! “It's very tight, we have a choice of tires which requires driving in a fluid manner. »

14h36: Thierry Neuville seems to limit the damage on this fast special. The Belgian only lost 6 seconds on Evans.

14h15: Time for the longest special of the day, Tukums 2, 27,56 km! Some images from the local stage Martins Sesks attacking this morning:

Martin Sesks has hit back to back stage wins at his home rally WRC Tet Rally Latvia.

Impressive for the Latvian “newcomer”! 👏🏿👏🏿👏🏿 pic.twitter.com/7EdaNhPWdZ

— Zollz (@zollz) July 19, 2024

14:10 p.m.: 🏁 Latvia Rally 2024 classification, SS5:

General classification :

• The Friday afternoon loop in Latvia began with a short 4,99 km special stage. With so few terminals, it is almost impossible to create gaps. This is clearly reflected in the tiny gap between the winner of the SS, Sébastien Ogier (Toyota) and his direct pursuer, Takamoto Katsuta (Toyota): 1 tenth!
• Adrien Fourmaux (M-Sport Ford) took the opportunity to overtake Elfyn Evans (Toyota) in the battle for 6th place.
• SS6 of Rally Latvia, Tukums 2 – 27,56 km, is scheduled for 14:15 p.m.

13h57: Speaking of tires, Esapekka Lappi punctured his front right tire! The Finn experiences a very complicated first stage, but only loses a few seconds given the short distance of this SS.

13h52 : The competitors followed quite varied tire choices. Some only took a spare wheel while others took two tires from their trunk.

13h34: The second loop of the day begins, with Thierry Neuville as the first man on the track. Here is the afternoon program:

13:30 p.m. – SS5 : Milzkalne 2 – 4,99 km
14:15 p.m. – SS6 : Tukums 2 – 27,56 km
15:30 p.m. – SS7 : Strazde – 17,44 km
16:20 p.m. – SS8 : Talsi – 20,52 km

We give you the starting order for the day:

General classification Rally Latvia 2024 after SS4:

• We knew he was fast, but from there to signing two scratch times in quick succession and to intimidating the reference Kalle Rovanperä (Toyota), there is a world that Martins Sesks (M-Sport Ford) crossed without embarrassment this Friday July 19. The rookie, who is competing in his second WRC rally at the wheel of a Rally1, shone, helped, it is true, by his perfect knowledge of the terrain (he has been driving there for several years in national and European events).
• “I ride the same times as world champions, exclaims the 24-year-old beginner. We have a good pace, I suppose, because I made some big mistakes in SS4, I wasn't driving cleanly. It's incredible ! »
• Martins Sesks, vice-European champion (ERC) in 2023, is only 3 seconds behind the first position held by Kalle Rovanperä. Frenchman Sébastien Ogier (Toyota), back after his withdrawal in Poland linked to a road accident during reconnaissance, is 3rd, 7″5 behind his Finnish teammate.
• At Hyundai, Thierry Neuville is suffering. The Belgian is handicapped by his position as opener on this first stage, because he is leader in the championship. He closes the top 10 behind Grégoire Munster (M-Sport Ford). Ott Tänak promises to be Hyundai's best asset (4th) because Esapekka Lappi is not confident despite a better starting situation.
• Frenchman Adrien Fourmaux (M-Sport Ford) is battling with Elfyn Evans (Toyota) in the match for 6th place.
• En WRC2, the advantage goes to Oliver Solberg (Skoda). The son of Petter Solberg is well ahead of Josh McErlean (Skoda) then Sami Pajari (Toyota).
• The Friday stage will resume at 13:30 p.m. with a loop of 4 stages, to be followed in live text on AUTOhebdo.fr.

ALSO READ > Martins Sesks, the local boy who became a national star before the Latvian Rally

11h35: ‼️ Martins Sesks continues his momentum! The Latvian rookie sets another extremely narrow scratch time, this time 1 tenth over Rovanperä!!

11h25: Kalle Rovanperä takes the provisional best time by half a second to the detriment of Adrien Fourmaux, who completed a great special!

1h13: Elfyn Evans leaves Thierry Neuville by 7 seconds in this special.

11h11 : Some action images provided by Hyundai:

It's all about confidence at @LVRally!#WRC #RallyLatvia @OttTanak @OfficialWRC pic.twitter.com/RirdeF646V

— Hyundai Motorsport (@HMSGOfficial) July 19, 2024

11h : ✅ We return with Thierry Neuville, still in the thankless role of the sweeper.

10:30 a.m.: 🏁 Ranking Rally Latvia 2024, SS3:

General classification :

• At 24 years old, Martins Sesks (M-Sport Ford) has just written the history of Latvian motorsport. The rookie set the best time in SS3 at the Latvia Rally, which has never happened for a Latvian driver at WRC level!
• Martins Sesks, who is only competing in his second rally with a Rally1, takes 2nd place from Sébastien Ogier (Toyota) in the event standings.
• “I had already won this special last year (in ERC, the European level. Editor’s note) with a margin of 16 seconds, this time I narrowly won (1″6), said Martins Sesks. It's awesome ! I tried to attack, it paid off even though I missed going through a chicane, which cost me 2 seconds. »
• Elfyn Evans (Toyota) lost two places but that is nothing compared to the poor performance of Thierry Neuville (Hyundai). The Belgian, responsible for sweeping the road this Friday, fell to 9th position, half a minute behind leader Kalle Rovanperä (Toyota).
• The next special, Andumi – 17,86 km, is scheduled for 11 a.m.

10h24: ‼️ Stage local Martins Sesks (M-Sport Ford) creates a sensation by setting the best provisional time!! The Latvian gave his all to beat the Rovanperä benchmark! He will set his first scratch time in the WRC!

