WRC Chile: Oliver Solberg extends rally lead as Evans pays road-order price
Oliver Solberg pulled further clear of World Rally Championship leader Elfyn Evans to head into Saturday’s leg of Rally Chile with a 10.1s lead. The Monte Carlo winner thrived in the morning’s muddy conditions caused by overnight rain, trading times with Evans, before heading to midday service with a 2.3s lead over his Toyota team-mate. As the stages began to dry out for the afternoon ... Keep…
Oliver Solberg extended his lead in the World Rally Championship (WRC) standings after Rally Chile's first day, currently sitting 10.1 seconds ahead of Elfyn Evans. The Norwegian driver successfully navigated morning conditions affected by overnight rainfall, while Evans faced challenges from the road order. As the track dried, Solberg capitalized, winning the final stage of the loop by a mere 0.3 seconds over Hyundai's Adrien Fourmaux, who secured third place by 0.7 seconds.
Evans, who remained ahead of his nearest rival, Sami Pajari, praised the day's conditions and the team's performance. Meanwhile, Adrien Fourmaux praised the car's performance in the afternoon, despite initial electronic issues. Hyundai's Thierry Neuville struggled with consistency and a leaking rear damper, dropping from fourth to sixth.
Josh McErlean and Esapekka Lappi rounded out the top 10 for the M-Sport-Ford team. WRC1 driver Takamoto Katsuta was absent, having crashed his GR Yaris during the Rally Paraguay.
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