Saudi Arabia Rally – SS3: Mārtiņš Sesks doubles his tally, Ogier and Evans far behind

"This is probably the worst step." These were the words of Elfyn Evans (Toyota) at the finish of SS3 of Rally of Saudi Arabia WRC, contested on a rugged and rocky course. The Welshman lost considerable time, finishing 11th. He conceded precious seconds to his title rival and teammate, Sébastien Ogierfor whom ES3 was no formality either.

The Frenchman, taking a cautious approach, completed the 20,12 kilometers in 15:45.8, 23 seconds off the fastest time, which earned him 10th place overall. In the general classification, he lost considerable ground to his rivals and is now 7th (+24,6s). Elfyn Evans, meanwhile, is 9th, 39,5 seconds behind the fastest time. Both men were hampered by their starting order on this special stage, where there was a significant difference between the first and last drivers to start.

At the top of the ranking, Mārtiņš Sesks (M-Sport) who once again caused a surprise. The Latvian driver delivered a masterclass in driving, taking the lead in SS3 by 4,3 seconds. Adrien fourmauxThis performance allows him to consolidate his position at the top of the general classification, which he currently dominates with a 7,3 second lead over the Frenchman. Ott Tänak completes the podium of the special stage, at 5,8s.

Despite a puncture on the right rear tire towards the end of the race, Thierry Neuville (Hyundai) finished 6th in SS3. Upon arrival, he confided: “We had a good pace. We had a slow puncture (luckily) 5 km from the end of the stage.” Kalle Rovanperä (Toyota), who has been keeping a low profile in this rally, is only 8th. He is currently 25,2 seconds behind the overall standings.

Thursday's program in Saudi Arabia features five additional special stages. On an unpredictable course, the standings could change significantly. As a reminder, three points separate Elfyn Evans from Sébastien Ogier before the final round of the championship.

In WRC2, Oliver Solberg continues his dominance. His lead over Finland's Roope Korhonen is approaching one minute after SS3.

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WRC – Saudi Arabia Rally
The classification of SS3:

The general classification after SS3: