Ogier vs. Evans: Who will win the gripping Chilean thriller?

(Motorsport-Total.com) - The Rally Chile is developing into a thrilling battle for victory and the World Championship lead. After 12 of 16 stages, Sebastien Ogier leads the field, 6.3 seconds ahead of his Toyota teammate and World Championship rival Elfyn Evans. While the Japanese are aiming for a one-two finish, Hyundai has little chance after a disappointing Saturday. A safety incident also rocked the event.

Saturday began turbulently: After heavy rain overnight and further showers in the morning, the stages presented themselves with extremely slippery conditions. These conditions initially suited Evans, who stormed from fifth place to the lead. With a strong performance in the wet, the Welshman built a 5.6-second lead over Ogier by the halfway point.

The eight-time world champion, however, was too cautious in the morning, dropping back to fourth place at one point, and seemed dissatisfied: "It was the second time this weekend that I was too timid in the first stage. This morning I lost maybe 15 seconds, yesterday about ten. That could have made my life easier."

But in the afternoon, Ogier turned the duel around: On the dry tracks, his tire choice—four hard and two soft tires—played a role, as did his starting position of sixth on the road (Evans was two cars ahead). On SS10, Ogier was 2.9 seconds faster than Evans, and on SS11, he added another 3.7 seconds to take the lead by a whisker. He also prevailed on SS12, extending his lead by another 5.3 seconds.

"That sounds good, but it will be intense until the end. I have to be wide awake tomorrow morning, not like in the first stages of the last two days," said Ogier after his impressive afternoon performance.

Evans is self-critical in his analysis: "We actually expected more tire wear, so I was a bit too conservative this afternoon, especially at the beginning of the loop. Seb drove very strongly. Victory is possible, but it won't be easy."

Hyundai loses connection

While Toyota dictated the pace, Hyundai squandered its chances of victory. Adrien Fourmaux began Saturday as the leader, ahead of teammate Thierry Neuville. But both gradually lost time. Fourmaux slipped to third place (+26.8), while Neuville even dropped to fourth (+41.7).

The dry tracks were particularly difficult for the Koreans: Fourmaux complained about a lack of grip, losing 7.3 seconds on SS10 alone and another 7.8 seconds on SS11. "It's difficult because the opponents are very strong on the polished stones. I really tried my best, but we're missing something today. It's frustrating, but at least we're on the podium—even if we wanted more."

Neuville opted for a mixed tire mix (three hard, three soft) in the afternoon because he expected damp conditions. "We didn't have good information. The stages were almost completely dry, only damp at the end. It would have been better with four hard tires, but I lost time," the Belgian admitted.

The other placements

Lurking behind the leading trio is Finn Sami Pajari, who reduced the gap to Neuville to 8.7 seconds with a solid drive and is in fifth place. Defending champion Kalle Rovanperä encountered the most difficult conditions in his Toyota and finished the day in sixth (+1:23). He lost the lead on Friday due to a tire puncture that cost him over a minute.

Takamoto Katsuta put in a combative performance, overtaking Gregoire Munster (M-Sport Ford) for seventh place after two spins. Oliver Solberg holds the WRC2 lead in ninth, 30.2 seconds ahead of Nikolay Gryazin. A victory that would secure him the title early.

Ott Tänak (Hyundai) and Josh McErlean (M-Sport), on the other hand, were forced to retire on Saturday. Tänak retired after two stages to preserve the newly installed spare engine. McErlean was stopped by a faulty fuel pump.

Security scandal on WP7

An incident on Saturday morning made headlines: An unauthorized vehicle entered the track against the direction of traffic on the seventh special stage, passing several checkpoints, including police stations and marshals. The car was finally spotted by the FIA ​​medical car after 13 kilometers, just 50 minutes before the start of the stage. A collision almost occurred.

The stewards imposed a suspended fine of €15,000 on the organizer and issued a reprimand. They particularly criticized the lack of communication between marshals and rally control. "Such communication chains are essential for safety," the report states. They warned that any further incident would result in the immediate cancellation of the rally.

Showdown on Sunday

Four stages covering 54.80 kilometers await on the final day. Ogier is aiming for his fifth victory of the season, Evans his first since March in Kenya. Both know that victory in Chile could be decisive in the 2025 title fight. "Every stage tomorrow is important," said Ogier. "It will be intense."