Last year’s defending champion Thierry Neuville from Belgium consolidated his lead in the Catalan Rally after the second stage. After thirteen special stages, the Hyundai driver leads the British Elfyn Evans by 16.4 seconds, the third is the world championship leader and another Toyota driver Sébastien Ogier.
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Sébastien Ogier in the archive image
twitter:@OfficialWRC, Twitter
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Seven-time champion Ogier may become the eighth world champion in Spain, but he would have to get six points more than his rival Evans. So far, however, he is fighting for third place, because Neuville’s teammate Dani Sordo from Spain is catching up to him with a gap of 1.2 seconds. However, on the second day, Ogier scored two partial triumphs in the tests, the other five became Neuville’s prey.
Czech driver Erik Cais is still in 15th place at the World Championship, losing two positions in the final result list in the last test of the day. Another debutant, Dominik Stříteský, who starts with the support of the Škoda Motorsport factory team, set off from the twentieth position until the next day, but resigned immediately in the introductory test after the accident.
The remaining four special stages will take place on Sunday.
| Catalan rally, event of the world championship in car competitions – after the 2nd stage: |
| 1. Neuville, Wydaeghe (Belg./Hyundai i20) 2: 03: 45,7 |
| 2. Evans, Martin (Brit./Toyota Yaris) -16,4 |
| 3. Ogier, Ingrassia (Fr./Toyota Yaris) -38.7 |
| 4. Sordo, Carrera (Šp./Hyundai i20) -39,9 |
| 5. Rovanperä, Halttunen (Fin./Toyota Yaris) -1: 12.3 |
| 6. Greensmith, Patterson (Brit./Ford Fiesta) -3:45,9 |
| … 15. Cais, Žáková (CZ / Ford Fiesta) -8: 45.2, Stříteský, Hovorka (CZ / Škoda Fabia) did not finish. |
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