10h21: Esapekka Lappi reports a lack of confidence at the wheel of his Hyundai i20 Rally1 hybrid, which would explain his poor performance (11″ lost on Rovanperä).

10h17: Kalle Rovanperä took the provisional best time with only a 1″9 margin over Tänak. He will remain leader of the event.

10h10: ❌ Already one abandonment to count! That of Teemu Suninen (Hyundai), entered in WRC2. « Unfortunately, we are forced to abandon at least for the day due to power steering problems that we encountered yesterday in the super special. We will assess the situation in the service to see if it is possible to continue tomorrow. »

Unfortunately we are forced to retire at least for the day due to the power-steering issues we faced in the super special stage yesterday.

We will assess the situation in the service to see if it's possible to continue tomorrow.#HMSGofficial # WRC2 #TetRallyLatvia @OfficialWRC pic.twitter.com/MmaTmVsyrn

— Teemu Suninen Racing (@TeemuSuninenRac) July 19, 2024

10h08: Sébastien Ogier finished 2nd, 1″1 behind Tänak. “I just made a mistake in a chicane, but otherwise everything is fine. »

10h05: Ott Tänak took 20 seconds back from Neuville!

10h02: Thierry Neuville only said a handful of words at the stop point, and for good reason: the Belgian must sweep today, and will lose several tens of seconds on the best competitors this morning! Arriving just after him, Elfyn Evans took 11 seconds back from him.

9h51: The Estonian flags are visible at the edge of the special, and for good reason. The country of Ott Tänak (Hyundai) borders Latvia, on the Baltic Sea.

9h46: ✅ Now for a “real” special, Tukums 1 with 27,56 km to go! The differences there should be a little greater.

ES2

9h42: 🏁 Ranking Rally Latvia 2024, SS2:

General classification :

• Already leading the Latvia Rally on Thursday evening, Kalle Rovanperä (Toyota) confirmed his good form by setting the best time in the short (4,99 km) first special on Friday. The Finn took advantage of his starting position to avoid being swept away on a surface full of gravel.
• The only change in the ranking concerns Thierry Neuville (Hyundai). Starting in the lead this Friday due to his leading position in the championship, the Belgian suffers from the role of sweeper. He lost a whopping 4 positions overall, but surprisingly remained ahead of his teammate Ott Tänak.
• Sébastien Ogier (Toyota) moves up to 2nd place while Adrien Fourmaux (M-Sport Ford) keeps his 8th place.
• The next special will be a real piece of cake: Tukums 1 – 27,56 km, from 9:45 a.m.

9h24: Here are the tires loaded by the Rally1 this morning. Only Adrien Fourmaux chose a hard tire, the rest of the drivers opting for 5 soft tires.

9h21: Kalle Rovanperä takes the best provisional time with 1″ ahead of Ogier.

9h11: Oops, Sébastien Ogier put a wheel in the shoulder and took away a few branches in the process! “I started off being aggressive, I knew this corner was tight! There will be more hot moments like this. »

9h08: This special stage is very short, less than 5 km, and is negotiated at a brisk pace. The gaps are therefore very small, it is more of a trial run than a real fight against the clock!

9h: Here we go for Thierry Neuville (Hyundai)! The weather is ideal in Latvia, the sun is shining.

8h59: Here is the starting order for the day, based on the ranking in the Drivers' World Championship. On a dirt rally, the earlier the drivers start, the greater the risk of sweeping the gravel surface and therefore losing time on competitors starting later.

8h52: As Esapekka Lappi (Hyundai) indicates, this first stage will be tough because no return to the service park is planned during the 8 SS. There are only two tire change zones planned on 120,92 km of special stages on the program!

Good morning from Riga! It's the longest day of the weekend, will feature eight stages, with only two remote tire fitting zones splitting the 120.92km competitive distance. SS2 at 10.00.#RallyLatvia #HMSGOfficial #L4PPI pic.twitter.com/xxbqveBcPH

— Esapekka Lappi Rally (@EsapekkaLappi) July 19, 2024

8h45: Hello and welcome to this page to follow the Latvia Rally! For this first at this level, there will be 20 special stages for a total route of 310 kilometers. Crews who have already competed in this event previously will find sections borrowed from past editions. They will therefore not be surprised to be racing on very fast roads (Martins Sesks won with an average speed of 113 km/h in 2023, on a Rally2).

There will be 40 crews at the start of this new gravel event, with the notable presence of 10 Rally1 and the second participation of Martins Sesks in the premier category. At home, the Latvian will discover the Ford Puma in its electrified version, he who took part in the Polish Rally with a mount without the hybrid system to acclimatize to Rally1. He will support the two regular drivers at M-Sport, Namely Adrien fourmaux and Grégoire Munster.

In Latvia, Toyota will enter four Yaris Rally1 with the announced presence of Kalle Rovanperä and Sébastien Ogier. The eight-time world champion's participation in the Latvian event was confirmed a few weeks after his road accident in recognition of the Polish Rally. At the house of Hyundai, as usual, there will be three cars at the start: Esapekka Lappi has been selected to drive the third i20 N Rally1 in the running.

Program for Friday July 19 (120,95 km)
9:00 p.m. – SS2 : Milzkalne 1 – 4,99 km
9:45 p.m. – SS3 : Tukums 1 – 27,56 km
11:00 p.m. – SS4 : Andumi – 17,86 km
13:30 p.m. – SS5 : Milzkalne 2 – 4,99 km
14:15 p.m. – SS6 : Tukums 2 – 27,56 km
15:30 p.m. – SS7 : Strazde – 17,44 km
16:20 p.m. – SS8 : Talsi – 20,52 km